Yoruba/Santeria: From Africa to the Western World

During the Americas’ long slave-trade history, the majority of Africans brought to the New World were a people known as the Yoruba, from the West Africa region of Nigeria.  The Yoruba religion (known as Santeria among Hispanics) is a traditional nature and ancestor worship system with an oral tradition going back at least 1000 years.  Many Yoruba brought to the New World were delivered to Cuba, Brazil, and Haiti to work the sugar cane fields for the Spanish government.  In order to preserve their religious traditions against Catholic repression, the African slaves syncretized their saints called "orishas" with Catholic saints. Thus, Shango became equated with Saint Barbara; Obatala, Our Lady of Mercy.  Read more . . .