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Santeria: a syncretistic
African/Roman Catholic religion

Santeria is also known as: Regla de Ocha,
La Regla Lucumi, Lukumi, etc.

Overview:

Santeria is a syncretistic religion of Caribbean origin. It combines:

	The worship of the Orisha (literally "head guardian") and other beliefs of the Ifa religion, as practiced by the Yoruba and Bantu people in Southern Nigeria, Senegal and Guinea Coast, and
	Elements of worship taken from Roman Catholicism.

Its origin dates back to Cuba and Brazil circa 1515 CE. During the time of the slave trade, Yoruba natives were forcibly transported from Africa to the Caribbean. They were typically baptized by the Roman Catholic church upon arrival, and their native practices were suppressed. They developed a novel way of keeping their old beliefs alive by equating the each Orisha of their traditional religions with a corresponding Christian Saint.

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Topics covered in this section:

	Terminology; the numbers and locations of its followers
	Beliefs and practices
	Conflicts
	Internet resources and books

Copyright © 1995 to 2015 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2015-APR-13
Author: B.A. Robinson

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