Yemanjá is the Queen of the Ocean in Candomblé beliefs. She is one of the seven orixas of the African Pantheon. She has many names in different variations of the religion. In Africa she is called Yemoja, Ymoja, Yemowo, and Mami Wata, to Brazil she is known as Yemanjá, and Janaína, Cuba has many names for her including, Yemaya, Yemayah, Iemanya, and Madre Agua, Haiti calls her LaSiren (Spaceman). There are many different variations of her name in different countries which all derive from the Yoruba expression, “Yeye Emo Eja” which means “Mother Whose Children Are like Fish” (Solun). She is the same deity in all of her variations. She is Queen of the Ocean, a sea goddess, and mother of all orixas. Focusing on the Candomblé religion she is known …show more content…
She is associated with the day Saturday because it is her most heightened axé (Voeks). This means it is the most effective time to make offerings. Yemanjá’s most common offerings include white corn, rice, female goats and sheep, and chickens (Voeks). Yemanjá is also associated with the colors white, blue, and silver and also with the Moon (Solun). She is associated with all of the creatures of the sea, ducks, doves, peacocks, and chickens (Solun). Also, she affiliates with the number seven because she wears seven skirts that represent the seven seas (Took). She has many different jewels associated with her, including crystals, pearls, coral, moonstone, quartz, and turquoise …show more content…
Because she is such a large figure in Candomblé, there are many ceremonies and rituals that are done to celebrate her. Many of those rituals incorporate someone that embodies Orixa through dance and costume (Spaceman). “Her dance movements represent the sea’s tumbling waves, these moves resemble the art of sewing fishing nets, but also commonly represent a story line. Her ocean dancing represents the salty water cleansing the distressed soul. The emphasis of Lemanjá’s dance is on her hands and legs.” (Spaceman). Gifts for Yemanjá’s include flowers, most commonly blue or white, and objects of female vanity such as perfume, jewelry, lipstick, combs, etc. (Took). They are gathered in large woven baskets and brought out to sea by local fisherman, and after they return an extensive street party and feast occurs (Took). It is said that, “if the waves take the flowers and offerings away it signifies that the goddess accepted them and if the wave throws it back to the shore it is a bad sign”
this celebration. She has to pick a partner which is known as an escort, along
There are a number of activities that take place during the ceremony and each part has its own purpose and significance. As a whole, the procession takes place over a course of four days and within a decent amount of time of the first menstruation. However, in the event of the child being away at boarding school they will go home immediately or if this is not an option then the ceremony must be postponed. The ordering of events take place over the course of the four days directly relate to the myth of the origins of Kinaalda. For instance, in Marie Shirley’s Kinaalda the order and the events that take place resemble closely the events that took place during the mythical origin story. For Shirley’s own ceremony the events that take place include: hair-combing, dressing, molding, race one and race two, nighttime activities, and several others. To prepare for the events that will take place, the people involved do things such as shelling corn and cleaning the hogan. On the first day of the ceremony the girls involved have their hair combed to make the girl resemble Changing Woman and are dressed in their ceremonial clothing, which include adornments of silver and turquoise. When wearing the jewelry some feel that this is a testament of her future. If she wears large amounts of jewels then this will mean she will have a rich life full of success. Usually after the dressing is the lifting of the people. This is something that Changing Woman did during her own ceremony, as a way to thank the people for their gifts (Wheelwright, 1942). They are then to lay on their stomach to begin the process of the molding; this relates to the first girl’s kinaalda myth in which “she was molded and pressed so she would have a good figure” (T...
For a quincearena, parents may spend not a few but thousands of dollars. But money does not matter, it’s the memories last a lifetime. The dress maybe worth 1,000 to 2,000 that all depends on the style that the young lady decides on. A package may include but is not limited to: the book of signatures, a crown and other accessories. The dress color is usually chosen by the birthday girl and her mom. At times, the dress may consists of two pieces. A two piece dress come with the bottom part that detaches so when the birthday girl dances with the male dancers it’s easier for her to
This is where a choreographed waltz or dance performed by the Quinceanera and her Court. It is traditional for the Quinceanera to choose who is invited to her party and also to choose her special friends to perform the Court of Honor. Usually the people that perform this are her closest friends, brothers, cousins, and special people in her life. The Quinceanera's Court of Honor can be comprised of all young girls which are called Damas, all young men which are called Chambelanes or Escortes or Galán or a combination of both boys and girls. This depends on
This Holiday is observed all throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. It focuses on the gatherings of family and friends
Equiano’s own narrative and actions demonstrate the effectiveness of the ameliorist argument, as he comes to illustrate the grateful slave troupe in many ways. The grateful slave troupe can be used to display “the successful reform of slave plantations through the ameliorative efforts of a sentimental planter or overseer” (Boulukos 2). The reforms include the end of “brutal punishments” for slaves, and the introduction of the threat of selling off a misbehaved slave, to a presumably harsher master (Boulukos 2). These reforms allow slaves to become devoted to their owners, and work harder as a consequence (Boulukos 2). This troupe can be seen in Mr King and Equiano’s relationship. Equiano ends up working incredibly hard for Mr King pleasing
In these three days of celebration for the Mexican/Hispanic communities there is a lot of fiestas happening and a lot of preparing. This holiday is represents by skulls, sugar skulls, marigolds, and foods. On “dia de los muertos” family and friends visit
The ancient tradition and the idea of ‘Mother Earth’(Merchant 4) was coined by these indigenous peoples from pre-Hellenic times and Mesopotamian people named their goddess as ‘Ur-goddess Tiamat’(Merchant 4), Greek people named their goddess as ‘Gaia’(Merchant 5), Cerridwen named their goddess as ‘Celtic’(Merchant 4), Egyptian named their goddess as ‘Isis’(Merchant xvi). Their worship and image may vary from one tradition to another tradition but their only believe was Earth as nurturing mother. Carolyn Merchant wrote about the Historical connection between women and nature as “beneficent female who provided for the needs of mankind in an ordered, planned universe” (Merchant
While the summoner was trying to locate an old widow so he can give her a summons, he encountered a yeoman traveling the same way he was. This yeoman was dressed in a green jacket with a bow and arrow. At t...
Growing up, personally I have had to learn about Greek mythology since about 5th grade. We learned all of the main Gods and Goddesses like Zeus, Hera, Athena, and so on, but there is so much more to the Greek Gods than just that. For instance, I vaguely remember learning about the Goddess Gaia. What I remember is that she was the Goddess was Mother Earth, but it turns out there is SO much more to her than meets the 5th grade eye.
Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge, art, and speech (Fisher, 2003). She is associated with water, and the flow of knowledge. She is depicted with four arms, dressed in white, and playing and instrument. Her four hands represent four aspects of human personality in learning: mind, intellect, alertness and ego (Das, Goddess of Knowledge, n.d.). Saraswati’s instrument, the veena, symbolizes that the seeker must tune his mind and intell...
Most people that learn about the twelve main Olympian gods might think that they are confusing, imperfect, and just down right weird. And they are. They have symbols to represent them but most of the symbols for them have no connection. However, let 's take Zeus for example, one of his symbols is the thunderbolt, Zeus 's most well known symbol. Zeus however is connected to the thunderbolt because he can throw them.
Mbiti observed in 1969 that Africa people are “notoriously religious” consciously or unconsciously, and is still true of a large majority of people, urban or rural, educated or less educated (Moyo 2013). No matter the time or what decade it is, religion will still dominate the world and especially Africa. Over the years’ religions from all over the world have formed and people from all over the world have taken up and practiced those religions, making some religions well known while others most people still don’t know about it. The main religions I wanted to highlight was the traditional African religions, Christianity, and the Islamic religion. I put African traditional religions in one category because they all seem to follow the same common
Traditional African Religion The Religious Sphere There is widespread belief in a supreme God, unique and transcendent. Africans have a sense of the sacred and a sense of mystery; there is high reverence for sacred places, persons and objects; sacred times are celebrated. Belief in the afterlife is incorporated in myths and in funeral ceremonies. Religion enfolds the whole of life; there is a difference between life and religion.
Traditional African Religion Before one starts to outline the traditional religion in Africa, one must first explain the way Africa is as a whole. Without the knowledge of the past combined with knowledge of culture, one would have a very vague, if any, understanding of traditional religion. Out of all of the continents, Africa is the most central. It is said that the first man was found in Africa, so with this, many feel that Africa is the birthplace of human culture. Within this continent, there are many different lifestyles, which are lived.