the.com/orisha
a west african pantheon that survived the middle passage by wearing catholic saints as disguise.
means an orisha is a divine spirit in the yoruba religious tradition, each governing a domain of nature or human life and worshipped through ritual, dance, and offering.
from the word comes from the yoruba people of what is now nigeria and benin, where orisha (also spelled orisa) means roughly deity or spirit; when enslaved yoruba were shipped to the americas and forced into catholic conversion, they mapped their orishas onto catholic saints with matching traits, preserving the religion in plain sight across cuba, brazil, and beyond.
how manytraditions count anywhere from 400 to 700
disguise partnershango hid inside saint barbara for centuries
elementoya rules storms, cemeteries, and sudden change
global spreadnow practiced from lagos to new york city