Yemayá

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Attributes of Iemanjá
Colours Blue, mixed with white, symbolic of the whitecaps on the water.
numbers 7th
Catholic saint Virgen de Regla
Iemanjá figure in the Rio Vermelho district, in Salvador da Bahia , Brazil

Iemanjá , Yemayá (other spellings including Yemanjá , Yemoja , Iemoja ) is the goddess ( Orisha / Orixá) of the sea and motherhood in the religion of the Yoruba , in the Cuban Santeria and in the Brazilian Candomblé .

She is therefore often represented as a water woman , and represents e.g. B. in Brazil the salt water of the sea, in Nigeria she is a river goddess in the state of Ogun .

She is the mother of all humanity, is like Obá the keeper of the home and patron saint of seafarers. Big festivities in their honor are celebrated on the beach in Brazil. In Brazil, flowers, fragrances or other small gifts are traditionally given to the sea to thank her, to make wishes to her or to pay homage to her. Either you entrust your gifts to the waves on the seashore, or you take the boat out and put it into the water.

The literal translation of her name comes from the Yoruba Yèyé omo ejá and means 'mother of fish'. Other names are Dandalunda and Pandá.

In the Ifá oracle of Ifé ( Ile-Ife ), which can be identified in Brazil by throwing shells, it is shown through the game Merindilogun, through the Odùs Ejibe and Ossá.

Yemayá is considered to be one of the most important orishas in Cuba.

Legends

As the goddess of the sea and the moon, as it is said in the legend Iemanjá saves the sun from extinction , she is associated with ebb and flow and, as guardian of the mind, is connected to the inner balance of people.

Iemanjá is married to Oxalá . Since she talked so much with her husband, he went crazy. Iemanjá had to heal him and so became the guardian of the mind.

She is also the mother of all the other Orixás . Therefore she symbolizes motherliness, compassion, protective spirit towards others, generosity, seriousness and strength, and like her husband Oxalá is very family-oriented. But to reduce them to the activities of a housewife and mother would be too little, as the legend Iemanjá cures Oxalá and receives the power over the heads reported as follows: "So Iemanjá went to Oxalá's house and took care of everything: the household, the children, the food, the husband, everything. Iemanjá did nothing more than work and complain. If everyone had a purpose in the world for which they received sacrifice and respect, why should she stay at home like a slave? Iemanjá did not give in. "

Anyone who misunderstands her generosity and provokes those who are devoted to her must expect her anger. B. in the legend Iemanjá avenges her son and destroys the first human race .

Symbols and appearance

Her attributes are fish and a hand mirror called Abebê. Your weekday is Saturday.

Their colors are (light) blue and white, their metal is silver. Your followers therefore often wear this in their clothing or as jewelry.

Those consecrated to her, the so-called daughters and sons of Iemanjá (Brazilian: filhas-e filhos-de-santo ) imitate the waves of water with their hands while dancing in a state of trance. They cry a lot and are said to be excellent psychologists.

Movie

The goddess Yemanyá plays a role in the American film Woman on Top from 2000.

literature

  • Reginaldo Prandi: A Mitologia dos Orixás . Companhia das Letras, São Paulo 2001, pp. 378-399.

Individual evidence

  1. “It was Iemanjá who brought about the solution. […] The sun recovered to refresh its strength while Oxu, the moon, ruled. ”/“ Foi Iemanjá quem trouxe a solução. […] O Sol descansaria para recuperar suas forças e enquanto isso reinaria Oxu, a Lua. "
  2. Iemanjá salva o Sol de extinguir-se; Prandi 2001: 391f.
  3. ^ Iemanjá salva or Sol de extinguir-se
  4. Iemanjá é nomeada protetora the Cabeças and Iemanjá cura Oxalá e ganha poder o sobre as Cabeças . Reginaldo Prandi: A Mitologia dos Orixás , pp. 388, 397ff.
  5. “She talked, talked and talked into the ears of Oxalá. She talked so much that Oxalá went crazy. His ori [yoruba: head, note ISdS], his head, couldn't stand all the talk from Iemanjá. / Ela falou, falou e falou nos ouvidos de Oxalá. Falou tanto que Oxalá enlouqueceu. Seu ori, sua cabeça, not agüentou o falatório de Iemanjá. "Reginaldo Prandi: A Mitologia dos Orixás , p. 399.
  6. “Oxalá commissioned Iemanjá to take care of the heads of all mortals. Iemanjá thus received the task she had longed for. Now she is the guardian of the mind. / Oxalá encarregou Iemanjá de cuidar do ori de todos os mortais. Iemanjá ganhara enfim a missão tão desejada. Agora ela era a senhora das cabeças. “Reginaldo Prandi: A Mitologia dos Orixás , p. 399.
  7. Iemanjá cura Oxalá e ganha o poder sobre as Cabeças . Reginaldo Prandi: A Mitologia dos Orixás , p. 397ff.
  8. ^ "Para a casa de Oxalá foi Iemanjá cuidar de tudo: da casa, dos filhos, da comida, do marido, enfim. Iemanjá nada mais fazia que trabalhar e reclamar. Se todos tinham algum poder no mundo, um posto pelo qual recebiam sacrifício e homenagens, por que ela deveria ficar ali em casa feito escrava? Iemanjá nicht se conformou. "Reginaldo Prandi: A Mitologia dos Orixás , p. 399.
  9. Iemanjá Sabá explodiu em ira.
  10. ^ Iemanjá vinga seu filho e destrói a primeira humanidade . Reginaldo Prandi: A Mitologia dos Orixás , p. 386.