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OXOSSI-Patron Orixa of Hunting

by: David Garcia (dgarc023)

Introduction

Oxossi is a God in the polytheistic religion of Candomble, which has been influenced by the African culture brought from West African slaves to the Americas. Candomble is one of the main religions practiced in present day Brazil, usually centered at around the city of Bahia near the Amazon rainforest. Candomble can also be referred as Macumba although this term is mostly used in the coastal cities of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Candomble is a religion which some believe has Christian roots in certain aspects. It is composed of a large quantity of Gods such as Oxossi, which are called the Orixas. These Orixas are those spirits or deities that represent something of heavenly power, an aspect such as one true God would sustain. Candomble has deities even for the unthinkable such as the Orixa Omolu, which is the Orixa that guards the world of the ill and diseases. The Orixas’ powers vary, some for War, some for water, some for wind, peace, love, etc. The Orixa/Deity in charge of hunting and gathering as well as sometimes considered one of the three Gods of war is the Orixa Oxossi.

Oxossi Origins

Oxossi is considered one of the main deities of Candomble. Oxossi is the God with the divine power and complete control over the hunting methods and in some cases even power over how wars need to be fought, he also has power or is believed to be very skilled in fishing and finding the light, in other words, discovering answers and heloing people find the right exit to their problems. This Orixa has power over weaponry, especially that of the bow and arrow which is a very significant symbol in the God’s identity. As well as being God of the hunters and warriors, it is also seen as a leader, a God of the forest, one of the three warrior Orixas, a finder of paths that no one else can gain access to, a foreseer, i.e. mostly represented as a man seeking for birds to hunt and answers to the future. The Orixa Oxossi is also considered a marvelous fisherman, in certain cases in Brazil, called master hunter and master fisherman. The Orixa Oxossi is believed to have been originated in the Western coast of Africa. It is believed to have originated from the people who practiced Yoruba, a religion closely tied to Candomble which was practiced by the Yoruba in western parts of Africa, such as Nigeria. This being so, many ethnomusicalogists now believe that Candomble and Orixas come from the Western part of the African continent.

Symbols and Identity

Symbols in the polytheistic religion as well as Syncretism play a large role in the way the Orixas are now seen and followed in Brazil. The symbols for the Orixas make up part of the God’s identity. They are the characteristics that make the God an important figure that deserves respect. One of the Orixa's main symbols is iron which according to Afro-Brazilian mythology is what is used to construct Oxossi's bow ands arro. Another symbol are the thicket bushes. Although his favorite colors are blue and yellow, green remains as a main color because of the mixture between the blue and yellow which represents the nature and mother Earth. And last but not least, the bow and arrow which make up the most important aspect which is hunting is the most important symbol, made out of iron as I mentioned before, this tool is used to hunt and in some cases even fish in the wilderness.

Not only is he seen as the hunter and warrior God but he is also seen as an arbitrator when dealing with verbal arguments, fights, or simply the deity of those who are being accused or seeking justice. He is in a way considered the judge deity of the Orixas.

Syncretism is the blending of two religious systems in to an n entirely new system. Candomble is part of this transculturation and syncretism. The original Candomble practiced by the Yoruba was mixed with Christianity when the Portuguese took it into Africa and Brazil which is what caused the product we now have today, the modern Candomble. Oxossi is not simply a mixture of two religions and symbols in to one God but it is also called and spelled differently depending on the geographical location. The Orixa's name, Oxossi, can also sometimes be spelled as Ochosi, Oxosi, Ososi, Osawsi, etc.

Dance and Rituals

Dance in Brazil is very important, its movements and dances such as samba, capoeira all have a relationship with the different Orixas. Oxossi has a particular dance himself. It is habitually seen as the hunting dance because of its hunting hand gestures such as pretending to hold a bow and arrow.

The dance movements include movements of the shoulders, the hips, the torso, the arms and elbows. As the dancer begins the dance, the bow and arrow gesture seem to be the only dance move but as the dance progresses, the Orixa not only represents the hunter as in hunting but also as a horseback rider which then puts you in a different dance situation. As you switch from being in the bow and arrow, keeping a look out for animals to hunt in the forest, you slowly start becoming more and more relaxed, your torso begins to have less movement as your and, arms and shoulders start increasing their movement. As the drums beat harder and harder, the dancer must try to get in the rhythm of that of a galloping horse which in some cases makes the dancer start dancing sideways, as if he/she was on a trained Arabian horse. While the dancer is performing the dance not only is he/she doing the dance with their hands crossing them as if they were holding a bow and arrow but also moving their arms as if they were riding a horse. So as the dance progresses, movements become much faster and much more intense, such as a horseback ride can be. Rituals made in celebration for Oxossi and his greatness include making ceremonial dinners which include traditional Afro-Brazilian food such as "Acaraje, which is made with by frying black eyed peas, onions, and salt in dende oil, and serving with dried shrimp, hot peppers, vatapá, caruru, and fresh vegetables." This food is considered sacred due to its great importance as an offering to the Gods. Rituals and dances are performed in events which are sometimes sponsored by the local Candomble churches. As seen on the videos some of the dances are performed during the Orixa’s special dance or festival, unfortunately for Oxossi, I looked everywhere and simply did not find any events or festivals under his name.

Dance Videos

Oxossi

Works Cited

http://www.transparent.com/portuguese/tag/candomble/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syncretism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxossi

http://klausderik.blogspot.com/2007/11/oxossi.html

http://www.mysticvoodoo.com/ochosi.htm

http://www.lordtiger.com/ochosi.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transculturation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capoeira

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samba

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orisha

http://images.elfwood.com/art/a/c/acarneiro/oxossi.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfOE32OxWhWSQ2gvhtcn_UhxXA8HeVEWSFC8TRLKemrGpmN-2mNq594joYKnwubPx_nvYflSIjvowHnNc82rXsJWBaPh4uQIk5aDbDWrVoz2k66-wOiPGnAxxMo6EDzxTrsBBI5D8T0n9q/s400/oxo.gif

Theory of Maneuvers, Professor Scott