African Religions: Santeria

Many people may have heard of Santería from an episode of CSI: Miami and/or from the Sublime song, "Santeria." There is often misconceptions and criticisms about the Santería religion.

The Santería Religion

This religion, also called "La Religión," or "The Way of the Saints," comes from traditional beliefs of the Yoruba people of Nigeria. Santería is structural depending on priesthood level and authority. It was originally a term created by the Spanish to poke fun of the follower´s overdevotion to their assumed neglect of God and to the saint.

The men´s highest level of accomplishment is to become a priest of IFA. These priests get Orumilla (Prophecy, Wisdom, and All Knowledge). They are also referred to as Babalawo, or Father Who Knows the Secrets. The elder of all the orishas Illi in the Traditional orisha-Ifa/Santería community are called Ifa Iles, or Temples of Ifa. The Sacred Oracle of Ifa-Fun or Ika-Ofun plays the confirmation role.

History of Santería

The Santería history really originated from the West African religions that was brought to the New World by slaves. Santería was imported to the Caribbean to work in the sugar plantations. These slaves held on to their religious traditions, some which involved a possession trance tradition used for communicating with ancestors and their gods, animal sacrifice use, and the practice of sacred drumming and dance. While holding on to their own religious traditions, the African slaves were forced to convert to Catholicism. With the Catholic conversion, the slaves were able to combine several beliefs and rituals from the Dahomean, baKongo (Congo), and Lukumí with the Catholic culture.

In the present time, thousands of people practice Santería. Many practitioners are people of Hispanic/Latino and Caribbean descent. But as Santería becoming popular, a growing number of people are of African-American and European-American ancestry. Today, this traditional religion of Lukumí/Santería are present in many parts of the world. This includes the United States, Canada, some parts of Europe, the Caribbean, and many areas with a large population of Latin Americans. However, some people who practices Cuban Santería, Haitian Vodun, Puerto Rican Spiritualism, or Afro-Latin religions, do not see a difference in the orisha, the godly ancestors of the Lukumí´s Ifa religion and the saints.

Orishas, or Deities

In the Santería religion, every deity has special symbols, music, offerings, etc. Here are a list of a few orishas, or deities and their symbolisms:

a.) Elegguá (also called Exú, Elegha, Legbara, Papa Legba): This deity represents the messenger between human an divinity, the god of crossroads, and a god of fertility. It also has a reputation of being a trickster and acts childish when it is influenced by Obatala.

b.) Obatalá (Obatala, Oxalá, Orixalá, Orishainlá): Obatalá is referred to as the Father of mankind and orishas.

c.) Babalú Ayé: god of disease and illness.

d.) Ochosí (Oxossí, Ocshosi, Osoosi, Oxósse): This god symbolizes the hunter and the orishas' scout.

e.) Yemaya (Imanja, Yemayá, Jemanja, Yemana, Yemalla, Yemanja): This represents the divine mother goddess, and goddess of the sea and the Mother of mankind.

f.) Changó (Shangó, Xango, Shango, Chango, Nago Shango): This is the warrior god of fire, sky matter, and thunder.

g.) Osain (Ozain): Osain is the owner of the Omiero, which is holy liquid containing many herbs, liquid through which all saints and ceremonies have to go through.

h.) Ochún (Oshún, Osun, Oxum, Ochum, Oschum): She is the river goddess, goddess of love, fertility and art.

i.) Oyá (Oya, Oiá, Iansa, Iansan): This particular deity represents the wind goddess, and also the goddess of hurricanes, and the underworld gates.

Beliefs and Rituals

Santería religion was delivered orally until the last decade when a number of books have been published about this old religious tradition. Their practice often include dance, animal offerings, songs, and sprinking mercury around the house. The most talked-about rituals in the Santería religion is the animal sacrificing. The priests are trained to kill animals in a humane and safe method. As a result, the cooked animal is eaten by the community. For example, chicken is the main food for many people of African descent and Creole cultures. After the chicken is killed, the blood is given to the orisha, or deity, while everyone eats the meat.

Animal sacrifice is not the only ritual that is offered to the orisha. Trees are also part of the orisha offering. Music from the drum and dancing are part of a prayer and at a time will cause a state of trance in a priest that has been initiated. The priest is possesed and inform the orisha, giving information to the community as well as individuals, allowing healing to take place. In the Lukumí religion, every ritual and ceremony starts with paying tribute to his/her ancestors.

The Yoruba people believe in Oloffí, which is the Creator, or God. The Yoruba religious system is not a two-sided philosophy; good versus evil; God versus devil, but rather see the universe as expanding forces and forces of contraction. Everything that is present is either seen having a positive perspective, or Iré and/or a negative perspective, or Ibi. Many situations are viewed as completely good or completely evil, but every aspect is viewed as having different proportions of both. Actions are mainly judged upon the circumstances and context in which it has taken place.

Iwapele, or good character refers to the philosophy doing positive things because it is the right thing to instead of fearing of retribution or as a way to receive rewards, but because is right. Every human being have the potential of being blessed and good people as well as the potential to make bad and/or evil decisions.

Misconceptions and Criticisms

There are so many misleadings about this religion. Here are a few of those casesѐ

a.) In the 1993 case of Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah, the Supreme Court stated that the animal cruelty laws were declared unconstitutional due to the fact that it targeted the Yoruba religion practices.

b.) The case that was reported on January 18, 1998 in Sayville, NY where a seventeen-year-old girl suffocated with a bag at her mother's home along with her sister after trying an exorcist act to free the girl from her demons. According to the police, they found the women chanting and praying over the body. They practiced Lukumi. The mother was found not guilty by reason of insanity. She is now placed in a New York State hospital for the criminally insane.

c.) Perdita Durango, a 1997 movie, was about a couple who fantasized about Santeria beliefs and satanic rituals, which included eating aborted fetuses, one of the human sacrifices.

There are so many misunderstandings about these African related religions. It is due to the ignorance of society, such as the lack of knowledge of particular subjects. Regardless of how "primitive" someone's beliefs and rituals may be, people should understand what his/her belief is about, whether or not he/she believes in the religion.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santeria

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orisha