Functions in society. The Babalawos are believed to ascertain the future of their clients through communication with Ifá. This is done through the interpretation of either the patterns of the divining chain known as Opele, or the sacred palm nuts called Ikin, on the traditionally wooden divination tray called Opon Ifá.
How do you greet a babalawo?
Whenever you greet a Babalawo or Iyanifa, the proper greeting is Aboru (Ah Boo Ru) Aboye (Ah Boy Yea) Abosise (Ah Bo She Shay) .
Does babalawo believe in God?
Beliefs. Santería followers believe that one God created the universe and that the world is cared for by lesser divine beings known as orishas. Santería priests, known as babalawos, act as intermediaries in the religion.
Can a female be a babalawo?
The position of Iyalawo is found in both West Africa and in the Americas. Every town, country and lineage has different customs, although most towns in Yorubaland initiate women at present. The priesthood of women is denied by many in the Lucumí tradition in Cuba.
What is the religion of Babalawo?
A priest of the highest order belonging to the Santería religion, similar to vodoun, with magic powers, including the ability to heal the sick, divine the future and punish wrongdoers.
Do Orishas believe in God?
There are five levels in the cosmology: Orisha worshipers believe in a creator who is called Olodumare or Olorun (God), the Orishas, human beings, human ancestors, and the lowest group, plants and animals.
Who is the god of Santeria?
Olodumare
Does Yoruba religion believe in God?
Followers of the Yoruba religion believe that a single omnipotent deity named Olodumare (or Olorun) rules over the universe. Olodumare is also referred to by other names, including Oluwa (Lord) and Orise (the source of all things), but has no gender.
Does Santeria believe in God?
The Santeria faith teaches that every individual has a destiny from God, a destiny fulfilled with the aid and energy of the orishas. The basis of the Santeria religion is the nurture of a personal relation with the orishas, and one of the principal forms of devotion is an animal sacrifice.
When was Santeria banned?
“So, in order to maintain their religion, they did a syncretism where they blend the Spanish saints with the African saints.” Immediately following the 1959 revolution and into the 1990s, religion was banned in Cuba.
Is Santeria a good thing?
Santeria, or Regla de Ocha is not a bad thing, but it is not for everyone. It still is widely practiced in South Florida, in Cuba, in parts of Mexico where there are Cuban immigrants and in New York. In and of itself, no. You have to remember there are people who will use any religion or tool to do bad things.
What kind of religion is Santeria?
Roman Catholic
What are Santería practitioners called?
Practitioners of both Santería and other Afro-Cuban religions are called creyentes ("believers"). Some people external to the religion have referred to its practitioners as "santerians" although this is not used by adherents themselves.
What is an Orisha priest?
The orisa are spirits that play a key role in the Yoruba religion of West Africa and several religions of the African diaspora that derive from it, such as Cuban and Puerto Rican Santería and Brazilian Candomblé.
What is an Iyawo?
Iyawó(se) Novice. This is a person who has been initiated into Santería in the course of the last year. They can be identified by their white garments, which they must wear for a whole year after initiation.Feb 2, 2021