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    Four New World - Jhon Mason

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    Mangel Mangel Vazgar
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    za Oo Cc Y.T.A Pubications Available Black Gods-Orlsd Studies in the New Werk’ ly Joho Mason and Gary Eawards “Thine major Yorba deides are discussed In depth. Thele symbets Personal characzriaics, philosophic values, animal tasers, corresponding body paris and Teast days are all reviewed One of the best works on traditonal siohn Mason and. "Gary" Edwarde fawn understanding of Woelr materil..A vain. ste that gives 0 feng of suing tn the presence of great swryishors bony Man book Review Orin Orieds Songs For Selected Hoods by shor Mason ‘This Is the Ars comprehonsive translation aad ceview of mare wer 890 Yorks songs tnt have been susod'in ‘Cha, hy Afreans “are their descendents, for over two hundred yeaes, and In the US. ane 1000, to pralst and ‘envoke some £5 Grigareoluen, The. caaaice character of the music, songs, and Wsorle/elemental archiypes b iseussed fay e “suady of African religion In the New World has changed th focus and methoickgcal approaches..now words of resoar. ddaive teyond mere identfteation and description, tt cam be sald that new ressarch conutboter to the understanding th tn splis of the fagth of ume out of Afslca, tmach ef une re fand misle and “dance has retained tis orginal ferme Mason's Ort Gris exemplifies research cl the ltie= Ccalggory. Mason takes hir reader inside the Yorba panties ‘of deltes and discusses the meaning of the Yoru names these datios. “inshore, thle” book contains. weallh oF information unavallable until now and este the tome for row trend of research im African reli, on the cominenc » ‘well a6 ip the diaspora. Strongly” recummended, Choice Review, December 1902 Four New Werkl Yonibsi tara by ot Mason. detailed review of translated prayers; chante and ceremonies sociated with four catagories of Yorits ritual maintained by New orld Origi devotees, Rituale dealing wih the repost for anexor cearrying out blood sscifee, performings divinaton, and propane meting are all closely revlewes. EZ ISBN 1-381264-03-2 FOUR NEW WORLD YORUBA RAL ~ | | JOHN MASON vores: Copyright © 1986 by John Mason, Al|Rights Reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the author, Published ty: YorUb’ Theological Archministry 488 Putnam Avenue Brooklyn, N.Y. 11221 Printed in the United Stato of America ‘Third Ration 1999 Library of Congress Catalog No,09-060507 ISBN res1240-05-2 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FORWARD FUNDAMENTALS SIN EGUN (Ancestor Worship) EBO EJE, (Blood Secritics) DIDA OBI (Kola Divination) OsAnvin ADURA CAPTIONS REFERENCES INDEX 2 382 189 uo 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS | would like to thank my family, friends end teachers: Olofin, Brisa, Mom, Pop, Miros and Masons, Valerie, Adeyemi, Ayodele, Benito Akdama, Ernesto Arenas, Bashiru Bademade, Gustavo de Armas Guriel, Bugenio Lamar Delgado, Henry Dreval,” Emiliano Estrad Glaudia Mola Fernandes, Juan Garcia, Marie Giasi, Jerry Koller, Quintin Leeon, Victor Manfredi, Oseye Mchawi, Oscar Francisco Morejon, Theophilus Ojo, Christopher Oliana, Adedayo Ologunduda, Dolores Perea, Jose Rodriguez, Erik Rucker, Oswald Simmonds, Robert ‘Thompson, Rolando Valdes, Estoban Vega, Owado Cardena Villamil FOREWORD ‘The essays presented in these pages record a small part of the cultural legacy, and examine the forces that helped to shape the legacy of vera slaves forced to adapt to the reality of inhuman, forced servitude in a foreign land. ‘Slavery officially ended in Cuba in 1886; only one hundred even years ‘ago. For approximately four hundred years, Yorihi. in Cuba have been weighing and amending what things of cultural value could be carried formard and kept in trust for those of their children whom they knew ‘would one day be free and in need of these treasures, Never, with no help has go much be kept for so long for so many. It is in the protective environment of the ritual arena, with its strict rroles and conservative outlook, that we see these cultural heirlooms displayed. Like freedom fighting cell members, each person brings higher part of the whole and reconstitutes the historical hologram that instructs. ‘Traditional cultures understood and utilized techniques that ‘modern’ social and behavioral researchers are just recently making ‘available to educators. People remember 10% of what they hear; 30% of what they see; and, 80% of what they do, Ritual combines these factors to achieve optimum retention. Ritual performance is carefully studied ‘and the text, costumes, sets, and movements memorized by the neophyte understudies in order for the gems of the culture to be passed ‘on once again. Jn the nine years since these essays were published, the world of the ‘rls worshipper has enlarged and undergone some revolutionary changes, So that we may consider the ramifications ofthese changes, 1 have updated the ‘original essays and included a paper presented in 1989 at symposium entitled ‘Cultural Vibrations: Yoruba Transformations and Continaities in the Yoruba Diaspora”. The symposium was hosted by the Center for Aftican Studies at the ‘University of Florida at Gaineville Joho Mason REMEMBER "There's glory ahead; if only we persevere ‘There's genius here; if only we prepare ‘There's enough forall: if only we share ‘There's love a-plonty; if only we care Please, please, please don't relent or despair ‘Wonly for the memory of the millions of lives ‘Spent climbing that crystal stair. ‘There's a new world to make; a brass ring to snare Unless we forget. John Mason Fundamentals: Criteria For Change "MEN AND THINGS COME ROUND AGAIN, ETERNAL AS THE SEASONS" RUDYARD KIPLING IN MEMORY OF: QBANJOKO - MERCEDES NOBLE "SHE PREPARED THE TABLE FOR ALL OF US TO EAT AT" "QBA KOSO KifSI EKQ ARAI “THE KING DID NOT HANG. 1S THERE NOT THE SCREAM OF THUNDER?” Conversations with Quintin Lecon, Babalawol, Havana, Cuba aly 3, 1986 *. tom, Matanzas came singé Bf, Pedro Yole, who informed me {ist Tata Galkan?, Eworie Rodriguez, had died. We went immediately o the Church of tie Holy Spirit in Regla. That was the fist church builtin Havana, ‘There we performed a ceremony for Tata that is no longer done here in Cubz because the elders ate dying off There are few of us left and the younger people ate not doing things totally correct. They are doing things backwards ‘That is why we elders that are left are so jealous of our fundamento,* 1 asked Quintin wiat he meant by fundamento and if | could posses it ‘After much discussion, we arrived at the conclusion that fundamento represented the ancient and basic principles and methods that govorned the maintenance of our culture and because of my relative young ags, 37 Yeats old al that time, I could not possess fundamento, At that point a great debate took place; the young. modern babaléelea versus the old, enduring babalawo, In the fend we found common ground, We agreed that when the Affican slaves centered Cua they brought their physical ability, intellectual and spiritual knowledge, and the capacity to transform this knowledge into fundamentally familiar elements in 2 novel environment. In this way they established new basic principles which satisfied both their socal and spisitual needs while ‘conforming to their imperfect memories. The foundation shied. Fandamentals: Criteria For Change Convers in 1950, Matanzas, Cuba Joly 14, 1986 with Juan Garcia, Babalirii, Olpbitila, historian, initiated * ..We investigators are trying to find out che origins ofthe Bmbs.3 ‘We are tying to find out how can the oral trdon be mainained. Now, there is something mach more important, the wtten tradition. ° What is written is ‘not forgotten" goes the old refrain. How many things have we lost? Each ‘man and woman who has lived in that world of oral tradition represents a folkloric library. When the people we have spoken t0 die all of that {information goes with them. This is why 1 am in complete agreement with the ‘égiin song that Maximillano gave me. It says, “ALAGBA ‘LAGBA KO FE ‘909% - THE VERY HONORED ELDER IS NOT ABOUT TO SPEAK". ‘When you die you can no longer see nor talk. Your knowledge dies with you unless you are able to transmit if to another, Look atthe variants which exist Jost because of a mistake in the oral transmission. When 1 inherit something like that and do nat ase why itis incorect but just keep doing it there comes a time when “the Lie becomes the tru,” ‘Our aim is to examine the dynamics of this transformation. When (Quintin used the Spanish word, findamento, he used iti a definitely Yorba way. ‘The terms Ipij?, laf, and patakt are employed by New World Yordbia ‘when speaking about things that are original, basic, and important, Ipils which ‘ranslaes variously as foundation, beginning, rot, and origin, comes from the ‘00! word Pii-to begin, to originate (Pa + ip - cleared land). ‘This term is used in the following New World song for Ogi: Oftin dé Agere OF lp Ghingbo Opin wa WEcamets oes Ne” sin has arived ttt be knot ‘The voilent earth-shaker Ogran divides Orsi clear th and Ogiin clears the road Violent eanhstaker -May you ive forever in the workd Fundamentals: Criteria For Change “This song alludes to Ogi being crowned the frst king of the Ore because of his ability to lear the land and create roads: Before an could quit the role of hunter and gatherer and founda sedentary civilization agriculturally ‘based he had to become maser ofthe land. Aboriginal homers and tei patron Sein’ technology made this possible Therefore the basis of all that is authoriatve and orignal emanates from the land and its fist init Except in the song previonsly noted, itis my experience that Yorba descendants in Cuba refiain fom using the erm HALE when deseribing things that are original and fundamental. Their status as slave, the fact thatthe Siboney and Arawak in Cuba filled the roles of primary land clearers and {inhabitants ad that and ownership and social authority resed inthe hands of white planation owners, all stand out as possible reasons for this rience. “he term most often wed to desribe the base and cause of things is DF which so translates to mean butocks. But we cannot flly understand Ue use of the ‘word IDf by Yorba descendants in Cuba unless we frst acquaint ourslves with te Oda Oalf When we perform svten cory divination and Oe Maj appears we salute her saying: Ol Aga. MS. Eri Ox (wall of hnbitval casio, slave ofthe Orlg)®. The action ofthe edi is made clear and conrete by its Being transformed into a fortified wall constructed from the protective and durable material of ancient wadtions bobitually pefermed, Iti this wall that protcts ll those enclosed within from deat, sickness, loss, rcechery, and ‘il thoughts. Itbars the way to Oa, wrong sdeness,prversiy, adulteration al the Oa, speaks of oa, the wall which in turn puss on what is 1D, base and casa, habitual custom.” Observed customs inthe service of lg serve 28 the basic seasons for living. As walls they ae pl, fundamental impartni, and conservative in outlook, Walls resist change, Iparada’, the masking of ‘asics, and support setlement, 145, They sand, DS Barre ftom the ability to claim tle to the land, Yorba. descendants ‘in Cuba settled on the use of words and actions that taught them why and how they could defend themselves in a hostile world. By shackling themsclves to the will of OLOFIN, the law giver, the Seles, each other, and custom, they created the base and the wall to go around it!®: They even called ther guiding principles, Regla de Ops (RulesRegulations ofthe Orlsi). ‘The people became like the land. In the early years their thoughts and plans must have taker them back to their home in West Africa. believe it was the same for them as it was {or their descendants and followers who left Cuba, in the late 1950'S and ‘throughout the 1960, forthe United States, They to thought they would stay while inthis new land and then return home, After al, this was not their land, Yet time and necessity cals forthe creation of a seilement. How will we Fundamentals: Criteria For Change ‘build? What wil the town look like? For these answers we look to habitual ‘custom, if memory serves. 1 have heard Yori descendans from both sides of the Auntie say ‘tat the seeming contradiction in defined religious identity, ie,, Mustim and CCustian Yordib. in Nigeria seeking out traditional hoalers and diviters while ‘their Cuban counterparts claim adherence to a combination of Kongo, Abaki, (Christian, and Yoraibé doctrines, is viewed in a much too conservative manner ‘They express a chameleon like pragmatism, many times equated with ‘modernism, by their seemingly uncritical adapting to the demands of the situation and using what will best perform the task. Like the chameleon they are often times the targets of critical slings and arrows!), This pragmatic borrowing and mining is seen by the conservative elders as indicative of the youthful lack of deep cultural knowledge. It is argued that one who has true ‘knowledge ofthe fundament and possesses the fundamentals finds all that he or she needs without going outside the walls. In Cuba 2 definite mix ofthese two points of view can be observed in the days ofthe year selected to celebrate che annual festival ofthe Orisa. The dry season, rainy season, harmattan, and agricaltural cyete, greatly influenced le timing of annuat Oris festivals in Yordbland. The dry season last roughiy from January through May and is ushered in by the Harmattan of "November and December. The rainy season begins in June and continues ‘through October. ‘There are two forces that determined the timing of anmial Orig festivals in Cuba. The first and most powerful was the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar which assigned a saint for every day ofthe year. Second is the scheduled planting, harvesting and grinding times for sugar cane. "Cold planting” began in September and ended in December. *Spring planting” went ‘fom mid-April to uid-une, Spring time was harvesting and grinding time 1m his book The Suearmill, Manvel Moreno Fraginals states, "Large-scale production in the nineteenth century st precise work conditions in the mill From then on any deiay in production meant a large inereae in costs. For the ogres there were no longer any rest days. There is one memo from the Real CConsulado tothe "Most lustrous Diooesan” seeking to reduce to ten a year the ‘masses ettended by slaves: Ciuistmas, Easter, Pentecost, Epiphany, Ascension, Corpus Christi, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin’ Mary, Purification, Annunciation, and Saint Peter and Saint Pau .. nooessary for the slave and _wage-Worker ther religion was not tobe suppressed fr could anything be more ‘Useful to preserve the social order. The Catholic faith in its most righ form id not penetrate the sugar mill; but when slaves assembled in mill yards its 6 Fundament Criteria For Change saints wore effectively produced tothe muffled sound of drums. Historical fate ‘brought together men ofthe most diverse cultures, languages, religious ideas, ‘and musical articulations, all fr one annibilating tak, all withthe same terror ‘and yearning of fedom. The mill came to resemble a temple where a new faith was being feshioned, ith white gods and black gods, with drums beating time to Catholic prayers.” ‘This ast paragraph of Fraginals’ displays a romantic and false, white view of a TonerPlantation of babbling Africans who did not speak the language nor understand the culure of their West Aftican relatives. and neighbors. Africans, lke their European counterparts, oflen times spoke the languages of several of their neighbors; and were ble to communicate and plan to allevite the hellishness of their situation. No new faith was fashioned “Afvicans did not compromise with the white man's images; they transformed them, ‘The noed for subterfuge is corroborated by Quintin Lecan, who told ‘me about the formation ofthe Society of Sania Barbara, a eabildo or selF-help society formed by African fesmen and slaves in the Late 17Uh century. His family was intimately involved in the formation ofthis society and be is its current president, The society's tr Aftican name was Sings DS DS (Sings arrives and encamps). Yet most initiates and devotees knew it by the more popular name of Sang Dé Dim (Gamyé arrives with a roar). It represents the ‘oldest cabildo in Tiavana. Quintin reports that on Jamuary 6th, the Day of Kings, the Spaniards allowed the Africans to dance as long as the statue of Saint Barbara, the current one dates from the late 1700's, was carried at the head of the procession!2. This was compromise achieved veritably at gun point Africans were therefore ficed with compromise on two fronts: (1) time ‘of celebration and (2) the visible central object of celebration, The folowing schedule helps us to see these facts clearly: + SS — Fundamentals: Criteria For Change ‘FESTIVAL TIMES igh ‘Yordbitandl3 Sanger Ramon Sen's SE Per Oct. (End of Rains) Sept. 28 Virgin of Mercy ings - July Rainy season) Dee, 4 St Barbara Osun August (Rainy season) SepL.8/12 Virgin of Charity Yemela - August (Rainy season) Sept. 7 ‘Virgin of Order Oya- May/June (End of Dry season) Feb. 2 Virgin of Candlemas)+ While externally exhibiting a new skin, Afticans, in resistance ‘maintained many arguably more important fundamentals. The role of the procession, complete with the fags of the societies, as a recreating the established are while retracing the pis of ancestral heroes and gods remained as a visible and partcipatory history lesson, This anual communal trek enables the populace to purge all past evils while they welcome fiesh goodness. It is an act of atonement (Suiti)!9, We ep re-telling ovr stores inthe hope that one day we will got it right. tis as though we are tying 1 arrange our memories in that most perfect fast pattern, ‘The playing of sred rms enue te singing in ong of sed songs which peak a the ts ntureof things. Songs vole. trough the we ef cin pres, the presence of Gos selte hea air ander. The Coordinating fede colors cs final io memory and estance. The Chamseon and the wal ate ecompense Fundamentals: Criteria For Change ‘Conversation with Oscar Francisco Morejon, Ogun DS,16 priest of Ogun initiated in 1983, Havana, Cuba. [New York Cit ‘Mareh 28, 1985 *.. Almost all the babslrgs and lylrlg in Cuba, especially in ‘Matanzas, are dancers. That i because almost everyday there is a festival with drumming in Matanzas. So the people would copy the dances from the elders fand Keep them going. can dance any dance for the Sigh .. Mena, the ‘deceased daughter of Domitla, used to dance beauifullyfor Yemoja. She had Somos Okato!” and danced very serenely, This sa very soft dance to Yemola because i's like sailing on sipeoth waters. Yemols doesn't dance rough at all. ‘Yemvgfn is very serene. Is just hat Okute has a reputation because she is a Darren female. Yet she is the most beaulful Yemeja that mounts, The way she ‘bends the person back and then comes forward very smoothly is very graceful ‘know all the Srl by the way they mount. Each one has their own form, ‘ind movement and characteristics, For example, all Qgun don't mount in the tame way. Hete in the United States the dees are lost, people dont really know the deities. They only know what is mentioned generally about the deity "There is one road of Osun that only afew people know about. When she ames she lifts her leg up lke a Sing, like she is mounting a horse and frabbing the reins, The strange thing is@ young Cuban was initiated here, But fhe didn't know the bistory or characteristics of this toad of Osun. Yet, whe ‘he became possessed that Ogun amounted her. When I saw that I froze. ‘She is fn lyawé and 1 think she sill doesn't really understand what has happened Look, srlea in Cuba and Srlei here (inthe U.S. are the same. I'm sure of that ow. it doesnt mater the diference in place, time, os anything, The Srp has ‘demonstrated that 10 me. You ast put forth the time, energy and patience to teach people. If you really teach, mm certain folks would learn something, Maybe not everything right away, but lie by litle. 1 Jove my religion so mich, If I die tomorrow what good is all the knowledge T have i} don't share it? In that way others may carry on the tradition ." Later in our conversation Mr, Morejon told me of a young African American initiate of Yerngju who although coming from a completely different background, a New York born and bred Methodist, displayed all the rmovemenis and characteristics of true possession when mounted by Yernofa. 8 His genvine initial surprise at these occurrences is indicative of the general allie held by what 1 il call Tong-time custodians and definers ofa tradition ‘cowards seemingly unschooled newcomers Fundamentals: Criteria For Change ‘ToMr. Moreon's credit, he is one of an ever growing group of Cobsns who after thiny years of working Srled alongside other ethnic groups in the United States have decided that if lightning is the same element whether it ‘manifests in Africa, Brazil, Cuba or the United States, then how different can ‘sings be in these places? These Cubans have also come to realize that for ‘them there is mo going back, they are home. Fr a few years before and after ‘the communist take over in Cube, Cubans living in the United States who needed Srlg&_work done would simply pack the necessary materials not available in Cuba and set off for Havana. In 1961 in a small four room ‘partment on Amsterdam Avenue at 88th Steo, the first recognized initiation in the United States teok place. A priest of Sings was inilated. The lyaloriss responsible for thi ground clearing activity was Merosdes Noble, Oba-n-feko, ‘Onfsfing® initiated in Marianao, Havana Cuba in 1958. Some priests would continue to take prospective initiates to Cube after this event. But the foundation was now firmly laid and the wall was being built in America. ‘Today, 1993, sme ninety-nine point nine percent ofall initiations of people living in the United States are performed inthe United States. So they are now cigging in both mentally and spiritually and establishing fundamentals suitable {or them inthe United States, ‘The diflerence here in Americ is that there ave ‘how informed African Americans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Haiisns, Brazilians, Tvinidadians, and Nigerians actively asserting thei right 10 have 2 ‘ay in what wil be defined ss fundamental, This doesnt take into account Aftican-American Yorba. monarchists, American women, conscious about liberation and equality, whites, and homosexuals. who are all now leoking ‘ave out 9 meaningful and visible ole for themscves in this new society. ‘The question of what the wall and town will look tke is still up for arabs. Neweomers are wary of the tyranny of the positioned, older conservative group, ‘The las favor those that write them, ‘The oral tradition in Cuba tells us thatthe Afticans were vey jealous of heir positions asthe senior Srlgh workers. "Those folks did not like you to ask questions If you asked questions they would call you "fesh"™9. if you were siting at a table wih them and you dared to get up without permission they would embarrass you." Odi proverbs (Gwe) such as: “The disciple wants to know more than the ‘master" and "The ears do not surpass the head,” pein! toa system that does nat Took kindly on change but prefers the alteaive following of established procedures ‘The question of who is empawered to initiate and, more importantly. sanction change is Key to our discussion. One day in July, 1987, in the town of Matanzas, Coba, my friend, Juan Garcia and 1 were discussing a condition that affects us both, “He is 2 much respected, forty-seven year old priest-diviner of 10 Fundamentals: Criteria For Change ‘Qbieété. with fory-two years of inition, With a degree in anthropology, he is «twenty-five year veleran dancer and award-winning choreographer With the ‘National Fotkloric Troupe of Cuba. He, like other elder priests in Cuba with a strong command ofthe Yorba language, compases songs forthe Sig, that, if worthy, will be used by the people in both the ssered and popular arenas When the other priests and musicians fist heard his songs they presumed that they were hearing songs chained from the “ld” people with deep knowledge in ‘Matanzas, The religious folklore of the Provines of Matanzas is his specialty. Matanzas is considered the hearUand of Afvican culture in Cuba, They eagetly learned these songs and put them to use with high praise for their profundity of pent and wit. But when Juan confessed that these songs were not treasured gems of the children and grandchildren of Yorba bat his own creations, they tactilly but definitely pa them aside, ‘This isin sharp contrast to the reception received by the songs of ‘Lozaro Res, a pris of Opin, seveny-nine Years od, forty-seven years nite in delay and universally considered the among the bes, not the mest singer for Selah in Cuba, Lazaro’ songs are quickly made @ part of the wall of easton, Sanctioned change is deeply associated with the in factors of old-age and prominence, Itis not enough to be merely capable, Juan and I are counted among the special group of men and women, in our mid-Torties, who because of acknowledged innate aility and special taining by established masters, are viewed as the obvious candidates to become the next elder custodians architects ofthe protective wall of tradition, Capacity must be made enduring by the tempering of experience, maturity, and honor tained only by living a fong life. We cannot die prematurely. We must live and produce The test of ‘ime isthe ultimate test of validity. Its only through long service and training {that we rise to the summit and earn the right to Iser be enshrined as ancestral guardians. Change emanates from the top. ‘The ods, Bfogbs Map, teaches: Ii dhe head that rule the body." The order of things was severely shaken and seen fo be fundamentally threatened when white people attempted to become initiates in the first decades fof the 20th century. It was argued that it was impossible forthe rg to enter the bead of @ while person, It did not matter tht they were born and bred in (Cuba, ‘The Srigs were viewed as source and reflection of ethnic and national identity animated by the phenomenal relationships ofa perticularly known and charted natural environment. Aside from the white man being white yinbs) and being viewed asthe rot of the Aftican's problems, he had not shared inthe sume search for tra within a diverse group proudly segmented yet in unison Fundamentals: Criteria For Change

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