There is one main distinction: Santeria comes from the Yoruba people from Nigeria and Palo Mayombe comes from the Congo. Since Congolese slaves were brought to the Caribbean much earlier than the Yoruba, it’s harder to trace their music and culture directly back to Africa.
Where does Palo Mayombe come from?
Palo Mayombe is a Kongo derived religion from the Bakongo Diaspora. This religion was transported to the Caribbean during the Spanish slave trade and sprouted in Cuba mostly and in some places in Puerto Rico in the 1500. As the enslaved were forced out of their homelands, their beliefs went with them.
What is a Congo spirit?
Nkisi or Nkishi (plural varies: minkisi, zinkisi, or nkisi) are spirits or an object that a spirit inhabits. It is frequently applied to a variety of objects used throughout the Congo Basin in Central Africa, especially in the Territory of Cabinda that are believed to contain spiritual powers or spirits.
What is the name of the central deity within Palo Monte?
Palo teaches the existence of a creator deity, Nsambi or Sambia, who is uninvolved in human affairs. Central to Palo is the nganga or prenda, an iron cauldron into which human bones, sticks, and other items are placed.
What is the African religion Ifa?
Ifa is a faith and divination system with its roots in Olori’s family’s ancestral homeland, Yorubaland. The region now encompasses the nations of Benin, Togo and Ghana and parts of Nigeria. Like some other religions, Ifa includes magic, the use of traditional medicines and veneration of the dead.
What is Palo Santo religion?
Palo santo sticks are burned as a sacred tool in spiritual ceremonies like smudging, which has varying purposes but is commonly said to cleanse negative energy. These practices have their roots in indigenous cultures, but palo santo is used in Catholic religious ceremonies in Latin America, too.
How did Christianity come to Congo?
Christianity. Christianity was brought to DRC from Europe, mainly Belgium. The writer Jens Bjørneboe wrote in “Frihetens Øyeblikk” (Moments of Freedom) that “The Belgians worked hard with missionary activities among the black. After a few years the population in Congo was reduced from more than 30 million to only 8.
How many Orisha are there?
Yoruba tradition often says that there are 400 + 1 orisha, which is associated with a sacred number. Other sources suggest that the number is “as many as you can think of, plus one more – an innumerable number”. Different oral traditions refer to 400, 700, or 1,440 orisha.
What are African power figures?
Central African power figures are among the best known examples of African sculpture. … Power figures were created collaboratively by sculptors and ritual specialists, who activated them through chants, prayers and the preparation of substances aimed at curing physical, social or spiritual ailments.
Why are some Minkisi covered in nails and metal blades?
Insertions. Nkisi nkondi figures are highly recognizable through an accumulation of pegs, blades, nails or other sharp objects inserted into its surface. … Prior to insertion, opposing parties or clients, often lick the blades or nails, to seal the function or purpose of the nkisi through their saliva.
What does Nkisi Nkondi represent?
An nkisi nkondi embodies defensive power and was used to protect a community. To complete this sculpture, a ritual expert placed potent ingredients associated with supernatural powers in the cavity carved into the figure’s abdomen. Nails and blades activated the spirit that was now accessible through the figure.
What happens when someone touches your elekes?
Elekes can not be touched by anyone except for priests, and if they are touched, the person touching them must clean them. The beads all have different meanings and represent different divinities of Ifa. … “I look at my beads as spirits. If something bad is about to happen to me, they start to itch really bad.
Can you get out of IFA?
You can opt out at any time by emailing [email protected] or logging into your My IFA and going to your Preferences.
What does the green and yellow bracelet mean in Santeria?
It should be the first ceremony anyone receives in the Santaria religion. At the end of this you can wear the green and yellow bracelet that signifies you know who your Orisha is and have taken the ceremony. The only way to really know your true Orisha and sign is to take the ceremony.
Is smudging cultural appropriation?
When the dominant culture in society takes aspects from another culture that’s experiencing oppression, that’s best understood as cultural appropriation. White Sage and other smudge products (burning sweet grass, palo santo, etc.
Why you shouldn’t use white sage?
For Hopkins, the appropriation of white sage is made worse because the plant is often not being harvested correctly. “When using medicinal plants, it’s important that the plant is used sustainably. … If someone is harvesting white sage and doesn’t know to leave the root, they’re preventing more plants from growing.
Why should we stop using Palo Santo?
Due to the demand, opportunists are prematurely cutting down these sacred trees, in order to quickly process the wood into sticks for selling. Not only is this devastating for the forests, it renders the sticks purposeless, as the sacred resin hasn’t had time to form.
Why did the king of Kongo convert to Christianity?
Conversion to Christianity solidified these important trading relationships. The Kongolese nobility swiftly adopted Christianity for several reasons. The first is that the nature of the centralized government and the hierarchically structured society facilitated the dissemination of information.
Who was the first African to be converted to Christianity?
In the 4th century AD the Ethiopian King Ezana made Christianity the kingdom’s official religion.
What was the religion of Africa before Christianity?
Polytheism was widespreaded in most of ancient African and other regions of the world, before the introduction of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. An exception was the short-lived monotheistic religion created by Pharaoh Akhenaten, who made it mandatory to pray to his personal god Aton (see Atenism).
What is Ashe in Yoruba?
Ase or ashe (from Yoruba àṣẹ) is a Yoruba philosophical concept through which the Yoruba of Nigeria conceive the power to make things happen and produce change. … The recognition of the uniqueness and autonomy of the ase of persons and gods is what structures society and its relationship with the other-world.
Who is Chango?
Shango, also called Chango, major deity of the religion of the Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria. … Like all of the Yoruba gods (orishas), Shango is both a deified ancestor and a natural force, both aspects being associated with a cult and a priesthood.
What is Oya in Yoruba?
Oya is one of the seven primary orisha in the Yoruba religion, which originated in the Old Oyo Empire of Ancient Yorubaland, present-day Nigeria. The name Oya is defined by the action “she tore,” “O-ya” in Yoruba. The River Niger, the thunderbolt, fire, tornadoes, buffalo, and the wind represent this female orisha.
Where do the Yoruba legends place their origins?
Almost every Yoruba settlement traces its origin to princes of Ile-Ife. As such, Ife can be regarded as the cultural and spiritual homeland of the Yoruba nation. Archaeologically, the settlement at Ife can be dated to the 4th century BC, with urban structures appearing in the 12th century CE.
What are the knots on the nkisi figure?
This type of figure would protect its owner from spells, curses or other maledictions. The padlocks and knots are symbols, barring all routes to the owner and diverting or confusing the enemy.
Who created power figure?
– Made by the Kongo Peoples in the DRC. – Their carvings were thought to have had spirits inside of them that were magical and powerful and were used as a charm or as a curative medicine. – The figure was created as an object to maintain the well-being of a Kongo village.
What is distinctive about the Mende mask tradition?
Worn at performances to celebrate the completion of the young initiates’ training period, these masks are finely carved to convey admired feminine features: an elaborate coiffure, a smooth broad forehead, narrowly slit eyes, a small composed mouth, and a sensuously ringed neck.
Why did figures such as the spirit spouse display the most admired and desirable marks of beauty?
The figures display the most admired and desirable marks of beauty so that the spirit spouses may be encouraged to enter and inhabit them. Spirit spouse figures are broadly naturalistic, with swelling, fully rounded musculature and careful attention to details of hairstyle, jewelry, and scarification patterns.
Why do art historians think there are holes in the faces of the brass Ife heads?
These brass heads differ from the terracotta ones in that they all have holes around the hairline and on their necks, and some have holes on the face. A bead was found in one of the holes, and scholars conclude the holes were used to attach a beaded veil to hide the mouth (Drewal, Schildkrout 2009).
What do the inserted nails represent in the nkisi Nkondi?
A peg may refer to a matter being ‘settled’ whereas a nail, deeply inserted may represent a more serious offense such as murder. Prior to insertion, opposing parties or clients, often lick the blades or nails, to seal the function or purpose of the nkisi through their saliva.
How does nkisi Nkondi represent African culture?
nkisi, plural minkisi, in west-central African lore, any object or material substance invested with sacred energy and made available for spiritual protection. One tradition of the Kongo people of west-central Africa holds that the god Funza gave the world the first nkisi.
What culture is power figure?
Power Figure (Nkisi N’Kondi: Mangaaka) 19th century. Central African power figures are among the ubiquitous genres identified with African art. Conceived to house specific mystical forces, they were collaborative creations of Kongo sculptors and ritual specialists.
What is Oshun?
Oshun, also spelled Osun, an orisha (deity) of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. Oshun is commonly called the river orisha, or goddess, in the Yoruba religion and is typically associated with water, purity, fertility, love, and sensuality.
How long has ifa been around?
The Ifa philosophy and spiritual system are said to be about 8,000 years old. It is said to have originated with the West African Yoruba people and was later taken to the Americas during the slave trade.
Who are the seven orishas?
Women ordinarily do not confer that initiation on men. Another common initiation is the intitiation into the Seven African Powers (Elegua, Obatala, Oggun, Chango, Yemaya, Oshun, and Orunmilla). Devotees from Cuba often replace Orunmilla with Babalu-Aye. The Seven African Powers are consecrated into one eleke.
Can I wear elekes?
Elekes should be worn at all times except when sleeping, bathing, drinking alcohol, or having sex. If one of them breaks, it can be a sign that Orisha blocked something harmful from reaching you. You’ll need to contact your godparent for a new Eleke and possibly a reading.
How do I join ifa?
To become an IFA, you must be over the age of 18, have a valid I.D or have a passport with a work permit (if you are a foreigner) and a debitable bank account. Choose an IFA product that suits your needs and one you can afford and complete the application form.
How do I become an ifa?
How do you become an IFA? In order to become an IFA, you first need to complete a Level 4 Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA). This qualification is made up of two units, with the first being based on financial services regulation ethics and the second focusing on advanced financial advice.