Santeria, which literally means, way of the saints', originated in Cuba. Santeria is considered an Afro-Cuban religion. It has roots in Africa, specifically the Yoruba people in southwestern Nigeria. When Africans were brought to the New World as slaves, they brought with them their Yoruba religious traditions (Nunez: 3). Slave owners forced them to give up their beliefs and convert to Christianity. However, the slaves persisted and found a way to hide their beliefs with the introduction of Catholicism in Cuba in 1517. They disguised their deities behind the images of Catholic saints so it would seem that they were praying to the saints, but were actually praying to their gods. The secrecy of practicing rites, prayers, and rituals has then become inherent in Santeria. Beliefs in honouring ancestors and the deities and living in balance with the forces of nature are parts of Santeria principles. Santeria is a syncretic religion born from the fusion of Catholicism and Yoruba religion. In Santeria, the saints and the corresponding orishas are one and the same. Although it contains elements of both religions, Santeria is very different from either one that it is considered a separate religion with its own identity and indigenous to Cuba. Throughout time, the religion has spread into different parts of the world and has faced a few challenges, but still remains consistent because of its adaptive nature.
WORSHIP.
ASHE.
Ashe is raw cosmic energy or a vital force. Literally, it means, "so be it- (Gonzalez-Wippler 1989: 5). It is the divine power that Oloddumare (God) used to create the universe. All ashe is directed to Oloddumare. Ashe is a generative power inherent in all things (Mason: 123). Ashe is the sustenance of life. All invocations, rituals, offerings, ceremonies, prayers, and magic are performed to receive ashe from the saints (Gonzalez-Wippler 1989: 5). The universe is moved by ashe.
Caribbean and Latin America like the Voudou of Hiati, the Obeia of Jamaica, the Santeria of Cuba, and the Candomble and Umbanda of Brazil, African deities and spiritual forces played a more prominent role in the rituals and worship of the people. ...
Thornton again and again keeps referring to the paractic of Santeria in his book Africa and Africans in the making of the Atlantic World Santeria is a well known religious (christian) practice among the Hispanic culture, espically the blakcs of the domician Republic. Thornton express knowledge of the afro - american culture using the Santeria of Cuba, Cuba is a spanish caribbean island. ... Santeria is a practice combined with sainthood, where the saints who are prayed to are revered. In Santeria the saints are given different names to that of their catholic counter parts. San...
Cuba is a country in the Caribbean islands which its geography impacts the environment in many different ways. Cuba is the most westward island in the Caribbean with its neighbors such as Dominican Republic and Haiti. Cuba is also listed as the largest country in the Caribbean and has a population over 11 million people. It's similar in size to the state of Pennsylvania and its 90 miles away from the coast of Florida. Cuba has around 200 rivers in which the Cauto is the longest river which flows from the east to the Caribbean Sea. ...
Nationality: Cuban Ethnic groups: mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1% Religions: nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented Languages: Spanish Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 95.7% male: 96.2% female: 95.3% (1995 est.) ...
It has been told, "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue."" Upon his voyages to the New World, he discovered what he called Juana, now known as Cuba. On October 28, 1492, Columbus and his voyagers sighted the island and the next day, October 29, 1492, the Europeans, for the first time in histor...
European slavers altered the way that different African people viewed one another and themselves. The book by Miguel Barnet, Biography of a Runaway Slave is a strong account that can be used to explore how Africans changed their perception of each other, and how this change influenced the lives of A...
For my ethnography project, I chose to study how dancers express social and cultural communication and the different meanings of Latin Dance with a focus on Merengue. The themes for this study are based on ethnicity, regionalism, generation, and gender. I am interested to see the social and politica...
Sociology 11/09/01 When the tragedy happened at Waco with David Koresh, to many it resembled the tragedy with Jim Jones in Guyana. Jim Jones and David were alike in many ways as leaders of their occults. The death toll in Guyana was over 900, in Waco it was about 90. In the mass suicide in Guyana, Jim Jones and his group were found out in the jungle, after all had drank cyanide laced Flavor-Aid. Not all were believed to have taken their own lives, authorities believe some were forced to drink it, while others were killed for not taking it. ...
