Candomble

The mother-of-saint, left dances through the decorated temple as a father-of-saint, right sings during a Candomble ceremony in Rio de Janeiro's working-class district of Bangu, July 24, 2005. Derived from the Yoruba people of West Africa, who were brought to the New World during the African Slave Trade, Candomble seeks harmony with nature. In fact, many Yoruba priests chose to be captured and sold into slavery so that Africans would have spiritual support in the New World. Candomble worships a number of gods or spirits, derived from African deities, known as Orix‡s. An Orixa is a spirit that reflects one of the manifestations of Olodumare (God). Orixas include Shango, Olokun, Elegua, If‡, Osun, Obatala, Ogun, Oko, Soponna, Oya and Esu, among countless others. Over the centuries Candomble has also incorporated many elements from Christianity and African deities were often identified with specific Catholic saints, in part to mask the illegal religion. In the ceremony, led by the mother-of-saint, each child-of-saint (medianic priest) invokes and "incorporates" an Orixa, falling into a trance-like state. After recovering from the trance, the priest-spirit performs a dance symbolic of the Orix‡'s attributes, while the father-of-saint (leading male priest) sings about the spirit's deeds.(Australfoto/Douglas Engle)

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