OxumCandomble is one of the Afro-Brazilian religions practiced in Brazil as well as neighbor countries. It was brought from Africa to Brazil between the sixteen and nineteenth century, as the Portuguese brought African slaves to the Americans. It is a polytheistic religion, which means that it worships and believes in many gods or deities. The deities are known to be the guides between the people and Olodumare, creator-god. The Catholic Church later prohibited Africans the practice of the Candomble and instead they were forced to convert into Catholicism. As Catholics, they were only allowed to believe and worship Catholic Saints in place of their deities.
Despite the Catholic Church’s attempt to abolish Candomble, Afro-Brazilians continue having their original belief and simply applying the new ones. They began to connect the Saints they were being impose with the Orixás many were familiar with. From the outside it seemed as if they were worshiping the Catholic saints, which in some case Candomble followers did while they felt as they were worshiping their Orixás. “[In Brazil] each [Orixá] is identified with one or more Catholic saint”. (Fryer, 14) In this form, the transculturation did not impact African American as harsh as it could have been. Canbomble is still being practiced today, rich in culture and history.
The celebrations consist of rituals, dance, costumes, music, and food. “Each Orixás is characterized by particular symbols: colours, song, anecdote, object, animal, plant, and atmospheric phenomena” (Fryer, 14). These symbols are represented in their dances. Their complete stories are told by gesture and movements that go along with various rhythms of the particular deity. Oxum is the deity of the beauty of life. Things tha make life pleaseant and worth livivng. She brings the sense of art and protection of life by sheltering pregnant women and their fetuses. Her dance captivates the elements of beauty and protection.
The Orixá
Oxum is the goddess of the Oxum River in Nigeria. She is Orixá of love, beauty, maternity, and wealth. She is known to be extremely vain, as well as gentle, caring. Loving and. She is presented to be a beautiful and sensual young woman who at time is converted into a mermaid. In the Catholic Church she was identified as La Caridad del Cobre, Senora de la Conception.
Her attribute are clear as you see her. Covered with gold all around captivates her sensuality. Around her neck hang necklaces of gold color beads that ornament her chest. Her hands are filled with tin large bracelets as she hold a mirror and a comb of tortoise. She fully represents the artistic and beautiful that she is known for advocating.
Oxum favorite foods are those such as cake, oranges, cinnamon, honey, and melon. These are abundant to share during her celebration every year. She also likes made of yam, shrimp, goat, black-eye beans, and peas. Her offering are place in rivers, lake and waterfalls.
The Dance
During a Candomble ritual, the spirit of the Orixás descend into the worshippers bodies. The worshipper then takes the role of the Orixás and acts as the intermediary while he/she performs her dance. Oxum dances include the main gestures symbolizing water, a mirror, and a fan as she manifests her powers and her atmospheric phenomena. It can be describe as the “dance of passion” .
Oxum is the goddess of the Oxum River in Nigeria. She is Orixá of love, beauty, maternity, and wealth. She is known to be extremely vain, as well as gentle, caring. Loving and. She is presented to be a beautiful and sensual young woman who at time is converted into a mermaid. In the Catholic Church she was identified as La Caridad del Cobre, Senora de la Conception.
Her attribute are clear as you see her. Covered with gold all around captivates her sensuality. Around her neck hang necklaces of gold color beads that ornament her chest. Her hands are filled with tin large bracelets as she hold a mirror and a comb of tortoise. She fully represents the artistic and beautiful that she is known for advocating.
Oxum favorite foods are those such as cake, oranges, cinnamon, honey, and melon. These are abundant to share during her celebration every year. She also likes made of yam, shrimp, goat, black-eye beans, and peas. Her offering are place in rivers, lake and waterfalls.
The Dance
During a Candomble ritual, the spirit of the Orixás descend into the worshippers bodies. The worshipper then takes the role of the Orixás and acts as the intermediary while he/she performs her dance. Oxum dances include the main gestures symbolizing water, a mirror, and a fan as she manifests her powers and her atmospheric phenomena. It can be describe as the “dance of passion” .
The dance is done along the rhythm of Ijexá, “the name of a region in Africa where the Oxum river flows”. It is compose of three basic drums: the rum, rum-pi, and le. The sound of the drums together with the agogo bell is dedicated just for her. Ass “the alabes sing: Yeye o! Yeye ye sorodo!” (Murphy& Sanford, 69) She leans against the waterfall as she admirers her reflection from a mirror and comb her hair. She shakes her shoulders as she rinses the water of her body. As a mermaid she places a foot right in front of the other and balances her weight back and forth. Holding her hand up high as if holding two mirrors, Oxum spins around freely.
The video illustrates the Oxum dance. The color of gold is abundant, and the gestures pertaining to Oxum are present. The dance it accompanied by the rhythm of Ijexá.
Mythology
The story from her early life is said to be "riddled with poverty and tragedy". She was obligated to become a prostitute in order to continue supporting her children. They were then taken away from her by the Orixás due to her life style. She only prossesed one dress, which she washed along the river everyday. The dress turn yellow after time and affiliated her with the color of gold. After falling in love with her, Aje'-Shaluga embedded Oxum with "cowries, gold and jewels". This gave her back her life, by "receiving back her children and her good reputation". For this reason she became known for wealth and good fortune
Oxum is said to be the second wife of Xango. Xango was first married to Oba, the old and innocent Orixá. Oxum told Oba she captivated Xongo with her cooking. Oxum told Oba that her secrete ingredient was a piece of her ear she added to the soup Xango liked. "To match her rival’s actions, Oba cut off her own ear. She prepared amala, Xongo favorite dish, and put the ear in it. When he discovered ir, Xango became horrified with such barbarity”(Murphy& Sanford, 73). Oba said without her ear and dances with her hand covering her misfortune.
She is also known to have saved the earth. A version of this story is that “some elders say that Olodumare had a terrible drought, while others maintain that it was day after day of rain that threatened humans and the orishas”. Oxum was able to acchieve what many Orixás has attempted, but failed to accomplish. She flew up to heaven to speck to Olodumare, creator of eve thing. She expresses her desire for him to save the earth. She not only accomplished her goal but became the “appointed her as his messenger to humans and the orishas.”
Oxum is the deity representing the beauty of life and art. Not only is she physically beautiful but she is also a strong women. “Like her element, the river, she overflows with power and magnificence.” (Sanfprd, Jeseph M. Murphy and Mei-Mei)
Her power can be seen as very important becausee, in on way or the other, love is an essential component of life. There are diferent ways of expressing it, but it in the end it come down to love and care. For these reasons, Oxum continues to be honor by many people as she lives as the pure waterin lake, rivers, and waterfalls.
The video illustrates the Oxum dance. The color of gold is abundant, and the gestures pertaining to Oxum are present. The dance it accompanied by the rhythm of Ijexá.
Mythology
The story from her early life is said to be "riddled with poverty and tragedy". She was obligated to become a prostitute in order to continue supporting her children. They were then taken away from her by the Orixás due to her life style. She only prossesed one dress, which she washed along the river everyday. The dress turn yellow after time and affiliated her with the color of gold. After falling in love with her, Aje'-Shaluga embedded Oxum with "cowries, gold and jewels". This gave her back her life, by "receiving back her children and her good reputation". For this reason she became known for wealth and good fortune
Oxum is said to be the second wife of Xango. Xango was first married to Oba, the old and innocent Orixá. Oxum told Oba she captivated Xongo with her cooking. Oxum told Oba that her secrete ingredient was a piece of her ear she added to the soup Xango liked. "To match her rival’s actions, Oba cut off her own ear. She prepared amala, Xongo favorite dish, and put the ear in it. When he discovered ir, Xango became horrified with such barbarity”(Murphy& Sanford, 73). Oba said without her ear and dances with her hand covering her misfortune.
She is also known to have saved the earth. A version of this story is that “some elders say that Olodumare had a terrible drought, while others maintain that it was day after day of rain that threatened humans and the orishas”. Oxum was able to acchieve what many Orixás has attempted, but failed to accomplish. She flew up to heaven to speck to Olodumare, creator of eve thing. She expresses her desire for him to save the earth. She not only accomplished her goal but became the “appointed her as his messenger to humans and the orishas.”
Oxum is the deity representing the beauty of life and art. Not only is she physically beautiful but she is also a strong women. “Like her element, the river, she overflows with power and magnificence.” (Sanfprd, Jeseph M. Murphy and Mei-Mei)
Her power can be seen as very important becausee, in on way or the other, love is an essential component of life. There are diferent ways of expressing it, but it in the end it come down to love and care. For these reasons, Oxum continues to be honor by many people as she lives as the pure waterin lake, rivers, and waterfalls.
Works Cited
Fryer, Peter. Rhythms of Resistance . Habocer, NH: University Press of New England , 2000.
O Espelho de Oxum. 5 May 2009
Omari, Mikelle Smith. From the Inside to the Outside: the Art and Ritual of Bahian Condomble. Los Angeles : Museum of Cultural History UCLA, 1984.
Orixa of Love and Money Protectress of the Arts and Crafts Orixa of Fresh Water. 6 MAy 2009
Owusu, Heike. Voodoo rituals: a user's guide. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc, 2002.
OXUM. 5 May 2009
Rough Guides To Brazil. 5 May 2009
Sanfprd, Jeseph M. Murphy and Mei-Mei. Osun Across the Waters . Bloomington, In: Indiana University Press, 2001.
Images
Great list of references, Sindy! I hope you continue to be such an avid researcher. Keep working hard on your writing. It will take you at least 4 drafts per paper to get the results that your research merits. Watch out for missing words, dropped 's,' and general misspellings.
ReplyDelete√+ (because the research was on point;->)