What is the ritual of Candomble?

Rituals. Literally speaking, Candomble means a dance in honour of the gods. Food is passed out as the dance usually continues all night. Candomble is a call to the spirits and as the spirit enters the body it falls into a state of trance.

When was Candomble banned?

1970s
Candomblé was condemned by the Catholic Church, and followers of the faith were persecuted violently right up through government-led public campaigns and police action. The persecution stopped when a law requiring police permission to hold public ceremonies was scrapped in the 1970s.

What is an Orixa?

Orixas are ancestors who have been deified. These orixas can be from recent history, perhaps only one hundred years old, or they may be over a thousand years old. Orixas are a link between the spiritual world and the world of humans. Voduns and inkices are spirit gods, essentially the same as orixas.

Where did IFA come from?

Ifa divination is practiced by the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria and West Africa. The exact origin of Ifa divination is unknown, but it appears to pre-date Christianity and Islam in West Africa and it continues to be an important part of Yoruba culture in Nigeria and for Africans in America.

What is the historical significance of Candomblé?

Candomblé (Portuguese pronunciation: [kɐ̃dõˈblɛ]) is an African diasporic religion that developed in Brazil during the 19th century. It arose through a process of syncretism between the traditional religions of West Africa and the Roman Catholic form of Christianity.

Is Candomble a syncretic religion?

Candomblé is a religion based on African beliefs which is particularly popular in Brazil. A religion which combines elements of many religions is called a syncretic religion. Enslaved Africans brought their beliefs with them when they were shipped to Brazil during the slave trade.

Who is the most powerful orisha?

Ṣàngó
Ṣàngó is viewed as the most powerful and feared of the orisha pantheon. He casts a “thunderstone” to earth, which creates thunder and lightning, to anyone who offends him.

Who is the god of Santeria?

Derived from African religions brought by Yoruban slaves to the New World, what’s now called Santería simply means “the way of the saints” in Spanish. Santería is a monotheistic religion with a god named Olodumare, “owner of all destinies,” writes Joseph Murphy in his book “Santería An African Religion in America.”

Is Ifa a God?

Ifa (Orunmila), god of divination, fate, and wisdom, informs mortals of the wishes of Olorun, the sky god, the god of destiny; he was appointed by the supreme god to protect and rule the people. Ifa has an attendant, Odu, and a messenger, Opele. Ifa, the oracle of divination, is named after the deity who controls it.

What is the purpose of Ifa?

The occurrences, events, and activities are revealed to humans through the elaborate divination process of Ifa. Through Ifa, the role of the diviner (known as a babalawo) is to help an individual or community to see what is in store for them in their day-to-day lives.

How many Orishas are there in Candomblé?

three
Beliefs. Knowledge about Candomblé is referred to as the fundamentos (foundations”). There are three main nations: Ketu (Queto) or Nagô, Jeje (Gege) or Mina-Jeje, and Angola or Congo-Angola.

Who is the father of Sango?

Mythologically, he (and 14 others) burst forth from the goddess Yemaja’s body after her son, Orungan, attempted to rape her for the second time. In another set of stories, Sango is the son of Aganju and Obatala. As the story goes, Obatala, the king of the white cloth was travelling and had to cross a river.

What are the two parts of the Candomble ceremony?

The Candomblé ritual has two parts: the first is the “preparation”, attended only by priests and initiates, which may start a week in advance of a major ceremony. Second is the main event, a festive public “mass” and banquet that starts in the late evening and ends around midnight.

Is there a central authority in the Candomble religion?

Candomblé is not institutionalised, with there being no central authority in the religion to determine doctrine and orthodoxy. It is heterogenous, and has no central sacred text or dogma. There is regional variation in the beliefs and practices of Candomblé.

What does the word Candomble mean in Catholic Church?

The word Candomblé means “dance in honour of the gods”, and music and dance are important parts of Candomblé ceremonies. Some priests and priestesses would not initiate anyone into Candomblé who was not already a baptised Roman Catholic. There is regional variation in the beliefs and practices of Candomblé.

Why are Egum important to the practice of Candomble?

Candomblé teaches that any evil a person causes to others will return to the first person eventually. Egúm are important in regulating the moral code of Candomblé practitioners. It is their responsibility to make sure that moral standards of the past are continued in the present. This is regulated during worship ceremonies.