The Rule of the Ocha-Ifá or Santería unites the Yoruba cult in syncretism with the Catholic religion product of the massive wave of slavery in America, since then they inherited their religiosity and culture.
What do the devotees of Santeria believe?
Many are the practitioners of this religious belief or cult that sees its maximum expression in the Cuban people, and the faith spreads throughout many parts of America.
Arriving in Cuba in the second half of the XNUMXth century, the religion of the African slaves survived adapted to the Catholic belief of the Spanish.
Characteristics of the Yoruba religious belief / Rule of Osha-Ifá
His belief is based on the fact that every natural being is vivified by a spirit.
It is a monotheistic religion which recognizes a single God creator of the world (Olodumare), but has polytheistic practices (the existence of several deities).
The faith of the devotees and practitioners of the Yoruba Religion worship the Orishas, gods of the Yoruba Pantheon who possess forces and powers of nature, thus each of them protects men on Earth.
The Yoruba religion, together with the adoration of the Saints of the Church, is what It is known as Santeria, or Regla de Osha-Ifá.
Who are Olofin, Olorun and Oloddumare?
- Olodumare it is the creation, the Almighty God and the highest expression of religion.
- Olofin and Olorun, as referred to, are two aspects of the same Olodumare that embody the Sun and the aura of the divinity itself.
What do the names Oloddumare-Olofin-Olorun mean?
- Olodumare: is composed in the Yoruba dialect by: OLO eternal, DDU time and MARE stability.
- olofi: is made up of OLO extension and FI space of this world.
- Olorun means Sun.
What are the Orishas?
The Orishas of the Yoruba pantheon are deities or higher energies worshiped by the Yorubas who had a mortal life and were later promoted to gods.
They govern our destinies, and are intermediaries between God and the men who live on the earthly plane.
How many Orishas exist in the Yoruba Pantheon?
There are more than 200 deities in the Yoruba pantheon, but due to syncretism and the loss of some cults, approximately thirty Orishas are worshiped today.
Which are the most recognized and adored Orishas in Cuba?
Let us now know some of the most powerful deities of the Osha-Ifá Rule and some of the energies or powers that characterize them.
Yoruba deities and their characteristics:
- Choose. He is the messenger Orisha, the one who opens the paths and has the keys of destiny. He is the messenger of Olofin and has the privilege of being the first in everything.
- obbatala. He is the Father and King of all the orishas. He personifies the creation of the world and man. He is the owner of the heads and judge of disputes between Orishas or men.
- Yemaya. Queen of the salty waters with dominion over the surface of the seas. She considered mother of all the Orishas and sister of Oshun.
- Oshun. The most beautiful of the Orishas, representative of love, femininity, sensuality and beauty. She owns the rivers and the copper. She protects pregnant women and has a fundamental presence at the time of fertilization.
- Oyá. Deity owner of sparks. Shangó's wife, she fights alongside him and dominates the winds. She guards the cemetery gate.
- Shango. Orisha of fire, thunder, war, dance and drums and virile beauty. She represents human virtues and imperfections.
- Oggun. He is the Orisha owner of iron and minerals. He dominates the mystery of the mount.
- oshosi. He is the Orisha owner of justice and hunting. He is the hunter who can move in time and space.
- Babalu Aye: Recognized for his syncretism with San Lázaro, he is the orisha of plagues and diseases.
- Orula: He is the diviner and interpreter of Ifá, wisdom itself in the Yoruba religion, he is the greatest adviser and guide of men.
- Osun: It is the guide and watchman of our heads, it is represented with a rooster in the Osha, and from above it protects us from death and other evils.
