Friday, May 15, 2015

Ore Yeye O & Omi O Yemaya: Goodness and Water Shout outs!

Each orisha has a series of praises that are exclaimed at important times in ceremonies and celebrations. For example, when you hear someone singing for Elegua, you may hear a cry of "Laroye!". It is a way of honouring the deities, and flattering them. Two of the most commonly heard praises are for Oshun and Yemaya, and these are also the ones most commonly misspelled.

It is ORE YEYE O, not Ori Yeye O. Ore means goodness, and also denotes spreading, therefore the praise phrase can be rendered as Mother of Goodness. 

Omi O Yemaya! Is an exclamation, something akin to Yemaya's Water, or, Water of Yemaya! Denoting to watch out because just like water, Yemaya is expansive, fundamental for life and worthy of great respect. Confusingly, you could also write it as O mio Yemaya! which would be a natural assumption to Spanish speakers as it sounds like, O my Yemaya!

Let's spread goodness, Ore Yeye oooo!

And let's respect our mother's element, Omi oooo Yemaya!

Monday, April 13, 2015

Parasol and Mazo for Orisha Oko

Orisha Oko takes a pink often called "dusty rose" this pink is difficult to find as the process to make that color in glass uses real gold. In the absence/shortage of real dusty rose Czech beads, many artificial pinks are used in its place. these are often coated in the inside or outside of the bead and wash off. Other beads from China are neon pink, and they give orisha beadwork a tacky or disco quality to it. Something, I am definitely not in favor of. The pink beads you see in these photos for Orisha Oko is the true "dusty rose" and currently costs about $60 for half a kilo/ 1 pound of beads.







Saturday, March 28, 2015

Oshun Ibu Ponda Mazo

This is an epic mazo for Oshun Ibu Ponda, wife of Erinle, Iponda is a huntress and fearless warrior. She is worshipped in both Cuba and Brazil. Her colors include gold/honey, yellow, and turquoise, as well as brass and the yellow/red/green striped beads associated with Erinle. The mazo is made with czech beads, brass, coral, and strung using a special bonded nylon cord so that it will last decades. It is over 5 feet long.





Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Who is Erinle / Inle / Enle?

This is something I wrote in 1997 and since then it has appeared on various websites around the globe, and has been translated into Spanish and Portuguese.



Erinle, also known as Inle or Eyinle, is an Orisha in the Yoruba religion of West Africa. According to the patakis or stories of the faith of the Lukumi derivative of the religion, he is a hunter. As a spirit of abundance, he is believed to serve as both a healer and the patron of gay people. He is said to live in the forest with his brothers Ogun, Ochossi and Osanyin for part of the time. The rest is spent in the farm with Orisha Oko. Usually depicted as being associated with both Yemaya and Otin, he has also been shown to co-habit with Ochun in her river. Finally, he is regarded as the patron and spiritual guardian of Ilobu.
Erinlè is a hunter òrìshà . He is the patron deity of Ilobu, an Ijesha town located in South western Nigeria. Ilobu lies along the Erinlè river, a tributary of the Òshun River, on the road from Ogbomosho to Oshogbo. Ilobu is known as a trade centre for the yams, corn, cassava, oil palms, pumpkins, beans, and okra grown in the region. 
There are many variations on this òrìshà’s name, he is known as Eyinlè in Egbado, Erinlè in Ilobu and Enlè in Okuku. In Cuba and Trinidad he is known as Inlè or Erinlè ‘Ajaja’. Ajaja is an honorific title meaning ‘He who eats dog’ and is punned as Àjàjà ‘The ferocious one’ (Warner Lewis, 1994.) In Brazil, Candomblé Ketu, he is known as Inlè or Òxóssì Ibualama. 
"Erinlè" etymologically means ‘elephant (Erin) in-the-earth’ (ilè) or ‘land-elephant’ in standard Yoruba. Erinlè is a hunter, herbalist and animal husbander. He has close ties with many òrìshà but especially Yemoja, Òshun, Òshóòsì, Ògún, Osányìn and Otin. 
He is envisioned as an extremely wealthy deity, dressed in refined garments, adorned with copious amounts of cowries, coral beads and plumage from hunted game. In Colonial Cuba, ìlekè of Erinlè were composed of coral, jet and gold beads, the very best available. He grants abundance in the form of children as well as bestowing the bounty of the ocean and rivers. He represents the gifts of land, sea and river by fishing and hunting. 
Erinlè is regarded as somewhat of an androgynous deity, he is principally worshipped as a male deity in Yorùbáland. In Cuba, he is thought of by some to be a male aspect of Yemoja Mojelewu. His syncretism with the Archangel Raphael has helped to enhance his androgynous qualities. He is often referred to as the Patron of gay people, who honour him every-year on his feast day in October by burning a straw effigy of a fish and sacrificing to him as well as hosting a formal banquet in his honour. 
His myths tell us he lives in the forest with his brothers Osányìn, Ògún and Òshóòsì, on the farm with Òrìshà Oko, in the sea with Yemoja & Otin, and in the river with Òshun. His ‘true’ residence is the point where the river meets the ocean, where sweet and salt waters swirl mingle. 
It is very unusual for a deity to inhabit ‘two worlds’ being of the earth and the water. Erinlè’s cult symbolism is an amalgamation of these two, often disasociated spheres of existence; further discussed in “Iconography of Erinlè.” 
He uses Osányìn’s herbs to heal. He has the prowess of Òshóòsì to hunt, both on land and in the sea. 
As stated previously, in the New World he has been syncretised with Raphael, who is in actual fact an archangel. Reasons for this syncretism are obvious, Raphael is the patron of Healers. His lithograph shows a young man often dressed in pink and blue, standing on the edge of the river; holding a fish in one hand and a staff with a medicine gourd in the other. 
In Nigeria, Erinlè has many avatars known as ibú (deep water pool), including the following: 
Ibú Ojútù  
Ibú Alámo  
Ibú Owáálá  
Ibú Abátàn  
Ibú Ìyámòkín  
Ibú Àánú
It is the oríkì of each ibú that distinguishes between the different paths or ‘personalities’ of Erinlè such as one dwelling on his prowess as a hunter, another on his drinking, another on the might of the deep river (K. Barber 1981.) Individual oríkì are chanted at the annual Erinlè festival, as well as being collectively invoked: 
Eníbúmbú, olódò-odò, olómi-omi 
All you pools, all you rivers, all you waters
In Cuba, there is no distinction between the different personalities of Erinlè, This may be due to the fact that one path of Erinlè’s cult was prominent in Cuba, as only one or two priests may have given this òrìshà in the early days of the religion in the Americas.  However he is accompanied by Ibojuto (discussed in Iconography of Erinlè) and Abátàn.
Rather than being a dimension ior avatar of Erinle, Abátàn (or Abàtà = swamp) for the Lulumi is the deity of the marshland. Abátàn is regarded as the female companion of Erinlè but some do recognise Abátàn as male. When Erinlè is consecrated for an initiate, Abátàn also is received. She has separate songs and oríkì. Her ritual colours are yellow, green, gold and pink coral (Some Lukumi lines of worship give an ìlekè of Abátàn incorporating these colours in patterns of 7 and 14 as well as one for Erinlè). Abátàn eats with Erinlè, and partakes in all his offerings. Offerings made specifically to appease Abátàn are taken to the marsh, the place of nature where she is propitiated. Abátàn is also associated with wealth.
In Candomblé Ketu, Erinlè has been incorporated as an avatar of Oxossi called Oxossi Ibualama, the wife of Oshun Iponda with whom he gave birth to Logun Ede.



Erínlè é um Orixá caçador. Ele é o patrono de Ilobu. Ilobu está localizado no sudoeste da Nigéria, Situa-se ao longo do rio Erínlè, um afluente do rio Òsun, na estrada de Ogbomosho para Oshogbo. Ilobu é um centro de comércio para o inhame, milho, mandioca, dendê, abóboras, feijão e quiabo cultivadas em uma área de savana habitada principalmente pelos iorubás. Existem muitas variações sobre o nome dele, ele é comumente conhecido como Erínlè dentro de Egbado, Erínlè em Ilobu, Enlè em Okuku. Em Cuba e Trinidad ele é conhecido como Inlè ou Erínlè "Ajaja '. Ajaja é um título honorífico, Ajaja significado "Aquele que come cão" e punned como Ajaja 'The uma feroz "(Warner Lewis, 1994). No Brasil, Candomblé Ketu, ele é conhecido como Inlè e Òshóòsì Ibualama.
"Erínlè" significa "elefante (Erin) in-the-terra" (ILE) ou "elefante-terra '. Erínlè é um caçador, fitoterapeuta e animal husbander. Ele tem laços estreitos com muitos orixá mas especialmente Yemojá, Osun, Òshóòsì, Ogun, OSANYIN e Otín. Ele é visto como um orixá extremamente rico, vestido com roupas refinadas, adornado com grandes quantidades de búzios, contas de coral e plumagem da caça. Em Colonial Cuba, ìlekè de Erínlè eram compostas de coral, jato e ouro contas, o melhor que poderia lhe dar. Ele concede abundância na forma de crianças, bem como tesouro do mar e rios. Ele representa os dons da terra, mar e rio de pesca e caça. Erínlè é considerado como alguns que de uma divindade andrógina, ele é principalmente adorado como uma divindade masculina em Yorùbáland. Ele é considerado por alguns como um aspecto masculino de Yemoja Mojelewu. Seu sincretismo com o Arcanjo Rafael ajudou a aprimorar suas qualidades andróginas. Ele é muitas vezes referido como o padroeiro dos gays, que o honram todos os anos no dia de sua festa, queimando uma efígie de palha de um peixe e sacrificar a ele, bem como hospedagem de uma refeição formal em sua honra. Ele vive na floresta com seus irmãos Osányìn, Ogun e Òshóòsì, na fazenda com Orixá Oko, no mar com Yemoja & Otin, e no rio com Oxum. Sua residência "verdadeiro" é o ponto onde o rio encontra o oceano, onde as águas doces e sal misturar.
É muito incomum para uma divindade para habitar 'dois mundos' que da terra e da água. Cult simbolismo de Erínlè é uma fusão destes dois, esferas muitas vezes disasociated de existência; discutido na "Iconografia de Erínlè." Ele usa ervas de OSANYIN para curar. Ele tem a proeza de Òshóòsì para caçar, tanto em terra como no mar. Como foi referido anteriormente, no Novo Mundo, ele foi syncretised com Raphael, que é, na realidade, um arcanjo. Razões para isso sincretismo são óbvias, Raphael é o patrono dos curandeiros. Sua litografia mostra um homem jovem, muitas vezes vestida de rosa e azul, de pé na beira do rio; segurando um peixe em uma mão e uma equipe com uma cabaça medicina na outra. Olòrìsà em Ilobu
Em Ilobu, Erínlè tem muitas estradas / avatars, conhecidos como IBU (piscinas), tais como Ibu Ojútù, Ibu Alamo, Ibu Owáálá, Ibu Abátàn, Ibu Mokin, Ibu Àánú, Ibu Ondun, Ibu Asunnara, Ibu Abadi, Ibu Ijesa, Ibu Pakolo, Ibu Ibusain, Ibu Agbandada, Ibu Apanla, Ibu Eleyele, Ibu Otin (Otin Ijabe omo Okoye).
É o oríkì de cada ibú que distingue entre os diferentes caminhos ou "personalidades" de Erínlè como uma morada em seu talento como um caçador, outro sobre a bebida, outro sobre o poder do rio profundo (K. Barber 1981.) oríkì individuais são cantados no festival anual de Erínlè, assim como está sendo chamado coletivamente: Eníbúmbú, olódò-Odo, olómi-omi, ou seja, tudo o que você piscinas, tudo que você rios, tudo que você águas.
Em Cuba, não há distinção entre as diferentes personalidades de Erínlè. Isto pode ser devido ao fato de que um caminho do culto de Erínlè foi destaque em Cuba, como apenas um ou dois sacerdotes pode ter dado a este orixá nos primeiros dias da religião nas Américas. n Candomblé Ketu, Erínlè tem dois caminhos. Um aspecto é considerado um velho caçador, chamado Erinle / Òshóòsì Ibualama.
O outro caminho é mais jovem e mais delicado e bonito, normalmente chamado Inlè. Na tradição Lucumi, Erínlè é acompanhado por Ibojuto (discutido na Iconografia de Erínlè) e Abátàn. Abátàn (ou Abata = pântano) é a divindade da baixada. Abátàn é geralmente considerado como a companheira feminina de Erínlè mas alguns reconhecem Abátàn como masculino. Quando Erínlè é recebido em cerimônia, Abátàn também é recebido. Ela tem canções e oríkì separados.
Suas cores rituais são amarelo, verde, ouro e coral (Algumas linhas Lucumí de culto dar um ìlekè de Abátàn incorporando essas cores em padrões de 7 e 14.) Abátàn come com Erínlè e participa em todas as suas ofertas. Oferendas feitas especificamente para Abátàn são levados para o pântano. Abátàn também é rico como Erínlè. Na Nigéria, como pode ser visto a partir da lista acima de estradas Ioruba, Abátàn é um ibú de Erínlè.

Important Orisha Public Service Announcements!


Your Ori is in good hands, maferefun gbogbo orisha!

A range of beadwork elekes, mazos for the orichas /orishas is shown at www.olorishas.com

Some recent orisha ides



Here are a few ides I have made in recent weeks. The first is for Yemaya Ashaba, the second for Chango / Shango, and the third is Yemaya Okuti








yemoja yemanja okute ogunte ocuti sango shango chango xango 

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Ogun Arere Mazo

Here is a mazo I made recently for Ogun arere. It contains 4 different shades of green, as well as black and matipo (rust brown).





Roads of Ogun include: Oggún Alagbade, Onire,  Irebalé,  Omokan, Oke Awura, Ogún Kobu Kobu, Oggún Chibiriki or Shibiriki. His mother is Onlie, the milton core of Earth.

Monday, February 9, 2015

Maraca for Yemaya - Yemoja ashere - Iemanja axere


MARACA FOR YEMAYA







This is a hand painted wooden maraca that has been beaded in the colours of Yemaya Okuti / Ogunte.
Yemaya, Yemalla, Yemoya, Iemanja, Yemoja is an Orisha and considered to be the mother of all Orishas and the universe. She is syncretized with the Virgin Mary, Our lady of Regla, and Stella Maris.



Yoruba: Yemọja
Portuguese: Yemanjá, Iemanjá, Janaína
Spanish: Yemayá, Iemallá, Afrequete, Yemollá,
French / Kreyol: Iemanja, La Sirène


In Yoruba mythology, Yemoja is a mother spirit; patron spirit of women, especially pregnant women; and the Ogun river.


Her name is a contraction of the Yoruba words: "Yeye omo eja" which means "Mother whose children are like fish." This represents the the vastness of her motherhood, her fecundity, and her reign over all living things.





Nana Buruku Mazo - Nana Bukuun

Nana Buruku (or Nana-bouclou) is the Supreme Goddess of the Ewe-Fon from Dahomey, present day Benin, west Africa. In Dahomean oral history, Nana Buruku is the Supreme Creator of the universe and all that exists in it. Twins were born to Nana Buluku: the moon spirit Mawu and the sun spirit Lisa. She also gave birth to Dada Asoyi Asodji, also known as Sakpata, Sopona, Babalu Aye, Omolu Obaluaiye.

This is a mazo I made for Nana, it is black and pink with mother of pearl accents.





Oh Goddess, My Heart! Beaded Bata / Anya Drum Set for Oshun Obu Anya

Oshun Ibu Anya - Oshun whose path is the Anya drum is the Oshun that brings the joy, knowledge, and power of music and dance to humanity and lifting our collective souls. Percussion, as well as call and response singing are essential for communication between the realms of living, the orishas, ancestors, and God. Oshun is the the pulse of life, our hearts pound out the rhythm of our lived reality and she fires passion and energy with every step. Who hasn't felt the hammering of the heart in times of love or excitement? Or the soothing beat of the heart that begins in the womb, and ends with the last breath that we will each take. In all of our moments in life, we are accompanied and guided by the heart and its rhythm measures the pace of time and echoes the meaning we give to our place in the world.

When we feel pain, be it of emotional, physical or spiritual origin, we might clutch our chest while choking tears or feeling the prickly, flushing sensations of the skin and exclaim, "Oh god, my heart!"  but we should really be exclaiming,"Oh goddess, my heart!" for it is Iyalode Oshun that powers the beat.

Oshun in her aspect of Ibu Kole, saved the world, specifically by being humble and she illuminates these characteristics and holds them in high regard.

I have been making beaded sets of miniature bata drums for Oshun for years. I devised a way of incorporating beads with these beautiful small sets of bata so that they can adorn shrines for Oshun. This set is designed to be placed on Oshun Ibu Anya's vessel, her sopera or tinaja, and look magnificent given the colours of this particular path. The combination of a set of drums with a mazo is a wonderful sight, indeed. I also make these sets for Shango, too.




Some items are for sale at http://www.etsy.com/shop/OrishaArts
See our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/OrishaArts

www.olorishas.com