General questions from outsidersnewcomers about lukumi santeria what is lukumi. In the realm of african spiritual pathways, no tradition is so widely embraced and practiced as the west african religion orisa. Frohock iccas occasional paper series november 2001. Felix ayohomidire is a professor of afrolatinamerican studies at the department of foreign languages. The resulting syncretion, or fusion, is santeria, the way of the saints. He has widely travelled, studied and taught in diverse countries of the three major atlantic continents. While the book contains a lot of great information, the organization and focus of the book was a bit disorienting for me. Influence of yoruba culture in christian religious worship. The orishaworshiping religions are traditions that require initiation rituals for.
Thank you for your interest in helping us moderate questionable. Many people have turned to the yoruba religion, therefore, we offer this manual to give greater knowledge on which to rely for the initiated, and the uninitiated as. An extremely useful tool for all orisha priests and babalawos. Influence of yoruba culture in christian religious worship by odejobi cecilia omobola institute of education, faculty of education, obafemi awolowo university, ileife, osun state, nigeria. It arose through a process of syncretism between the traditional yoruba religion of west africa and the roman catholic form of christianity. Ugbodu town is considered the historical headquarters of the olukumi people and is traditionally administered by the obi of ugbodu. The olukumi people are an igboid group, native to nigerias delta state. Many people have turned to the yoruba religion in this spiritual revolution.
His mother had been introduced to osha a religion known also as lukumi or santeria as a child through a first generation olorisha priest who was the family cook. Gather and discuss this spiritual system and way of life. He is also the director of the institute of cultural studies in the same university. The yoruba religion comprises the traditional religious and spiritual concepts and practice of. Argued november 4, 1992decided june 11, 1993 petitioner church and its congregants practice the santeria religion, which employs animal sacri. Territorial conflict and cultural hegemony in the followers of oyo lukumi religion, 1850s1920s miguel willie ramos cuban studies, volume 34, 2003, pp.
It is a realization of the global dimension of the religion, and the strength of. Ifa divination may not be common in other african philosophies, but it is for the yoruba people an oasis of wisdom, love, and morality. Historically, the odianis are the yoruba clans in the anioma cultural area. The yoruba religion also referred to as ifa religion is the traditional religious concepts and practices of the yoruba people, is found primarily in southwestern nigeria and the adjoining parts of benin, commonly known as yorubaland. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options.
At some point in yoruba history, a powerful warrior from the north found his way to yoruba country, conquered it, and eventually instated himself as the first oni or king of ile ife. The church of lukumi babalu aye practiced the afrocaribbeanbased religion of santeria. Every act of worship or devotion in lukumi religion must start with a libation of fresh water followed by an invocation of praise and prayer known as a mojuba. Is lukumi a pagan religion and if not what makes lukumi different. Abstract religion is the strongest element in african culture and exerts great influence upon the conduct of the african people. The basics of yoruba an african spiritual tradition metal. Practitioner of this tradition believes in one god, the creator of all things. Meet other local people who are interested in ifa, the wisdom system of the yoruba culture in western africa. Jan 29, 2008 in yoruba lukumi religion, and has been kept away from the public for more than 50 years. Yoruba religion, these strategies included transforming images of africa. The lucumi religion is descended from a religion practiced by the yoruba in africa. Jun 25, 2016 this links the small individual rooms for the orisha in the diasporahouseholds to the idea of a sacred open space in nature, used by the community of a town a collective memory. Nov 25, 2017 through your contacts worldwide you brought delegations from brazil or cuba to ileif to reconnect to the source of their religion. Methods applied in studying african traditional religion in the.
As per the lukumi yoruba religion, oggun is also a very loving father and will defend his children to the death. On the reconstruction of yoruba and lukumi in cuban santeria claudia rauhut yoruba is an important source of sociocultural and religious belonging in the atlantic world. I picked this up as a complete newcomer to yoruba religion, knowing very little about yoruba religion or its diasporic offshoots santeria, lukumi. Lukumi and animal sacrifice early life ernesto pichardo was born in havana to a middleclass family. Initiation, rituals, ceremonies, orishas, divination, plants, s garcia cortez, julio, corlez, julio garcia on. Aug 27, 20 because of yorubas elasticity, it can adopt other religions quite easily. Santeria used animal sacrifice as a form of worship in which an animals carotid arteries would be cut and, except during healing and death rights, the animal would be eaten. Some have chosen to practice both catholicism and yoruba simultaneously. The exact number of orishas worshipped by the yoruba is difficult to calculate. The enslaved yoruba were brought to the new world through the trans.
Understanding the yoruba religious beliefs and concepts. The size, diversity, and continual replenishment of this population allowed a rich array of africaninspired religions to flourish there, even. Fundamentals of the yoruba religion orisa worship by chief. This warrior is oduduwa, considered the progenitor of the yoruba race by many, and the ancestor from whom all ife kings claim descent, to this very day. The lucumi religion was born in cuba from african and european religious systems.
Santeria is influenced by and syncretized with roman catholicism. Clba is not syncretic and preserves cubas lukumi regional form of worship. The basics of yoruba an african spiritual tradition. In yorubaland there are a series of orishas that are recognized and worshipped by all followers of yoruba religion, and some orishas, which are only known and worshipped in particular. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. On the reconstruction of yoruba and lukumi in cuban santeria. They were taken from their homes, family, language, and religion and brought to countries like cuba to provide free labor to growing agricultural markets that benefited european colonizers of the americas. A belief in an almighty god who had many helpers saints and angels. That practitioners of the religion are now willing to share their original sacred texts with the public shows a significant shift in position. Santeria is a spanish word that means the worship of saints. General questions from outsidersnewcomers about lukumi santeria a. One word for priest in yoruba is babalawo, which also can be translated as father of secrets. City of hialeah certiorari to the united states court of appeals for the eleventh circuit no. From our membership agreement lulu is a place where people of all ages, backgrounds, experience, and professions can publish, sell, or buy creative content such as novels, memoirs, poetry, cookbooks, technical manuals, articles, photography books, childrens books, calendars, and a host of other content that defies easy categorization.
Clba operates as a centralized union of clergy members and adherents, representing members of over thirtyfive nationalities. Lukumi ifa book unveiled and authenticated diaspora orisha. Letra yz 1 aberi kunlo 1 babalaguo 1 babalawo 1 babalu aye 1 baba 1 bakaro 1 baluko 1 bamboshe 1 bere 1 beyi 1 bi eshu 1 biyaya 1 bode 1 bogbo 1 boku 1 bora 1 brillumba 1 buara 1 buku 1 busile 1 ebbo 1 letra d 1 letra e. The religion flourishes in the caribbean, and south america where it has been transplanted along with the peoples who followed this religious path, from africa. It is a realization of the global dimension of the religion. The yoruba spirituality survived better under spanish and portuguese catholicism than the english evangelical christianity.
He describes the history of the yoruba and how they came to be a part of the trans atlantic slave trade. The yoruba would hold on to their religion, but in order to keep it alive, they would have to make it into a new religion. Brandon begins his history of the lucumi religion in yorubaland in west africa. This faq has been written to answer questions that are frequently repeated by outsiders or newcomers to the lucumi orisha religion. Estimates place the number at 401, yet this figure lends itself to speculation. It is always a kind of mixed feelings for african descendants to visit africa for the first time. Lucumi is a lexicon of words and short phrases derived from the yoruba language in cuba. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The title of this book is fundamentals of the yoruba religion orisa worship and it was written by chief fama. Any fusion between the two religions was accordingly layered in.
Aleyo in lukumi names a person who is not yet initiated in the religion. Awakened by her own spiritual journey, tobe melora correal, an initiated priestess in the yoruba lukumi branch of orisa, guides us along this blessed road. Catholicism had parallels similar to the yoruba faith. In a similar vein, yoruba philosophy can be considered antecedent to yoruba religion, in the same manner that every idea comes from the head before going into action. The olukumi people are an ancient fragment of the yoruba people, located in aniocha north local government of delta state, nigeria. The olukumi occupy eight communities west of the niger river and speak an igboid language saturated with yoruba. The incomplete yoruba guide to lukumi orisha image. Secrets of the yoruba lucumisanteria religion in the united states and the americas. Ifa, ocha, santeria, lucumi, orisa, orisha not as a single fixed religious. The yoruba religion has become widespread throughout the western hemisphere as well as its native africa. This links the small individual rooms for the orisha in the diasporahouseholds to the idea of a sacred open space in nature, used by the community of a town a collective memory. The greatest influx of yoruba slaves arrived in cuba by the mid to late 1800s so lukumi as it is practiced today has ancient roots with modern new world modifications. A cuba llegaron como esclavos principes y babalaos sacerdotes.