Yalorixá

Yalorixá or Iyalorixá (short form Yá or Iyá, male form Babalorixá ) is a priestess and spiritual leader of a Terreiro de Candomblé .

In the Yorubá language, Iyá means mother (Portuguese: mãe), also in connection with Iyaiyá (mama, Portuguese: mamãe) or Iaiá. The word is used in the various forms of Afro-Brazilian religions, but especially in Candomblé. The short form is often used as an addition in front of a word, for example in Yabassê (responsible for ritual meals) or Yalaxé (responsible for the altars), to establish a connection to the maternal elemental force Yámi (my mother), but also to the close connection with the Make Yalorixá yourself.

The Yalorixá is responsible for all ritual and organizational processes of the Terreiro. She is the spiritual mother (also Mãe de Santo) for the members (filhos) of the community. In a priestly function, their task is the preservation and further development of the Orixá tradition, i.e. the cultivation of ritual reference and invocation of divine dimensions of nature. As a spiritual teacher, she also takes care of the initiation and training of all Filhos. In a profane function, she also carries the terreiro organizationally, is the leader of the social community that a terreiro is always. Most of the time she lives in the Terreiro herself and is the Yalorixá axis day and night. She is supported by experienced, mostly highly initiated Filhos who are specially trained in special functions and who take on management tasks, e.g. B. in music, altar design, ritual design, food, clothes, vestments, herbs.

The best known Yalorixás in Brazil were and are Mãe Aninha (Ilê Axé Opô Afonjá, Salvador, Brasil), Mãe Senhora (also Ilê Axé Opô Afonjá) and Mãe Menininha (Terreiro do Gantois, Salvador, Brazil).

German-language literature

• Inga Scharf da Silva: Umbanda - A religion between Candomblé and Cardezism. About syncretism in everyday urban life in Brazil Series: Spectrum. Berlin series on society, economy and politics in developing countries Vol. 83, Berlin 2004, ISBN 3-8258-6270-4

• Franz Höllinger: Religious Culture in Brazil. Between traditional folk beliefs and modern revival movements . Campus Verlag, Frankfurt / Main 2007, ISBN 978-3-593-38473-3

• Claudio G. Matthes: African religiosity and the new religions in Brazil . Dissertation University of Tübingen, Faculty of Cultural Studies, Tübingen 2007, published as pdf

• Astrid Reuter : The wild saint. Roger Bastide and the religious studies of his time . Campus, Frankfurt / Main 2000, ISBN 3-593-36603-7

• Kreszmeier, Astrid Habiba and Banda Profana: Ilê Axé Oxum Abalô. To work in and with Orixá traditions. Audio book. Terra Sagrada International, Stein / AR 2009, ISBN 978-3-033-02054-2

Web links

National Federation of African Cults Brazil, Europe Portugal Branch FENACAB