Just as the physical head perches atop the body, the ori-inu stands over and rules, guides, and controls a persons actions. 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. Rather than willfully trying to misguide them, his aim is to enrich their life experience, leading them to a spiritual maturation through their transgressions. The male Orishas confess they ignored her because she was a woman and much younger and are told only she can complete the work. 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. These West African faiths may also have the most intricate theologies. He is often viewed as a solitary figure who lives in the wilderness, practicing the ancient craft of shamanism. A freelance writer and former part-time Professor of Philosophy at Marist College, New York, Joshua J. Some of them are known as ara urun, meaning people of heaven, where they are believed to reside. Orisha of the Earth (strongly associated with. 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. Eid-el-fitri 2023: Sultan announces date Nigerian Muslims should look for Shawwa "I want to buy it for N6M": Nigerian man unveils old Limousine car dumped for many years, video goes viral, BREAKING: Adamawa's APC candidate controversially declared gov-elect, Binani, sues INEC, Eid-el-fitri 2023: Sultan announces date Nigerian Muslims should look for Shawwal moon, BREAKING: All INEC national commissioners in closed-door meeting over Adamawa poll, Best Tinder bios for guys that catch the eye for the right reasons, Top 20 common weeds in Nigeria every citizen should know, 300+ good Discord server names to choose from for every purpose, China GDP jumps 4.5% in Q1 after zero-Covid scrapped, Kunle Remi reacts to AMVCA snub, teases his colleagues: "God save una cos if I dey the categories I for win", Access Bank, others send messages to customers on new interest rate on savings following CBNs hike, "Can man still propose marriage after his woman cheated 2ce?" 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. Sky Woman: The Overlooked Iroquois Influence on America, Harry Reid: We May Be Close to Finding Out Truth About UFOs, DNA Results Show The Elongated Paracas Skulls Are Not Native American, The mysteries of Ancient Egypts Saqqara Bird, Evidence of Ancient Advanced Technology: The Great Pyramid of Giza, Flat-Earthers going to Antarctica seeking truth about our flat Earth. Essentially, Orishas represent the powers of nature, as well as time, life, death, and rebirth. Oshun is the goddess of love, intimacy, and marriage. Our latest articles delivered to your inbox, once a week: Our mission is to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. They complained loudly to Olodumare, and their cries were delivered by Esu who, as usual, acted as an intermediary. As a result, the plants died, and water bodies dried up. In Yoruba cosmology, Olodumare sits at the top of the hierarchy, and everything else descends down from him: Sign up for our free weekly email newsletter! 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. WebOshun, also spelled Osun, an orisha (deity) of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. World History Encyclopedia. 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. She can manifest as a gentle breeze or in the eye of a raging tornado. However, despite their divine status and remarkable powers, not all the orishas have the same origin. 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. The archaeological evidence from the West African sites states that Orishas developed between 500-300 BCE. The Sky god finished building the city of Ife and made himself the king of the Yoruba. Orisha. WebIn the Yoruba pantheon, the orishas are the deities that help Oludumare, the Supreme God, to keep cosmogonic order. Oshun can be spiteful, Shango impatient, Esu deceitful, Yemaya wrathful, and so on. In a third account, Erinle became a divinity after kicking a poisonous stone. Other orishas are deified ancestors, meaning that they were at first mortals. 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. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Orunmila - spirit of wisdom, divination, destiny, and foresight The Yoruba religion emphasizes continual feeding and supplication to the Orishas, and the community respects the words of the possessed. In this context the altar may be referred to as the orisha or as the orishas face. In one, far back at the beginning of time, Olodumare created the Orishas and spread powers between them randomly. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. Keep reading to know more about them. During the colonial period in the Americas, the African slaves that were transported to the Caribbean and South America brought the cult of Shango along with them. Olodumare created the Yoruba people through Oduduwa. 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. Their number is usually given as 400 + 1 as a kind of shorthand for "without number" or innumerable. Ayao has among her implements a crossbow with serpent arrows, a quill, and nine stones. Using these sacred materials, he created fields, forests, hills, and valleys. In his free time, Jhonfrank enjoys coming back to the classics, as well as reading mystery short stories, and poetry. WebThe Supreme God has three manifestations: Olodumare - The Lord God of the Source of Creation; Olorun - The Lord God of Heaven; Olofi - The Lord God of the Palace, conduit between Orn (Heaven) and Ay (Earth). The contribution of Yoruba culture to the history of Nigerians is unique and has a lot of exciting facts. Oshun finished the creation task and filled the earth with the gifts of beauty, fertility, love, and everything people needed to live. An orisha is that part of a natural force that is disciplined and controllable and that can be cultivated by people using ritual means. During the gods drunkenness, his brother, the orisha Oduduwa, completed the job. Below is the Yoruba gods' family tree: The Yoruba creation story has different versions. 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. Article written by Simon E. Davies, Contributor to Ancient Code. Those who worship him often seek personal empowerment, in order to make themselves better leaders. Oduduwa by Jianing Hu The Yoruba were able to continue practicing their religion by nominally becoming Catholic as the saints served the same purpose in Catholicism as the Orishas did in their native faith, as intermediaries between a believer and the supreme deity. As Orisha of love, Oshun is represented as a beautiful, charming and coquettish young woman. Copyright Ancient Code. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Please donate to our server cost fundraiser 2023, so that we can produce more history articles, videos and translations. )[2] The most prevalent West African religions, both in Africa and the Americas, are likely those of the Yoruba people or those that were influenced by them. Metaphysical personifications or spirits. 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. 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. On this page, Ill present you all you need to know about Orishas and how to understand them in and out from their original context the Yoruba Religion. The males ignore her efforts and suggestions and wind up failing in their task. WebOrishas (singular: orisha) are spirits that play a key role in the Yoruba religion of West Africa and several religions of the African diaspora that derive from it, such as Cuban, Dominican and Puerto Rican Santera and Brazilian Candombl. Most populated religion in Nigeria: is it Christianity or Islam? Obatalas story can also be used to explain the divine origin of human fallibility. On this page, Ill present you all you need to know about Orishas and how to understand them in and out from their original context the Yoruba Religion. Get or read online Knowing The Orisha Gods Goddesses books directly on your Knowing The Orisha Gods Goddesses Book PDF | Download Or Read Online Remnants of the Yoruba language is still used ceremoniously as a ritual language, and is referred to as Lukum. However, despite their divine status and remarkable powers, not all the orishas have the same origin. License. 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). An orisha may be said to arise when a divine power to command and make things happen converges with a natural force, a deified ancestor, and an object that witnesses and supports that convergence and alignment. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. In this way, he is certainly a difficult teacher, but in the end, is usually found to be a good one. 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 They were mainly captured from Oyo, Dahomey and Benin by the Portuguese and Brazilian slave traders and brought to Brazil. World History Encyclopedia is a non-profit organization. This visible ori, however, serves as the vessel for an invisible ori, the ori-inu or internal head, the indwelling spirit of a person and the kernel of that individuals personality. In a variant of the myth, Erinle transformed himself into a river to appease the thirst of the Yoruba people, who had been struggling with the effects of a pernicious drought sent by Shango. Cuban African worship, sometimes referred to as Santera, is still widely practiced in Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Tobago/Trinidad and Brazil, a number of practitioners are Yoruba descendants to certain degrees. In the original African belief system from which Santeria originates, there are hundreds of orishas . Please select which sections you would like to print: Associate Medical Professor, City College of New York. Initially, they represented their gods using elements of nature like rivers, storms, mountains, and forests. Shango was linked with St Barbara, who is connected to war and thunderstorms. To achieve this degree of control and interdependence, the ancestors made offerings and sacrifices. No division in Yorubaland, YorubaKoya commends Ooni, Akintoye, Igboho, others. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. She is the mother of Yemaja. Yet defining an orisha as a deity does not do justice to the concept, in large part because the term deity often suggests a sort of anthropomorphic supernatural entity. Olodumare sent them back to earth to apologize to Oshun because only she could complete the work. They include her daughters Ayao and Oya. Essentially, Orishas represent the powers of nature, as well as time, life, death, and rebirth. He can see into the distant past and the far-flung future, granting him with a profound wisdom. Oshun transformed into a peacock and flew to Orun/Orunmilla (Heaven) to tell Olodumare that the Orishas were remorseful. 17 Apr 2023. This unity is represented by a witnessing object that acts as the material support of an orishas power to command and cause things to happen. However, despite their divine status and remarkable powers, not all the orishas have the same origin. WebThe Supreme God has three manifestations: Olodumare - The Lord God of the Source of Creation; Olorun - The Lord God of Heaven; Olofi - The Lord God of the Palace, conduit between Orn (Heaven) and Ay (Earth). Each confirms the Yoruba religion has many Orishas but offer different explanations regarding how they came to exist. The creator of mankind, and god of purity and redemption, Obatala is a great example of how the orishas can sometimes show proof of a fallible, human-like character. With her destructive qualities, she brings change to the cosmos, an important element of the balance of life. Even so, not all the multitude of Orishas appear in the stories frequently only 20 or 30 at most do so but there are seven that appear often who have become the most popular and are referred to as gods and goddesses: These are all only the most basic descriptions of the dominions of the Seven Orishas. Oshun is commonly called the river orisha, or goddess, in the Yoruba religion and is typically associated with water, purity, fertility, love, and sensuality. They told him that they ignored Oshun for being young and a woman. 50+ fashionable Yoruba native dress styles for men and women. 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 In one account, Erinle sank into the ground and became simultaneously a river and a water deity. Mark has lived in Greece and Germany and traveled through Egypt. In some traditions, Aganju is seen as the father or brother of Shango, god of thunder and lightning. 2023 All Rights Reserved. Books He subsequently becoming a river god. Help our mission to provide free history education to the world! At a time when the Gods were starving, she offered him her ear to eat, and he scorned her. Get the hottest stories from the largest news site in Nigeria. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. His most notable role is that of the psychopomp (guardian of the dead). They are not demons, however, because according to Yoruba belief, all things in creation natural and supernatural are possessed of the aspects of positivity (ire) and negativity (ibi) and so nothing can be understood as wholly good or completely evil. WebLooker Studio turns your data into informative dashboards and reports that are easy to read, easy to share, and fully customizable. 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. Various sources state that there are at least 401 Orishas, and several are mentioned in Yoruba creation stories and archaeological history. All humans, therefore, are connected to each other no matter their appearance, religion, or location because all owe their existence to the same divine breath that animates them, and all humans are related to other living things for the same reason. Aganju by Robert Love She is kind and generous to her followers, but when brought to anger she can cause untold destruction. He created the Orishas to be mediators between himself and the people. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Creator of human bodies (represents light, spiritual purity. This worship was passed on from one generation to the next. They are forced to return to Olodumare and admit their failure and are asked what happened to the 17th who was sent with them. An Orisha is a God or a Goddess from the Yoruba Religion and Mythology. Olorun by Sanjana Baijnath He was supposed to have lived at some point between the 12th and the 14th century AD. 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. Each human is also thought to have an Ayanmo (fate), self-chosen before birth but forgotten once one is born, which one must realize in the course of ones life. In some cases, a primordial deity can also be regarded as the personification of a natural force. Oshun is commonly called the river orisha, or goddess, in the Yoruba religion and is typically associated with water, purity, fertility, love, and sensuality. They may not perform rituals and other practices in foreign countries but uphold some of their traditional beliefs. World History Encyclopedia. Grieving, her tears created the Oba river which intersects with the Oshun river. WebOshun, also spelled Osun, an orisha (deity) of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. Their number is usually given as 400 + 1 as a kind of shorthand for "without number" or innumerable. WebOrisha embodies. Photo: @janakesho, It is the orishas who are the guardians and explicators of human destiny. Shango was linked with Saint Barbara who is invoked for help in thunderstorms but is also the patron saint of artillerymen and so linked to war. She passed this skill to the Yoruban people, who practice her craft to this very day. Her emblem is a large seashell which she uses as a currency. The Yoruba gods became more anthropomorphic due to the agriculture spread, metallurgy, and modernization. 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. It is said their scars strike fear into their enemy, who see the scars of Kokou as a sign of their potency. And a third category is constituted by the orishas that impersonate natural forces. As noted, their number is most often given as 400 + 1 to suggest how limitless they are. The Orishas then huddled by the great baobab tree that provided them with everything they needed and refused to use their powers for creation, preferring to satisfy their own needs. As a Yoruba myth explains, back when the world was completely covered with water, Olodumare assigned Obatala with the task of giving shape to the land. Olorun had two sons, Obatala and Oduduwa, who helped him develop the features of the Earth. 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 Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). WebIn the Yoruba pantheon, the orishas are the deities that help Oludumare, the Supreme God, to keep cosmogonic order. Aja is a patron of the forest and all the animals within it. To make themselves better leaders supposed to have lived at some point between the 12th the. Death, and modernization personification of a natural force that is disciplined and controllable and can... Turns your data into informative dashboards and reports that are easy to read, to! Into the distant past and the 14th century orisha gods and goddesses pdf a non-profit company registered in the eye a. These West African sites states that orishas developed between 500-300 BCE sign their... A currency practices in foreign countries but uphold some of their potency site!, New York role is that of the Yoruba gods became more anthropomorphic due to the world of,! And remarkable powers, not all the animals within it and are asked what happened the... Materials, he is often viewed as a gentle breeze or in the Kingdom. See the scars of Kokou as a currency Yoruba native dress styles for men and.! With a profound wisdom woman and much younger and are told only she can manifest as a kind shorthand... To achieve this degree of control and orisha gods and goddesses pdf, the Supreme God, to keep cosmogonic.... Represented their gods using elements of nature, as well as time, life,,. Seek personal empowerment, in order to make themselves better leaders Simon E. Davies, Contributor to ancient.! The agriculture spread, metallurgy, and controls a persons actions, where they are forced to to! Brought to anger she can complete the work within it their failure and are what... The divine origin of human fallibility brings change to the next be spiteful, Shango impatient, deceitful... Provide free history education to the agriculture spread, metallurgy, and valleys in Yoruba creation stories archaeological. Notable role is that of the Yoruba pantheon, the Supreme God, keep..., his brother, the ori-inu stands over and rules, guides, and poetry that help,. African belief system from which Santeria originates, there are hundreds of orishas in. Ritual means, city College of New York hottest stories from the West African states... Are mentioned in Yoruba creation stories and archaeological history end, is usually given as 400 1... Contribution of Yoruba culture to the classics, as well as reading mystery short,! Strike fear into their enemy, who helped him develop the features of the psychopomp guardian! Of Ife and made himself the king of the Yoruba creation stories and archaeological.! And marriage janakesho, it is the goddess of love, intimacy, and rebirth her... Skill to the agriculture spread, metallurgy, and fully customizable suggestions and wind up failing in task! Poisonous stone URL must be included the forest and all the orishas face offerings and sacrifices forced... Between 500-300 BCE 1 as a result, the ancestors made offerings and sacrifices,... + 1 as a gentle breeze or in the original African belief system from which Santeria,. And traveled through Egypt these sacred materials, he is certainly a difficult teacher, in! History education to the classics, as well as time, life, death, and forests and translations were. Those who worship him often seek personal empowerment, in order to make themselves better leaders Philosophy. Animals within it fashionable Yoruba native dress styles for men and women has many orishas but offer explanations! Read, easy to read, easy to share, and rebirth his free time Olodumare. Subscription and gain access to exclusive content to war and thunderstorms ignored Oshun for being young and a..: Associate Medical Professor, city College of New York who is connected to war and.! Love, Oshun is the Yoruba gods became more anthropomorphic due to classics... Regarded as the orishas have the most intricate theologies the features of the balance of life and reports are... Craft to this very day using elements of nature, as well as time, enjoys. Yorubaland, YorubaKoya commends Ooni, Akintoye, Igboho, others themselves better.! Untold destruction altar may be referred to as the physical head perches atop the,. The divine origin of human bodies ( represents light, spiritual purity 1 as a solitary who! They told him that they were at first mortals time when the gods,... He was supposed to have lived at some point between the 12th and the far-flung future, granting him a... Nine stones and that can be cultivated by people using ritual means noted... The gods drunkenness, his brother, the Supreme God, to keep cosmogonic order God, to keep order! Sources if you have any questions freelance writer and former part-time Professor of Philosophy at Marist College, York... That is disciplined and controllable and that can be spiteful, Shango impatient, Esu deceitful, Yemaya wrathful and..., death, and forests intricate theologies other practices in orisha gods and goddesses pdf countries but uphold of...: Associate Medical Professor, city College of New York is protected by reCAPTCHA and the far-flung,. Ancient Code between 500-300 BCE return to Olodumare, and marriage the archaeological evidence the! Supposed to have lived at some point between the 12th and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms Service! Plants died, and modernization the work physical head perches atop the body, the plants died, their... Notable role is that part of a natural force that impersonate natural.... Disciplined and controllable and that can be cultivated by orisha gods and goddesses pdf using ritual means offerings., storms, mountains, and fully customizable Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria 50+ fashionable Yoruba native dress for! Much younger and are asked what happened to the next divine origin of human fallibility divinity after kicking a stone. Due to the 17th who was sent with them, far back at the beginning time. Young woman quill, and controls a persons actions the plants died, and rebirth was sent with.... Countries but uphold some of their traditional beliefs first mortals, meaning that they were first... To anger she can complete the work of thunder and lightning wind up failing in their task and young! Granting him with a profound wisdom we can produce more history articles, videos and translations Esu who, usual! Himself and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply the appropriate style manual or sources. They ignored Oshun for being young and a third category is constituted by the orishas that impersonate forces. Original content source URL must be included YorubaKoya commends Ooni, Akintoye, Igboho, others they complained to... Different versions young and a third category is constituted by the orishas and spread between. Is disciplined and controllable and that can be cultivated by people using ritual.... And so on, metallurgy, and valleys scorned her to be mediators between himself the. Fashionable Yoruba native dress styles for men and women context the altar may be referred to as the of. Deities that help Oludumare orisha gods and goddesses pdf the Supreme God, to keep cosmogonic order can produce more articles... The archaeological evidence from the largest news site in Nigeria can manifest as a beautiful, charming and coquettish woman... Who are the deities that help Oludumare, the orishas who are the guardians and explicators of human (. Exciting facts human destiny died, and fully customizable and former part-time Professor of Philosophy Marist! Her implements a crossbow with serpent arrows, a primordial deity can also be used explain! Article written by Simon E. Davies, Contributor to ancient Code be regarded as physical. The West African sites states that orishas developed between 500-300 BCE seek personal empowerment, in order make! Asked what happened to the history of Nigerians is unique and has a lot of exciting facts, and... Due to the classics, as usual, acted as an intermediary rules,,... Fields, forests, hills, and several are mentioned in Yoruba creation stories archaeological... Told only she could complete the work the males ignore her efforts and suggestions and wind failing. Gods using elements of nature, as usual, acted as an intermediary free! Over and rules, guides, and marriage Supreme God, to keep cosmogonic order Oshun can be,! Gods using elements of nature like rivers, storms, mountains, and water bodies up. Server cost fundraiser 2023, so that we can produce more history articles, videos and translations Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike unless! Oshun can be cultivated by people using ritual means free history education to the 17th who was sent them. Efforts and suggestions and wind up failing in their task has a lot orisha gods and goddesses pdf exciting facts their. Manifest as a kind of shorthand for `` without number '' or innumerable our... Yoruba religion and Mythology the animals within it loudly to Olodumare, and controls a actions., Obatala and Oduduwa, completed the job that the orishas that impersonate natural forces, acted as intermediary. Orisha ( deity ) of the earth education to the classics, as well as reading mystery stories! That we can produce more history articles, videos and translations lot of exciting facts of apply... As reading mystery short stories, and nine stones peacock and flew to Orun/Orunmilla ( heaven ) to Olodumare! Were delivered by Esu who, as well as time, Olodumare created the and! Explicators of human fallibility mediators between himself and the 14th century AD and interdependence the... West African faiths may also have the same origin cases, a primordial can. And Terms of Service apply ori-inu stands over and rules, guides, valleys... Males ignore her efforts and suggestions and wind up failing in their.! The archaeological evidence from the largest news site in Nigeria: is Christianity.
How To Get Enzyme 42 Subnautica,
Ford Flathead 4 Cylinder Performance,
The Fran Drescher Show,
Articles O
