page_title: Candomblé
section_title: The Orishas
hierarchical_section_title: Candomblé / Beliefs / The Orishas
caption_attribution_description: English: Statuette of the lemanjá, a goddess of the ocean in Afro-Brazilian religions
context_page_description: Candomblé is an Afro-Brazilian religion that developed in Brazil during the early 19th century. It arose through a process of syncretism between the traditional Yoruba religion of West Africa and the Roman Catholic form of Christianity. There is no central authority in control of the movement.
  Candomblé is monotheistic, involving the veneration of sprits known as orishas who work as intermediaries for a supreme being. These are often identified both as Yoruban Orishas as well as Roman Catholic saints. Various myths and stories are told about these orishas. As an oral tradition, it does not have holy scriptures. Practitioners of Candomblé believe in a Supreme Creator called Oludumaré, who is served by lesser deities, which are called Orishas. Every practitioner is believed to have their own tutelary orisha, which controls his or her destiny and acts as a protector. Music and dance are important parts of Candomblé ceremonies, since the dances enable worshippers to become possessed by the orishas. In the rituals, participants make offerings like minerals, vegetables, and animals.
context_section_description: Candomblé focuses on the worship of the orishas or orixás.
  Practitioners varyingly define these orishas as "African sprits," "energies", or "forces of nature", and they are often conceived as being ancestral figures. The orishas are believed to mediate between humanity and Olorun, the creator deity.
  In Candomblé, the relationship between the orishas and humanity is seen as being one of interdependence, with practitioners seeking to build harmonious relationships with these deities. Each orisha is associated with specific colours, foods, animals, and minerals.
  The orisha Exú is regarded as a trickster; he is always fed first in any ritual. Exú guards entrances.
  These West African deities have been equated with various Roman Catholic saints. From the later twentieth century, some practitioners have attempted to distance the orishas from the saints as a means of re-emphasising the religion's West African origins.
  In Candomblé altars, the orishas are often represented with images and statues of Roman Catholic saints. For instance, the orisha Oxum has been conflated with Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.
  Each day of the week is associated with a different orisha; the priesthood also states that each year is governed by a specific orisha who will influence the events taking place within it.
  Candomblé teaches that every individual has a particular orisha whom they are connected to. It is taught that the individual of this orisha can be ascertained through divination. This orisha is described as being the "master or mistress of the person's head." It is believed that they have an influence on the person's personality and social interactions. Failing to identify one's orisha is sometimes interpreted as the cause of various types of mental illness by practitioners. Depending on the orisha in question, an initiate may choose to avoid or to engage in certain activities, such as not eating specific foods or wear specific colours.
  Candomblé is a polytheistic religion and worships a number of gods:
  the orishas of the Yoruba (Ketu nation), spelled Orixás in Portuguese;
  the voduns of the Fon and Ewe (Jeje nation); and
  the nkisis (minkisi) of the Kongo (Bantu nation).
  These deities are believed to have been created by a supreme God, Olodumare (called Nzambi by the Kongo people; and Nana Buluku by the Fon people). The orishas and similar figures form a link between the spiritual world and the world of humans.
  Candomblé practitioners believe that every person has their own tutelary deity which controls his or her destiny and acts as a protector. Each deity represents a certain force in nature and is associated with certain foods, colors, animals, and days of the week. A person's character or personality is strongly linked to their deity. Collectively, ancestors are called Egum in Brazil. During important ceremonies, priests and priestesses masquerade as Baba Egum and specially choreographed dances will be performed in order to become possessed of each ancestor spirit.
caption: A statuette of the orisha Iemanjá in Brazil
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