YORUBA FAITH & TRADITION
Orisa Lifestyle is over 5000 years old
Orisa Lifestyle is one of a few ancient religions to survive and even expand into modern times. The collection of traditions that compose modern-day Orisa Lifestyle have developed over at least the past 5000 years, beginning among the KWA language groups, in what is the most widely researched civilization of the African world. There is no ‘founder’ of Orisa Lifestyle, nor single prophet or initial teacher. Orisa devotees believe their religion has no identifiable beginning or end and, as such, often refer to it as Isese L'agba (the progenitors are senior). As for the name itself, ‘Orisa’ is a name first given to the Arch Divinity, Obatala.
Yoruba Culture in the Americas
During Trans Atlantic slavery, millions of African peoples including the Yoruba, were forcibly brought to the Americas. The Yoruba and many other African peoples were enslaved, or forced labor on the plantations of different European nations:
As slaves, the Yoruba people were not allowed to openly practice their religion and culture. They were forced to practice Catholicism and other forms of Christianity.
What is significant about the Yoruba people is that they kept their religion hidden under the guise of Catholicism, or Protestantism. Whatever religion was forced upon them, they accepted but the Yoruba religion was carried inside of those Christian religions. Not only did the Yoruba people survive slavery, but the Yoruba religion survived as well.
Yoruba civilization has had a significant impact on the culture and make up of Latin America, in particular, Cuba, Haiti, Brazil, Trinidad and Puerto Rico. Most of the Yoruba in today's America, originated from what is today's Nigeria, Benin and Togo. Modern Yoruba beliefs in Africa will be slightly different from what is practiced in the Americas because of centuries of influence with Christianity. While the basic religious beliefs remain the same, the religion is now a fusion of authentic Yoruba from Africa; indigenous native (Indian) beliefs and Christianity from Europe.
Basic Yoruba belief involves ritual practices such as singing, dancing, drumming, spirit possession, ritual healing, respect for ancestors and divination. Originally prohibited from practicing African religions, slaves and free people of color mostly frequented the Catholic churches but they carried their African beliefs and over the centuries worked both religions together into one. Most of its adherents came from West and Central Africa.
Today, a full eighty percent of Latin America practice Syncretic Yoruba religions. While the religion is called differently in different countries... it is basically the same Yoruba religion.
Modern Western Orisha / Yoruba Worship
Cuban Santeria; Hatian Vodun (voodoo); Brazilian Candomble; Trinidad and Tobago Shango are all Yoruba or Orisha based. All of these religions are African derived religions having different names in different countries. They combine beliefs from the Kabbalah and Yoruba speaking peoples of West/Central Africa, with elements of Catholicism or Anglicanism. Even some Hinduism is included in Trinidad, because of the East Indian influence in that country.
The foundation of this religion is interaction between human beings and a group of spirits called "Orisas". Each Orisa is associated with particular ideas, objects or natural phenomena. For example the Orisa Sango is associated with rain, storms and thunder. The Orisas make appearances at religious celebrations through possession trance of Orisa believers. This religion also emphasize continual feeding and supplication to the deities or Orisas. When one is possessed by an Orisha, one speaks and behaves as though one were that Orisa.
Western Syncretic Religion & Countries
Orisa Lifestyle is one of a few ancient religions to survive and even expand into modern times. The collection of traditions that compose modern-day Orisa Lifestyle have developed over at least the past 5000 years, beginning among the KWA language groups, in what is the most widely researched civilization of the African world. There is no ‘founder’ of Orisa Lifestyle, nor single prophet or initial teacher. Orisa devotees believe their religion has no identifiable beginning or end and, as such, often refer to it as Isese L'agba (the progenitors are senior). As for the name itself, ‘Orisa’ is a name first given to the Arch Divinity, Obatala.
Yoruba Culture in the Americas
During Trans Atlantic slavery, millions of African peoples including the Yoruba, were forcibly brought to the Americas. The Yoruba and many other African peoples were enslaved, or forced labor on the plantations of different European nations:
- The Spanish plantations in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
- The British plantations in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
- The American plantations in the American South.
- The Dutch plantations in the Dutch Caribbean and South America.
- The French plantations in the Caribbean and South America.
As slaves, the Yoruba people were not allowed to openly practice their religion and culture. They were forced to practice Catholicism and other forms of Christianity.
What is significant about the Yoruba people is that they kept their religion hidden under the guise of Catholicism, or Protestantism. Whatever religion was forced upon them, they accepted but the Yoruba religion was carried inside of those Christian religions. Not only did the Yoruba people survive slavery, but the Yoruba religion survived as well.
Yoruba civilization has had a significant impact on the culture and make up of Latin America, in particular, Cuba, Haiti, Brazil, Trinidad and Puerto Rico. Most of the Yoruba in today's America, originated from what is today's Nigeria, Benin and Togo. Modern Yoruba beliefs in Africa will be slightly different from what is practiced in the Americas because of centuries of influence with Christianity. While the basic religious beliefs remain the same, the religion is now a fusion of authentic Yoruba from Africa; indigenous native (Indian) beliefs and Christianity from Europe.
Basic Yoruba belief involves ritual practices such as singing, dancing, drumming, spirit possession, ritual healing, respect for ancestors and divination. Originally prohibited from practicing African religions, slaves and free people of color mostly frequented the Catholic churches but they carried their African beliefs and over the centuries worked both religions together into one. Most of its adherents came from West and Central Africa.
Today, a full eighty percent of Latin America practice Syncretic Yoruba religions. While the religion is called differently in different countries... it is basically the same Yoruba religion.
Modern Western Orisha / Yoruba Worship
Cuban Santeria; Hatian Vodun (voodoo); Brazilian Candomble; Trinidad and Tobago Shango are all Yoruba or Orisha based. All of these religions are African derived religions having different names in different countries. They combine beliefs from the Kabbalah and Yoruba speaking peoples of West/Central Africa, with elements of Catholicism or Anglicanism. Even some Hinduism is included in Trinidad, because of the East Indian influence in that country.
The foundation of this religion is interaction between human beings and a group of spirits called "Orisas". Each Orisa is associated with particular ideas, objects or natural phenomena. For example the Orisa Sango is associated with rain, storms and thunder. The Orisas make appearances at religious celebrations through possession trance of Orisa believers. This religion also emphasize continual feeding and supplication to the deities or Orisas. When one is possessed by an Orisha, one speaks and behaves as though one were that Orisa.
Western Syncretic Religion & Countries
- Canboulay/ Candomble / Santeria / (Yoruba Faith & Catholicism) ................Brazil
- Canboulay/ Candomble / (Yoruba Faith & Catholicism) ...........................Columbia
- Santeria/ (Yoruba Faith & Catholicism)...... ............................................................Cuba
- Voodoo/ Vodun / (Yoruba Faith & Catholicism) ......................................................Haiti
- Shango/ Obeah / (Yoruba Faith & Catholicism) ...............................................Trinidad
- Pocomania/ Rastafarian/ (Yoruba Faith & Anglicanism) ...............................Jamaica
- Christianity / Obeah (Yoruba Faith & Anglicanism) ...........,,,......................Barbados
- Christianity............................................................................................................St.Vincent
- Christianity...............................................................................................................St. Lucia
- Christianity (Some Yoruba ) ..........................................................................The U. S. A.
