Santería

The Santería is a syncretic, Afro-American major religion in Cuba, the mixed their Orishas (Gods of Santeria ) with Catholic saints ( santos spanish ).

Many Catholics in Cuba for advice and healing at a Santera, a Santero or Babalao and are practicing followers of Santería. Due to the supposed unity of Catholic saints with aspects of the gods of Santería they see in their actions to object either. The Catholic Church rejects the Santería and their practices on principle, but tolerated the popular piety.

In the U.S., from the Santería a spiritualism developed the Santerismus in which, after the example of Allan Kardec, the spirits of the dead, catholic saints and gods of Santería be summoned at meetings.

Development in Cuba

Formation

After the discovery and conquest of Cuba was colonized by the Spaniards. The Atlantic slave trade provided the necessary manpower. The cultivation of sugar cane, the slave trade has increased massively in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The slaves were Christianized by force. They were allowed to partially in religious councils ( cabildos ) organize and use their Bata drums. In the 17th century the Catholic Church led in many Cuban cities brotherhoods ( cofradías ) in order to promote the veneration of saints, which provided an " unintentionally " the slaves the chance to their African gods faith and related religious traditions now, however, under the guise of Catholic religion continue to practice. On the other hand, wanted the slaveholders for their slaves in addition to the necessary food not also assume the cost of the Christianization of baptism, marriage and burial.

Cults

There are Afro-Cuban cults with similar camouflage. The Santería in the narrower sense is the Regla de Ocha.

• The Regla de Ocha ( Lukumi ) based on the traditions of the Yoruba and is particularly widespread in western Cuba. The descendants of the Yoruba in Cuba are the Lukumi.
• The Regla Conga (Palo Monte, Palo Mayombe ) based on the traditions of the Congo and is particularly widespread in eastern Cuba.
• The secret society of Abakuá based on traditions from around the port city of Calabar.

In addition, there are numerous other groups like that of voodoo (also Vudú or Voodoo ), the Regla Arará (or Arada ) and the Ganga Longobá.

Inflow since 1990

After the scientific materialism after the victory of the revolution as the official state doctrine in Cuba had been declared, many Cubans distanced from religion. The Santería no longer fit into the new Marxist worldview and professing believers were disadvantaged in social life often. Only with the onset of the economic crisis, it is supporters of the Afro-Cuban religions officially allowed to join the Communist Party of Cuba. Since then, especially Santería experienced a new boom. Example of their current popularity is the pilgrimage to the Rincon.

Features

The Santería is a religion of nature. It is based on the traditional and widely held myths secret. Any attempt to canonicalize the religious rules in writing, fails because there is no institution that decides right or wrong religion. The cosmology is based on an inseparable cosmos in which interact the invisible half ( orun ) and the visible half ( aye ) about Ashe and kept in balance. A help due a victim. There is no polarization in the good and the evil.

In Ori (literally in Yoruba: head) is to determine (Yoruba: ayanmó ) anchored that brings a person at his birth, and is a "partial " reincarnation of his ancestors. Difficult life are seen as signs that the ORI is confused. By means of divination is investigating the cause, whether it is a result of the actions of enemies ( black magic ), result of one's imbalance (too little ASHE ) or determined by fate. While the obsession is demonized in Christianity and especially the Catholic Church, it is in the Santería "the holy source of personality " of the believer and is consecrated Bata drums ( ILU ANA), antiphonal singing and dancing trance induced.

There is no boundary to magic as in Christianity. It is believed that the Orishas work wonders in love, in happiness, in the acquisition of money and health, which are usually requested and implemented on the Santero in oracle. In particular, we believe in amulets and magical powers in plants and herbs that virtually requires every ritual. The most important herbal blend is the omiero, which is essential for almost all rituals and consists of at least 21 different fresh herbs that are ground in rainwater. This mixture serves as a healing potion, spice and consecration of the glass beads of the Orishas and the cowries the oracle.

Hierarchy

Olodumare is the almighty God and the creator of Ashe and the Orishas. He has several aspects. Olofi is the one aspect that can not be achieved by people over Orishas. But he is far removed from the problems of everyday life. Olodumare come to no sacrifices, no priests consecrate to him.

Orishas are anthropomorphized spirits / gods as spirits of nature, culture heroes and deified ancestors who act as messengers and mediators between orun and aye. They differ in their regional significance, its aspects, and their relationships. You are assigned to colors, numbers, plants, sounds, rhythms, favorite food and favorite beverages. In Santería include about twenty Orishas of the core area. Of seven Orishas, the "Seven African Powers " ( Siete Potencias Africanas ), the believer can be possessed.

The Ancestors ( oku orun, osi, babanla, Iyanla ) may constitute a portion of a newborn. Thus, a young girl who is recognized as the reincarnation of the grandmother, Yetunde ( " mother has returned " ) called.

Rituals

In all rituals of the Orisha Elegguá is welcomed as a first and becomes the first its offerings.

The Santeria has four fundamental rituals:

• Divination
• The victim
• The trance dances
• The iniciación

Ancestor worship of the Yoruba ( Egungun ) and other African ethnic groups has been largely replaced in the Diaspora by the spiritualism.

With an initiation of the believer rises in the hierarchy of his faith community. Within the Santería he needs for a padrino ( godfather ) or a madrina ( godmother ), which must be initiated as a Santero or Santera itself. There are four initiations within the Santería:

With trance dances the Orishas are celebrated in rituals that take place in their honor ( Bembé rituals ). Musically these rituals are accompanied with Bata drums, each deity has its own rhythm, with variations for the course of the ritual, such as invocation of the deity, conversation and others.

The victim ( ebbo ) is an essential component in the Santería. The nature of the victim depends on the particular Orisha and from a survey of the oracle and ranges from a candle over fruit to the animal. For the Orishas one of them not a desirable victim is considered extreme insult.

Mergers

• The followers of Santería are members of the Catholic Church.
• Obatalá is syncretized with Jesus Christ.
• Catholic saints are regional differences associated with aspects of the Orishas and how gods ( polytheism ) or guardian ( monotheism ) worshiped.
• The traditional folk medicine within the Santería influenced the Cuban Catholicism.

Note that this allocation of the Orishas with Catholic saints is intended to provide only a rough idea of ​​syncretism. There is an interesting illustration of the Siete Potencias Africanas on Catholic saints, is shown in the in the midst of Obatalá as crucified Jesus Christ. To Elekes initiation include the first five Orishas.

Spread

Although the Santería actually is a religion of blacks, can be especially since the 1970s, starting with Cuban intellectuals observe a strong spread also among white Cubans. Since the Cuban revolution in 1959, the Santería is spreading in the United States and is found more recently in Europe.

The folkloric version of Santeria has been known since the early 1980s by the Cuban tourism. This led to German universities to a stronger involvement with these religions. The tourists often quite expensive paid admission to the Santería can rather be seen as a form of confidence trick, since the developed over generations, social and religious background of the Santería includes far more than a commitment to a faith.