In the Cuban religion of Santería, omiero, also known as purificacíon de santo, is a liquid used in various ritual acts.
Uses
The term omiero derives from the Lucumi language which is used for ritual purposes in Santería. This liquid is also known by the Spanish language term purificacíon de santo. It primarily consists of a mix of herbs and water.
The otanes, which are stones deemed to be the physical representation of the oricha, are "fed" by pouring both omiero and the blood of sacrificed animals onto them. Practitioners believe that through this, the oricha consume the aché, a type of spiritual energy, from these liquids. Both omiero and animal blood are also poured onto the cowry shells which are used for the dilogún form of divination, again to "feed" them. Omiero is again used to wash the drums employed during ritual drumming sessions as part of the ritual to consecrate them.
Omiero is also used during initiation ceremonies for the purpose of purifying the initiate. In Santería initiation ceremonies, the iyawó (initiate) ingests omiero on each of the seven days of initiation.
References
Citations
- Mason 2002, p. 132.
- ^ Hagedorn 2001, p. 251.
- Fernández Olmos & Paravisini-Gebert 2011, pp. 45–46.
- Fernández Olmos & Paravisini-Gebert 2011, p. 46.
- Fernández Olmos & Paravisini-Gebert 2011, p. 72.
- Fernández Olmos & Paravisini-Gebert 2011, p. 78.
- Fernández Olmos & Paravisini-Gebert 2011, p. 65.
Sources
- Bascom, William R. (1950). "The Focus of Cuban Santería". Southwestern Journal of Anthropology. 6 (1): 64–68. doi:10.1086/soutjanth.6.1.3628691. JSTOR 3628691. S2CID 163464977.
- Brandon, George (1991). "The Uses of Plants in Healing in an Afro-Cuban Religion, Santería". Journal of Black Studies. 22 (1): 55–76. doi:10.1177/002193479102200106. JSTOR 2784497. S2CID 142157222.
- Fernández Olmos, Margarite; Paravisini-Gebert, Lizabeth (2011). Creole Religions of the Caribbean: An Introduction from Vodou and Santería to Obeah and Espiritismo (second ed.). New York and London: New York University Press. ISBN 978-0-8147-6228-8.
- Gregory, Steven (1989). "Afro-Caribbean Religions in New York City: The Case of Santería". Center for Migration Studies. 7 (1): 287–304. doi:10.1111/j.2050-411X.1989.tb00994.x.
- Hagedorn, Katherine J. (2001). Divine Utterances: The Performance of Afro-Cuban Santería. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books. ISBN 978-1560989479.
- Mason, Michael Atwood (1994). ""I Bow My Head to the Ground": The Creation of Bodily Experience in a Cuban American Santería Initiation". The Journal of American Folklore. 107 (423): 23–39. doi:10.2307/541071. JSTOR 541071.
- Mason, Michael Atwood (2002). Living Santería: Rituals and Experiences in an Afro-Cuban Religion. Washington DC: Smithsonian Books. ISBN 978-1588-34052-8.
- Wedel, Johan (2004). Santería Healing: A Journey into the Afro-Cuban World of Divinities, Spirits, and Sorcery. Gainesville: University Press of Florida. ISBN 978-0-8130-2694-7.