Yemoja by Solimar Otero Toyin Falola

Author:Solimar Otero, Toyin Falola [Solimar Otero, Toyin Falola]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781438448015
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Published: 2013-11-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

Yemoja

An Introduction to the Divine Mother and Water Goddess

Allison P. Sellers

Yemoja is a river and ocean goddess of the òrìsà spiritual tradition practiced by the Yorùbá of West Africa and their descendants across the Atlantic. Once deconstructed, her name in Yorùbá means “Mother of Fish.”1 Worshipers also call her by other names, all derivatives of Yemoja2—Yemaja,3 Yemonja,4 and Yemanja5 in West Africa and the Americas; Yemayá6 in Cuba; and Emanje7 in Trinidad.8 Like other deities whose worship crosses oceans and continents, Yemoja’s traditions have shifted over time in response to the needs of her followers. However, discrepancies in her mythology and adjustments in religious practices associated with her have not altered the fundamental aspects of her role among the Yorùbá. She is first and foremost their mother goddess, and òrìsà practitioners in West Africa and the Americas consistently turn to her when seeking fertility, good health, and abundance in general. In this chapter, I will examine Yemoja’s position in the Yorùbá pantheon and her evolution as she crossed the Atlantic. Synthesizing the contributions of scholars such as A. B. Ellis, Ulli Beier, William Bascom, Babatunde Lawal, and Lydia Cabrera, my goal is to provide a comprehensive (if not exhaustive) analysis of Yemoja’s nature, her place in the òrìsà tradition, and her significance among the Yorùbá and their descendants in the Americas.

In West Africa, òrìsà number in the hundreds—the estimate most often agreed to is four hundred.9 Some of these deities are ubiquitously acknowledged and honored in Yorùbá culture, while many are unique to certain regions and might even be worshipped in just one village. In the Americas, the number of òrìsà reduces dramatically to just a few dozen of the most powerful and culturally significant.10 They are divided into two groups: “hot” and “cool.” The “hot” òrìsà, such as Sàngó and Ògún, are known to be temperamental and fierce, while the “cool” òrìsà are milder and more stable. Yemoja belongs to this latter group,11 the òrìsà funfun (“white deities”).12 These hot and cool forces are complimentary, and likewise hot and cool òrìsà balance each other. For example, at the end of a Sàngó festival, worshipers sometimes sing a praise song to Yemoja, whose cooling effects are supposed to ensure that the ritual proceedings do not get overheated due to their focus on Sàngó.13 When referring to individuals, the concept of coolness in Yorùbá culture translates to composure. The ability to remain stoic when excitement and sentimentality would be appropriate—whether in a positive or negative context—is considered both admirable and attractive. In terms of the community, coolness is understood as stability.14 Worshipers often call upon the òrìsà funfun specifically to bring their cooling effects in times of turmoil and to reinforce peace and cohesion.

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