Is Santeria from Africa?
Santeria is a belief system that has its roots in Yoruba land, West Africa. During the times of slavery, in the 17th century, this belief system took a journey from West Africa to Cuba.
What are the beliefs of Santeria?
The Santeria faith teaches that every individual has a destiny from God, a destiny fulfilled with the aid and energy of the orishas. The basis of the Santeria religion is the nurture of a personal relation with the orishas, and one of the principal forms of devotion is an animal sacrifice.
What is La Santeria?
Santeria (Way of the Saints) is an Afro-Caribbean religion based on Yoruba beliefs and traditions, with some Roman Catholic elements added. The religion is also known as La Regla Lucumi and the Rule of Osha. Santeria is a syncretic religion that grew out of the slave trade in Cuba.
What is the origin of Santeria?
Santeria was created in Cuba by the mingling of Yoruba traditions brought by enslaved Africans from Nigeria and Benin with the Roman Catholic faith of the Spanish plantation owners.
What part of Africa is Santeria from?
Santeria incorporates the worship of the Orisha (literally “head guardian”) and beliefs of the Yoruba and Bantu people in Southern Nigeria, Senegal and Guinea Coast by synchronizing these African cultures and religions with the surrounding elements of worship from Roman Catholicism.
Is Santeria and Ifa the same?
They name their the creator orisha one name for one religion, the othe another. Santeria has been diluted, its roots are lucumi religion, and ifa. Ifa is more hardcore, more blunt.
Does Santeria believe Jesus?
Santeria practitioners also believe in the Christian Jesus Christ known as Olofi. Orisa, also spelled Orisha or Yemaya, a Santeria saint known as the mother to all Orisas She is thought to be a protector of women and is likened to Christianity’s Virgin Mary.
Is Santeria legal?
The local laws prohibited Santeria sacrifices; however, the laws contained exceptions for animal killings under comparable circumstances and for other religion-related purposes, including kosher slaughter.
What is the difference between Yoruba and Santeria?
Santeria is based on Yoruba beliefs, while Voodoo is based on Fon and Ewe beliefs. People who practice Santeria call their spirits orishas, while voodoo practitioners call the same spirits loas or laws. Santeria has seven principal orishas, while voodoo has twelve principal loas.
Which countries practice Santeria?
Practitioners of Santería are primarily found in Cuba’s La Habana and Matanzas provinces, although communities exist across the island and abroad, especially among the Cuban diasporas of Mexico and the United States.
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.
What do you do if 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.
Where can you find Santeria in Latin America?
Santería is a religion found in Latin America. It is mainly practiced in but not limited to Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Panama, and Colombia.
What was the religion of the Santeria people?
The Santería religion includes many traditions of West African (mainly Yoruba) origin, notably praying to orishas (divine emissaries), many of which have been formally identified with Roman Catholic saints. The…
Is there a central authority in control of Santeria?
There is no central authority in control of Santería and much diversity exists among practitioners, who are known as creyentes (“believers”). Santería is polytheistic and revolves around deities called oricha. Deriving their names and attributes from traditional Yoruba divinities, they are equated with Roman Catholic saints.
What is the relationship between Santeria and Orisha?
Santería is based upon the development of personal relationships through divination, sacrifice, initiation, and mediumship ( see medium) between practitioners of the religion and the orisha deities, who provide their devotees with protection, wisdom, and success and who guide devotees in times of crisis.