is is a portrayal of the regal beauty of the gods and goddesses of the Yorubas of Nigeria, Benin and those in the diaspora. This is not to argue that all Yorubas worship these deities, but that these orishas are common among them. In the words of James C. Lewis (from whose work I adapted this write-up), The below pictures "portrays the regal beauty of each Orisha while also representing their majestic sensuality. Each iconic depiction was rendered to lend strength to our resilience as a great race of people and to show our youth that they are beautiful, bold and brilliant just they way God created them to be. Lewis adds that: "Although I am aware that the Ifa Tradition traveled in the Ori “Head” of those Blacks that were captured as slaves and sent to other parts of the diaspora, I chose to focus on the true origin of the faith. Therefore each Orisha’s name is written in the Yoruba dialect and captures imagery of powerful men, women & children of various complexions who are all of African descent."
Who are the Orishas?
According to an article on The PrintSpace.Com, "An Orisha is a spirit or deity that reflects one of the manifestations of God in the Ifa religion. This system has found its way throughout the world and is now expressed in practices as varied as Santería, Candomblé and Oyotunji. These varieties are practiced throughout areas of Nigeria, Benin, Togo, the Caribbean, the United States and South America. Orisha lineages can also be found in parts of Europe and Asia as well."
Orisha.Net defines the orishas as: "...the emissaries of Olodumare or God almighty. They rule over the forces of nature and the endeavors of humanity. They recognise themselves and are recognised through their different numbers and colors which are their marks, and each has their own favorite foods and other things which they like to receive as offerings and gifts. In this way we make our offerings in the manner they are accustomed to, in the way they have always received them, so that they will recognise our offerings and come to our aid.
The orishas are often best understood by observing the forces of nature they rule over."
On the other hand, The Santeria Church of the Orishas say: "The Orishas are Olodumare’s eldest children and have been imbued with a portion of Her aché. They have been tasked with maintaining this Earth, watching over the affairs of humanity and each has dominion over a portion of nature. They are more akin to demi-Gods in the religion of Santería."
PHOTO CREDIT: Photographer, James C. Lewis | CEO of Noire3000 | N3K Photo Studios | Atlanta,GA
OLORUN
“OLÒRÚN is the Yorùbá name given to one of the three manifestations of the Supreme God. Olorun is the owner of the heavens and is commonly associated with the Sun. The vital energy of Olorun manifests in humans as Ashé, which is the life force that runs through all living things. The Supreme God has three manifestations: Olodumare-the Creator; Olorun-ruler of the heavens; and Olofi, who is the conduit between Orun (heaven) and Ayé (earth). No gender is typically assigned to Olorun because Olorun transcends human limitations. Olorun rules Orun (the heavens), whereas humans live in Ayé (the earth). Typically, humans do not interact directly with Olorun but they receive the life-giving energy from the sun and recognize the power of Olorun over their lives.”
Some schools of thought believe there is a difference between OLORUN and OLODUMARE.
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