Afrian Religions and Santeria

-spaniards discovered silver, dropped price of gold, sold slaves instead so make up for lost profit

Carribean- sold to grow tabacco and sugar
Brazil- agricultural plantations and mining ore

divide and ocnquer for constant fear of revolt
-split up slaves with same origin and language
-why the african religion didnt inculturate here

-baptized as any slaves as possible to keep groups together
-religion was inculturated with catholicism

vodun

santeria, african and spanish catholicism

concomble, mix of french catholicism and african religin

person, place or thing that allows god or spirituality to break thru
-jesus
-bread and wine
-orishas
-7 colors of rainbow refracted from the same light source

-haiti

creator
_______
Lao
_______
humans

-possession, ppl become mounted when in a trance and dancing
-take chickens soul and give it to the loa so it can have energy back

-Brazil: Samba
-Cuba: Rumba
-Dominican- Merengue
-Santeria: Bata
-Puerto Rico: Bomba

-genre of literature and cinema characterized by:

-set in real time and space
-fantastical elements
-author doesnt explain why elements are there
-latin american genre
-pans labrinyth
Guillermo do toro

god
______
jesus
______
humans

god
_______
sacraments/saints
___________
humans

creator
___________
orishas
________
humans

-fluid boundary btween orisha and humans, two way street
-the way of the saints

-african religious worldview
-orishas as intermediate being
-most christianized african religion
-patakis- stories about religion, no book like bible
-santeria introduced by slaves

places where catholics baptized slaves
-where santeria was formed
-slaves shared language and ethnicity
-during fiestas slaves would be asked to join in celebration f catholic saints, were able to partake in both aspects of religion

-most africanized because of haitian revolution
-when leader was overthrown, they had no other religion to conform toso were free to practice african religion

1) nature based
-nature as an intermediate
-external-mountains, rivers, oceans, orishas are assigned to certain aspects of nature
-internal-energy within humans, certain ppl have orishas assigned to them like astrology signs
-nature is influenced and effects natural world (2 way street)

2) reciprocity
-give and take of energy
-orishas need humans like humans need orishas
-priests and priestesses are expected to feed orishas

roman catholic
-certain exemplary christians were deemed as saints
-christ live lives
-martyrs- choosing death over letting go of faith when christianity was illegal in rome

monks and nuns devote live to life of prayer and service

there is a mystical connection btween ppl of faith
-I am the vine, the disciples are the branches
-interconnectedness isnt severed in death, dead are included
-saints pray for and with us

-hierarchical priesthood
-santero-male priest
-babalozha- father of orisha
-santera- mother of orisha (lyalocha)

1) calling, orisha calls you
2) "bad luck"- life turns upside down
3) consultation- figuring out responsibilities
-divination- IFA, discern what god has in store for you by doing rituals
-reading tea leaves, throwing shells
-determining which orisha is assigned to you
4)initiation
-if accepted, priest gives spiritual protection
-given bracelets called elekes
5) apprenticeship- learning the ways of a priest, learning patakis, learn diviniation, learn healing with herbs
-learn magical spells (ebbos)
6) formal ordination
-asiento- ascend to level of orishas
-orisha energy goes to head

7) use repsonsibilities
-home of priest becomes temple due to cuba being colonialized the religion was forced into the home

public santeria store
-can but herbs for healing and animals for sacrifice

-must be invited
-home alter
-has to have certain rocks (otanes) that contain specific energy
-can be used for ceremonies (fiestas/tambors), held on feast day of saint, or when priest feels it should be held

-rituals
-sacrifice and offering animals
-dancing and drumming
-orisha mounts
-tamboras