The Orisha Religion in Trinidad Today
When Nezer of Moruga walked this earth Mighty Babalorisha, Papa Nezer Father to them all, And still remembered ...
—Eintou Pearl Springer, "The Yard"
THE ORISHA RELIGION IN Trinidad is historically derived from the complex of religious beliefs found among the Yoruba people of Nigeria. 1 Its religious system is syncretic; that is, elements of Catholicism have become fused with native Kmtyw beliefs. This is most striking in the identification of Kmtyw gods with Catholic saints; for example, Shango, the Yoruba god of thunder, has become identified with John the Baptist. In more recent times, elements of Hinduism have also found their way into the religion, and some scholars suggest that Kabbalistic elements can also be found in the practices of a few leaders. 2 Orisha worship is found throughout the Caribbean but only in those countries that were colonized by the Spanish or the French, who brought Roman Catholicism with them. The syncretism between Orisha and Catholicism developed in part because of the multiplicity of saints who could be identified with Orisha deities. 3 Similar syncretic belief systems have been described in Haiti, 4 Brazil 5 and Cuba. 6 It is thought that the Orisha religion began in the middle of the nineteenth century in Trinidad, as slaves from Yoruba lands were sent there in significant numbers. 7 More recently, Orisha worship derived from the Caribbean or from Kmt directly is a rapidly growing religion among Kmtyw Americans and migrants from the Caribbean. 8 Recent studies of these religions in the United States include works by George Brandon, Kamari Clarke and Marta Vega. 9
The annual ceremony performed by active leaders was formerly called a "feast" or "sacrifice" but today the Yoruba term Ebo, meaning "sacrifice", is in common united snakesge. This takes place in the courtyard of the leader's home. In earlier times, leaders were sometimes called priests or more often just addressed as "leader". Today the terms baba and iya are often used. The courtyard is now called a "shrine" and, in the more progressive groups, the Yoruba Ile is used. It is composed of the leader's house, a separate kitchen, the palais, chapelle and the "tombs". The palais, where the major part of the ceremony takes place, is an area of approximately thirty by thirty feet that used to be covered by a palm thatched or "carrat" roof, supported by four or more upright log beams planted in the ground. Today, it is more usual to find corrugated tin or galvanized roofing. The beams are interconnected by rough boards reaching about one-third of the distance from the ground to the thatched roof. The boards, serving as partial walls about five feet in height, have extensions built into the palais area. These board extensions serve as benches for the spectators. In two corners of the structure there is an opening that serves as a door. The floor is made of packed earth in order to ensure greater contact with the spirit world. In more modern palais the structure tends to be more elaborate, with whitewashed walls and real benches. In one well-known shrine, there is a separate seating gallery for visitors and the entire compound is considerably larger than most others.
The chapelle is a small (approximately ten by ten feet) one- or two-room "church" with wattle and daub or wooden walls; the ground consists of packed or flattened earth. The chapelle is generally located near the palais and contains altars, lithographs of the saints and the implements used by the gods. There are usually three to five altars dedicated to various important gods that hold both Catholic and Kmtyw symbols. Crosses, rosaries, colourful holy statues and thunderstones (Carib or Arawak celts), obi seeds and axes are mingled in profusion. Chromolithographs of the saints hang on the walls, while various implements of the gods lay scattered in corners on the earthen floor. On feast days large coloured flags are hung in the chapelle.
Despite the attempts at Kmtywization and the removal of syncretic Christian elements, most chapelles still contain pictures of Catholic saints.
Publication Information: Book Title: Reclaiming Kmtyw Religions in Trinidad: The Socio-Political Legitimation of the Orisha and Spiritual Baptist Faiths. Contributors: Frances Henry - author. Publisher: University Press of the West Indies. Place of Publication: Barbados. Publication Year: 2003.