The Orisha Religion in Trinidad Today Pt 3-gctid28198

[Kala Kambon]

Continued...

During this time more and more people enter the palais. As the prayer period comes to an end a hymn may or may not be sung, depending in large part upon the whim of the leader. After this, one or more members, "servants to the powers", place a candle flanked by two calabashes containing water and ashes, respectively, at the centre of the palais. A circle of olive oil is drawn around it by slowly pouring the oil from a bottle. The three drummers and the chac-chac players enter and sit at one end of the palais; the leader is in front of them, often resting on a chair. He begins the first song to Eshu, the trickster deity, who in earlier times was also identified as the devil. The drums pick up the beat and the audience begins singing. At the same time a circle of approximately twenty people, mostly women, forms. The women begin to dance in a slow shuffle around the candle and calabash. This dance is said to ensnare or encircle Eshu to keep him from coming to the Ebo and disrupting the procedures. One leader recently referred to this practice as "Eshuing". Seven songs are sung to Eshu and each new song is marked by a reversal of the dancing circle. At the conclusion of the sixth song the candle and calabashes are thrown out by the same "servant to the powers". The circle procedure is known as "getting rid of the devil" or "giving him his due". However, few people today refer to Eshu as the devil.

 Immediately following the last song to Eshu singing begins to Ogun, who is identified as St Michael, the leading deity in the Orisha pantheon. At least seven songs must be sung to Ogun to equal the number sung to the devil, because "the saints are higher than the devil".

Usually, after three or four songs to Ogun, the first possession manifesting the characteristics ascribed to Ogun begins. (Possessions today are generally known as "manifestations". In earlier times, "getting the power" was the more usual description.) Generally a woman dancing in the circle begins violently swaying back and forth. Her eyes become glazed and dilated and her face undergoes a radical transformation, becoming quite masculine, with lips and chin protruding. She falls back and is supported by several bystanders, thereby breaking the circle of dancers. Singing and drumming cease temporarily. One bystander ties a red (Ogun's colour) headband about the possessed woman's head, another ties a sash underneath her stomach, and her jewellery and shoes are removed. During this dressing period the possessed woman is held by others so that the god or "power" may be dressed properly and given a chance to "settle". This "power" then breaks away and begins dancing in the palais. Meanwhile the drumming and singing have resumed. At times the "power" may run into the chapelle and kneel on the floor or run to the "tomb" area or anywhere about the courtyard. The "power" calls for his implements, a sword or cutlass in Ogun's case, and dances with them. Ogun greets the audience, generally in a mixture of English and patois, for example, "Bon Soir, tout monde, good night all." He may bless all present by distributing olive oil either to drink or to be rubbed onto the head and face. The singing to Ogun continues either until Ogun decides that he has had enough songs or until the leader sings to another power. 10 After the arrival of Ogun-St Michael, different powers "manifest" upon other individuals. 11

Most active Orisha participants have one or more special patrons who "manifest" upon them regularly. Such individuals are often, even today, termed "horses" or "saint horses" and identified as "she Ogun [St Michael] horse", or "she take Ogun [Michael]", "Ogun [Michael] manifest on her". Among modern worshippers, the Yoruba Orisha name is more likely to be used, but older members still tend to refer to the saints' names. The more patrons one has, the greater the prestige, so that the leaders can and do "take any power" or "have many manifestations".

 Singing, drumming and spirit possessions continue until three to five o'clock in the morning. The duration depends to some degree upon general fatigue. People then go to sleep for a few hours, finding themselves berths anywhere in the courtyard. Many leave to go home to rest briefly and then go to work. When dawn comes, activities begin again. At sunrise, selected animals are washed and sacrificed to the powers, with the accompaniment of drums. The killing, preceded by the casting of obi seeds to determine if the powers will accept the sacrifice, takes place in the chapelle, and the blood of the animals is splashed over the "tombs". More drum beating and manifestations may take place following the sacrifice until about ten in the morning. People who have regular jobs leave sometime in the morning and return again the following evening. Today, more people tend to leave for their workplaces during the day. One or two of the women remain and spend the day cooking the sacrificed animals. Some food is cooked without salt and this is offered to the powers on large leaves, in front of their particular "tombs". The rest, cooked with salt, is eaten by the participants. At approximately the same time on the next evening the entire ceremony begins again until its conclusion on Saturday morning.

Occasionally, during the late afternoon, one of the water powers may "manifest" upon his or her "horse" and call for a special river ceremony. Then a procession, sometimes dressed in white, marches to the river. Food is placed on the banks of the river and singing and drumming to the particular water power takes place. This only occurs when the leader's courtyard is situated near a river. However, several leaders now routinely hold ceremonies dedicated to the water goddess Oshun. At one such ceremony, as many as 250 people attended the beach ceremony during which flags were placed on the beach and the congregants sang as they formed concentric circles. There were also several short manifestations of Oshun. A high point of the water ceremony was the placing of food sacrifices in the water as offerings to Oshun. The tide is supposed to carry them out but it did not appear strong enough, so several participants waded out into the water and pushed the offerings out.

With the increasing Kmtywization of this religion, more Yoruba festivals are being recreated. Recently, a ceremony honouring the rain was started by one prominent leader and another held a special festival honouring the Orisha Olukun.

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.