Santos Cubanos
Germain Aguilera
Each santo controls different parts of nature, such as thunder, storms, the sea, the woods and the rivers. At the same time they also control human qualities, such as love, intelligence and drunkenness. All people have two santos as their protectors, whether you are a devotee or not, and regardless of where you live in the world. Perhaps you'll find "your" santos?
Eleggu is the smallest of the santos, but also one of the most important. In every ritual or feast you start by saluting Eleggu and ask him permission to start the feast. He is furthermore one of los guerreros (the warriors) who also include the santo of metal, Oggn, the santo of hunting, Ochosi, and the protector Osun. These are the four first santos you will receive on your way into Santera.
He is the messenger between Olofi and the santos, and also between santos and humans. Eleggu is the one who opens and shuts opportunities for both people and Gods. In this way he gives people opportunities, but can also see to it that they do not get the opportunities they are hoping for. Eleggu is in other words both loved and feared, but above all greatly respected.
The Catholic saint Nio de Atocha (the child from Atocha) is associated with Eleggu. Both Elegga and Nio de Atocha are considered to be small children and this is undoubtedly the reason why just this saint was chosen as a disguise for Eleggu. The childlike side of Eleggu can be seen during possessions when he will play and fool around, in addition to being particularly fond of sweets and toys. Eleggu is celebrated on the first day of the year, when all opportunities lie open before you.
Eleggu is one of the few santos who has black as his colour. Black is rarely seen in Santera; you should for example not wear black if you are to attend a ritual or feast. Red is also Ellega's colour. His necklace is therefore made up of alternatively red and black beads.
He is also the santo for intelligence and justice and great drinkers. That he is associated with people who take a couple of drinks too many is due to a story from the time when Olofi was going to create the world and asked Obbatal for help. Obbatal would have liked to help, but helped himself too much from a bottle of palm wine and fell asleep at his work. Therefore he was not allowed to take part in the whole of creation, only parts of it.
White is Obbatal's colour and therefore both coconut, meringues and eggs are considered foods you can sacrifice to the santo of peace. When it comes to animal sacrifices, he prefers white doves and white hens.
"There can be no doubt that I am the daughter of Obbatal, considering I am so intelligent", said the santera Ana. In addition to being intelligent, the sons and daughters of this santo are often considered to be calm and sober-minded, but it is also said that they are fond of drinking at parties.
As all other santos, Yemay is also associated with a Catholic saint. As santo of the sea, she is linked to the patron saint of the port of Havana, the Virgen de la Regla. Both are celebrated on 7 September.
Most initiates of Yemay are banned from travelling on the sea. The reason is that the santo of the sea is so fond of her children that she would like to draw them down into the deep with her. Her sons and daughters therefore always keep to the shallow parts of the beaches and avoid swimming pools and the ferry across the port of Havana. The problem many have is that the Church of Virgen de la Regla, also the church associated with Yemay, lies across the harbour basin of Havana. On the ferry crossing over to the church, you will therefore often see people throwing a little offering to Yemay in the form of money into the water so that they will be spared. Or they take the bus round the bay, a trip that takes at least four times as long as the ferry trip.
Chang is one of the most popular santos in Cuba. He is the very symbol of what a Cuban male would like to be. He is strong, dances wildly and passionately and knows the art of captivating women. Chang is furthermore fond of telling stories, though they will often surpass reality.
Chang owes part of his strength to the fact that he is the guardian of thunder and lightning. His power is often symbolised by a sword and an axe. The axe is also found in Nigeria, but the sword comes from the Catholic saint of Santa Barbara.
Chang is not only the santo of natural elements such as thunder and lightning, but also of human qualities such as strength and sensual appeal. He is also considered the divinity of dancing and music.
It may seem strange that Chang is linked to a female Catholic saint, Santa Barbara, as he is the very manifestation of manly qualities. The explanation may lie in one of the old stories about Chang, in which he had to dress up as a woman to flee from an enemy that wanted to kill him. Both are celebrated on 4 December.
If you are initiated to Chang, you should stay away from foods that are red, as these are things you can sacrifice to Chang when life is difficult. You are also often warned against big crowds where you might get yourself into trouble.
The food Ochn prefers is as sweet and seductive as she is. She loves honey and yellow cakes, eggs and pumpkins which all symbolise women's belly and therefore also fertility. With regard to drinks, she prefers champagne, but will also drink both beer and brown rum. The sunflower is no doubt the flower most often sold by Havana's florists. If you have problems with your sweetheart or want one, it will often help to sacrifice a sunflower to Ochn.
As their mother, the initiates of Ochn are both social, fond of parties, sensual and flirtatious. "That girl must be a daughter of Ochn, the way she is flirting!" Children of Ochn are fond of jewellery and can easily be considered vain. You will often find them looking into a mirror.
Oy rules over the storms and the rough weather which often hit Cuba. She takes care of all graveyard gates and makes sure the dead stay where they are meant to. In addition, she has a brighter side as the santo in charge of the rainbow and all its beautiful colours.
As responsible for graveyard gates, that is where she will be most of the time, unless she is out flying with the storms. At home among her followers, on the other hand, she lives in a tureen painted in all the colours of the rainbow.
The sons and daughters of Oy are known for changing moods as abruptly as their mother and the stormy weather she dominates. They are often powerful and may seem to be violent. At the same time you will never find anyone as loyal and as jealous as Oy's children.
Babal Ay is a highly respected santo. His great importance in Cuba is due to his close connection with health and disease and thereby with the idea that Santera will help you keep in good health. However, not many are initiated to this santo.
Babal Ay is the santo of all insects in the world. He is also the santo of diseases. Earlier he was particularly linked to leprosy, venereal diseases and skin problems. Today he is also associated with AIDS.
In the same way as Babal Ay is an important santo in Santera, the Catholic saint San Lzaro is one of the most important saints in Cuban society because of his connection with health and disease. Every 17 December devotees of both Santera and Catholicism flock to San Lzaro's church in Rincn outside Havana to pray to both San Lzaro and Babal Ay for good health and miracles. People crawl on their knees or creep along the ground, and sacrifice money, bread, candles and flowers in the church.
Orula is the santo of divinations and the santo of the babalawos and the divination system If which they belong to. Only babalawos are considered as the sons of Orula, and only men can become babalawos. Orula never comes to earth through possessions, but communicates through the babalawos and their divination instruments.
Nobody is initiated in the normal way to Orula. Only men that become babalawos can be said to belong to the santo Orulo, and thus have to respect some restrictions in this connection. The babalawos can neither eat lobster nor shrimps, as this is food they can sacrifice to Orula if they need help. Nor can they eat the heads of fish, fowl or animals.
Oggn lives in the forests and next to railway lines. In the devotee's home you will find him on the floor, next to the three other warriors, Eleggu, Ochosi and Osun. He lives there in an iron cauldron filled with metal objects such as knives, manacles, bits of rails, and a surgeon's knife, in addition to a number of wooden pegs.
En Cuba todo el mundo se acuerda de Santa Brbara cuando truena y el que no tiene de congo, tiene de carabal: as pudiera resumirse el alto grado de religiosidad de un pueblo signado desde sus orgenes por la mezcla y la transculturacin.
Deslumbrado por las manifestaciones de fervor religioso, abundantes en Cuba desde el inicio de la trata negrera, el sabio don Fernando Ortiz describi los muy diversos modos en que se manifiestan las creencias en la isla y estudiosos posteriores como Natalia Bolvar dan fe de cunto han influido las concepciones religiosas en el carcter del cubano.
Investigaciones publicadas recientemente hablan de una poblacin que se declara en su inmensa mayora creyente y de las dos religiones con ms adeptos: el cristianismo y el sincretismo. No obstante lo que puedan revelar los censos y las encuestas, resulta innegable el aporte de la fe a la cultura popular de la nacin, que comenz a moldearse desde que los conquistadores espaoles trasplantaron a los primeros africanos.
Originarios de Nigeria, Benin y Togo, los yorubas se encontraban entre las numerosas etnias introducidas en Cuba. Los esclavos continuaron celebrando sus rituales gracias a la tolerancia y al desconocimiento de los colonizadores. En espacios tan reducidos como el barracn, los dismiles credos se unificaron e, incluso, encontraron el refugio perfecto para sus deidades a la sombra del santoral catlico.
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