Raíces Afro in my homeland
Some notions about Afro Cultural legacy in South American Atlantic coast. Religious practices and rituals.
In the Yoruban tradition that is parent to the Lukumi (Caribbean)and Candomblé (Brazilian) faiths, the Orixás or Orishas are emissaries of God, ruling the forces of nature and the fortunes of mankind. Their aspects are generally determined by their elemental natures. Thus, the Orixá of lightning is also the Orixá of sudden inspiration, vengeance, and dance; the Orixá of the Ocean is the Orixá of motherhood, femininity, and creativity. In this way, they represent ancient archetypal forces, a concept reflected in the phrase "Siete Potencias," or seven potencies, another way of referring to these powerful deities. In Vodou, they are called Loas- "laws."
In Yoruban traditions, the stories of the Orixás are as dramatic and full of intrigue as those of the Greek gods- and in fact bear many parallels to the Greco-Roman myths. Unlike the distant deities of many modern faiths, however, the Orixás frequently interact with humanity- in Lukumi, through the Bembe and in Shouth American Atlantic Coast through Incorporation, a ritual drumming session (Similar rituals in Vodoun are called Tambors). During a incorporation, an Orixá may choose to 'mount,' or possess, one of his or her priests or adherents.
Each Orixá has his or her own songs, dance, colors, and sacrifices that are used to entice them into appearing. Once an Orixá has mounted, he or she may dance and sing, converse, or dispense advice and counsel in mixed African and local languages.
An initiate of Lukumi or Candomblé and most other sects is dedicated to one Orixá during a special ritual, and that Orixá will be his "Head," and determine his spiritual destiny. Once a person is accepted by an Orixá and becomes a candidate for initiation, he enters a long and complex initiation period, which culminates with an ordination ritual called an Asiento, where he/she is permanently dedicated to the deity.
In the South American and Cuban traditions, each Orixá is associated with a Catholic saint. Although religious strictures no longer force believers to conceal their faith, this syncretism is still popular. In South America and the Caribbean, representations of Santos (Saints) are more often representations of Orishas than objects of Catholic devotion.
Umbanda in the Atlantic South American Coast
The practice of Umbanda usually is directed by a man or woman called "Pai (or Mãe) de Santo" (saint's father or mother), or "Chefe de Terreiro" (Yard Chief), a medium that could incorporate died people's spirits, called "Entidades" (Entities). These spirits can be Caboclos (Indians), religious figures, doctors, african or brazilian negros as "Pretos Velhos"(Old Blacks), "Pai Joaquim", "Pai Arruda", "Tia Joana", etc.
These incorporations happen in meetings called "Sessões"(Sessions), in the "Terreiro", "Centro" or "Tenda" (Yard,Center or Tent),a big room with an altar, where members sing "Pontos" (Points, chants for an entity), dance or just hold the entity's counsels.
During the Session, the medium is helped by men and women called "Filhos de Santo" (Saint`s Sons) or "Cambonos". If these meetings happen on the street, forests, beaches, or external places in general, they are called Obrigações (Obligations), where the members pray and offer food, flowers, candles and gifts to the entities.
Umbanda is called " macumba " by some Brazilians and Uruguayans. But this is wrong.
Macumba is other Afro-Brazilian religion , denominated Quimbanda, wich involve Black Sorcery rituals. Macumba is considered by Umbanda specialists as a distortion, because it`s based in evil practices, destined to harm presumed enemies, evoking undeveloped spirits, like "Exus", "Pombagiras", "Lúcifer",etc, that would be equivalents to the Catholic Hell creatures. So, we must to distinguish very well the difference between Umbanda and Macumba. The true Umbandists just practice White Sorcery rituals. In other words , just those done to improve people`s life, to practice a goodness. Never to harm somebody.
| Umbanda is divided in Linhas (Lines), each one headed by an Orixá and composed by Legiões (Legions), subdivided in Falanges (Phalanges). Olorúm: He is the supreme God of all Lines. The Umbanda Lines are the following: |
|
The African legacy in the new world.
The first African religious practices reveled in colonial Brazil appears around 1550, carried by Mandinga and Nagó priests and adherents from the Yoruba nation who were brought as slaves to the new world. In the beginning this separated rituals called "Terreiros" "Rocas" and "Aldeias"(the last with Amerindians influences) were limited to African or Creole Brazilians who established the major part of the temples inside the jungle, with difficult or impossible access for Europeans or other people who censured these ancestral practices.
This rituals based in a ancestral African Cosmology believed in a Supreme God called Olorúm for the Nagó religious groups or Zaniapombo for Angola, Congo and Caboclo religious groups.
The ancient religion based in Nigeria called the Supreme God Olorúm (the Lord), Obá Orún (the King), Eledá (Universe Creator), Oduduwá (the self existence) and Obatalá (the immortal King). This God is conceived as a spiritual being, transcendent from the world, who is omnipotent, omniscient and perfectly good.
This Great God has not an organized cult or physic representation in Brazil but was remembered in various legends or psalms and even in some old inscriptions such as "Lá iraxé dórixá abá toutou" (on the kings crown only God) Which was painted at Candomblé de Paím at Alto do Abacaxi, Bahía and the word "Masarinasihiu" (God before anything) painted on the wall of Barracao de Bernardino in Bate Folhas, Bahía in the late XIX and early XX centuries.
The names of Nicasse or Allah are more difficult to find at the Candomblés with Gegé or Islamic influences from Haussas groups, original from Sudan.
These cosmologies are also formed by an important number of divinities with strong spiritual links to individuals who practice these rituals and even to other adepts who more passively are part of the popular cultures and are invoked in periodical rituals by adepts at the religious places called for "terreiros".
Orixás, the pantheon of Candomblé .
The Orixás from Nagó origin represented the power of natural elements or some economic activities at ancient times in the Niger region, in Africa. The next are a short description of some of the most popular Orixás in the actual Candomblé cosmology and some aesthetical notions of representations.
Oxalá: is considered the father of all the Orixás and the grand father of the mortals. Control the sexual function and reproduction of the human being and start the purification rituals at the Candomblé with the "Oxalá´s Water". He dresses completely in white and silver.
This divinity surge in two modalities: as "Oxalufá" (Old and tired) called for "papai" or as "Òxodinhá" (Young and happy)
After him came the rest of the Orixás: ancestral spirits, ministers of God in the Earth.
Masculine Orixás
Xangó: King of the tempest and beam and the electrical discharges. A phallic God is probably the most popular Orixá, considered the King of Òjó and sometimes the King of all Nagó nations. He is masculine and female; his colors are red and white. He appears as “Gold Xangó” (young and beautiful) who dresses in all colors or as “Airá” (old and sick) who dresses in white with yellow lines.
Òxossé: divinity of the chase, exist some relation with the catholic Saint George and is represented combating the dragon. He dresses leather primitive clothes and chase ornaments and his colors are blue, green and deep red.
Ogúm: the war God, he is represented with a set of small metal tools. He is the owner of the ways and the solution of difficulties because his approach with “Exú”. He is the fader of art activities and dresses always in deep blue.
Omolú: Illness God, he is very popular and has curative properties. Is represented like old (Omulú Velho) or as a young (Obaluayé) He dresses with trousers under the skirt.
Oxumaré: the Rainbow, he is Xangó´s servant, and is represented as a snake, brings a trident in his hands. He dresses in white with ornaments and buzios (shells) and yellow pearls.
Female Orixás
The “Iyabás”, most of them are “water element Orixás” and are very popular in for people who practice Candomblé.
Naná: considered the oldest water Orixá, she is represented as old woman (vovó) who are carrying a baby on her arms. Mother of all Orixás, her colors are blue and white.
Yemanjá: the Mother of the water, represented by a white woman carrying sea pearls and blue and white dresses but her colors are blue and red. Her cult is exerted more in public celebrations than in the “Terreiros” (Temples)
Yansá: Xangó´s wife, have the control over tempest like Xangó, represented with a copper sword and her colors are red and white, she is very celebrated by women for her temperament and strong personality.
Oxúm: Fontaine and water sources God, she is a child God and have her physical place in the Temples near a water source, which are always full of toys. Her colors are yellow and gold. Sometimes she surge as “Oxúm-Apará” in this case she is living with Ogúm out on the roads.
The exceptions: Ossaé and Òbá are not water element Orixás.
Ossaé: Queen of leaf and the vegetal kingdom, her body isfused with a Capiora Brasiliensis (a plant from the Brazilian forest). Her colors are green and rose. She represent the incarnation of the jungle.
Òbá: a war woman, one of Xangó´s wife’s, represented by a woman with only one ear. She appears with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other which she hide her left ear.
Other Iyabás such as Apó, Èuá, Yamassá, Oká and Òninlé are already disappeared from the candomblè rituals.
Other exception
Exú: interpreted by mistake with the Christian devil, Exú are living in the kingdom of all cross roads and his most common representation shows him with seven swords, corresponding to the seven ways of his immense domains. He participate in the beginning of all ceremonies with a special ritual called for “Despacho de Exú”
Exú are not an Orixá, but a servant of them and an intermediary between the Orixás and the human beings.
