Adornments for Yemaya
People use clothing and jewelry as a form of self-expression. For contemporary followers of Yemaya (Mami Wata), what they wear is much more meaningful. Colorful adornments show worshipers’ devotion to this African river goddess and act as a real-world anchor for her, whether the worshipers be in West Africa or the Americas.
Specific colors of adornments are important. In West African worship, Yemaya is represented by the colors blue, silver, and white.[1] Mauve and black may also be associated with Yemaya as Nana Buluku.[2] One online seller of sacred beads for Yemaya worshipers reports that blue and white may be worn by women for fertility and protection.[3] Clear, coral, and green may also represent Yemaya.[4] In Candomble, Yemanja (Yemaya) is represented by green, white and transparent.[5] Followers of Yemaya can be seen wearing adornments with these colors.
Adornments come in several forms and may vary across different Afro-based religions. In Santeria, practiced in New Jersey, New York, and Havana, among other places, the iyawo (initiate) wears a collar de mazo (beaded sash) diagonally across their body and after the completion of initiation rituals, places it on an altar for the specific deity they worship.[6] Representing the oricha’s bodily form in this world, iyawo wear ropa de santo, such as shimmering crowns with cowry shells, and Yemaya worshippers hold fans during the initiation dance.[7] At least five necklaces are also worn, and such adornments may only be worn on ritual days.[8] Santeria bead necklaces, elekes, are a vehicle connecting the worshiper to their deity.[9] The necklace should not be worn during partying, sex, or sleeping, and when not being worn by the worshiper, the bead necklaces must be placed on the oricha’s altar.[10] One worshiper of Yemaya tells that pendants for this goddess may be made of shells and specific crystals or gemstones, such as aquamarine, moonstone, pearl, and blue lace agate, among others.[11] In Vodun, adornments are used to “clothe” or decorate a shrine, and these adornments are considered extensions of the deity’s spirit.[12] According to author Timothy Landry, practitioners of the religions Haitian Vodou, Candomble, and Santeria also adorn shrines.[13] In Brazil, Candomble practitioners wear plastic, glass, and/or clay beads to represent orichas.[14] Brajas, or long strands of cowry shells, may also be worn.[15] Due to prejudices, practitioners of Candomble may choose not to wear their beads in public.[16] Yemaya is largely known by this name and is worshiped as such, but the river goddess is commonly known by another name with slightly different representations.
Yemaya is also worshiped in the form of Mami Wata, and the images that represent this form tend to be serpentine. A photo from the early 1900's shows an African masquerade headdress based on snake charmer imagery.[17] Mami Wata mediums may also wear rainbow serpent bead necklaces for ritual performance.[18] “Golden armlets, earrings, neckline, pendant, and waist ornaments combine to evoke the riches that Mami Wata promises to those who honor her.”[19] A Mami Wata devotee in a picture from 1975 is shown wearing a sari-style dress and sash, jewelry on the upper arms, and necklaces representing a serpent, and holding a trident.[20] During rituals, such as a feast in honor of Mami Wata, devotees may wear white cloth wrapped around their heads.[21] Mami Wata devotees are distinguished by their wearing of Yemaya colors and snake-related regalia.
Yemaya devotees wear colorful adornments, in part to show their love and respect to the deity. In some ways it may seem similar to Christians wearing a necklace of the cross or Jews wearing a Star of David necklace. However, the adornments worn by Yemaya worshipers are far more significant than a representation of faith; they are actual connections with the deity and, at times, vessels for her to enter this world.
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[1] Deetz lecture, 31 January 2018.
[2] Craftychick1221, “MY YEMAYA SHRINE, PRAYER & YEMAYA CORRESPONDENCES.” Crafty’s Cuppa Coffee. May 20, 2010.
[3] Thomas, Tina, “Elekes.” Elekes ~ Santeria Bead Necklaces.
[4] “Yemaya,” Santeria Church of the Orishas.
[5] Shirey, Heather, 2012. “Candomblé Beads and Identity in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil,” 47.
[6] Brown, David H., “Thrones of the Orichas: Afro-Cuban Altars in New Jersey, New York, and Havana,”(1993), 47.
[7] Ibid., 47–48.
[8] Ibid., 48.
[9] Thomas, Tina, “Elekes.” Elekes ~ Santeria Bead Necklaces.
[10] Thomas, Tina, “Elekes.” Elekes ~ Santeria Bead Necklaces.
[11] Craftychick1221, “MY YEMAYA SHRINE, PRAYER & YEMAYA CORRESPONDENCES.” Crafty’s Cuppa Coffee. May 20, 2010.
[12] Landry, Timothy R. 2016, “Incarnating Spirits, Composing Shrines, and Cooking Divine Power in Vodún,” 63–64.
[13] Ibid., 65.
[14] Shirey, Heather, 2012. “Candomblé Beads and Identity in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil,” 38.
[15] Ibid., 51.
[16] Ibid., 48.
[17] Drewal, Henry John. “Interpretation, Invention, and Re-Presentation in the Worship of Mami Wata,” 113.
[18] Ibid., 111.
[19] Ibid., 114.
[20] Ibid., 127.
[21] Drewal, Henry John, “Performing the Other: Mami Wata Worship in Africa,” 180.
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Bibliography
Brown, David H. “Thrones of the Orichas: Afro-Cuban Altars in New Jersey, New York, and Havana.” African Arts no. 4 (1993): 44. JSTOR Journals, EBSCOhost (accessed March 7, 2018).
Craftychick1221. “MY YEMAYA SHRINE, PRAYER & YEMAYA CORRESPONDENCES.” Crafty’s Cuppa Coffee. May 20, 2010. Accessed March 07, 2018. http://craftychickscuppacoffee.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-yemaya-shrine-prayer-yemaya.html#!/2010/05/my-yemaya-shrine-prayer-yemaya.html.
Deetz, Kelley. Religion 188: West African Religions in the Atlantic World, class lecture. 31 January 2018.
Drewal, Henry John. “Interpretation, Invention, and Re-Presentation in the Worship of Mami Wata.” Journal of Folklore Research no. 1/2(1988): 101. JSTOR Journals, EBSCOhost (accessed March 7, 2018).
Drewal, Henry John. “Performing the Other: Mami Wata Worship in Africa.” TDR (1988-) no. 2(1988): 160. JSTOR Journals, EBSCOhost (accessed March 7, 2018).
Landry, Timothy R. 2016. “Incarnating Spirits, Composing Shrines, and Cooking Divine Power in Vodún.” Material Religion 12, no. 1: 50–73. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed March 7, 2018).
Shirey, Heather. 2012. “Candomblé Beads and Identity in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil.” Nova Religio: The Journal Of Alternative & Emergent Religion 16, no. 1: 36. Complementary Index, EBSCOhost (accessed March 7, 2018).
Thomas, Tina. “Elekes.” Elekes ~ Santeria Bead Necklaces. Accessed March 07, 2018. http://www.freewebs.com/elekes/.
Took, Thalia. “Yemaya.” Yemaya, Mother Goddess of the Ocean. Accessed March 07, 2018. http://www.thaliatook.com/AMGG/yemaya.php.
“Yemaya.” Santeria Church of the Orishas. Accessed March 07, 2018. http://santeriachurch.org/the-orishas/yemaya/.
