Candomblé Ketu

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Candomblé Ketu' (or Queto in Portuguese spelling) is the largest and most influential nation (sect) of Candomblé, a religion widely practiced in Brazil. Its beliefs and rituals are similar to those of other Candomblé nations in general terms, but different in almost every detail.

Although related to the batuque cults that started in the late 1500s, Ketu developed mostly in the early 19th century, chiefly in the region of Bahia, among slaves belonging to the Yoruba (Iorubá) ethnic group. Its origins are entwined with the religious and beneficent brotherhoods (irmandades) organized by the Roman Catholic Church among ethnic Yoruba slaves, the Order of Our Lady of the Good Death (Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte), for women, and the Order of Our Lord of the Martyrdom (Nosso Senhor dos Martírios), for men.

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[edit] Deities

Ketu deities are basically those of Yoruba mythology. Olorun (Olorum) is the supreme God, who created the spirits or Orishas (Orixás). The hundreds of orixás still worshiped in Africa were reduced to 16, of which only twelve are invoked in ceremonies:

  • Ogum, Orixá of iron, war, fire, and technology.
  • Oxóssi, Orixá of hunting and plenty.
  • Logunedê, young Orixá of hunting, of rivers and fishermen.
  • Xangô, Orixá of fire and thunder, protector of judges.
  • Omulu or Obaluaiê, Orixá of health ("physician of the poor"), skin diseases and plagues.
  • Oxumaré, Orixá of rain and of the rainbow.
  • Ossaim, Orixá of herbal medicine.
  • Oyá or Iansã, Orixá (feminine) of wind, storms, and lightning, and of the Niger River.
  • Oxum, Orixá (feminine) of rivers, of gold, cowrie shell game, and love.
  • Iemanjá, Orixá (feminine) of the seas, lakes, and fertility, mother of many Orixás.
  • Nanã, Orixá (feminine) of marshes and death, mother of Obaluaiê.
  • Obá, Orixá (feminine) of the Obá River, one of Xangô's wives.
  • Ewá, Orixá (feminine) of the Ewá River.
  • Oxalá, the most respected Orixá, father of most other Orixás.
  • Ibeji, Orixá of twin children (ibi=born, eji=two)
  • Irocô, Orixá of the Sacred Tree. In Brazil, the sacred tree is a gameleira.
  • Egungun, important ancestor cultuated after death in separate houses of the Orixás.
  • Orumilá or Ifá, Orixá of divination and destiny.
  • Exu, Orixá guardian of roads (particularly crossroads), temples, houses, cities and people.

Being the orixá of roads, Exú governs access to the realm of orixás, so the preparation of every Ketu ceremony begins with sacrifices to him, followed by sacrifices to the Orixás that are to be invoked.

In Africa, each Orishas was typically associated to a certain country or city: Sàngó in Oyó, Iemanjá in the region of Egbá, Ewá in Egbado, Ogun in Ekiti and Ondô, Oxum in Ijexá and Ijebu, Erinlé in Ilobu, Logunedê in Ilexá, Otin in Inixá, Oxalá-Obatalá in Ifé, divided into Osàlúfon in Ifan and Òságiyan in Ejigbô. In Candomblé Ketu these local deities were combined into a single pantheon and can be worshipped at any temple throughout Brazil.

[edit] Ritual language

The sacred language used in Ketu rituals (Iorubá or Nagô) is derived from the Yoruba language. The Ketu names of most cult-related concepts — ceremonial acts and objects, priestly ranks and ritual functions, ritual foods, etc. — are drawn from it.

[edit] Hierarchy

The main ranks of the Ketu priesthood, approximately in order of increasing authority, are:

  1. Abiã or Abian: novice.
  2. Iaô: "child-of-saint"; may already incorporate Orixás.
  3. Ebômi (or Egbômi): "elder brother"; someone who completed the seven-year initiation.
  4. Iabassê (woman): ritual food preparation.
  5. Agibonã: "raising mother"; oversees initiation rites
  6. Ialaxé (women): takes care of ritual objects.
  7. Babaquequerê (man): "little father of saint": assistant to head priests.
  8. Iaquequerê (woman): "little mother of saint": assistant to head priests.
  9. Babalorixá (man): "father-of-saint"; sometimes the head priest.
  10. Ialorixá (or Iyalorixá) (woman): "mother-of-saint"; usually the head priest.

The following additional posts assist at the ceremonies but do not incorporate Orixás:

  1. Axogum: responsible for slaughtering animals.
  2. Alabê: takes care of ritual drums and directs the music at rituals.
  3. Ogâ(or Ogan): drum players.
  4. Ajoiê (or Ekedi): chambermaid to the Orixá.

Ekedi is actually the post of Candomblé Jejé corresponding to Ketu Ajoiê, but it has gained common usage in Ketu houses as well.

[edit] External links


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