As Orisha of love, Oshun is represented as a beautiful, charming and coquettish young woman. She can manifest as a gentle breeze or in the eye of a raging tornado. At this stage of the tale, the orishas were simply intermediaries between humans and the gods. The World History Encyclopedia logo is a registered trademark. The Yoruba creation story, like many others, has different versions. In isolation he learned humility, becoming Babal-Ay. Author of. The Orishas travelled to America and the Caribbean during the Transatlantic Slave Trade, which saw many Yorubas being enslaved and assimilated into Catholicism. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. 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. Orisha of thunder, lightning, fire, virility, war, and foundations. Her son, Orungan, raped her when her guard was down, and in grief she exploded, her self-sacrifice creating fifteen Orishas. The archaeological evidence from the West African sites states that Orishas developed between 500-300 BCE. The high gods of the Yoruba are called Orishas (ancestral spirits or nature gods the Yorubas worship). Oshun is the goddess of love, intimacy, and marriage. They told him that they ignored Oshun for being young and a woman. Some of these orishas are primordial in the sense that they existed before the creation of human beings. Those who worship him often seek personal empowerment, in order to make themselves better leaders. 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. The Orishas are not always causing trouble for Olodumare, however, and most of the time are attentive to their responsibilities. Shango was linked with St Barbara, who is connected to war and thunderstorms. Other orishas are irunmole, the earths first inhabitants that are now sacred beings dwelling on and in the earth. 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. Metaphysical personifications or spirits. 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. In a third account, Erinle became a divinity after kicking a poisonous stone. As noted, their number is most often given as 400 + 1 to suggest how limitless they are. Similarly, Oya is regarded as the protectress of women. In some traditions, Aganju is seen as the father or brother of Shango, god of thunder and lightning. These West African faiths may also have the most intricate theologies. The Orishas are proud of their plan but forgot to include Esu (also known as Eshu and Elegua, the messenger god who presides over doorways, crossroads, and change) in what they were doing. 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This worship was passed on from one generation to the next. In some tales, she is said to be a mermaid. He has taught history, writing, literature, and philosophy at the college level. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. As time went on, however, people began to complain about this situation noting how, if everyone had everything they needed, and if everyone was equal, no one could be any different from their neighbor and they had no goals to strive for. All can be said to be transformative figures to greater or lesser degrees, and their responsibilities are far-ranging. The number of orishas varies among believers. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. anting him with a profound wisdom. Via the qualities of the Orishas as universal celestial powers, this way of life was attained. In another story from the Yoruba religion, after the world was created and populated, every human was equal, and no one wanted for anything. Metaphysical personifications or spirits. Mark, published on 06 October 2021. Olodumare demanded to know who had done this, and Esu pointed out the guilty who were swiftly punished. Omissions? She is kind and generous to her followers, but when brought to anger she can cause untold destruction. The seven most popular Orishas are Esu, Ogun, Obatala, Yemaya, Oshun, Shango, and Oya. 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. In this context the altar may be referred to as the orisha or as the orishas face. Some of these divinities are regarded as primordial spirits. Article by Simon E. Davies, contributor to Ancient Code. Babal-Ay (originally Shopona) is a healing god. In the modern day, people invoke the Orishas in personal or communal rituals for spiritual strength, enlightenment, or assistance in daily challenges. As a researcher, he has specialized in Greek mythology, a field of investigation that he confesses has always stimulated his passion for learning. After being defeated, Iku lost her status as an orisha, however, Yoruba practitioners still regard her as one of the primordial forces of the universe. 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. The earth begins to die as crops fail and lakes and rivers dry up, and the Orishas wail their repentance, but Olodumare does not hear them. Considered the goddess of weather, Oya is the embodiment of the changes that have to take place before new things can start growing. 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. 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. He created the Orishas to be mediators between himself and the people. Orisha worshippers see the tamed natural force and the deified ancestor as indissolubly linked. Copyright Symbol Sage 2022 All Rights Reserved. Ogun is able to destroy as easily as heal, as is Oshun when she is displeased, and Shango can lash out in anger with thunder and lightning as often as he does in justice. 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. Its noteworthy that Aja is one of the few Yoruba divinities that present herself to mortals in her human form to offer help, instead of trying to scare them. The heaven realm is the domain of Olorun, a sun god. 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. WebOrisha embodies. They can be counted on, however, to deliver the messages of mortals to Olodumare and so they came to be associated with the saints of Catholicism when the Yoruba people were brought as slaves to the so-called New World. 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. (2). Ayao is an air goddess. Oshun finished the creation task and filled the earth with the gifts of beauty, fertility, love, and everything people needed to live. Oshun is commonly called the river orisha, or goddess, in the Yoruba religion and is typically associated with water, purity, fertility, love, and sensuality. She possesses an unfathomable wisdom and governs over an esoteric world of dreams, psychism, meditation, and healing. 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. Oshun is the goddess of love, intimacy, and marriage. In this version, the orishas fall into three categories: primordial deities, deified ancestors, and personifications of natural forces. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Age, which is priority in time, is highly valued and respected, and it is also an important aspect of status and ranking. Others, who descended to the Earth to be adored in their human incarnations, were called irunmole. The word orisha is related to several other Yoruba words referring to the head. 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. The third king of the Yoruba Oyo Empire, Shango was considered a violent ruler, but also one with notorious military achievements. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). When these ancestors disappeared and became orishas, their children began to sacrifice to them and to continue whatever ceremonies the orishas had performed when they were on earth. 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. Oduduwa by Jianing Hu Some of these divinities are regarded as primordial spirits. Download Knowing the Orisha Gods and Goddesses Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle. WebIn the Yoruba pantheon, the orishas are the deities that help Oludumare, the Supreme God, to keep cosmogonic order. Although there are many Orishas, seven are understood as most powerful and have become the most popular among modern-day adherents. The number of orishas varies among believers. Each orisha has its own powers and domains of authority. The orishas are the gods of Santeria, the beings that believers interact with on a regular basis. Copyright Ancient Code. It is the orishas who are the guardians and explicators of human destiny. 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. Yoruba mythology states that Olodumare is the most powerful god. WebOshun, also spelled Osun, an orisha (deity) of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. 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! One of the most complex characters of the Yoruba pantheon, Eshu, also called Elegba and Elegua, is the messenger of the gods (he is especially at the service of Olodumare), and the intermediary between divinities and humans. We contribute a share of our revenue to remove carbon from the atmosphere and we offset our team's carbon footprint. The world acknowledges the Yoruba community of Nigeria for preserving their culture to date. This list includes the major Orishas honored in the United States, according to scholars and practitioners. 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. Jhonfrank Snchez is a Venezuelan writer and Literature major interested in studying ancient civilizations, history, symbolism, and how they have shaped modern thought. 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