How old are the Orishas?

Their number is usually given as 400 + 1 as a kind of shorthand for "without number" or innumerable. Belief in the Orishas is thought to have developed between 500-300 BCE but is most likely much older, as this dating is supported by archaeological evidence and there are many West African sites still unexcavated.

How old is the Yoruba religion?

Yoruba culture and religion date back 5,000 years to West Nigeria. With the resurgence of West African culture in the United States, the ancient religion and language of the Yoruba have enjoyed a comeback in this country, Canada and the Caribbean. Yoruban religion is centuries older than Christianity.

Where did the orishas originate?

The roots of Orisha worship rest in Southwestern African indigenous rituals of the Yoruba-speaking tribes of Nigeria and Benin. The rituals were brought to the Americas (the Caribbean region, specifically Cuba) by enslaved people in the late 18th and early 19th century.

Who was the first orisha?

Elegba is always propitiated and always called first before any other orisha as he opens the door between the worlds and opens our roads in life. He recognises himself and is recognised by the numbers 3 and 21.

Are orishas real?

Orishas (singular: orisha) 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, Dominican and Puerto Rican Santería and Brazilian Candomblé.

The Orishas Explained (Nigerian Spirituality)

Who is the youngest orisha?

Ayagunna is the youngest path, or avatar, of the undergod Obatala in the Lukumi (Santería) pantheon. In this manifestation, Obatala is a youth who battles with a scimitar. He is credited with having spread gunpowder throughout the world.

How did the orishas get their powers?

In one, far back at the beginning of time, Olodumare created the Orishas and spread powers between them randomly. The Orishas then huddled by the great baobab tree that provided them with everything they needed and refused to use their powers for creation, preferring to satisfy their own needs.

Who is the strongest orisha?

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. Worshippers in Yorubaland in Nigeria do not eat cowpea because they believe that the wrath of the god of iron would descend on them.

How old is the Ifa religion?

Carried to the Americas by slaves, the 8,000-year-old philosophy of Ifa originated with the Yoruba peoples of West Africa.

Who is the father of all Orishas?

460. Obatalá Obatalá is the kindly father of all the orishas and all humanity. He is also the owner of all heads and the mind. Though it was Olorun who created the universe, it is Obatal who is the creator of the world and humanity.

What is the oldest African religion?

Animism builds the core concept of traditional African religions. This includes the worship of tutelary deities, nature worship, ancestor worship and the belief in an afterlife.

Can you have more than one orisha?

An individual may over the course of a lifetime worship several Orisha. In fact, according to Bascom, most Yoruba worshiped a group of five or six deities acquired under different circumstances, and regardless of how one came to the worship of an Orisha, he or she was eligible to become a priest of that Orisha.

What is Oshun number?

associated with the number five. Oshun often carries a mirror so that she can admire her beauty. She loves honey, sunflowers, oranges, cinnamon, and pumpkin, and her favorite birds are peacocks and vultures.

What is the oldest religion?

It is the world's third-largest religion, with over 1.2 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global population, known as Hindus. The word Hindu is an exonym, and while Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, many practitioners refer to their religion as Sanātana Dharma (Sanskrit: सनातन धर्म, lit.

Are Yorubas from Egypt?

Since the Nubians descended from the Egyptians, the Ijebu, and by extension, all Yoruba customs, derived from the Egyptian as well. Many traditional Yorubas have always claimed Egypt as their place of original abode, and that their monarchical tradition derives from the Egyptians.

Did Yoruba came from Mecca?

The origin and existence of the Yoruba race can be traced to their ancient father ODUDUWA who migrated from the ancient city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

What are the 256 ODU?

The 256 Octagram Odu represent the Wisdom of FA.

If you take pairs of the 256, you get 256x256 = 65,536 = 8^6 = 16^4 = 2^16.

What language is spoken in Ifa?

The language of Ifa is liturgical Yoruba (ofo ase), a language used among diviners to express transcendent ideas. Many of the words used in Ifa have a tonal resonance used to access the power of Spirit. Physics teaches the idea that all power in the universe is part of a sign wave which is the full spectrum of light.

Why do Ifa wear beads?

Junior Jeremiah Scott, who practices the African religion Ifa, wears his eleke beads around his neck which give him protection. Scott's beads mean life, protection, and his god, Oshun.

How do you know if you're a child of Oshun?

She is one of the most popular and venerated orishas. If you see the number 5 a lot (my two most recent apartments were on the 5th floor), are attracted to the color yellow or gold and enjoy sweets, specifically honey, then you too may be a child of Oshun.

Who gave Sango birth?

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.

Who is Shango favorite wife?

American folklorist William Bascom notes: “Oya is the favourite wife of Shango, the only wife who remained true to him until the end, leaving Oyo with him and becoming a deity when he did. She is Goddess of the Niger River, (Odo Oya), but she manifests herself as the strong wind that precedes a thunderstorm.”

Is Oshun My orisha?

Oshun is commonly called the river orisha, or goddess, in the Yoruba religion and is typically associated with water, purity, fertility, love, and sensuality. She is considered one of the most powerful of all orishas, and, like other gods, she possesses human attributes such as vanity, jealousy, and spite.

Who is the orisha of death?

Ọya (Yorùbá: Ọya, also known as Oyá or Oiá; Yàńsàn-án or Yansã; and Iansá or Iansã in Latin America) is an orisha of winds, lightning, and violent storms, death and rebirth.