The Orisha’s (Orixa’s)
For a long time I’ve wanted to put together some shoots for the Orisha’s (or Orixa’s if you’re in Brasil). A little about The Orisha’s and what they mean to me:
Orishas (singular: orisha)[1] are spirits that play a key role in the Yoruba religion of West Africa and several religions of the African diaspora that derive from it, such as Cuban, Dominican and Puerto Rican Santería and Brazilian Candomblé. The preferred spelling varies depending on the language in question: òrìṣà is the spelling in the Yoruba language, orixá in Portuguese, and orisha, oricha, orichá or orixá in Spanish-speaking countries.
According to the teachings of these religions, the orishas are spirits sent by the supreme creator, Olodumare, to assist humanity and to teach them to be successful on Ayé (Earth). Rooted in the native religion of the Yoruba people, most orishas are said to have previously existed in òrún – the spirit world – and then became Irúnmọlẹ̀ – spirits or divine beings incarnated as human on Earth. Irunmole took upon a human identity and lived as ordinary humans in the physical world, but because they had their origin in the divine, they had great wisdom and power at the moment of their creation. -Wikipedia
For me personally, I am not a follower of Christianity canon. Long before Christ was said to walk the earth, the Orisha’s existed in Orun, the spirit world. I see many photos for Christian Saints, but none for African Saints. As a child growing up, I was taught by Christians, that anything to do with Africa was “Bad” or “Evil” or “Voodoo” which isn’t true. I want to celebrate the African Saints and want to capture images of them that takes away the evil Western representation they have. Here are the Deities I wish to capture:
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| Xango / Sango / Chango | ||
Xango is the most popular of Orisha’s. Shango is the Spirit of Thunder. The fourth Alaafin (King) of the Oyo Kingdom, he is known for his double ax and is known for being the most powerful King of Oyo. Sango was known for his temper and the many battles during his seven year reign. It is believed those struck by lightning, have offended Xango and he has exacted his revenge on them. Sango went to a hilltop to try and harvest lightning. He was successful but at grave costs. The lighting and fire wiped out most of the Oyo village including his wives and sons. Saddend by this, Xango left with a few remaining followers who all died off. Some say Sango hung himself when he realized all were dead, Sango hearing of this, parted the heavens and said “Oba Koso” or “The King does not hang” When we see a flash of lighting followed by thunder, we say “Kabo Kabiosile” which means “Long live the King!”.
For the Xango shoot, which is the absolute most important one to me, I will need an African or African American male. The male must have defined muscles. Will be wearing red and white. Double edged axe. |
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| No model selected at this time |