Review by Osunyemi

Migene Gonzalez-Wippler

This book which I was at first turned off by, because I viewed the syncretisms of the new world as inferior to the mother religion; changed my mind to view this syncretic variation as the living testimony to the vibrancy and tenacity of the mother religion to survive under the most dreadful of circumstances; the slave trade and slavery.

The practice of Santeria by its nature is the history of slavery in Cuba. Santeria or ‘the confluence of Saints and their worship,’ did not exist before slavery brought Yoruba slaves to Cuba under Spanish rule. It is said that the word Lucumi is a corrupted pronunciation of the word Yoruba. The Catholic religion with their pantheon of Saints became for the slaves, many who may have been Yoruba priests, the most practical way to continue the practice of their religion which was not separate from their daily life as religion was among the Spanish Catholics.

As slavery flourished in Cuba the mulatto and Creole descendants of the Spanish began to practice the new religion; with their priests and priestesses becoming known as Santeros and Santeras. The word Santeria appears to combine the words saint and orisha. The Santeria are anthropomorphized natural forces that have an effect in the human realm. The Santeria have attributes or paths while remaining true to their overall identity. Being called a “child” of the Santeria is when the direct influence of the Santeria/Orisha is felt by the worshipper. Proponents believe that every human being is ruled by one of the Orisha/Saints in a specific aspect of the deity.

Santeria is a monotheistic religion as is Ifa/Yoruba, from which it is derived. God is seen as the creator of all that is, and the Orisha the handymen of God.

Santeria uses several divination systems to ascertain the will of an orisha/saint. They are the coconut shells or Obi, the cowrie shells known as Diloggun or Caracoles, the Okuele or divining chain, and the table of Ifa or Opon Ifa which is the Oracle of Santeria.

The basic initiations in Santeria are the Necklaces or Elekes and Eleggua and the Warriors (Los Guerreros). Other higher initiations are available up to the priesthood called the asiento or Kariocha.

The descriptions of the religion is so closely similar to Ifa/Yoruba as to be hardly disguised to the initiated.

The later chapters of the book describe the Orisha by their Santeria name, then their syncretism or identification. The Catholic Saint is mentioned first and it is noted that many Orisha are identified with several Saints. The book goes on to describe the Saint and the Feast Days of the Saints. Then the Orisha is described as a cosmic force, his/her appearance is described, the attributes are described, the human archetype, and the paths. Detailed descriptions of the Legends, the Oddu, Rulership, and Ebbos is done.

The book is a very good reference for the comparative study of the Santeria religion and Ifa/Yoruba.

There is a decided romantic/Latin touch to modern expression of Santeria. There is an almost more superstitious feel to the way the religion is described in this book. The author has a very thorough bibliography for the student who is interested in further study of Santeria and Ifa/Yoruba.

(c) 2007 Yeye Siju Osunyemi/Valeria Watson-Doost

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