Oxum is the goddess of fresh surface waters. Oxum is also the goddess of vanity and coquetry. She is also the most spontaneous of the orixas. She is in love with herself. She’s in love with her motion and can’t keep her eyes off herself. When Oxum comes down she is given a fan made from brass, which is her metal., and which she uses as a mirror when dancing. She is also given a sword because she is a warrior. When she dances with the fan she holds it at eye level and sees herself as if she was looking at a mirror.
Rhythm
Oxum’s rhytm is ijexa. Ijexa is a calm 4/4 rhythm which means that with slick changes in the bell part, she becomes afoxe. Afoxe is not a specific rhythm to which all orixa choreographies are set in a non-spiritual ambience. Oxum steps in a zigzag pattern on heavy beats. Right crosses a little in front, left steps out; left crosses center and right steps out, etc. While doing this, her hips move back and forth, and her torso waves gently which each step. One hand is fully away from her body, holding a sword, and if she’s not holding the sword she is caressing her own hair and body while the other hand holds the mirror. When there’s no sword or mirror being used the dancer uses her palm as the mirror where she sees her own self. Oxum stands for her love that she has for herself and the acceptance of her own body.
Poems/Songs
I saw Mama Oxum at the waterfall
Sitting at the river shore
Gathering lilies, lilies, ay
Gathering lilies, lilies, ah
Gathering lilies to decorate our altar.
This song calls forth waterfalls and flowers to express the calmness and beautifulness of Oxum.
In the depths of the Ocean
There is a palace
Where Oxum lives
[there] lives the mermaid
[there] lives lemanja
[there] also live her children
Who have nowhere else to stay
In this song Oxum is in water living with a mermaid and Iemanja. Her sign is water thus the song has to do with the ocean.
Oxum & her children
Oxum dances with glasses of water in her palms spilling forward the water that presents her tears. She does this when she enters the head of her child at the beginning of hymns or drums. It is said that the children of Oxum are those people that cry easily or all the time, the people whose eyes get watery over a sweet thought, and also those who are sweet and kind. On Saturdays but more in specific the Saturday nearest the feast day in December for Our Laday of the Conception, which is Oxum’s alter image, Oxum’s children get together at the waterfalls of Rio’s Tijuca forest and they offer her material signs of Oxum’ssel-love, sensuality, sweetness, tears, and richness. Some of the things they leave her include : cups of water,honey, champagne, boiled eggs and black-eyed peas, makeup, combs, flowers, copper bracelets, and mirrors.
Oxum in Brazil
With her mirror and gold finery, Oxum has taken the role of the woman who is given to flirting. She still holds some affiliation with fertility, but she is better known as Ifa’s wife. Ifa is the original babalawo and caretaker of secrets. Some of the things Oxum learned from Ifa were the divination system of the shell game and the power to know the future and control it. In Candomble myths,priestesses got the right to practice divination from Oxum.
Works Cited:
Secrets, Gossip, and Gods: The Transformation of Brazilian Candomble
By paul Christopher Johnson-2005
Osun across the waters: a Yoruba goddess in Africa and the Americas
In the Yorùbá nation of Oyó in West Africa, Xangô is the fourth Alafin supreme king out of fourteen others who ruled for over four decades. His name is also known as Shango, Ṣàngó, or Changó in different regions. Xangô had a very fanciful notion and a very capricious nature. He was capture in moment of magic and used his power to his own benefit and not anyone else. He unintentionally cast down the lightning strikes on his own village causing the death of his own village members, wives, and even his own family. Some believe that after this legend, Xangô overwhelmed with grief, left his kingdom; while others believe that he had gotten kicked out of the kingdom. After not being able to rule anymore, Xangô killed himself. After Xangô realizing how people in the kingdom would make fun of him after his death, the kingdom then, begun to experience extremely severe as well as violent weathers. This type of attitude made those who supported Xangô very angry and not very pleased. After his death, he was deified and elevated into the statue to becaome one of the gods or Orishas as better known. The legend of Xangô is being reinforced every time the stones that are laid beneath the topsoil are revealed. Even though many might say that this story never happened, there is a high possibility that it existed in the ancient Yoruba history. According to the Yorùbá mythology, the most famous god of all was Xangô. He is recognized as the sky father, god of thunder and as one of the ancestor of Yoruba. Xangô rules over lightning, thunder, fire, justice, the drums, and dance. He had such a considerable temper that when he is in action, he will make every one witness the quickness with which lightning makes short work of a tree or a fire rage through an area.
Xangô is considered the owner of the sacred batá. Batá are a set of three double-headed, hourglass-shaped drums. The largest iyá, is the master drum. The iyá calls the rhythms in, calls changes and conversations. Itótele is the drum that follows next in size. Itótele means to follow completely. It follows the direction of the iyá answering the conversation calls and the rhythm changes. The smallest drum is the okónkolo, sometimes referred to as the Omele, for the most part; it plays ostinato patterns as well as changing rhythms from the calls of the iyá. A Bembe is an Afro-Cuban rhythm used in Santeria rites to evoke different Orishas of the Yoruban pantheon.
The Bembe Xangô honors ofcourse, Xangô. This type of rhythm can be played at many different tempos and still sound wonderful. Most musical ideas must be played in a narrow range of tempos; usually a 30 or 40 beat range to sound their best. If you play them too slow or too fast, they lose their savor. Bembe Shango has a great sound when you play it at 70 beats a minute and equally amazing at 600 bpm, nearly a factor of 10 ranges of tempos. It changes its character and sounds like a different rhythm at the different tempos. In usual performance, it seems to be performed at a tempo between 120 and 200 bpm. The type of clothing that Xangô wear was a skirt, but he would always have pants underneath. Xangô ritual implement is represented by a double axe on his head, which shows the god of thunder. The double axe has also represented how he was born with war upon his head as well as they represent his really quick temper. He also contains six eyes as well as three heads. His symbolic animal is the ram. His colors were red and white with with gold adornment on his attire. It was regarded as being holy. In Brazil, Xangô is respected as a god of thunder and weather by the Umbandists. In Santeria, Xangô (Chango) is very similar to the Catholic saint named St. Barbara. He recognizes himself with the numbers four and six as well as Friday as his lucky day. Xangô also symbolizes passion, masculine vigor, and political aptitude. Xangô represents all these three things and more because he was an extremely hot blooded as well as a strong-genetic Orisha that loved all the pleasures of the world: dance, drumming, women, songs and eating. The relationship between Xangô and the sacred batá drums was detailed in the odu Ejila Sebora. It was seen as a friendship since Xangô childhood; therefore, he wuld sacrifies a batá as an arrangement for wealth and success and it would be achieved. “That is why the batá cannot leave Xangô.” If you were to Offer Xangô food, it had to be his favorite. Amalá was made out of cornmeal and palm oil, okra, bananas, red apples, red table wine, and bitter kola nut. He was so peaky that he did not accept rum or cigars as any kind of offering. by: Katerin Canales
From its beginnings in the west coast of Africa, to its arrival and acceptance in Brazil, Candomble is a dynamic polytheistic religion with its own culture, history, and lifestyle. It is a religion that revolves around rituals, offerings, and dances; all for its several deities, more commonly known as orishas. Each orisha has its own: story, color, metal, and social role. Some orishas are related to others, some are individuals, and some have an interesting dynamic between each other. Perhaps the best example of this dynamic can be found in the relationship between Ogum, the warrior, and Oxossi, the hunter. Many of the deities were personified through saints in the early colonization of Brazil and throughout slavery, as only Catholicism was permitted. An example of this being Oxossi, who can be represented as St. Sebastian and St. George. This allowed the Africans to continue their practice of Candomble while having the appearance of partaking in Catholicism. Candomble would be non-existent in Brazil if the slaves did not disguise their religion in such a clever way.
Background:
Ogum-
Ogum is a fierce warrior, who is constantly at battle, as seen in his dances. His space is that of the forest, and often before arriving at battle, he must cut a path through the brush. He is typically dressed in blue, or green, and wields machetes. However, after arriving in battle, Ogum switches to a dagger and shield. This process can be described in Anna Scott’s Choreostories: “When he has two daggers, Ogúm fights without the shield, using the daggers to catch the weapon of his opponent. Finally, he spins around (all of this is done bouncing on the left leg) cutting down victims all around him.” He is the deity of metal and technology, and Anna B. Scott calls him the “deity of the 21rst century”. http://identidadenegra.zip.net/images/21ogum.jpg
Oxossi-
Oxossi is said to be the brother of Ogum, and by others, his son. However, most view Oxossi as the partner of Ogum, as their talents complement each other well. Oxossi is a hunter and a wizard. He occupies the brushes, hence his color of green. Oxossi is commonly seen with a bow and arrow in hand and typically on the hunt for animals. He is an excellent tracker and finds paths in the most difficult of situations. His ability to get out of tight situations makes him the deity most called upon for those in arguments or negotiations (choreostories). Both Ogum and Oxossi are the deities of Iron.
When dancing at a ceremony for Ogum, the dancer typically tells the story of Ogum through their steps and motions. Starting with both arms being held back, as to be machetes, the dancer takes three steps to the right, throws their arms in their arm (symbolizing Ogums' cutting through the forest/creating a new path). This is then repeated in the opposite direction. Just as the story changes from the scene in the forest to the battlefield, so does the dance. The machete is no longer present, and the dagger and shield replace it. His dance evolves into fighting his opponents and slaying all those around him with hsi dagger (or daggers). The speed on the dance progresses with the tempo of the drums and the amount of action in the story. Variations of Ogum include the dancer dressed in either blue or green atire. The entirety of the dance brings to life the fierceness of Ogum, the warrior-general.
Just as Ogum, Oxossi’s dance tells his story. However, as a hunter, his story is about the chase of the animal. “He dances with a bow and an arrow mimetically rendered by holding out the index and thumb on both hands and touching the inside tip of one index finger to the tip of the opposite thumb; the right hand leads. With the hands in this position, the arms become a natural reign for his horse, while simultaneously serving as the bow (Scott).” His dance is accompanied by drums and the dancers' steps quicken with the drums. Throughout the dance, oxossi will step in a way as if he is on a horse. This steps mimics a sort of gallop, hands embracing the reigns. The dancer is typically dressed in a green robe/gown, and is sometimes accompanied with a bow, as well as an animal tail.
As previously stated, Ogum and Oxossi are often viewed as partners, and for good reason. Ogum uses his machetes to cut through the forest in order to find his battlefield, but he calls on Oxossi to guide him. Oxossi, an expert hunter and tracker tells Ogum where to cut as he is known for finding paths where no one else can. Together, the pair can get out of any situation, or go anywhere they please. This partnership is recognized and many joint festivals have been held in their honor. Typically, deities have their own ceremony, for example the run deogum, or festadeoxossi, but on certain occasions, a festadeoxossi e ogum may be thrown. This dynamic between Ogum and Oxossi is a unique one, and is not seen in any other orisha ceremony. While orishas such as Omolu and Nana are known to have a connection (as they are son and mother), Ogum and Oxossi are matched solely on how their attributes complement each other.
Offerings:
Ogum- The day of Tuesday is dedicated to Ogum and followers wear blue ceremonial outfits with green necklaces. Ogum is supposed to be mentioned first when making offerings to Orishas, as he is supposed to “make way for them”. Animal sacrifices are common during ceremonies for Ogum.
Oxossi-
The cult of Oxossi is nearly dead in Africa, but is still practiced today in Brazil. The day dedicated to Oxossi is Thursday and common gifts or offerings to him include pigs, Axoxo, corn, and coconut. The parades thrown for Oxossi show him with his bow, arrow, shield, and animal tail (which is supposed to be a symbol of royalty).
Conclusion:
Candomble is a complex religion with many specific rules, ceremonies, and especially dances. Each orishas is unique with its color, element, offering, purpose, and dance-steps. The dances performed for the orishas tell their story step by step, and the dancer follows the rhythm and tempo of the drums. Each hand movement or step in itself is telling a story, for example, the machetes (arms of the dancer) used in Ogum’s dance to show him cutting through the forest. These steps are just as eleaborate as the parades held for the orishas, which are typically only for one orisha at a time, that is with the exception of Oxossi and Ogum. These two collaborate and cooperate in order to make paths that would be impossible for any other deity.
Works Cited: Scott, Anna B. Choreostories. Ms. "Orixas." Orixas. 2007. E.CA. 3 May 2009 . Fryer, Peter. Rhythms of Resistance: African Musical Heritage in Brazil. Hanover: Wesleyan Unversity P, 2000.
Obatalá is one of the many Orixás in Canbomble, a sacred religious practice that takes place in Brazil. Of the many Orixás thought to exist, Obatalá is recognized as only one of the Seven African Powers. His name means “King of the White Cloth” and he represents peace, sober decision making, creativity,purity,and divination. The social role associated with him is that of an Elder or Sage and his elements or natural stages are the mountains, clouds, and palm trees. Some of the most distinctive features of Obatalá are the myth of creation that has been linked to him, the traditional offerings presented to him and the location of his supposed home, his “claim over individuals”, and the many associations with others saints and gods that he has received through time.
Obatalá’s Myth
According to one of the myths associated with Obatalá, Olorun gave Obatalá the responsibility of creating Earth in addition to giving him materials and instructions in order to accomplish this endeavor. However, instead of working and doing what he was commanded, Obatalá grew intoxicated with palm wine in the company of another deity. Oddudua, another one of the Orixás, took advantage of this situation and sought to create the world without the help of anybody. When the world was finally created by Odduda, Olorun was satisfied with what he beheld and was so delighted with it that he made Oddudua the God/Godess of the Earth. However, in return for his negligence, Obatalá was punished and was given the job of creating humans. Although Olorun is known for “breathing life into Obatalá’s creations”, Obatalá is considered “the father of humankind” because he actually creates them.
Another story associated with Obatalá is the one concerned with the manner in which he reached earth. The myth says that Obatalá used a chain constructed out of gold to climb down from the sky. His climb lasted a full week and when he reached earth, he created land from the sand he had brought with him. Obatalá called this land Ife, which means “land that divides waters”. As this new land surrounded by water had expanded, Obatalá walked around in order to get better acquainted with it. As he walked further, Obatalá grew thirsty and eventually stopped to rest in order to get a drink. As he stopped, he noticed clay near him and so began to create bodies made in his likeness. This story also mentions that the deity Olorun sent a fireball to earth in order to warm the clay shapes Obatalá created. This fireball is also seen as the force that made the world begin to spin in the universe.
Obatalá’s "Children"
As the myth points out, Obatalá enjoyed drinking palm wine and continued to do so although it had previously led to his shame and humiliation. Due to his weakness for alcohol, he would even drink while carrying out his duties of molding and creating human bodies. Due to his carelessness, some of the beings he created were born with deformities and malformations so he was ordered by Olofi, another diety, to abstain from drinking while creating humans. Therefore, people born with birthmarks, albinos,the handicapped, or other children born with deformities are recognized as “Obatalá’s children”. This originates from the belief among people that “Obatalá always marks his children”. As creations of the Orixá Obatalá, this deity becomes their protector and patron so it is forbidden to mock or ostracize these individuals.
Offerings and Home
Traditionally, offerings to “King of the White Cloth” are comprised of coconut, cotton, cocoa butter, cornstarch, and bitter kola. This home of this deity is said to be the mountains, and for this reason gifts and food are carried to these specific regions. The metal of Obatalá is silverand his color is white, hence his name which means “King of the White Cloth”. His priests and priestesses always wear only white in his honor, and the vast majority of the offerings taken to Obatalá are white, such as white food, white clothes, white beads, and white flowers. Obatalá also tends to receive silver jewelry and coins. However, it is a tradition and well-known fact that Obatalá should never be offered palm wine or pine oil.
Obatalá, Owner of all Ori Obatalá is said to be the owner of all ori, which means heads. All Orixás have the ability of acquiring or possesing a person, but it is believed that until that person is instructed and taken into the priesthood of another specific Orixá, Obatalá remains the owner of the “head”. This is an important concept because it is believed that the souls of people are located in their heads.
Obatalá’s Associations and Names
Due to his many qualities, this deity has also been associated with the crucified Jesus Christ, the Egyptian god Osiris, Krishna, and has been combined with Our Lady of Mercy in Santeria and with Our Lord of Bonfim in Bahia. In addition, he has been referred to in many ways, such as "Alamo Re Re (One Who Turns Blood Into Children); Alabalashe (Wielder of the Scepter of Life),; and O Ho Ho (Father of Laughter)".
The "King of Kings" It has been claimed that Obatalá is one of the oldest Orixás and that he is the “King of Kings”. For this reason, he is also recognized as the father of all Orixás. He is known to have three wives, Yemoo, Yemaya, and Igbin. Obatalá is also believed to have sixteen paths, 8 female and 8 male. In addition, this deity is believed to be the only Orixá with male and female paths. For this reason, the actual gender of Obatalá is the cause of some debate. Some of his paths include Ayagunna, Oba Moro, Oba Lofun, Baba Acho, Obanla, Osanla, Ochanla, Yeku Yeku, Alaguema, and Osalufon. Although Obatalá’s traditional color is white, it is in occasion used with other colors such as red and purple, depending on his different paths. Despite the fact that the Orixá Obatalá is known to be patient and to posses good judgment, he is also believed to cause earthquakes when he becomes infuriated.
Ọṣun There are different types of religions all across the world. Analyzing them, it seems to me that we all believe in the same saints and god but we all give them different names and define them differently; some give them more details and importance while others just worship them and do not practice them. One of the religions that really practice its saints is Candomblé. Candomblé is a religion that originated in Bahia and is practiced in different countries, most popular, Brazil. Like any other religion, Candomblé contains different orixás—in Brazil they are African deities in which they are identified with one or more Catholic saints (Fryer, 14)—each is characterized by particular symbols: colors, songs, anecdotes, objects, animals, plants, and atmospheric phenomena (Fryer, 13). For example, Ọṣun, Oba, and Iansã are wives of another orixá named Ṣàngó, and all of them signify a specific dance that tells a story. Ọṣun is one of the orixás that has always been practiced throughout the world without people even realizing it.
NAME Ọṣun is a female orixá which was married to Ṣàngó, god of thunder. She was Ṣàngó’s favorite wife because she seemed to be really gentle, generally speaking. She would also have frequent pregnancies which did not allow her to bond with her children and satisfy their needs as a mother. Beside her frequent pregnancies, she is also very beautiful which allows her to get what she wants. On the other hand, even though she was Ṣàngó’s favorite she had slept with almost all the male orixás and had their children. Her name represents a river that flows southward through southwestern Nigeria and the Atlantic Gulf of Guinea. This river is known for a woman, Ọṣun, would disappear into the river when a traumatic event would frighten or anger her.
ACCOUTREMET In Ọṣun’s dance, her accoutrement is a mirror. The palm facing of the hand facing the face while with the other hand, you brush it over your head as if you were combing your hair. Throughout time though, society has changed the length of how far they stroke the “hair,” since Ọṣun had beautiful long hair—river—they tend to stroke the hair further down. She is has so much self-importance that she loves to stare at her reflection through the mirror—waterfall—to get distracted from any events happening around her. Besides the hair representing the river and the mirror beauty, the mirror also represents a weapon. With a weapon you are able to keep an eye on your back, watch to see if anyone behind you is up to no good. Another accouterment is jewelry. Jewelry was one of Ọṣun’s favorites. The way she puts on her jewelry is by lifting an arm, half ways up, and with the other hand she goes over the arm as if she I was putting on bracelets. Also, the jewelry on her arm illustrates that she has money and wealth, that she is an independent woman.
METAL Ọṣun’s favorite metal, jewelry, is brass. Brass is a collection of ornaments or items made by a hard yellow shiny metal that is an alloy of zinc and copper, frequently with the addition of other metallic elements to impart specific properties (Encarta Dictionary).
ELEMENT, NATURAL SPACE Ọṣun symbolizes rivers, waterfalls, and spring. In her dance the way to symbolize a river is by pretending that you are combing your hair. While you comb your hair, you are mentioning that the river has some kind of water flow. Also, the way to symbolize a water fall, in Ọṣun’s dance, is by lifting up your palm and having it face you. The expressions are telling the audience that Ọṣun enjoys looking at her reflection by utilizing clean water. Therefore, first we have a waterfall, meaning that if there is a waterfall there is water flow, movement. Be aware though that every river has a bad component, where this piece symbolizes Ọṣun’s difficulties and dark paths. Next, she also represents spring; spring because it is the season of rebirth, where nature comes back to life and looks beautiful. Therefore, the best time to search for her is during the spring season, where the water is clear, the air is fresh, and the flowers are blooming.
FAVORITES Ọṣun associates with the color golden yellow, the number five, Fridays and Saturdays. She associates with yellow for many reasons. First, the color of brass and her jewelry is yellow. Also, she had a dress that she loved, in which it was white, but she wore it too much that it began to get faded and started turning into a yellowish color. Therefore, in the calling of Ọṣun people tend to wear as much yellow as possible; from the color of her dress, jewelry, mirror, and shoes. Also, she relates to the number 5, Friday and Saturday. The number five is important to her because according to myths, she was married to five different husbands. As a result, when people were necklaces to represent her love for jewelry, they wear five golden colored beads.
SOCIAL ROLE All the love she has for jewelry and beauty began to categorize her as a desirable diva. She likes to wear what looks good and does not care what society has to say about her. She represents beauty, sexuality, freedom, and independence. Ọṣun uses her great charms and sexuality to be able to get whatever she desires. For example, if she wants to have a baby, she knows that with her good looks and independence she will be able to seduce any man she wants.
DESCURSIVE PRACTICE Reasons why people like to call Ọṣun are because she is the orixá of love, beauty, intimacy, and wealth. People tend to call for her when they are going to get married, or have gotten married, about to have a child, and need financial help and beauty.
A great example of an artist from this day, is Beyonce.
Works Cited Fryer, Peter. Rhythims of Resistance: Afican Musical Heritage in Brazil. Hanover: University Press of New England, 200.
History of Ossain’s origins Ossain is one of the Orishas that is part of the Candomblé religion. As said in the article tittled Candomblé this religion was originated in the city of Salvador which is the capital of Bahia. This religion is based on the rituals that are performed by the Orishas. Another component of this religion is rituals and offerings. This religion was founded with the understanding of the African priests. Candomblé was not a very well known religion and even the Catholic Church did not accept it. Regardless all of the withdraws this religion faced it was able to survive and nowadays many of the attributes, gestures, movements are still present in the 21st century.
http://media.photobucket.com/image/ossain/lobosombra/videos%20caseros/b8b8a4b7.jpg Ossain the God of the Herbs As said in the internet source named, Ossain or Ossaniyn, Ossain is well known as being the God of the herbs; he had the power over the medical leaves. He did not like to work with plant that grows from a garden; he only works with the wild plants. Also as describe as the Herbalist Warrior because not only does he use the plants for the benefits of others he also uses them to make the poison that people use for their arrows in order to defend themselves from the enemies. Not only is he such an important god, but without him no ceremony can take place. His presence is needed while a ceremony is taking place. Ossain knows the power that many herbs have, for example some of the herbs help people with having luck, misery or accidents. Many of the other Orishas did not have any power related with the plants, this means that they depended on Ossain to have a healthy life. Ossain seems to be one of the most important Orishas and plays the role of being the curer of all the other Orishas. In a way this means that he plays the role of a doctor as it would be called nowadays. Although he is in chanrge of looking out for the health of the other Orishas not all of them seem to be gateful. This was the case with the Orisha named Xangó who get the possession over Ossain’s leaves. This gives the understanding that some of the other Orishas may have envy his power to the point that they wanted to have the power and to know the secrets of cure that is behind the leaves. Ossain is the one and only owner of the knowledge that it is required to have in order to released the power and benefits of the leaves. Because he is the only one that knows the secrets of the leaves he has become a figure to be well known as not only a doctor, but also as a doctor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuUzXfEVIo&feature=player_embedded "> https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ghdhyphenhyphenC303h4KTq6CFNsDdu8kT0SgKMrtIsn8AoQ-fy2Fdk7c80Wm4VBXc4QiOn_qRNIQ9GPjdjHKvQS6PDsyA6odb4sfbmRs0pEZuO1V0aByY1Z0UFlEuaOAWlHWScKxMxj63LPqaKY/s400/ossain.jpgOssain’s Appearance Ossain has specific physical characteristics that distinguish him from the other Orishas. He lives alone in the mountains and there he spends most of his time. Ossain only has one eye, one leg, one arm, and one of his ears is small and the other one is large. This makes him stand up next to the other Orishas that have their pair of legs, eyes and ears under perfect conditions.
Religion after Ossain Ossain is the God of the herbs and he had followers. These people were called the Ossainistas. These people had to be able to learn and memorize all the sacred songs. Also these followers may be females or males, but in the case of the females they have to wait until they go through their menopause to participate and be present in the ceremonies. It seams to be that the males have the superiority over the women because they are able to participate and observe the ceremonies no matter the time and stage of their lives. The followers most have been greatly rewarded for believing in Ossain. Many people just know him as Ossain but his followers know that his whole name is Ossain Aguenegui Aguaddo and also well known as Kuri Kuri and also as Ossain Agguchuiye.
Ossain’s Movements As seen in the video below named, Ossain! O Conhesedor das folhas!! Ossain’s movement consists of dancing in circles and moving his hands. He continues to go in circles until it comes to a point that he opens his arms and then puts his right hand as a fist on top of his left had in the form of a fist as well. Once he has his hands in that position he starts to do a rotational movement representing him pounding the herbs that he uses to cure others. Then after these movements he lowers himself to the ground and starts to mimic as if he was making a hole in the dirt. He stays mimicking that he is making a whole for a while and then he comes back up and starts to move his body and moves his arms in semi circles. When he is moving his arms at this point Ossain is curing all the ones that are in his presence. This shows how this ceremony takes place in order for him to be able to perform his powers.
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Personality Ossain is an Orisha that has many qualities that make him who he was and why he acted the way he did. Many of his important qualities that make his personality are the following, quite, nervous, nostalgic, and tireless. Also he is very generous and loves animals especially the birds. The bird is one of the animals that have been an important part of the life Of Ossain. One of the main parts of his personality parts is that he was very studious, this makes perfect sense do to the fact that he was a doctor and the master of the leaves. He must have very well have known all the important and key things that were needed to be known about the wild leaves. He was balanced and did not trust that others could keep their secrets to themselves. Meaning that he would have never told anyone the secrets that he knows about the leaves because he knew that he secret was not going to be well saved. Even though he did not like to do the evil, he was capable and if he ever decided that he wanted to do wrong by using the leaves no one could be able to stop him because he was the only one to know the secrets of how to make the leaves cure.
"Candomblé is a holistic system, comprised of culinary arts, apothecary, the art of placement, dealing with colors, visual arts, music, poetry, oral literature, and dance" (Ana Scott). Candomblé is a well known religion in Brazil, although the practices evolve from Africa. Candomblé is not necessary perform, but is sacred and endeavour. Known as a national practice in Brazil, Candomblé is significant by marking the state of Bahia. Known for almost 300-400 years Candomblé is still practice today. Consisting of significant amount of Orishas such as Oxossi, Ossain, Logum Ede, and many others, every single Orisha has its significance, purpose and story. A well known Orisha that that is still practice today is Omolu. Omolu is known as the first biological warrior. Known as the healer of the incurable disease such as smallpox. It is significant to note that Omolu can either cure smallpox or cause it when he is offended. Omolu is son of Nanã and is represented with the face and body covered in veils, robes and straw. When it comes to the representation of dance Omolu is represented with shaking convulsions, broken hearted, and great suffering. Omolu is known as the one that miraculous survived a wound and within his dance he shows the world what it is to carry on a suffrage.
Life of Omolu
Sacred Leaves of Candomble by By Robert A. Voeks gives a vivid description of who was Omolu. Omolu was descended from Nanã, Nanã who is the mother of all deities. Known for being charming and nurturing with children,although it is ironic how she abandoned both of her sons Omolu and Oxumaré. In the picture below the representation shows Nanã with both Omolu and Oxumaré abandoned at sea. The video shows a dance fron Nanã that is use in the Camdomblé religion showing a relief to the suffrage of mothers.
Nanã
Omolu was born before his brother Oxumaré. Oxumaré is known as the one with perfect balance and harmony, representing the rainbow and serpant. As shown in the picture and video below.
Soon after Omolu was born he was contaminated by smallpox. Not being able to take care of him his mother Nanã abandoned him to his luck inside a basket on the seashore. Fortunately the Orisha of the ocean, Yemanjá was passing by and rescue Omolu from his destiny.Yemanjá is the mother of the sea and sometimes portrayed as a mermaid, as shown in the picture below. Omolu was therefore raised by the sea. However, he remained with horrible deformed skin and scars. Due to the fact that Omolu was not a presentable figure to society, Yemanjá sewed him a hood made out of fiber in order to prevent the deformation to be seen.
The reason why Omolu is all covered is for the fact that he is deformed.
After a period of time Omolu showed that he indeed had attribute of knowledge and understanding of human nature and diseases. When Yemanjá noticed that Omolu had acquired great potential power to understanding, she suggested to reconcile with his mother Nanã. Nanã is known for having the power to understand human life, and as a result Omolu inherited this power. As consequence of Yemanjá’s suggestion for reconciliation with Nanã and Omolu, Omolu became known as the master of the land. By being raised by Yemanjá he received the ownership of the ocean, and by being the son of Nanã he was known as the owner of land, leading him to be known as a counseling doctor. Omolu is therefore known as the one with the knowledge of humankind, understanding of both destruction and creativity. What is significant about Omolu is the fact that no matter how much fear others have toward his deform body, how lonely he feels, or how bad he feels, he always does what is best. He understands human nature and does not go around spreading smallpox just for fun.
The following pictures show the outrageous consequences of smallpox, this gives one the idea of why Omolu was always seen covered.
Ceremony
Omolu has the power to control its followers; he can either cause fear or prevent fear. Many people are afraid that just by the mentioning of his name or an insult to his powers will result infection of smallpox by Omolu. Omolu has the knowledge to prevent disease or contain it. Although he has understanding of herbs and medicine, he is not as powerful as the Orisha Ossain. Ossain is able to cure the person from the disease, while Omolu is only able to control it. Omolu’s day for worship is on Mondays, mostly done with food offerings. The food offering consists of Omolu’s favorite food such as rice, black beans, black eyed peas, and roasted corn. Male goats and pigs are some of his favorite animals that are sacrificed as well. Omolu is known within his brown, black, and white colors. His colors are a significance to his life, and suffrage that’s why the colors are dark. Omolu is very easy, outgoing, and is able to communicate with others very easily. Although it may seem unreasonable that Omolu can communicate well with others, due to the fact that he brings fear to his followers and non followers, he is able to understand the human nature.
Dance
Omolu is well known for surviving suffrage and understanding the human life. When Omolu dances he shows the struggle of walking, as a way to represent the struggle of life. Omolu moves as if he is about to fall, carrying a weight of pain on his feet he shows struggle. The movement of lifting up the torso and reversing it represents a way of spreading out the disease in this case smallpox. When he bends his knees, with his arms on his back and shaking with a massive fever it shows as if he is lifting the weight of the earth above his head with such pain and falls down to let the fever cool down. His movements are not dangerous, is just that it requires strength and flexibility to bend down without ever breaking. Omolu is always in controlled of not spreading the disease, but his dance is characterized as if he is. The dance itself is a process that creates relaxation, and healing. Is significant to note that Omolu attributes different parts of his body to show suffrage. Starting with his feet, moving next to different parts such as the eyes, the mouth, the wound in his hand, and his heart. With his index finger he shows the wound in the palm, of his hand. With his hand he slides down the limp of the bottom to show the ugliness of his face, and his deform body. He then shows the pain he feels in his heart, by making a reference using his hand. Omolu then gets his two hands and starts hitting himself from left to right on his back. It suppose to represent the hardships of life and how is not so easy to deal with it, and its consequences.
The following is some examples of Omolu's dance movements
Candomblé is a religious practice which has been nationalized in the state of Bahia. Candomblé is a holistic system, which consists of culinary arts, the art of placement, healing with the help of colors, and visual talents like music, poetry, literature, and dance. With this religious practice, there are the Orishas, which is translated as “Gods,” but which would be more accurately translated as “saints.” “Candomblé posits a monotheistic supreme being -- usually referred to as Olodumaré -- with the orixás being called upon as intermediaries between earthbound humans and the all-powerful.” Candomblé originated in Africa, but made it’s way to Brazil with the help of African Priests who were, between 1549 and 1888, brought as slaves. When Candomblébecame more exposed, it began to be called Batuque.
Story:
Iemanjá is the Goddess of both fresh and salt waters in the Brazilian religion of Candomblé, she is known as the mother of fishes.“She is the Queen of the Ocean, the patron deity of the fishermen and the survivors of shipwrecks, the feminine principle of creation and the spirit of moonlight.”According to Peter Fryer, “young brazilian woman of European descent will tell you: ‘Eu sou uma filha de Yemanjá’ (I am a daughter of Yemanjá’)..”Iemanjá’s womb is the giver of life, but at the same time it is also the place of eternal rest. She is the patronness of fertility, and the life-giver. Her figure is pictured as a mermaid, or that of a woman who is dressed in pearls and blue clothing. She is said to have been the queen of the witches and of everything which lives in the sea. She has rule over the powers of regeneration. She also acts as the family protector and the root of the nation. She has a compassionate healing force, thereby helping those in trouble. She also acts as the patron of women as a whole, and she deals with any problem relating to the sea. Her connection with the ocean, and waves, also ties in with her connection with the moon, she gives gifts which the moon goddess would typically provide.
The fan(abebe) which is a silver-colored metal is another object which has a lot of symbolic meaning with Iemanja. It represents her beauty and her status as Oxala’s younger wife. With the swaying of the fan, back and forth, Iemanja has the power to bring peace and coolness to the universe. This motion of the fan, can also represent the fanning away of negative forces. Usually, twelve to sixteen strandednecklaces are worn in festivals, which contain silver that symbolizes the clarity of the surface of the water. This also represents Iemanja’s composed and principled moods. The saia, or skirt, Iemanja wears establishes it’s fullness from a couple or more petticoats, or anaguas. A unique starching technique was used to make these anaguas. It was handed down from mother to daughter by slaves but today it is only with the boundaries of candomble.
Background:
Iemanja was the daughter of Olokum. She later became the spouse of Olofim-Odudua, whom she had ten children with. All of these children were given names that were symbolic, and so they all became Orishas. For example, there was Oxumare, or the rainbow, and then there was Xango, or the storm.
History:
Every February 2, in Salvador, Bahia, this Orisha is celebrated with a festival in which people offer her gifts to her shrine located at Rio Vermelho. Iemanjá is seen as a source of inspiration since water is what we all come from. Offerings that would please Iemanjá, could include shells, and seawater, anything related to the sea. Gifts typically include, flowers and feminine objects like perfume, lipstick, jewelry, and mirrors. These gifts are collected into baskets and local fishermen take them out to the sea. The celebration, then follows.
Conclusion:
This idea of dancing to tell stories is one that will surely last a long impression with cultures all over the world. These practices were very unique, and at the same time very well thought out, that presently there are still many people learning the mysteries of the Orishas stories and dance techniques. Iemanja was considered the mother of the Orishas, with a sense of truth, since water is the most important thing the one needs to survive.
Works Cited:
Fryer, Peter. Rhythms of Resistance: African Musical Heritage in Brazil.
