Santeria

Part II

My first article about Santeria was a brief over view of the history of the religion; the following article will cover some of the important religious beliefs and practices of Santeria.  Santeria is a religion shrouded in mystery.  Reliable information is hard to come by for the uniniated.     Again because of the pantheon of gods and different practices among differing sects of Santeria  the study of this religion, like many syncrestic religions difficult to sum up in just a few pages.  Anyone that has read and enjoyed these articles is urged to continue on with their study of the religion, because, honestly, these articles don’t do this religion justice.

The Nature of God

 Santeria has many lesser deities, but just one major creator deity; it is considered by some a monotheistic religion.  “The Orishas were created by Oloddumare to manifest his will and express his essence in nature.  They are also guides and protectors of mankind.  The orishas are not really gods but the children and servants of Oloddumare.  In this sense Santeria is a monotheistic religion…the orishas are not worshipped as gods but as guardian angles.”(Wippler (2007) P. 12-13)

Even though the Orishas are not considered gods in their own right, they are worshipped by followers of Santeria:

Santeria Creator God:

·         Like most established religions Santeria worships a central creative force known as Oloddumare who corresponds to the concept of God. 

To the Santeros as well as the Yoruba, God is known as Oloddumare.  But its connofation is that of one whose essence transcends our ability to comprehend it.  Oloddumare is immanent, omnipotent and omniscient.  He is the all, and greater than the all.  Oloddumare is not an orisha because he was never created.  He has always existed. (Wippler (2007) P 24)

·         According to the Yoruba scholar J. Omosade Awolalu the Yoruba Olorun Olodummare as a composite name for the creator but never olodumare Olorun.  The double name means the Supreme Being whose abode is in heaven and who is almighty and dependable.  To the Santeros, Olodumare is God was the almighty and Olorun is God as the creator on the material world (Wippler (2007) P 24)

·         Another name used by the Yoruba to define God is Eledda.  This name means creator and implies a being that is the source of all things.  In Santeria Eleddaa is the spark of God that lives in each human being, it is often associated with one’s guardian angel, but many santeros associate with an individual’s ruling orisha(Wippler (2007) P 25)

·         The name Ori which is also used by the Yoruba in connection with the supreme deity-Ori is the physical head as well as the driving force that guides it.  It derives from Oloddumare, but is not identical with him.  Ori is not the soul, which can be more easily equated with Eledaa rather it is awareness, consciousness, pure being. (Wippler (2007) P 25)

·         In Santeria there is another name given to the deity which is not used by the Yoruba.  This name is Olofi or Olofin and is the most common name used to refer to God.  The origin of Olofi like that of Oloddumare is obscure; the Santeros make a distinction between Oloddumare and Olofi.  Oloddumare is a transcendent being who is the essence of all there is and more.  Olofi is the creation itself rather than the creator.  He is Oloddumare manifested through Olorun, the true creator.  Oloddumare, Olorun and Olofi are different aspects of the same supernatural being.  Olodudumare is divine essence, the creative will Olorun is the creative act and Olofi is the creation. Eledda is God’s spirit manifested in Man.  Ori is the driving force the awareness of that spirit (Wippler (2007) P 25)

The basic concept is the same as any other religion.  Oloddumare, the creator, God, Allah, created man and the universe.  All of the other deities are using a Christian term angles.  Humanity has a very finite understanding of the nature of God and the universe, as such; humanity can’t possibly understand the true nature of an infinite universe or an infinite god. So the Orisha’s intercede on behalf of man, they are also known as “the person’s guardian angel or alternatively as his or her father or mother depending on whether the orisha is male or female” (Wippler (2007) P 13)

Santeria and Christianity

Part one of this article described Santeria as a syncretistic religion.  The basic beliefs of the faith were combined with Christianity during the slave trade.  Slaves were not allowed to practice their original religion in the new world.  Slave masters felt threatened by a religion they didn’t understand.  Because of this syncretism, the religion changed.  Another point of possible confusion for someone looking to study Santeria is the fact that, there is the Santeria that is practiced in the America’s as well as the African Santeria tradition.  Both traditions only share the most basic of similarities.

Similarities and Differences:

·         When the Yoruba slaves identified their orishas with the saints of the Catholic faith, the saints became invested with the same supernatural powers of the African deities.  They were invoked by the Yoruba priests to undertake cures, cast spells. And do the same type of magic usually ascribed to the orishas.  Each orisha-sait was credited with certain specific attributes and was believed to control some aspects of all human life.  All natural phenomena and the common occurrences of everyday living were under the direct influence of the deities (Wippler (2007) P 13)

·         The basic differences between the Yoruba priest and the santero is that the latter practices his magic in the asphalt jungles of the big cities instead of the African wilderness…Santeria is jungle magic adapted to city living.  Its ritual practices are based on sympathetic magic.  That is they are natural based on what the Scottish anthropologist Sir James George Frazer called the laws of similarity and contrast (Wippler (2007) P 18)

The Golden Bough:

·         In this work Frazer showed definite parallels between the rites and beliefs of primitive cultures and those of Christianity.  This definition of sympathetic magic and its laws is extremely illuminating in understanding the magical practices of Santeria (Wippler (2007) P 18)

·         According to Frazer, the law of similarity may be expressed by the magical principle that likes produces like.  On the other hand the law of contact says that things which have been in contact with each other continue to affect each other long after the physical contact has been broken.  When the type of magic used hinges on the law of similarity it is known as homeopathic (Wippler (2007) P 18)

·         Contagious magic assumes that things that have been in contact with each other are always in contact.  It is thus possible to exert influence on a person if one can only procure something that has been in contact with that person. (Wippler (2007) P 19)

·         All forms of sympathetic magic assume that things act on each other at a distance through an unidentified and unexplained attraction the initial contact being sparked by the will of the magician.  This belief in the sympathetic influence exerted on each other by objects or individuals separated by a distance is of tremendous importance in Santeria and indeed in many forms of natural magic (Wippler (2007) P 19)

Santeria Tradition

Like other religions, Santeria tradition was tramitted orally from Priest to initiate for many years.  “In Cuba the ancient traditions were transmitted orally by the old priests to their descendants and followers in special meeting places called cabildos during the course of these meetings the Santeros established the laws and practices of their religion and made them known to the new initiates.  Still another method of transmitting the legends and practices was by means of handwritten notebooks called libretas (Wippler (2007) P 16)

Although the carbides no longer exist the custom of keeping a written record of the spells and rites of Santeria is still observed.  Every Santero has a libreta where his padrino or godfather has written down the most important practices of the religion as well as all the acts he must either avoid or undertake during his lifetime…this notebook is handed over to the Santero exactly 1 year and 7 days from the day he made the saint”( Wippler (2007) P 16)

Santeria has four basic components/elements, without these there can be no Santeria:

·         Stones are of vital importance because the spiritual essence of the orishas is gathered in the groups of ritual stones that are believed to represent them.  These sacred stones are kept inside fancy tureens in the colors of each orisha (Wippler (2007) P 20-21)

·         The seashells constitute the second vital part of santeria.  Their importance is obvious as they are the mouth piece of the orishas in the divination system known as the Diloggun (Wippler (2007) P 21)

·         Each orisha possesses his or her own set of 21 cowrie shells which is kept within the Otanes inside the tureen (Wippler (2007) P 21)

·         Water is the third essential constituent of Santeria is used by the Santero during all the rituals.  Water is asperged on the floor before the reading of the Diloggun before the interpretation of the Coconut and during each and every ceremony (Wippler (2007) P 21)

·         Herbs are the fourth of Santeria’s important elements plants, roots, leaves, flowers.  Every Santero is a competent herbalist who can cure practically every disease with an herbal brew or cast a tremendous spell with a few leaves (Wippler (2007) P 22)

Santeria Magic

Santeria, much like other non-traditional religions is largely based on natural magic.  

·         “But more that that it is a system that seeks to find the divine in the most common ordinary things.  It is childlike and often naïve but it is this simple total faith that makes it so powerful.  There are no sophisticated tenants in Santeria.  Its wisdom is the wisdom of the earth.  All Santeria wants to do is embrace nature in so doing it embraces the soul of all things.”( Wippler (2007) P 23)

·         “Santeria is an earth religion a magical religious system that has its roots in nature and system that has its roots in nature and natural forces.  The beliefs and practices of Santeria involve a concept of power known as Ashe. A term that describes the energy that p permeates the universe.  This is a cultural variation of the Melaesian concept of Wakan and Manitu.  Ashe is manifested in persons, religious paraphernalia invocations in the Yoruba language the scared stones the herbs the nagagas and almost anything connected with Santeria magic”(Perlmutter (2004) p. 185 )

Fundamental Concepts

Ashe:

·         Is a fundamental precept and describes the energy that permeates the universe it is in everything, people, plants, etc

Eggun:

·         Is the term for deceased family ancestors an ancestor worship is central to the practice of Santeria

Orishas

·         The Santeria gods (saints)

·         The foundation of Santeria worship is found in four natural elements:

1.      Water

2.      Seashells

3.      Herbs

4.      Ritual Stones(otanes)

Ebbo:

·         The concept of sacrifice and offerings are made to orishas

·         Santeria spells, rituals and invocations are conducted to acquire Ashe from the gods

·         Ashe is the power to change things, solve all problems, subdue enemies acquire live etc.

·         A person consults a priest and he ascertains what the god wants through Diloggun (the divination system known as seashells)

·         The orisha (god/saint) determines what type of sacrifice (ebbo) is required to solve the problem.  Ebbo can be offerings of food, flowers, candles or blood offerings

·         Ancestors must periodically be worshipped with offerings. (Perlmutter (2004) p. 185)

Santeria and Sacrifice:

Sacrifice in Santeria takes place for religious purposes only.  Human sacrifice does not take place.  The nature, type and location of the sacrifice are strictly outlined by the religion.  A devotee of Santeria will not engage in ritual human sacrifice.  This section is being included only to show the complete picture of Santeria.  And the religion at times does call for sacrifice.  Remember that sacrifice for religious reasons is protected by the United States Constitution.  Just because Santeria, even in modern times calls for sacrifice does not make it a dangerous or evil religion.

In Santeria there are three basic types of sacrifice:

1.      Despojos (ritual cleansings) the animals take on the negative vibrations of an individual and cannot be eaten (usually disposed of outdoors)

2.      Ebbo offerings made to the eggun or the orishas depending on the ritual the mean is not always eaten

3.      Imitation offerings the blood is always given to the saints and the meat I s always eaten and is believed to be full of the energy of the gods(Perlmutter (2004) p. 200)

Most of the animals used in Santeria sacrifice are:

·         Goats or feathered birds

·         Foul includes male and female chickens, roosters, ducks, guinea hens and pigeons.  They are known collectively as plumas (feathers)

·         Animal sacrifices entailing cats, dogs, or larger animals would indicate another occult religious involvement. (Perlmutter (2004) p 200)

Conclusion

Santeria is an interesting religion to study, the problem is, and it’s also a very secretive religion.  Good reliable information about the nature, history and traditions are hard to come by.  Normally this information is only disseminated to initiates.  As America becomes more multicultural, and differing religious beliefs become more pronounced, it is important that we take the time to embrace cultural differences.

References

Gonzalez-Wippler, M.  (2007).  Santeria The Religion.  Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Worldwide.

Perlmutter, D.  (2004). Investigating Religious Terrorism and Ritualistic Crimes.  Boca Raton, Fl: CRC Press LLC.