orisha gods and goddesses pdf

The Orishas travelled to America and the Caribbean during the Transatlantic Slave Trade, which saw many Yorubas being enslaved and assimilated into Catholicism. During the 18th and 19th centuries thousands of Yoruba, Bini, Ewe, and Fon people were enslaved, uprooted, and transported to the Americas. Orisha of medicine, healing, and comfort, physician to the gods. There are many spirits of this kind, but some of them are so preeminent that they supersede all others; they too are orishas. Moreover, if a human was taken away by the goddess and returned, its believed that this person would have returned as a trained jujuman; which is the name given to high priests in many parts of West Africa. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. Some of them are known as ara urun, meaning people of heaven, where they are believed to reside. Last modified October 06, 2021. Photo: @janakesho, Orisha of thunder, lightning, fire, virility, war, and foundations. Yoruba gods and goddesses are worshipped in Nigeria, Cuba, and Brazil. Ogun is able to destroy as easily as heal, as is Oshun when she is displeased, and Shango can lash out in anger with thunder and lightning as often as he does in justice. After this affront, the deposed warrior king reportedly tried to hang himself but ended up ascending to the sky on a chain instead of dying. The Orishas believers wear all-white outfits, but you can distinguish who worships which Orisha by looking at the colours of the ilekes or beads. Author of. Because of the importance of culture and geography in defining the worship, there will never be a comprehensive list of Orishas one should not conclude that other Orishas are not Their number is usually given as 400 + 1 as a kind of shorthand for "without number" or innumerable. The Orishas return to earth and apologize to Oshun who finishes creation with the gifts of beauty, fertility, love, and sweetness, instilling the need for these things in all people everywhere who had been given life through the breath of Olodumare. WebThe reciprocity of service between gods and humans is essen- tially the giving of strength, the renewal of ase to the orisa through blood sacrifice of animals designated as belonging to a specific deity. Mark, Joshua J.. Its worth noticing that, in the case of certain Yoruba divinities, these categories can be overlapped. Always in the middle of conflicting forces, Eshu is commonly linked to duality and contrasts. He created the Orishas to be mediators between himself and the people. Check your inbox to be the first to know the hottest news. Olodumare created the Yoruba people through Oduduwa. His youngest son, Obatala, asked if he could create a new realm made of earth. Generally speaking, however, the Orisha-saint connection had to do with how closely their spheres of influence matched. Orisha of the Earth (strongly associated with. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). World History Encyclopedia. Olorun agreed and gave Obatala a shell to help fashion this new world. For instance, the Yoruba are thought to have a pantheon of up to 6,000 deities.[3]. It is understandable how one would conclude that Olodumare is too far away from human affairs for mortals to make contact, but at the same time, it should be recognized that each Orisha is an emanation of Olodumare and so the supreme being is aware of every prayer of thanks or supplication made to any Orisha. Their religion dates back to the Stone Age but was influenced by the spread of agriculture from the Middle East around 600 BCE. The Yoruba people occupy southwestern Nigeria. In the original African belief system from which Santeria originates, there are hundreds of orishas . We contribute a share of our revenue to remove carbon from the atmosphere and we offset our team's carbon footprint. Orisha (also given as Orisa and Orishas) are supernatural entities usually referred to as deities in the Yoruba religion of West Africa, though they are actually emanations or avatars of the supreme being Olodumare. As a warrior deity, Shango is commonly represented with the oshe, a double-headed battle-ax, either in one of his hands or coming right out of his head. Orisha. Each confirms the Yoruba religion has many Orishas but offer different explanations regarding how they came to exist. "Orisha." The Supreme Deity of the Yoruba is called Oldmar. The Yoruba are most likely the most well-known West African ethnic group in the world due to their vast population in West Africa and broad dispersion through enslavement in the Americas. The Yoruba faith and several other religions that derived from it are also popular in many Caribbean and South American countries. The Yoruba creation story, like many others, has different versions. An Orisha is a God or a Goddess from the Yoruba Religion and Mythology. Its said that her arrogance made her challenge Orunmila to a duel. The ile ori seems to say that a good head (i.e., good character and a good mind) constitutes true wealth. She passed near the sun and lost most of her feathers. Orisha of domesticity and marriage (Shango's first wife), Patron Orisha of the descendants of Africans. Weborisha, also spelled orixa or orisa, any of the deities of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. On the same level as the Orisha are the Ajogun, who are difficult to define but are often associated with the Western concept of a demon. Io and Zeus: A Tale of Deception and Transformation, Top 10 Dreadful Deaths in the Bible and Why Theyre So Terrible, The Myth of Eros and Psyche: A Tale of Love and Self-Discovery. Olorun eventually forgave his son and gave Obatala the responsibility of creating the human race (which he brought into being via his breath of life). The Orishas, after all, had questioned the wisdom and justice of Olodumare and repented of it more than once and so were sympathetic to the human condition. Aja is a patron of the forest and all the animals within it. WebFREE DOWNLOAD Knowing The Orisha Gods Goddesses book in PDF, EPUB and Kindle format. People felt they could talk to the Orishas freely because the Orishas understood their problems, weaknesses, pains, and fears. She resides over the Ogun river, whose waters are said to cure infertility. The Sky god finished building the city of Ife and made himself the king of the Yoruba. Because of the importance of culture and geography in defining the worship, there will never be a comprehensive list of Orishas one should not conclude that other Orishas are not Because each orisha has particular occupations, places, skills, preferences, diseases, problems, capabilities, and misfortunes with which it is closely associated, devoteesthrough the orishas priesthoodcan make appeals to the orisha that is best able to resolve the problem they are experiencing. In his free time, Jhonfrank enjoys coming back to the classics, as well as reading mystery short stories, and poetry. As a researcher, he has specialized in Greek mythology, a field of investigation that he confesses has always stimulated his passion for learning. In some locations in the Caribbean and South America, they were able to reestablish the worship of the orishas and maintain it during slavery and after its abolition. Human ancestors appear in the hierarchy because the spirits of those who have gone before are understood to still exist and able to exert their influence over the living. Weborisha, also spelled orixa or orisa, any of the deities of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. Other orishas are irunmole, the earths first inhabitants that are now sacred beings dwelling on and in the earth. Those who worship him often seek personal empowerment, in order to make themselves better leaders. However, despite their divine status and remarkable powers, not all the orishas have the same origin. The Orishas Gods GET BOOK Download The Orishas Gods Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle Millions of people worldwide have been inspired by the Yoruba people, their culture, and their teachings. Golgotha Cross What Is It and What Does It Mean? Kokou is a warrior god, renowned for his violence and ferocity. They were kings, culture heroes and heroines, warriors, and founders of cities who had a major influence on the lives of the people and on Yoruba society through their contributions to culture and social life. Mark has lived in Greece and Germany and traveled through Egypt. Afterward, those with lighter skin complained they were not darker, and those with darker skin wanted to be lighter, the poor robbed the rich, and the rich enacted laws against the poor, resources were gathered and defended by one people against another, and there was want and starvation, war and privation. The Orisha began to lose patience with him, especially when he tried to infect them with smallpox after they laughed at his deplorable dancing skills. They must be honored through remembrance and invoked to do so by living humans, however, and so fall lower on the hierarchy than the living. This beautifully illustrated exploration of Afro-Brazilian spirituality introduces you to the gods of the African diaspora known as the Orishas. His formidable power and has empowered humans to build civilizations and thrive from his wealth and abundance. The seven most popular Orishas are Esu, Ogun, Obatala, Yemaya, Oshun, Shango, and Oya. WebIn the Yoruba pantheon, the orishas are the deities that help Oludumare, the Supreme God, to keep cosmogonic order. An Orisha is a God or a Goddess from the Yoruba Religion and Mythology. Back and forth Esu went between the deity and humanity, trying to reason with the people, attempting to convince them of how good they had it in a world where their every desire was met and no one went hungry, but the people demanded change and differentiation and so Olodumare granted their wishes but told them upfront that, once the change was made, it could not be reversed. They are also venerated by the Edo of southeastern Nigeria; the Ewe of Ghana, Benin, and Togo; and the Fon of Benin (who refer to them as voduns). This situation went on for some time, until an orisha called Oko asked Orunmila why the orishas didnt have any specific knowledge of their own, so they could directly help humans without having to reach for him every time they needed help. The Yoruba gods became more anthropomorphic due to the agriculture spread, metallurgy, and modernization. Erinle is a wilderness god, associated with hunting, herbalism and animal husbandry. Knowing The Orisha Gods & Goddesses Paperback Illustrated, October 8, 2020 by Waldete Tristao (Author), Caco Bressane (Author) 148 ratings See all formats and editions Paperback $8.99 5 Used from $8.99 15 New from $4.99 But was influenced by the spread of agriculture from the atmosphere and we offset our 's... Up to 6,000 deities. [ 3 ] that her arrogance made her Orunmila. 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