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. This category is mainly made up of kings, queens, heroes, heroines, warriors, and founders of cities. Be the first to get hottest news from our Editor-in-Chief, Check your email and confirm your subscription. Books 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). Olodumare demanded to know who had done this, and Esu pointed out the guilty who were swiftly punished. Yoruba Oshun statue, Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, Nigeria. An orisha may be said to be a deity. Oshun is commonly called the river orisha, or goddess, in the Yoruba religion and is typically associated with water, purity, fertility, love, and sensuality. Orisha of crossroads, duality, beginnings, travellers. WebLooker Studio turns your data into informative dashboards and reports that are easy to read, easy to share, and fully customizable. Yorubas believe that Olodumare created the Orishas and threw powers of dominion into the air. An orisha is that part of a natural force that is disciplined and controllable and that can be cultivated by people using ritual means. 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 Web. The first step he took on this realm became known as Ile-Ife (the capital of the Yorubaland). Metaphysical personifications or spirits. Yemaja is a mother goddess, patron of pregnancy and children. He taught his followers the secrets of civilization (fire, smithing, hunting, politics, and war). Oshun is the goddess of love, intimacy, and marriage. Copyright Ancient Code. Yoruba gods and goddesses. Those who worship him often seek personal empowerment, in order to make themselves better leaders. Oba is a domestic goddess, also married to Shango, who presides over the home. 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. Each orisha has its own powers and domains of authority. The number of orishas varies among believers. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. The animating force is known as Ashe (or Ase) and is essentially life itself as it is in constant motion and transformation. 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 Orishas exist to help humans reach their goal of self-actualization, but these entities are not perfect themselves. He is renowned for his skills in witchcraft and is a good friend to the nature spirits of Africa. Orunmila - spirit of wisdom, divination, destiny, and foresight Our publication has been reviewed for educational use by Common Sense Education, Internet Scout (University of Wisconsin), Merlot (California State University), OER Commons and the School Library Journal. A freelance writer and former part-time Professor of Philosophy at Marist College, New York, Joshua J. As Orisha of love, Oshun is represented as a beautiful, charming and coquettish young woman. Get or read online Knowing The Orisha Gods Goddesses books directly on your Knowing The Orisha Gods Goddesses Book PDF | Download Or Read Online Oshun is commonly called the river orisha, or goddess, in the Yoruba religion and is typically associated with water, purity, fertility, love, and sensuality. However, despite their divine status and remarkable powers, not all the orishas have the same origin. The personification of death, Iku is the deity that takes away the spirits of those who die. 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). Download Knowing the Orisha Gods and Goddesses Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle. 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. carried away during the Atlantic Slave Trade. He has been wrongfully portrayed, by early missionaries to West Africa and in the African Diaspora, as a distant but powerful God whose endeavors and dwellings are obscure. Mark, Joshua J.. 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. Esu knew their plan, however, because he was present in the doorway when they formed it but did not warn Olodumare of their intentions. The high gods of the Yoruba are called Orishas (ancestral spirits or nature gods the Yorubas worship). Some in Oyo say s is female, Ogun's wife. 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. In a third account, Erinle became a divinity after kicking a poisonous stone. World History Encyclopedia is a non-profit organization. These devotees often commit violent acts of self-harm to demonstrate their tolerance to pain. Legit.ng also shared an insightful article about the most populated religion in Nigeria. Traditional religion and Islam dominated Nigeria before the colonial era. Yorubas believe the Orishas continued to practice their traditional religion despite becoming Christians. The history of the Yoruba religion started in the Stone Age. Similar worship of African deities can also be found among the Afro-Franco populations of Haiti and the US state of Louisiana. Each orisha has its own powers and domains of authority. World History Encyclopedia. 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. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. These masquerades are performed twice a year, as well as during funeral rites. The orishas, however, are only one aspect of these natural forces. Several primordial divinities have oral traditions stating that they were once the chiefs or kings of still existing Yoruba towns. 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. Orisha of iron, fire, hunting, politics, and war. Essentially, Orishas represent the powers of nature, as well as time, life, death, and rebirth. WebLooker Studio turns your data into informative dashboards and reports that are easy to read, easy to share, and fully customizable. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The Yoruba use the head as a metaphor for supremacy and chieftainship; it means the first in rank and status, the most important and influential person or official. When one is possessed, they speak and behave as though they were the Orisha. 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 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. The other Orishas followed this same pattern with many of the females associated with the Virgin Mary under her different epithets in various regions. In some tales, she is said to be a mermaid. Please select which sections you would like to print: Associate Medical Professor, City College of New York. The Supreme Deity of the Yoruba is called Oldmar. Like the volcano, Aganju is noted for his legendary strength and his ability to bring about drastic change. Cuocos use of the male pronoun is for convenience as Olodumare is All Things and so both male and female. Rather than willfully trying to misguide them, his aim is to enrich their life experience, leading them to a spiritual maturation through their transgressions. She possesses an unfathomable wisdom and governs over an esoteric world of dreams, psychism, meditation, and healing. He created the Orishas to be mediators between himself and the people. In isolation he learned humility, becoming Babal-Ay. As a guardian of the earth, she has been known to take the guise of a formidable warrior when necessary to protect those she loves. 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. Always in the middle of conflicting forces, Eshu is commonly linked to duality and contrasts. 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. They told him that they ignored Oshun for being young and a woman. 2023 All Rights Reserved. He represents the power of fortune. A mother goddess (the patron deity of women and the Ogun river). Copyright Ancient Code. The Orisha deities now enjoy a global following, flourishing in many parts of Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. Thank you! 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