Religious Syncretism

[Anita Pagan]

It is commonly known that Santeria and Voudun are syncretized religions. However, what's mostly propagated is that the syncretism is with the African/Yoruban belief system and puts aside the strong Amerindian influence.

I am wondering if we could start a post-dialogue to share our thoughts on the topic- from all perspectives. I would love to hear the varieties in our own spiritual & religious practices. One can only learn from each other!

I can share some...

I come from a family of artesanos and grew up going to different fairs and fiestas patronales and stuff. My dad took on carving and he made a beautiful representation of La Mujer de Caguana in wood, about 5-6" tall. I have her on one of my altars and she participates in many of my rituals- especially moon rituals.

I hope this starts a great discussion!

[Anita Pagan]

Bo'matum for your response Sha King Allah...

I agree with much of what you say, however I would like to expand on a few points that I think we agree on, buy would like to clarify, just in case...

When I say that "what's mostly propagated is that the syncretism is with the African/Yoruban belief system and puts aside the strong Amerindian influence." I mean just that, it's propagated by people.

I was reading a book by Raul Canizares, a popular Santeria author. I think it was in the intro to one of his books he says how proud he was that the Cuban people maintained such strong connections to their African roots on a daily basis. He goes on to give an example; the word "jimacu'a" (accent on the U~ oo sound) which is supposed to be yelled out in the streets of Cuba when twins are born. He shared a story of how he proved to a Spanish scholar how this word was not a modification of a Spanish word, but an African one. The way this was proven, according to Canizares, was that the word, nor any variation, was found in the Spanish Dictionary. Thus the word must be a Yoruba word. I looked it up in 3 online Yoruba dictionaries and found no word or variation of the word. The word for twin in Youruba is " ìbejì, èjìrë" and two is "méjì, éjì". The word for twin in Taino is "jimagua".

What chaps my hide is that they didn't even bother to look!

This attitude of disregard, in my opinion, propagates the significance of the Amerindian influence to the point of indifference and in some cases complete contempt. The native influence is just not enough to warrant a mention... unless we are talking about a certain "Indian spirit" that inevitably wears a feather headdress and leather regalia that is unmistakably mainland native. So, even in the indigenous spirits the Caribbean native is denied!

As for the attitude of inferiority, I disagree that "associating them with Africa makes it easier for intellectuals to pass off as 'nonsense' and "savage paganism". I would say that Native American spirituality has only received a slight measure of acceptability due to the New Age movement. Before that, it was illegal for Amerindians to perform any of their own ceremony. Dancing to drums and doing ceremony with pipes and snuff was nonsense and savagery. It was even illegal to have a sweat lodge until 1978!

The comment you made that your father used a bodhisattva in his ceremonies is really interesting. I have a friend who is Buryat shaman and she also uses a bodhisattva in her ceremonies and healings. I asked her about this and she shared that it was the loving energy of a being that was so compassionate that they refused entering Nirvana until everyone else achieved enlightenment that assisted in her healing.

Another thing, as I understand it, the energy behind the prop or the representation is what is used in ceremony and trabajos... But, I could be wrong... :)

Thanks for your participation, could you talk more about what your father practiced?

[Domingo Turey Hernandez]

Thank you Nanu for this topic. There is soo much wisdom given by all who shared, The brother is so right on in regards to the word Jimagua (twins) these and many more Taino words are still used by the old Cubans.

[Anita Pagan]

Taino Ti, gentlemen. Bo'matum for your interest and active sharing.

Please know that, although my tone may be somewhat formal, that is only in the writing... I truly seek to share and learn... There is no intended attitude or provocation on my behalf.

And please, do not misunderstand me, I do not wish to put one culture over another. I may favor my indigenous ancestry over the other two as a matter of personal preference, but this is not meant to condemn them- how could I, when they have all contributed to making me who I am? I seek to define these ancestries, not to elevate one over another, but like Sha mentioned, to more fully embrace them.

Before continuing I would like to clarify that by affirming that the NA were looked upon as "uncivilized" by the Europeans I was not denying that the Africans were not. I think (and of course, this is just a personal opinion) that someone who is dismissing of other ethnicities only sees their own as valid. Like Sha King said, the histories are not dissimilar, however, I think that there is more going on than just "the government and ruling elite" trying to divide and conquer. You will find the same kind of put downs and attacks, criticisms and censure, between our very own! And all the while this abuse is going on they claim a desire for a stronger nation... There is no "ruling elite" inciting this, this is brother to brother!

How this is expressed in the topic of religious syncretism is that you will find some Santeros hiding their santeria activities while celebrating in the more "acceptable" Spiritualism churches. Or we can find some of those who don't hide their Santeria practice then proclaim it as African and disregard the Native contribution as insignificant.

Something that Ifagbenle mentioned that resonated with me deeply was this: "...what I lacked was the acceptance of what made me in every sense of the word."

Wow! I found so much wisdom in that phrase...

I believe this attitude of negativity, this anger and attack is internalized historical hate. We still cannot accept who and what we are, where we come from, fully. I hear the european "superiority" in the attacks: the disrespect to chosen Taino leaders, the ridicule of some Taino groups as "Wannabe Indians", even to the point of ridiculing folks chosen names. There is no acceptance or respect for our search for identity today let alone where we come from. There is still the animosity towards those things "savage". And like I said before, this is coming from brother to brother. We have adopted, internalized and accepted that eurocentric point of view and animosity for things that stray too far from these "acceptable norms". It very well may have been beaten into us originally, but what excuse is there for this sentiment today?

Introspection and self analysis is looked down upon, scholarly endeavors are applauded but not when they focus on personal and spiritual growth, so today we find ourselves becoming a fixed character: predetermined responses that come up automatically when faced with particular situations; inflexible opinions limited to what we believe without actually looking into how true what we are stating may be or where we adopted this understanding. We don't allow for the myriad possibilities that exist, nor the shades of grey that live between "truths". We have forgotten that WE are the creators and as such are limitless...

People close up when you start putting the responsibility of their present reality and opinions on their own shoulders. It's easier to blame someone else...

Ok, I am gonna stop here- for now. I would also like to touch on the brujeria thing as well, but I am very short on time...

Thank you again, for your forbearance and your gracious participation. I look froward to more. In the meanwhile, have a safe holiday.

Oma'bahari
Nanu

[Anita Pagan]

Tau Sha!

Bo'matum for your insightful observations and your fearlessness in sharing them. I am so proud to find another who is open to seeking further, to question. Our society encourages sheep behavior; not to question and accept only what we are spoon fed. It's exciting to find another who looks beyond the material which the spoon is made of.

I have been thinking about this mental conditioning we suffer from and hope to write something about it once I get my thoughts in order- and the time to write...

As for the choice in religious affiliation, I am of the thought that the Creator allows all religions to exist so as to fill different needs. The relationship of an individual and their Creator or Higher Power is intimate and personal, not something that I would feel at all comfortable criticizing. It is up to the individual to decide if they wish to inherit, follow or create their religion and how much of their life is dedicated to spirit.

May I ask what religious views you have and how you practice? Do you have any ceremony or practice that you feel represents your native ancestry?

BTW, feel free to refuse to answer these questions...