Afro-American religion

Example of Louisiana-Tradition Voodoo altar inside a temple in New Orleans.

Afro-American religions (also known as African diasporic religions or New World traditions) are a number of related religions that developed in the Americas in various nations of Latin America, the Caribbean, and the southern United States. They derive from African traditional religions (of West and Central Africa), Indigenous American, and European traditions and beliefs.

Characteristics

Afro-American religions involve ancestor veneration, and include a supreme creator along with a pantheon of divine spirits, such as the Orisha, Loa, Nkisi, and Alusi, among others. In addition to the syncretism of these various African traditions, many New World religions incorporate elements of Indigenous American, European, Kardecist, Spiritualist, Christian, Islamic, Judaic, Hindu, and Buddhist traditions.

List of traditions

Afro-American Religions
ReligionLocationAncestral rootsAlso practiced inRemarks
CandombléBrazilYorubaArgentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela, United States
UmbandaBrazilYorubaArgentina, Uruguay, United States
QuimbandaBrazilKongoArgentina, Uruguay, United States
SanteríaCubaYorubaArgentina, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela
Cuban VudúCubaFon, EweDominican Republic, Puerto Rico, United States
PaloCuba[1]KongoDominican Republic, Puerto Rico, United States
AbakuáCubaEkpeUnited StatesSecret society of the Annang, Efik, Ibibio, Ekoi, and Igbo.
Dominican VudúDominican RepublicFon, EweUnited States
Haitian VodouHaitiFon, EweCanada, Dominican Republic, United States
ObeahJamaicaIgbo, AkanBahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Virgin Islands, United StatesSimilar to Hoodoo folk magic. Derives from the Igbo 'obia' (or dibia, Igbo: doctoring) traditions.[2]
KuminaJamaicaKongoUnited States
WintiSurinameAkanGuyana, United States
Spiritual BaptistTrinidad and TobagoYorubaBahamas, Barbados, Canada, Jamaica, United States
Trinidad OrishaTrinidad and Tobago[3]YorubaUnited States
Louisiana VoodooSouthern United StatesFon, EweUnited States

Other closely related regional faiths include:

See also

References

  1. For an extended discussion on Palo's history, see: Dodson, Jualynne E. (2008). Sacred spaces and Religious Traditions in Oriente Cuba. UNM Press.
  2. Eltis, David; Richardson, David (1997). Routes to slavery: direction, ethnicity, and mortality in the transatlantic slave trade. Routledge. p. 88. ISBN 0-7146-4820-5.
  3. Houk, James (1995). Spirits, Blood, and Drums: The Orisha Religion in Trinidad. Temple University Press.
  4. Xango de Recife

External links