Orisha Worship Communities: A Reconsideration of Organisational Structure

Abstract

It is commonly understood by both scholars and practitioners of Yoruba religion in the Americas that initiates in Africa worship only one or two Orisha, whereas in the New World each individual worships multiple Orisha. However, an analysis of both textual and visual sources points to a more complex religious environment among the Yoruba in their homeland. It is suggested that the innovations found in the New World were less radical than received wisdom indicates. In addition, such research challenges the assumption that the form of New World Orisha worship is a consequence of colonial oppression and suggests instead that it is based on existing African antecedents.