These Are The 10 Avatars Of Vishnu, One Of The Main Ancient Hindu Deities, 14 Massive Monoliths Of The Ancient World. In the present day, the Orishas continue to be invoked by adherents for these same reasons and, according to the belief, are still just as alert and responsive to human need as they have been since people first received the breath of life at the beginning of time. Oshun is the goddess of love, intimacy, and marriage. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. These masquerades are performed twice a year, as well as during funeral rites. 16 Orishas are male and the 17th, Oshun, is not only female but the youngest among them. Their participation in creation is given in another version, however, where the Orisha Obatala separates the land from the waters and Olodumare then sends down 17 Orishas to complete the work. They told him that they ignored Oshun for being young and a woman. He created the Orishas to be mediators between himself and the people. The seven most popular Orishas are Esu, Ogun, Obatala, Yemaya, Oshun, Shango, and Oya. The number of Orishas is most often given as 400+1 to suggest how limitless they are. When associated with the latter, Eshu is the deity of mischief. Copyright Ancient Code. Age, which is priority in time, is highly valued and respected, and it is also an important aspect of status and ranking. 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. 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. 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. As Orisha of love, Oshun is represented as a beautiful, charming and coquettish young woman. 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. Each orisha has its own powers and domains of authority. This category comprises divine spirits that were initially associated with a natural force or phenomenon, but were later granted the status of orishas, for the significant role that their representative element played in Yoruba society. Omissions? These Are The 10 Avatars Of Vishnu, One Of The Main Ancient Hindu Deities, 14 Massive Monoliths Of The Ancient World, Sky Cars Are Here and Some Look Like a Flying Saucer. Orisha of volcanoes, the wilderness, and rivers. Originally their gods represented the raw elements 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. WebThe Orishas Gods Book PDF | Download Or Read Online The Orishas Gods This book PDF is perfect for those who love Electronic Books genre, written by Danso Tangara and published by Independently Published which was released on 11 February 2021 with total hardcover pages 128. Help our mission to provide free history education to the world! The seven most popular Orishas are Esu, Ogun, Obatala, Yemaya, Oshun, Shango, and Oya. 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 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. As a spirit of Chaos and Trickery, he frequently tempts mortals from their moral path. Some of these divinities are regarded as primordial spirits. In themselves the cowrie shells symbolize wealth, because they were once a medium of economic exchange. It is possible the Ajogun are Orisha tricksters, but whatever they are, they cannot be considered 'evil' or 'demonic' in a Christian sense. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. WebOrisha embodies. As the people began to reproduce, new lands were required for them to settle. The Yoruba faith and several other religions that derived from it are also popular in many Caribbean and South American countries. 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, contrary to the missionaries and the Diasporas view, Olodumare-Oloorun is a powerful God that is always present in everything, even though He is above the Orishas and all people on earth. Oshun is the goddess of love, intimacy, and marriage. 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. He created the Orishas to be mediators between himself and the people. Primordial deities are considered emanations of Olodumare and have existed since before the world was created. All can be said to be transformative figures to greater or lesser degrees, and their responsibilities are far-ranging. Ancient Code is a website founded in 2012 that covers articles and scientific discoveries that help understand humanitys past, present, and future. An Orisha is a God or a Goddess from the Yoruba Religion and Mythology. The heaven realm is the domain of Olorun, a sun god. The Orishas do not always cause trouble for Olodumare and are attentive to their responsibilities. For instance, the Yoruba are thought to have a pantheon of up to 6,000 deities.[3]. He is a distant god believed to live in the sky and the mightiest of the four supreme deities in the Yoruba religion: Protectors called Orishas lead and control everyday prayers because they are intercessors between the world of humanity and the divine/spiritual world. Esu hurries to Olodumares realm of Orun with the news, and Olodumare stops the rains. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. These devotees often commit violent acts of self-harm to demonstrate their tolerance to pain. Oshun is commonly called the river orisha, or goddess, in the Yoruba religion and is typically associated with water, purity, fertility, love, and sensuality. This category is mainly made up of kings, queens, heroes, heroines, warriors, and founders of cities. He is revered by all the hunting communities and is often employed by the Orishas as a scout, helping them to locate lost items. Obatala then began to build a city, but after discovering alcohol (brewed from palm leaves) he became distracted from duties. Download Knowing the Orisha Gods and Goddesses Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle. Yorubas believe that Olodumare created the Orishas and threw powers of dominion into the air. In West African religions and in traditions that have been influenced by them, primordial divinities are those that existed long before the creation of the world as it is now known. He embodies the power of the sun, essential for the growth. Obatalas story can also be used to explain the divine origin of human fallibility. Get the hottest stories from the largest news site in Nigeria. Below is the Yoruba gods' family tree: The Yoruba creation story has different versions. 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. Kokou by Assasin Monkey The world acknowledges the Yoruba community of Nigeria for preserving their culture to date. Orisha worshippers see the tamed natural force and the deified ancestor as indissolubly linked. The ile ori seems to say that a good head (i.e., good character and a good mind) constitutes true wealth. The Yoruba people occupy southwestern Nigeria. Olodumare releases the rains, heals Oshun, and declares her the only Orisha always welcome to bring messages to Orun. Who is the strongest Yoruba god? 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. 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. 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. Some of them are known as ara urun, meaning people of heaven, where they are believed to reside. She passed this skill to the Yoruban people, who practice her craft to this very day. Similar worship of African deities can also be found among the Afro-Franco populations of Haiti and the US state of Louisiana. Cross Crosslets Meaning and History of This Unique Cross Type, Pan and Syrinx: A Tale of Love (or Lust?) Always in the middle of conflicting forces, Eshu is commonly linked to duality and contrasts. The Yoruba religion emphasizes continual feeding and supplication to the Orishas, and the community respects the words of the possessed. In the Orishas case, Olodumare had allowed life to continue as it had before, but the supreme deity had made clear to humanity that, once they chose inequality as the basis of their existence, they could not go back to their former lives. The worship of other deified ancestors, however, remained confined to the towns where it originated, even sometimes restricted to particular families or lineages. "Orisha." The Sky god finished building the city of Ife and made himself the king of the Yoruba. Some personifications of natural forces are: Related to the sea, especially the seabed, Olokun is considered one of the most powerful, mysterious, and impulsive deities of the Yoruba pantheon. (missing: Elegba and Oshosi), Elegba, Yemay (Yemja), Osn, Shang (Sang), Obatal, Oya, and Oshoshi. Olorun sent them Ogun, god of crafts, to find a suitable habitat. Like the stories told by the Yoruba in West Africa, different Orishas were linked to different saints in different regions, and it is not possible to definitively say which Orisha came to be identified with which saint. 2023 All Rights Reserved. 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 the modern day, people invoke the Orishas in personal or communal rituals for spiritual strength, enlightenment, or assistance in daily challenges. Creator of human bodies (represents light, spiritual purity. Oshun arrived at Orun, exhausted and ill. Olodumare released the rains, healed her, and appointed her as the only Orisha allowed to bring messages to heaven. This beautifully illustrated exploration of Afro-Brazilian spirituality introduces you to the gods of the African diaspora known as the Orishas. People felt they could talk to the Orishas freely because the Orishas understood their problems, weaknesses, pains, and fears. Rituals invoking his spirit require the rapid beating of drums, which often cause his followers to fall into a deep trance. Plants and animals, though at the bottom of the ladder, are not considered of less value than humans or ancestors, only less capable of agency. You are already subscribed to our newsletter! He subsequently becoming a river god. He represents the power of fortune. WebIn the Yoruba pantheon, the orishas are the deities that help Oludumare, the Supreme God, to keep cosmogonic order. In Yoruba mythology, Erinle, also called Inle, was a hunter (or sometimes an herbalist) that took the first king of Ilobu to where the first town was destined to be founded. 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). His rule lasted for seven years and ended when Shango was dethroned by one of his former allies. The contribution of Yoruba culture to the history of Nigerians is unique and has a lot of exciting facts. Olodumare threw the powers of dominion into the air, and whichever Orisha caught one was responsible for that sphere of influence. Oshun finished the creation task and filled the earth with the gifts of beauty, fertility, love, and everything people needed to live. The Orishas give people Ashe/Ase (life) and Ayanmo (fate). Updates? The orisha of wisdom, Orunmila is the first-born of Olodumare, and a prime deity. 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 Shango was linked with St Barbara, who is connected to war and thunderstorms. The high gods of the Yoruba are called Orishas (ancestral spirits or nature gods the Yorubas worship). Aja is a patron of the forest and all the animals within it. Although there is much variation in the details of the rituals and mythology of these deities among these West African peoples, the underlying religious concept is essentially the same. In some myths, the orishas were a race of primogenial divine beings, who lived among mankind but didnt yet have any powers. The Orisha deities now enjoy a global following, flourishing in many parts of Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. Who is the strongest Yoruba god? Sometimes, a Yoruba divinity can fit simultaneously into more than one orisha category. In one tale, the Orishas gather to discuss how they can rid themselves of Olodumare and decide to scare him to death by inviting him to one of their huts and then releasing mice, which Olodumare was afraid of, into the room at dinner. Its said that Olokun can grant wealth to humans at any time, but given his ambiguous nature, he is also known for inadvertently bringing devastation. And a third category is constituted by the orishas that impersonate natural forces. Olodumare created the Yoruba people through Oduduwa. 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. and Loss. His reign ended when he inadvertently destroyed his palace with lightning. Ogun is revered as a mighty god, called upon by warriors for strength in battle. Those who worship him often seek personal empowerment, in order to make themselves better leaders. Orishas, like the saints, were relatable because they were fallible. 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