Be the first to get hottest news from our Editor-in-Chief, Check your email and confirm your subscription. Erinle by Mod Nomad This list includes the major Orishas honored in the United States, according to scholars and practitioners. These devotees often commit violent acts of self-harm to demonstrate their tolerance to pain. Sign up now for weekly facts, the latest blogs, and interesting features. WebFREE DOWNLOAD Knowing The Orisha Gods Goddesses book in PDF, EPUB and Kindle format. He reigned for seven years, constantly waging battle against other nations, bringing prosperity to the Oyo Empire. Help us and translate this definition into another language! The number of orishas varies among believers. (In 1989, it was believed that more than 70 million individuals in Africa and the New World participated in Yoruba religion in one way or another. In this way, he is certainly a difficult teacher, but in the end, is usually found to be a good one. Orisha of medicine, healing, and comfort, physician to the gods. Ogun was linked with St Peter, for he was the 'rock' upon which Jesus build the church. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. The white cowrie-shell covering of the ile ori also alludes to the white-feathered bird called eiye ororo, the symbol of the mind that God puts into the head at birth. However, another account for the existence of the orishas explains that these deities dont share the same origin, as there are at least three different kinds of orishas. The third king of the Yoruba Oyo Empire, Shango was considered a violent ruler, but also one with notorious military achievements. He is often viewed as a solitary figure who lives in the wilderness, practicing the ancient craft of shamanism. They were mainly captured from Oyo, Dahomey and Benin by the Portuguese and Brazilian slave traders and brought to Brazil. She guides her followers between the world of the dead and the living, preserving the memories of their ancestors. He created the Orishas to be mediators between himself and the people. 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. However, it becomes the responsibility of the orishas human descendants to transmit to subsequent generations the objects and secrets through which human beings can interact with the orisha. READ ALSO: Most populated religion in Nigeria: is it Christianity or Islam? An Orisha is a God or a Goddess from the Yoruba Religion and Mythology. In another story, the Orishas refuse to obey Olodumare anymore because they want the power to run the world as they see fit without consulting anyone else. In some tales, she is said to be a mermaid. Orisha of iron, fire, hunting, politics, and war. She can summon lightning and tornadoes be whirling her skirt in a dance. He inspires humans to overcome their physical and psychological barriers which impede their growth. (represents wind, lightning, fire, and magic) (Shango's third wife). Finally, there is Eshu, a trickster God, and patron of crossroads. Their number is usually given as 400 + 1 as a kind of shorthand for "without number" or innumerable. Olodumare threw the powers of dominion into the air, and whichever Orisha caught one was responsible for that sphere of influence. Via the qualities of the Orishas as universal celestial powers, this way of life was attained. World History Encyclopedia. The number of orishas varies among believers. The Orishas wailed in repentance in vain. 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. His reign ended when he inadvertently destroyed his palace with lightning. WebFREE DOWNLOAD Knowing The Orisha Gods Goddesses book in PDF, EPUB and Kindle format. Oshun is the goddess of love, intimacy, and marriage. Kokou is a warrior god, renowned for his violence and ferocity. People felt they could talk to the Orishas freely because the Orishas understood their problems, weaknesses, pains, and fears. She presides over womanhood, fertility, and life. The following is a list of Yoruba orisha (r), or deities. 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. However, despite his mistake, Obatala redeemed himself by taking on the task of creating the human race. Egungun-oya by Another Wanderer 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. 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. Essentially, Orishas represent the powers of nature, as well as time, life, death, and rebirth. (missing: Elegua and Ogn), This page was last edited on 6 January 2023, at 16:46. 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. After Orisha Obatala separated the land from the waters, Oshun was the only female among the 17 Orishas Olodumare sent down to complete the work. The Yoruba gods became more anthropomorphic due to the agriculture spread, metallurgy, and modernization. Esu knew their plan, however, because he was present in the doorway when they formed it but did not warn Olodumare of their intentions. WebOrisha embodies. 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 The best examples of this are the stories in which the Orishas rebel against Olodumare in the belief that the supreme deity is too old to manage the maintenance of the world and they could do much better. Several primordial divinities have oral traditions stating that they were once the chiefs or kings of still existing Yoruba towns. World History Encyclopedia is a non-profit organization. In the social and cultural environments of the Americas, the orisha concept underwent some subtle but significant changes. However, since most Yoruba beliefs are based on oral traditions, there are many different accounts regarding how the orishas came to be. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. The ile ori seems to say that a good head (i.e., good character and a good mind) constitutes true wealth. 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. 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). Top 10 Obas in Yorubaland: Interesting facts about the rulers. Remnants of the Yoruba language is still used ceremoniously as a ritual language, and is referred to as Lukum. 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. All can be said to be transformative figures to greater or lesser degrees, and their responsibilities are far-ranging. Photo: @janakesho, Who is the strongest Yoruba god? She is married to Shango, the sky god, who favored her for her excellent cooking and skills in bed. of nature, such as rivers, storms, and forests, but with the advent of farming, metallurgy and city building, the Yoruban gods took on a more anthropomorphic appearance. Orisha worship today is practiced by people around the world in a number of forms including the systems of Santeria, Candombl, and Vodun, as well as nominal Catholics and those who identify as Neo-Pagan, Wiccan, or New Age practitioners. Oshun is the goddess of love, intimacy, and marriage. The witnessing object for the ori-inu is a shrine for the head called ile ori (house of the head), a pointed crownlike container covered with cowrie shells, whose white colour indicates purity and good character. This beautifully illustrated exploration of Afro-Brazilian spirituality introduces you to the gods of the African diaspora known as the Orishas. Esu, for example, as a deity of crossroads, acts as a psychopomp a guide for the souls of the dead bringing them to the afterlife and comforting them while, at the same time, he may have had a hand in the circumstances that led to their death. It is said their scars strike fear into their enemy, who see the scars of Kokou as a sign of their potency. Keep reading to know more about them. The orisha was very enthusiastic about his mission, but he got very drunk before finishing it and neglected his creational duties. Orisha of volcanoes, the wilderness, and rivers. He is now viewed as a compassionate and humble deity, curing people of sickness and disease. (2021, October 06). A collection of these objects, even if it is not permanent, constitutes an altar where the orisha is present and can be addressed through prayers and offerings. Associated with Ifa, Orunmila is considered both the personification of human fate and prophecy. Others, who descended to the Earth to be adored in their human incarnations, were called irunmole. Orisha devotion became a profound influence upon the emergence of such new religions as Vodou in Haiti and Santera in Cuba. Aganju was the next Orisha to manifest on earth. In this article, we base this list on this second account, and will explore the orishas of these three categories. Rituals invoking his spirit require the rapid beating of drums, which often cause his followers to fall into a deep trance. In this context the altar may be referred to as the orisha or as the orishas face. Oshun finished the creation task and filled the earth with the gifts of beauty, fertility, love, and everything people needed to live. 16 Orishas are male and the 17th, Oshun, is not only female but the youngest among them. Renewed and grateful deities in turn bless their supportive wor- The Dyatlov Pass Incident: What Killed Nine Young Hikers at Dead Mountain? The Orishas found their way into the New World via the Atlantic slave trade hundreds of years ago, and are now worshipped in many traditions such as Santeria, Umbanda, Candombl, and has even the Vodou faith. World History Encyclopedia. (missing: Elegba and Oshosi), Elegba, Yemay (Yemja), Osn, Shang (Sang), Obatal, Oya, and Oshoshi. Esu, for example, was associated with Saint Anthony of Padua, patron saint of lost items, people, and paths in life, because of his role as guardian of crossroads and guide in transitions. The first step he took on this realm became known as Ile-Ife (the capital of the Yorubaland). It is the orishas who are the guardians and explicators of human destiny. Shortly afterward, Shango became the orisha of lightning, fire, virility, and war. WebIn the Yoruba pantheon, the orishas are the deities that help Oludumare, the Supreme God, to keep cosmogonic order. Yoruba mythology states that Olodumare is the most powerful god. The Yorubas believe Orunmila came down to Earth to teach the first humans how to practice good moral behavior, something that would help them to live in peace and balance with the divinities, as well as with other mortals. According to the Yoruba belief, Olodumare is too immense for the human mind to grasp and so released different aspects of itself, each of which received a certain sphere of influence randomly. This worship was passed on from one generation to the next. Most populated religion in Nigeria: is it Christianity or Islam? Orunmila - spirit of wisdom, divination, destiny, and foresight It is possible the Ajogun are Orisha tricksters, but whatever they are, they cannot be considered 'evil' or 'demonic' in a Christian sense. Each one represents specific ideas, objects or natural phenomena. Rather than willfully trying to misguide them, his aim is to enrich their life experience, leading them to a spiritual maturation through their transgressions. In largely Protestant North America, it is unclear how the Yoruba faith was observed in the 17th-19th centuries (and may not have been at all), but in Catholic Central and South America and the Caribbean, it became syncretized with Christianity, and the Orishas were associated with certain saints. The Yoruba religion emphasizes continual feeding and supplication to the Orishas, and the community respects the words of the possessed. But one concern remained in Orunmilas mind: How was he going to select who was to have which power without being perceived as unfair or arbitrary for the distribution? Yemoja is the orisha that reigns over all bodies of water, although she is especially linked to rivers (in Nigeria, the Osun River is consecrated to her). wn r knrin (male orishas), wn r Obinrin (Female Orishas), Difference between Yoruba r worship and what is practiced among Afro-Hispanics, "Deities of the Yoruba and Fon Religions | Encyclopedia.com", "Yoruba gods and goddesses: their history explained in detail", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Yoruba_deities&oldid=1131964538, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. 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