Religion is a sacred belief and moral that humans have on superhuman controlling power. Different people have beliefs in their superhuman, referred to as God.
Different people from different countries believe in different religions, and two such religions are Santeria and Voodoo.
Key Takeaways
- Santería is an Afro-Cuban religion blending West African Yoruba beliefs with Roman Catholicism, focused on worshipping Orishas, or spiritual beings.
- Voodoo, or Vodou, is an Afro-Caribbean religion mainly practised in Haiti, incorporating West African spirituality and Roman Catholic elements, venerating spirits called Lwa.
- Santería and Voodoo share African diaspora roots and similarities in syncretism, but they have distinct spiritual beings, rituals, and regional influences.
Santeria vs. Voodoo
Santeria is a blend of Yoruba, Spanish, and Catholic traditions that focuses on worshiping orishas, believed to control nature and human life. Voodoo blends West African religious traditions with Catholicism, focusing on worshiping loa and incorporating elements of Catholicism.
Comparison Table
| Parameter of Comparison | Santeria | Voodoo |
|---|---|---|
| Influence | It has a Spanish influence. | It has a French influence. |
| Beliefs | It is based on Yoruba beliefs. | It is based on Fon and Ewe beliefs. |
| Origin of Name | This name originated from a Spanish word. | The name originated from a French word. |
| Name of Spirits | People who practice this religion call their spirits orishas. | People who practice this religion call their spirits loas or laws. |
| Animal Sacrifice | In large scale | On a lesser scale |
| Popularity | This religion is not so popular and is not official as, well. | This religion is very popular and is official as well. |
| Arrival in America | It came to America via Cuba and Mexico. | It came to America via Haiti. |
What is Santeria?
Santeria, meaning ‘The way of the Saints, ’ is a common tradition developed in Cuba and later spread through Latin America and The United States of America.
It is also known as La Regla de Ocha or La Religion Lucumi. The people from Yoruban nations of West Africa brought this religion to Cuba, who were enslaved in the 19th century(1st decades).
Santeria derives from the correspondence between the orishas(Yoruba deities) and the saints of Roman Catholic piety. The main basis of this religion is to create personal relationships through divination, sacrifice, initiation, and mediumship between the orisha deities and the practitioners of the religion.
The orisha deities provide their devotees with wisdom, protection, and success and help them during a crisis.
Santeria followers believe that one greatest divine, God, created the whole universe, and the lesser divine beings, called orishas, take care of the world. These orishas represent various forces of nature and some human characteristics, similar to Greek mythology.
The orishas are sometimes thanked for performing miracles and sometimes blamed for unfortunate occurrences. If a devotee consistently has bad luck, they must seek help from their orisha to achieve peace and harmony.
Also, this religion has no official churches or temples, and the rituals or ceremonies are performed in public or at home. In this religion, the whole faith is passed down orally because of a lack of scriptures and monuments; therefore, ceremonies are important.
What is Voodoo?
Voodoo is a religion which was originated in Africa. In certain parts of the world, like America and the Caribbean, it is thought to be a combination of many African, Catholic, and Native American traditions and cultures.
Though countless people practice this religion, the people who practice it are known as Voodooists.
Voodoo is a community that supports an individual’s empowerment, experience, and responsibility without any scripture or world authority and is practiced by imperfect people who use religion to benefit themselves. It is also different in different parts of the world and varies community-wise.
The people who practice Voodoo, Voodooists, believe that there are two worlds, a visible one and the other one, which is invisible, and these two worlds are interconnected. The one where we live is visible, and the one where the spirits of dead people live is invisible.
So, according to them, the spirits in the invisible world are still with them, and they watch them from there and inspire them. In addition to the ancestors, Voodooists believe that Lwa, the archetypes of human personalities, also exists there. Voodooists develop a relationship with the Lwa to seek help and guidance.
Main Differences Between Santeria and Voodoo
- The Santeria religion has a Spanish influence, whereas the Voodoo religion has French and American influence.
- The basis of Santeria is Yoruba beliefs, whereas Voodoo’s is Fon and Ewe beliefs.
- Santeria is a Spanish word that means ‘way or honor of saints, whereas Voodoo is an African word that means “moral fiber.”
- People who practice Santeria call their spirits orishas, whereas Voodooists call their spirits loas or laws.
- The sacrifice of animals is practiced on a huge scale in Santeria, whereas it is practiced on a lesser scale in Voodoo.
- In terms of popularity, Voodoo is very much popular and is official as well, whereas Santeria is not so popular and is unofficial as well.
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=elc5YDyY4eoC&oi=fnd&pg=PA9&dq=santeria+and+voodoo&ots=z86VHHTj54&sig=k-320nt7RfPkt8lTVED91zXyIIo
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=EvOEdueU4GkC&oi=fnd&pg=PP9&dq=santeria+and+voodoo&ots=m2xUJtvkQ3&sig=oSaNcwSYGsUm_AW5eXigduLpG_M
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