Documentos de Académico
Documentos de Profesional
Documentos de Cultura
Con esta serie de temas que pretendemos iniciar solo se busca fortalecer la
identidad
Y cultura de nuestras raíces religiosas que mas y mas se reconocen que no solo
provienen de la linea ancestral Yoruba (Ifa-Orisa) pero tambien Fon-Gbe o Fon-
Ewé (Fa Gbassa).
En terriitorios de Benin, Ghaná, Togó, Burkina Faso, Malí, Senegal, Guinea, Costa
de Marfil, Somalía, Gabón, Argelia, Mali, Congo.
2). AFÁN ( Geomancia Gbé ó Ewé) guarda la misma relación con el FÁ-AGBASSÁ
(Fon-Gbé) donde esta divinidad no tiene culto específico en Danxomé en los
territorios de Togó-Benin-Ghaná.
3). AFÁ (Geomancia Anagonoú-Anagó) esta geomancia por ser una "mezcla de Fá
Agbassá+Ifá Yorubá" claramente adoptó el culto a la divinidad de Nigeria
(Yorubaland) pero con otras características llamativas donde se la nombra como :
"OLÚNMILÁ" donde vemos que guarda relación con el "título honorífico del Fá
Agbassá :LONMILÁN" claramente no se la llama Orunmila, y es una mezcla
fonética de ambas designaciones pero vemos que en el Afá es la divinidad
principal de la geomancia y es practicado en territorios del sur de Benin, y Togó su
principal epicentro.
El Ifa/Fa en Cuba no es solo basado en una Etnia, en este caso Yoruba, aunque
muchos quieran o traten de afirmarlo como tal. Ni en la practica ni en la genetica
son los Cubanos solos deciendente del Yoruba pero tambien del Fon, el Ewe,
Carabali, Congo, Mozambique etc. La mas influyente etnia en nuestro Fa despues
del Yoruba es el Fon-gbe. Y eso se refleja en nuestro Fa en Cuba y en el corpus de
Ifa que la majoria de los Cubanos se basan para su practica. Lo que he
argumentado en las pasadas semanas es que realmente como relgiosos de "Afro-
decendientes" Cubanos debemos de tambien investigar y tomar en cuenta la
influencia y practica de Ifa/Fa fuera del ambito Yoruba. El porque? Muchas
costumbres que tradicionalistas Yoruba vieran como "creado/invento" en Cuba por
la diferencia de idioma, palabra o practica en muchos casos no lo son, son
simplemente herencia del Fa Gbassa y el Afa. En realidad el Ifa en Cuba no se
deberia llamar Ifa si no Afa por las fuertes influencias Fon-Gbe (Arara) que existen
y que fueron documentado por Antropologos y Etnologos en Cuba como Lydia
Cabrerra 1954.
IN ENGLISH
Recently, the study group of the Ifa World Conference foundation and the Consejo
Cultural Yoruba de Canada organized a first exchange dialogue with the Bokono
Dafodji with the aim of understanding the elements of Fa Gbassa of Abomey and
Allada in modern day Benin and the influence and religious legacy that it left
embedded in the spiritual practice in the Afro-Cuba tradition of Ocha-Ifa/IFA-
ORISA, whose essence is the combination or mixture of the spiritual practice of
several lineages or lands of different segments of West Africa that arrived in Cuba
with slave traffic since the sixteenth century, (Oyo, Egbado , iyesa,, Dahomey,
etc). "The religious branch and culture referred to as Arará in Cuba, was mostly
found in the western region and in some of the central provinces of the island. It
must be recognized that due to the very closed religious system of the Arará
regime and the obstacles that this brought to the transmission of the cultural
inheritance to other ethnic groups, the Arará culture did not manage to have
influence in the central region of Cuba, which explains the early disappearance, or
so it seemed of these traditions in this area "or at least it was thought or even
affirmed.”
The purpose of our investigations with the Bokono Dafodji, and those of the
Babalawo Ifalodun within the current Corpus of Afro-Cuban Ifa, gives us a new
perspective on the influence of Fa Gbassa on the identity and practice of Ifa Orisa
in Cuba, that is deeper and more extensive than at first glance. To delve more into
the presence and influence of the Bokono in Cuba and to show its veracity, we can
refer to El Monte's ethnological study published first in 1954, by Doña Lydia
Cabrera and we will see that on her page 22 or 30 depending on the edition, she
herself cataloged the Bokonos as more prestigious than the Babalawos. She
writes: "The Arará Rule - Arará Dahomey - less numerous in the province of
Havana than in MATANZAS, enjoys a great prestige. It is considered very strict and
refractory to communicate her secrets to whites. The language spoken by their
BOKONOS, the Arará (Ewe) is difficult to learn and pronounce, as well as the
liturgical songs. And it is very expensive. Which increases your prestige. The
"rights" that their priests charge are the highest. A divination from the Ocha Rule
fortune teller is worth $ 1.05. In the Arará $ 2.05 ". (Cabrera, 1954).
With these various talking points and investigations, our primary intent remains to
strengthen the identity of Afro-Cuban Ifa practice and connect at a deeper level
with the culture of our religious roots, that not only come from the Yoruba
ancestral line (Ifa-Orisa), but also Fon-Gbe or Fon-Ewe (Fa Gbassa).
• The pre-eminence of the ancestors (djoto) who represent what in Cuba in the
Cardesian Spiritism referred to as "spiritual guides" and is mentioned in the Odus
of Ifa in Cuba Ojuani Iroso and Okana Otura as Agba Egun Amoni/ EGGUNS
AMIGOS AMONI ORI.
• The necessary presence of the Bokono as a senior priest in all the ceremonies of
consecration of deities, as well as the Afro-Cuban conception in the consecratory
rituals of jooko osa.
• The possession of the spirituality of the ancestors or djoto.
• The presence in the Ifa corpus of terms and names that are properly of Fa
Gbassa of Dahomey such as, Jebioso (fire), Afafa (ofun ogunda), Metolofin,
(Ogunda ogbe), patakies related to Bokono, Fa ayidegun and vodoun Aidowhedo
(Oshe oyeku) and Ogbe Iyonu to name a few examples.
• The more common use of Ogbon (coconut) than Obi abata to ask a divinity
during a ceremony
In the territories of Benin, Ghaná, Togó, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, Guinea, Cote
d'Ivoire, Somalia, Gabon, Algeria, Mali, Congo.
2). AFÁN (Gbé or Ewé Geomancy) keeps the same relationship than that of FÁ-
AGBASSÁ (Fon-Gbé) where this divinity has no specific cult in Danxomé in the
territories of Togó-Benin-Ghaná.
Personal conclusions:
The practice, customs and corpus of Ifa in Cuba are not solely based on one ethnic
group, the Yoruba, although many try to affirm it as such. Neither in practice nor
in genetics are Cubans alone descendants of the Yoruba but also of the Fon, the
Ewe, Carabali, Congo, Mozambique etc. The most influential ethnic group in our Fa
after the Yoruba are the Fon-gbe. And that is reflected in our Fa in Cuba and in the
corpus of Ifa that most Cubans rely on for their practice. What I have argued in
the past few weeks is that as "Afro-descendant" Ifa religious practioners, we must
also investigate and take into account the influence and practice of Ifa / Fa outside
of the Yoruba scope. Why? Many customs or traditions in Cuba that Yoruba
traditionalists have erroneously described as "created / invented" in Cuba by the
difference of language, word or practice are simply not, but quite the contrary are
in fact part of the heritage of Fa Gbassa and Afa. In fact, Ifa in Cuba should not be
called Ifa at all, but rather Afa because of the strong Fon-Gbe (Arara) influences
mixed with the Yoruba influences that exist and that were documented by
anthropologists and ethnologists in Cuba such as Lydia Cabrerra (EL MONTE)
1954.