Yoruba Orishas: An Introduction to Yemoja, Obatala and the Diaspora

The orishas are the deities of Yoruba religion, the faith of the Yoruba people of what is now south-western Nigeria and Benin. Carried across the Atlantic by enslaved Africans, their worship took root in the Americas, where it continues today in Lucumí (often called Santería) in Cuba, Candomblé in Brazil and other traditions. It is one of the most widespread living religions of African origin.

Olódùmarè, the orishas and àṣẹ

Yoruba religion recognises a supreme God, Olódùmarè, who is remote from daily life. The orishas are closer: powerful beings associated with forces of nature and human life, such as rivers, the sea, thunder, iron and disease, who are honoured with offerings, praise songs, drumming and dance. Central to Yoruba thought is àṣẹ, the power to make things happen, which flows from Olódùmarè through the orishas.

Ifá

Yoruba religion also includes Ifá, a system of divination and a vast body of verses, which UNESCO recognises as part of the world's intangible cultural heritage.

Across the Atlantic

In the Americas, enslaved Yoruba people and their descendants kept the orishas alive, often associating them with Catholic saints. That is why Babalú-Ayé is linked with St Lazarus in Cuba, and why festivals for Yemoja draw vast crowds on the beaches of Brazil. The traditions changed as they travelled, and today each has its own practices and names.

The orishas in this Journal

• Yemoja: mother of waters, of the Ogun River in Nigeria and of the sea in the Americas.
• Obatala: the orisha of creation and purity, "king of the white cloth".
• Babalú-Ayé: the orisha of disease and healing, venerated as St Lazarus in Cuba.

Wearing an orisha's emblem

The orishas are sacred to millions of people. A piece inspired by an orisha is best worn with knowledge and respect. For a related Caribbean religion, see our introduction to the lwa of Haitian Vodou.