That warrior who roams the cemetery, the one that guards the fine passage between life and death so that the spirits can find their way to the other world.
The mother of the spiritual world, of storms and of clairvoyance, that is Centella Ndoki, also compared to Santa Muerte and venerated in Palo Mayombe as such.
Centella, as she is popularly known, is the goddess of the Rule of Palo Monte who is the custodian of the door between life and death.
It is the spirit that wanders between the limits of two worlds, that of the living and the dead.
Sparkle Ndoki within the Rule of the Suit is a mpungo, that is, a deity venerated as spirit or energy, which is equivalent to the Orishas of the Yoruba Pantheon in Santeria.
Centella is known by the names of:
- mariwara
- Pungu Mama Wanga
- Centella Ndoki or Centella Endoqui
- Yaya ndoki
- Cute mom
- Campo Santo
Characteristics of the Queen of the Dead in Palo Mayombe
Centella is the spirit that protects cemeteries, she is the queen of the dead and one of the strongest and most feared goddesses within the Palo Mayombe religion.
Like a flash, his justice is said to be swift and deadly. She is not a patient goddess and does not accept mistakes.
She controls the dead and in turn the storms. But as a mother, and though reckless and powerful, she protects the faithful from dark energies.
To those who venerate it, it gives security and well-being and protects their home from all evil.
It is believed that in order for Centella to accept a devotee, he must be kept well buried inside the house, so that he can control the dead.
Centella and its syncretism Who is Centella Ndoki in Santeria?
The Centella deity, with its qualities, is syncretized in the Regla de la Ocha (Santeria) with the yoruba orisha Oyá yansa, the one that guards the cemetery and the souls that wander and also rides on the four winds.
Their deities, both the Mayombe and the Yoruba share many characteristics and powers, they are directly related to the spirits and the dead, to the cemetery, and to natural phenomena such as sparkle.
Both figures are related and syncretized with Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus in the Catholic religion, as part of the transculturation that these deities suffered when the slaves were brought to America.