Some Paths of Obatala: from Hector Izaguirre
Kevin Filan
I recently picked up a rather interesting book entitled "Obatala: El
Padre creador del hombre" by Hector Izaguirre. What first caught my
attention was that this book was produced in Caracas, Venezuela (1998,
Editorial Panapo de Venezuela, C.A.). It's a small book (actually, it
resembles those "Astrology Guides" you can pick up at many supermarket
checkout counters here in the United States) and the Spanish is quite
simple... a welcome relief after slogging through Cabrera's
verbiage. :)
Does anyone have information on African Diaspora religions as they are
practiced in South America. Of course I know about Candomble and the
various Afro-Brazilian forms of worship, but know nothing about how the
rest of South America practices their Afro-Diaspora traditions. It's a
pity my Spanish isn't better; most of the Botanicas in Queens, from my
experience, are owned by Ecuadoreans, and I suspect I could learn a lot
if I were only able to speak the language.
Anyway, this book lists 45 "caminos de Obatala." With the help of
Babelfish, I've listed a few of them here. I'd be interested in seeing
how this compares with other listings of the paths of Obatala. (I note
that the pronouns seem to change dramatically, as Obatala appears at
various times to be male, female or androgynous/non-gendered).
Oh, and once again I'd like to give thanks where it's due: with
Obatala's help, I've now passed four of the seven exams required for an
MCSE on the Windows 2000 track. :)
Peace
Kevin Filan
* * * * * *
FIRST PATH: OBATALA ORISHA AYE
Here we find the purest and most mystical aspect of Obatala. S/he is
feminine and born of the sea. S/he is represented by means of a large
shell, named Okinkonko. In Santeria this path is tied to the Orisha
Ochun. The necklace for its adoration is fashioned with twenty-five
stones (?) the color of egg yolk and (to make the connection?) you
sacrifice white doves.
SECOND PATH: OBATALA ORISHANLA
Is imagined as a trembling old woman who wants to be covered with a
white sheet. She protects you from traps and has large hands She eats
cocoa butter. Her necklace is made with egg-yolk yellow and ivory. In
Santeria she is syncretized with St. Anne.
THIRD PATH: OBATALA IGBA IBO
Represents divine thought and is symbolized by the eye of Divine
Providence. It cannot be seen, and those who manage to see it are left
blind. It is symbolized by an old person with wrinkles and white hair.
FOURTH PATH: OBATALA OBA LUFON
Represents the sun and is identified with Jesus of Nazareth. It was he
who gave man speech and taught him proper ways of sexual practice(?).
When you want to request something from him, you must place sixteen
parrot feathers on your head. It was he who taught man to weave with
needles. He is the inventor of carpentry and is the protector of
mothers.
FIFTH PATH: OBATALA OCHA GRINAN
He is the messenger of Olofi. He raises the mountains from the low
places. (Sube y baja la montana)? Represented by the Crucified
Christ. He is also considered a soldier (guerrero) and he taught to
Orula the secrets of (de pelar el name).
SIXTH PATH: OBATALA ACHO
His presence stimulates the dance and directs the rhythms. He is a
soldier and wears a red waistband.
SEVENTH PATH: OBATALA OBA MORO
Represented by an old person and represents the pain and sacrifice
necessary to reach one's goals. Is represented by a crown of thorns.
EIGHTH PATH: OBATALA EFUN YOBI
In the past he was worshipped in ways which are forgotten today. He is
represented by San Jose de la Montana.
NINTH PATH: OBATALA YEKU YEKU
The protector of health, syncretized with the Holy Trinity. Represents
patience and humility. Its necklace is made of white beads with balls
of mother of pearl and ivory.
TENTH PATH: OBATALA AYAGGUNA
Is male and represented by an intrepid, aggressive warrior. Uses a
cane and is most fine and elegant. His necklace is made with eight red
beads and sixteen white. Is syncretized with Jesus Christ in his 33rd
year. He is clothed in white and carries a sword.
ELEVENTH PATH: OBATALA ALAGUEMA
Owns the ceiba and is tied to visions, and for that reason is tied to
Santa Lucia and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Is related to friendship
and protection. Is also a messenger of Olofi; takes a silver chain
with nine doves and dresses in red and white.
TWELFTH PATH: OBATALA TALABI
Is female and identified with indifference. Protects children and is
syncretized with Saint Rita de Casia.
THIRTEENTH PATH: OBATALA ONDO
Is female and a virgin. Lives in the rocky places bordering the sea.
Protects boats arriving at port.
FOURTEENTH PATH: OBATALA AYALUA
Functions as the exterminator. Lives in the center of the sea and has
secrets which no man knows.
FIFTEENTH PATH: OBATALA OKEILU
Lives in high places and grants houses to the (desposeidos).
Sent via Deja.com
http://www.deja.com/
E. C. Ballard
and Surinam where forms of Obeah and Winti exist among traditional
communities, there are two sources of African religious traditions -
Brazil and Cuba. I would be amiss to ignore the Garafuna but that is, like
the winti, part of a traditional community and quite isolated from modern
society.
From Brazil Umbanda, Quimbanda and occassionally forms of candomble have
been exported -mostly to Uruguay and argentina, although Venesuela has had
a small community of Afro-Brazilian religious traditions develop.
In the rest of Latin America - notably Mexico, Panama, Columbia,
Venesuela, and Argentina the main Afro-diasporic traditions come from
Cuba. Anyway you find "versions" of "Santería" these have been imported
from Cuba. It makes far more sense to study the accurate Cuban forms where
there has been some continuity and tradition rather than where it has been
mostly a rootless or fashionable import.
Ture, you will find Maria Lionza in some places but this is a very modern
creation and the elements that appear African have mostly been conciously
modelled upon Umbanda.
Izzaguirre may be easier to read but that is a poor substitute for the
richness of cabrera's texts. Further, most of his material is gleaned from
Cabrera anyhow.
Eoghan
--
+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o
E. C. Ballard
Debajo del Laurel yo tengo mi confianza
E. C. Ballard
traditions from Trinidad where English is spoken. There are a very few
books describing it and it is a fascinating tradition. Take some interest
now - the Neo-Yoruban crowd have been trying to remodel it in their own
image. Fortunately, to date they have met with only mixed success.
Kevin Filan
ebal...@sas.upenn.edu (E. C. Ballard) wrote:
> I think it needs to be emphasized that in South America apart from
Guyana
> and Surinam where forms of Obeah and Winti exist among traditional
> communities, there are two sources of African religious traditions -
> Brazil and Cuba. I would be amiss to ignore the Garafuna but that is,
like
> the winti, part of a traditional community and quite isolated from
modern
> society.
I honestly had no idea. All I know is that New York has a large
population of South American immigrants, and that there appear to be
lots of botanicas in their neighborhoods. I had noted that there were
a lot of Buddha figurines in many of these Botanicas -- and remember
that Cabrera dedicated several pages to the Chinese presence in Cuba.
(I would assume that the Chinese also had a presence in other South
American countries as well).
> From Brazil Umbanda, Quimbanda and occassionally forms of candomble
have
> been exported -mostly to Uruguay and argentina, although Venesuela
has had
> a small community of Afro-Brazilian religious traditions develop.
>
> In the rest of Latin America - notably Mexico, Panama, Columbia,
> Venesuela, and Argentina the main Afro-diasporic traditions come from
> Cuba. Anyway you find "versions" of "Santería" these have been
imported
> from Cuba. It makes far more sense to study the accurate Cuban forms
where
> there has been some continuity and tradition rather than where it has
been
> mostly a rootless or fashionable import.
I wonder why that is. There were certainly African slaves in Mexico
and the rest of South America. I would have guessed that the African
ideas would have combined with some of the Mesoamerican traditions and
created some really interesting mixes. (I don't know much about
the "brujeria" traditions of Mexico -- perhaps someone else here could
speak on the subject -- but they seem to combine Native American and
European traditions at the very least, from what little I've seen).
> Izzaguirre may be easier to read but that is a poor substitute for the
> richness of cabrera's texts. Further, most of his material is gleaned
from
> Cabrera anyhow.
He may not be as good as Cabrera, but he's still got more information
than most of the stuff I've found in English. (A book by Hector Nunoz
which I found on line is one exception to that... if I can find it
again I'll be sure to post the URL). And he's a good introductory
primer to the language, in any event.
Peace
Kevin Filan
>
> Eoghan
>
> --
> +o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o
> E. C. Ballard
>
> Debajo del Laurel yo tengo mi confianza
>
Racine125
Batala, and he is particularly compassionate toward
children. :-)
Peace and love,
Bon Mambo Racine Sans Bout Sa Te La Daginen
"Se bon ki ra",
Good is rare - Haitian Proverb
The VODOU Page - http://members.aol.com/racine125/index.html
E. C. Ballard
Afro-Caribbean traditions.
There is little evidence of this is Palo. However, I know it to be
significant in Espiritismo (of most of its national varieties) and
probably to a lesser degree in some traditions of Ocha.
In various national iterations of Obeah the Chinese have had an
important impact. In Trinidad both "Coolie" and Hindu traditions have
been absorbed into African diasporic traditions. In some of the Leeward
islands, especially St. Lucia, the Coolie rite, rebaptized as "Kele" to
sound more African has been much respected and is based upon an amalgam
of African and Chinese traditions.
While grounded strongly in African traditions, the Afro-diasporic
religions do to varying degrees and in various ways reflect the complex
patchwork of cultures and people who have contributed to life in this
part of the world.
Eoghan
gri...@my-deja.com
> traditions from Trinidad where English is spoken. There are a very few
> books describing it and it is a fascinating tradition. Take some
interest
> now - the Neo-Yoruban crowd have been trying to remodel it in their
own
> image. Fortunately, to date they have met with only mixed success.
It is clear from this recurrent fear that Eoghan displays of African
roots reclamation that he has little real feel for or understanding of
ATR. What he no doubt sees as narrow racial ideology seeking to
constrain is rather the opposite. ATR has been "ecumenical" from the
word go. It has never been confined by ideology and dogma, rather
constrained _only_ by the laws of spirit, which know precious few
boundaries. The reaching back to Africa, the reconnection with African
roots can only be broadening and empowering, not limiting and weakening.
It is really not surprising that Eoghan should feel threatened by that.
> Eoghan
>
Peace,
Grisso
gri...@my-deja.com
"E. C. Ballard" <ebal...@sas.upenn.edu> wrote:
> You are absolutely right that Chinese elements have become a part of
> Afro-Caribbean traditions.
>
> There is little evidence of this is Palo. However, I know it to be
> significant in Espiritismo (of most of its national varieties) and
> probably to a lesser degree in some traditions of Ocha.
>
> In various national iterations of Obeah the Chinese have had an
> important impact. In Trinidad both "Coolie" and Hindu traditions have
> been absorbed into African diasporic traditions.
As a Trinidadian, I can say with certainty here that Eoghan doesn't know
what he is talking about. The word "coolie" as used in Trinidad is a
(derogatory) term used to refer _to_ Hindus. They are one and the same.
In his usage here, no doubt misled by some book or other (I think I know
which one) he obviously thinks it is a reference to the Chinese. It is
not. The Chinese in Trinidad have had no visible impact, let alone
"important" impact, on ATR as it has survived in Trinidad. This however
is not to suggest that ATR is some hermetically sealed corpus immune to
influence from outside. As I and Mamaissii have repeatedly tried to
convey, ATR is limited only by the laws of spirit, which is why ATR is
completely miscible with other spirit-based sytems, such as those of the
Indians in Trinidad, and the Amerindians of North and South America.
That Chinese have brought nothing visible to the ATR table in Trinidad
is not a suggestion that the Chinese do not have a spirit-based
tradition. They do. It is rather that for whatever reason -- I suspect
the very small numbers of Chinese involved, and their very rapid
conversion to Christianity -- it didn't happen in Trinidad.
In some of the Leeward
> islands, especially St. Lucia, the Coolie rite, rebaptized as "Kele"
to
> sound more African has been much respected and is based upon an
amalgam
> of African and Chinese traditions.
Here too, the word "coolie" would not refer to Chinese, whatever the
derivation of "kele".
> While grounded strongly in African traditions, the Afro-diasporic
> religions do to varying degrees and in various ways reflect the
complex
> patchwork of cultures and people who have contributed to life in this
> part of the world.
And who would say otherwise? We all agree that music is being played.
The trouble is that Eoghan hears the music, but the rhythm is somehow
elusive, he can't quite step to the beat, he can't quite *feel* its
meaning. And all the books in the world will help him not one whit in
that regard. Perhaps instead he should find a flesh-and-blood
"neo-Yoruban" ... whatever that may be ... if he can ... watch him
dance, and then find someone who is not a neo-Yoruban, watch them dance,
and then look to see if maybe they're not really dancing to the same
rhythm after all.
> Eoghan
Peace,
Grisso
E. C. Ballard
fascinate and interest him greatly. Most certainly I am not afraid of a
pedantic man named Grisso who must twist other people's words around
constantly in an effort to gain some imaginary one upmanship.
I will not concede that a recognition of many different influences in any
tradition constitutes a phobia. Your phobia appears to be that of the
truth and of open minds. Grisso, go get a life.
E. C. Ballard
gri...@my-deja.com
> fascinate and interest him greatly.
That I do not doubt.
Most certainly I am not afraid of a
> pedantic man named Grisso who must twist other people's words around
> constantly in an effort to gain some imaginary one upmanship.
Actually, it says more about Eoghan than it does about me that he should
think that. It is his name that spells "ego", not mine.
> I will not concede that a recognition of many different influences in
any
> tradition constitutes a phobia.
That was of course not my contention.
Your phobia appears to be that of the
> truth and of open minds. Grisso, go get a life.
How flaccid.
gri...@my-deja.com
Mere assertion, as empty as the vessel which makes it.