What are the Orishas?
Amma McKen: Okay, the Orishas are gods that are represented by each element of nature and act as an intermediary between god and man. And there is one Supreme Being, which is called Olodumare. Olodumare has several praise names: one that would relate to the sun, Olorun; one that would relate to Olojortni, the father of the day; and the praise names go on according to however it relates. And so that’s the one Supreme Being, and then some of the other divinities are: river, Oshun; ocean, Yemanja; thunder and lightning, Shango; the crossroads, Eleggua. The element of iron is Ogun, which would relate to all forms of travel, trains, plans, railroads, and all other elements that have the iron element involved. Blacksmiths. All of those different characteristics relate back to a particular element. NEA: The Yoruba tradition predates both Islam and Christianity. And one way that it spread to the west was, in fact, because of the slave trade. Explain how the Yoruba preserved their traditions in
