Background:
Santeria or Regla de Ocha is an african-american religion that is part of a group of religions that are referred to as the Diasporic religions. The religious practices of many different parts of Sub-saharan Africa were brought over to the Americas by enslaved African people from the 1500s to the 1800s. The pantheon of many gods from many different religions began to take shape as those who were enslaved made an effort to keep their heritage and religious traditions alive despite the lack of any rights. The many gods have roots in Modern day Nigeria, Angola, and Congo. The mixture of religions and loss of some deities is due to loss of ability to practice a religion that is focused on material objects and rituals because of enslavement and social ostracization.
The countries where slavery was practiced in the Americas each became new sites of religious mixture. Each country’s colonizers cultural differences and factors also had a unique impact on each of the religious groups of the diaspora. Every country has unique events that shaped the religious practices of the diasporic practitioners. Haiti having the first successful slave led revolution which started in 1791 ended in 1804 gave many Haitians an identity of self-reliance and being unafraid to change the world around them even in ways that may not always be the most sightly or moral. This outlook is reflected in Voodoo, Haiti’s diasporic religion, where there are some practices that are practiced by special individuals that involve digging up graves and enslaving spirits for mortal purposes. Brazil by far has the most practitioners of diasporic religions which is due to the country having had more slaves sent there than any other nation. The large population of practitioners in Brazil, the size of the country, and the Catholic influences resulted in multiple forms of the diasporic religion. Spiritism is a result of Catholic churches being used by slaves to practice their religions on the sabbath because in Brazil no one had to work on the Sabbath including slaves and the encouragement of the enslaved to go to church. Candomble is another Brazilian Diasporic religion which differs from Spiritism because it has no concept of good or bad however the two religions have many similarities and historically are linked. In Nigeria, Yoruba tradition is heavily practiced and is even done so publicly with festivals, statues, and more all associated with the gods and practices of Yoruba tradition. However, Christian missionaries changed the religion by introducing Christianity to Nigeria which has been mixed into Yoruba practice and tradition by making parallels between saints and orishas, the deities of Yoruba religion, and even jesus himself with Obatala because the two serve similar functions in both belief systems.
Cuba’s diasporic religion is known as Regla de Ocha, Santeria, or Lucumi. The religion incorporates religious practices from Africa, Christianity, and those of the indigenous people of Cuba. Most of the Religion’s practitioners are also baptized members of the Roman Catholic church which is due to the Spanish influence over the enslaved people who were brought over and the subsequent forced conversion to Christianity by the Spanish empire.
Catholic Saints each have a corresponding orisha that represents them in Santeria. Yemaya the goddess of the sea and the Virgin Mary are worshipped as one due to the two religious icons similarities for what they represent.Due to the almost immediate integration of the saints into the religion the practitioners of the religion were then able to practice the religion. This was because the way the rituals and worship were done it appeared as though the Catholic saints were being worshipped. Although practices were still confusing and suspect to those who didn’t practice it due to the saints being revered more than jesus. This resulted in the name Santeria meaning worship of saints. However, just because it seemed abnormal it wasn’t halted or questioned very much which allowed the religion to exist in a place where it otherwise would be considered witchcraft or blasphemous.
The Cuban Revolution of 1959 caused the religion to spread as the new government outlawed all religion and many practitioners escaped the country and came to the United States. Then in 1974 the Church of Lucumi Babalau Aye was created in Hialeah Florida as the first official Santeria worship site in the United States. Most of the practitioners who escaped Cuba during the revolution escaped to Florida due to its close proximity to the island nation and as a result formed a Cuban community in Florida.
One of the most important parts of Regla de Ocha is animal sacrifice. The animal being sacrificed is then used in some way and is always eaten at some point either during or after the ritual. Drinking the blood of the animal that is sacrificed is often also practiced during the ritual to cleanse the spirit of the person consuming it. In Hialeah florida in 1987 the city outlawed animal sacrifice which caused the priest of the church of the Lucumi Babalau Aye to take the city to court. The trial eventually made it all the way up the the Supreme Court which ruled against the city in 1993 and declared the law unconstitutional because it went against the First Amendment’s free practice of religion clause.
Deities
Agallu
Agallu is the deity that is represented by nature and the volcanoes. He is the heat that is said to be present in all beings. He represents the lava and the magna in the center of the earth and all of the effects which come from that, such as earthquakes. He is the ferryman of the mortal soul, helping people cross the river. His color is burgundy and dark reds and his number is 9.
Babalu Aye
Babalu is the orisha of the suna and disease. He is very powerful and often feared because he has been know to spread diseases. He is found in places similar to hospitals and also the desert. He is said to be happy because he has the ability to cure diseases and often condems people to death because they are very sick or in a great deal of pain. His colors are brown and earthy tones and his number is 17.
Chango
Chango go is the orisha of thunder and the thunder bolt or any loud hard sound that is coming from the sky. Chango rides his horse around to serve justice with his extreme physical form. He has red and white as his colors and is usually kept in a wooden vessel and his number is 6. He is one to always dance and keep the festivals going. He is one of the more known orishas in santeria religion.
Inle
Inle is the god of healing and health. Inle is a man with feminine features. He is said to be a humble man going to where he is needed helping the poor and weak. His colors are a blue, green, and yellow. He represents the people who are quite beings and love to help and nurture other people.
Obatala
Obatala is the deity that is the ruler of all other deities. Obatala is both female and male and is one of the purest and wisest orishas. Obatala’s color is white and everything that is given to him and he is summoned to bring order and peace among the world. He is associated with the number 8 and created humankind. Obatala has lots of paths that other deities follow.
Ochosi
Ochosi is the orisha that lives in the woods and represents the hunt. He always has a bow and arrow and has great knowledge of the herbs and plants in the forest. He is also an orisha of justice and enforcement. All people who are in the law have Ochosi to protect them. He has the colors of blue, yellow, and green and his number are 3, 4, and 7.
Ochun
Ochun is the deity of love and all things sweet. According to patakis or sacred stories, she is also the youngest because after the world was created there was a lack in love. Ochun put the two things in life that are worth living for. She rules over the rivers and offerings are often to a river. She inspires the conception of children but rarely is the one to look after them. She is said to be happy and have little cares. Her colors are yellow and gold and her number is 5 and multiples of 5.
Orisha Oco
Orisha Oco or Oko is the god and father of the land. He is the one who helps farm and keeps crops fertile and harvested. He is also the judge of the orishas and makes sure to protect the females when there is an argument. He is also an orisha of fertility be it to crops and to people. He represent the hard working people and they worship him daily by offering things to the earth. His colors are pink and light blue and his number is 7.
Oggun
Oggun or ogun is the deity of the woods and iron. He is the one who forges the tools for people and he is incharge of all things construction. He is always one step ahead of you ready to be the first one to protect you. His colors are green, red and purple and his main tool is the machete. He is one of the main gods in which animal worship is done for. His numbers are 3 and 7 and has many different paths or personalities: Alagwede (oldest) or Arere (secret of the metal).
Oya
Oya is the goddess of winds and storms and brings wanted or unwanted change to humankind. She is one of the fiercest orishas and is the most fierce among the female orishas. She is the gaurd between life and death standing at the cemeteries. She is one of the few warrior orishas. Her movements are fast and violent and tornadoes are said to be the result of her dancing. Her colors are everything but black and is represented by 9.
Olocun
Olocun is orisha of both the living and the death. She lives at the bottom of the sea where humans can’t see unless they are dead. She is worshipped to benefit health, life pursuit and prosperity. She resides in a blue and white tureen in houses and has a compulsive temper. Her colors are blue and white and her numbers are 7 and 9. The offerings made to her are usually cast into the sea.
Yemeya
Yemaya is one of the most powerful orishas and is the great mother who rules over the sea. She is as essential to life as water is because she represents water. She is fair minded and nurturing but when she is outraged she is fierce but forgiving. She is represented by anything that comes from the sea, shells, fishes and boats. She dances with grace at first but she gains speed and the rhythm of the wave show this movement. Her number is 7 and her colors are blue with white.
Seth Epling and Michael Sofio