Orisha Religion Analysis

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The quest for complex subjectivity is a process in which one shifts their perspective from objectification to individuality (pg. 63). The purpose of the quest is to address and dismantle the “historically manifest battle against the terror of fixed identity” (pg. 95) This fixed identity stems from the resonating belief of inferiority, and the perspective of being viewed as property to one’s ownership, that was perpetuated during slavery. The traditional African religion, the Orisha, is found to have originated from the Yoruba tribe of West Africa. In the video provided, we are shown how the believers of the Orisha in Brazil, perform a ceremonial offering to the gods Shango and Ogun. These Afro-Brazilians are descendants of the slaves that were stripped from their homelands in African and brought to Brazil to met out the demands of colonizers.
During the ceremony, offerings were placed on the “open ground,” to symbolize the African ancestral homeland. This in itself shows the yearning that these Afro-Brazilians experience in trying to not only connect with their gods, but to also connect with their history. In the video it was mentioned that African slaves were brought to Brazil with only their culture, music, and beliefs. With no material possessions, these …show more content…

It shows the resilience and determination that enslaved African had to retain a vital piece of their identity, and not forcedly assimilate into the culture they were thrown into. This demonstrates their battle against “fixed-identity”, in that, they did not conform to the beliefs of their enslavers. Their ancestors exemplify the quest for complex subjectivity as well, in that they did not conform or accept the black religions that were made in response to slavery. They kept the religion that their ancestors started out with hundreds of years prior, when others left it and adopted their

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