An African Religion

1. An African Religion Yoruba

2. An African Tradition: the Religion of the Yoruba • Africa • the second largest continent in terms of landmass • home to some four hundred million people and several hundred religions • including the religion of the Yoruba.

3. The Yoruba are from Western Africa: Nigeria, Benin and Togo • The Yoruba have favored living in cities • There are three important cities: Ife, Oyo, and Ijebu • Ife has been the center of Yoruba religion • It was here that the god Orisha-nla first began to create the world

4. PURPOSE • The purpose of the Yoruba religion: • maintain the balance between the human beings of earth and the gods and ancestors of heaven while guarding against the evil deeds of sorcerers and witches

5. Yoruba Cosmology • Yoruba sees reality as being divided into two separate worlds: heaven and earth Heaven • Invisible home of the gods and the ancestors • Earth • Ordinary world, visible home of human beings, descended from the gods • Populated by perverted form of human beings, witches and sorcerers, who can cause disastrous harm if not controlled

6. Gods and Ancestors • Primal traditions hold a belief in both a supreme god and a host of less powerful deities. • The supreme god of the Yoruba is Olorun • The many deities of the Yoruba worship are known as orishas • The supreme god, lesser deities, and ancestors all inhabit heaven

7. Olorun: the High God • Supreme God: Olorun • Original source of power in the universe • All life forms owe their existence to Olorun • Uninvolved in human affairs • Not worshipped in rituals • No shrines are assigned to him • No sacrifices are on his behalf • The orishas, other gods, function as mediators between Olorun and human beings.

8. Orishas • Lesser gods • Truly significant • Are a source of sacred power and can help or harm human beings • Worshipped in ritual • To be appeased • Orisha-nla • Ogun • Esu

9. Orisha-nla: Creator god • Created the earth

10. Ogun: god of Iron and War • Once was human • First King of Ife • After he died, he became a god • Now lives on the border between ancestors and other orishas

11. Esu: Trickster • Mediates between heaven and earth • Has a place in every shrine • Contains both good and evil properties • These characteristics make him a trickster figure • A mischievous supernatural being • Part human/animal/divine • Functions as teacher: • Shows people consequences of certain behaviors • acts as a messenger for the other deities • He assists Olorun and the other gods by causing trouble for people who offend them or fail to worship them. • Everyone prays to Esu so that he will not harm them.

12. Ancestors • The heavenly ancestors are deceased humans who have acquired supernatural status. • Possess sacred power that can help or harm the living. • They are worshipped through rituals at special shrines. • Two types of ancestors: • Family ancestors • Gained their supernatural status by earning a good reputation and living to an old age • Worshiped by their own families • Deified (sacred/holy) ancestors • Important human figures known throughout Yoruba society • Worshiped by large numbers of people • E.g. Ogun

13. Ritual • Several types of ritual practitioners mediate between the gods and ancestors in heaven and the human beings on earth • There has to be a specialist who can facilitate communication with the deity or ancestor • Examples: • the head of a family is responsible for worshiping the family’s ancestors • in the home at the family shrine • The king, or chief, of a city is in charge of the city’s annual festivals and performs a host of other religious functions • Priests oversee the various rituals carried out at the shrines of each orisha

14. Diviners • Among the priests who engage in specialized services are diviners. • Diviners are priests who can tell people’s futures • Diviners have special training, innate gifts and life experience • The role is usually passed from parent to child • It is taboo for anyone else to perform divination

15. Divination • Divination is an extremely important aspect of Yoruba religion because knowledge of one’s future is considered essential for determining how to proceed with one’s life. • The procedure for divination requires the diviners to memorize hundreds of Wisdom stories • the diviner recites the appropriate story for each person who asks for divination • Diviners add a ritual aspect – wearing a mask, special clothing/ using implements Sangoma diviners, Botswana

16. Yoruba Diviner’s Bag

17. How do you divine your Future: • What is your destiny? • What will you become in 5 years?, In 10?, In 20? • Will you • Go to college? • If so, what will you study? • Get married? • Have kids? • How many? • Live in Bakersfield? • Travel the world? • Where will you go?

18. Another ritual specialist mediates between the ancestors and the living • Wearing ceremonial masks and costumes • this specialist becomes a living representation of an ancestor by dancing at festivals • When an important person dies • The specialist imitates that persons • The specialist conveys comforting messages from the deceased to the living.