The deities' names signify the origin of their birth. The name of a country, city, river, etc. That's how we can trace the customs of the African religions in the New World back to where they are coming from. They were given these names to remember, to distinguish the different ethnic groups from each other, to preserve one's identity and to make resistance against the colonial rule. The different ethnic groups were forced to come together and unite. There of, the different names of the ethnic groups could represent a specific dance, service, or a diety. These names in Africa do not represent exactly the same custom, because the traditions and ethnic groups there, were not threatened in the same way as the traditions of the enslaved Africans in the Americas. The emphasis in the Caribbean was put on the remembrance and the preservation of each ethnic groups' culture.
The ethnic groups, which I have focused on are the: Ewes, Fons and the Yorubas. The countries which they can be found in large numbers are: Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria. it is important to always find out how these people function in their society in Africa, while talking about them in their adopted life in the Americas.
In Africa, certain traditions got lost and certain other, through dynamic development, have taken a new form. The language, rituals and the dance movements have developed dynamically through time and in order to understand Africa's present, one needs to also look at the past. To find a complete circle of the African ancient and present customs, we need to look at the Caribbean preserved traditions as well as the traditions on the mainland in order to get a whole picture.
Deities, originate in different places, according to the nature and the climate of the area. Most of them are nature spirits and have the characteristics of the natural forces and phenomena. Certain deities are only to be worshipped by a certain group of people, especially chosen for that task. In the Caribbean, certain deities are more important than the others, which in turn in Africa might not even be worshipped at all.
When the different ethnic groups are at war, it happens that they capture a powerfull priest or priestess, to benefit from the spirits of the region and to acquire the imported spirits. In that case, the spirit speaks the language of its' origin and communicates through it. It is exactly what happened between the Yorubas and the Fons, which were always at war, they have affected each other religiously in Africa before arriving in the New World, which is why they have had such strong connections long before the slave trade started. In the New World, they still influence each other merging the Haitian vaudo and the Cuban La Regla de Ocha, especially in places which are very close to the Haitian borders, such as Santiago de Cuba and the border to the Dominican Republic. It is also common to have muslim spirits from the north, who speak Arabic, in the ceremonies such as Palo and Brekete. To understand and accept these merging phenomena in the New World, we need to look thousands of years back, when it all was happening already. African religion is dynamic, some customs get lost and others are added on.
The ethnic groups, which I have focused on are the: Ewes, Fons and the Yorubas. The countries which they can be found in large numbers are: Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria. it is important to always find out how these people function in their society in Africa, while talking about them in their adopted life in the Americas.
In Africa, certain traditions got lost and certain other, through dynamic development, have taken a new form. The language, rituals and the dance movements have developed dynamically through time and in order to understand Africa's present, one needs to also look at the past. To find a complete circle of the African ancient and present customs, we need to look at the Caribbean preserved traditions as well as the traditions on the mainland in order to get a whole picture.
Deities, originate in different places, according to the nature and the climate of the area. Most of them are nature spirits and have the characteristics of the natural forces and phenomena. Certain deities are only to be worshipped by a certain group of people, especially chosen for that task. In the Caribbean, certain deities are more important than the others, which in turn in Africa might not even be worshipped at all.
When the different ethnic groups are at war, it happens that they capture a powerfull priest or priestess, to benefit from the spirits of the region and to acquire the imported spirits. In that case, the spirit speaks the language of its' origin and communicates through it. It is exactly what happened between the Yorubas and the Fons, which were always at war, they have affected each other religiously in Africa before arriving in the New World, which is why they have had such strong connections long before the slave trade started. In the New World, they still influence each other merging the Haitian vaudo and the Cuban La Regla de Ocha, especially in places which are very close to the Haitian borders, such as Santiago de Cuba and the border to the Dominican Republic. It is also common to have muslim spirits from the north, who speak Arabic, in the ceremonies such as Palo and Brekete. To understand and accept these merging phenomena in the New World, we need to look thousands of years back, when it all was happening already. African religion is dynamic, some customs get lost and others are added on.
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