Candomblé adherents believe in the mighty God known as Oludumare. He is considered to be the most powerful God. Lesser deities serve him alone. Some of the Creators that follow his command include Inkices, Voduns, and Orixas. When we look at Orixas, it refers to ancestors that were defied. Therefore, the Orixas can come from recent history. Some Orixas can be a hundred years old, while others are more than a thousand years old. The Orixas provide a link through which the world of humans and the spiritual world are connected.
As for Inkices and Voduns, they are spirit gods who are the same as Orixas. The thing about Candomblé is that it is a religion that synthesizes three different African beliefs, such as Voduns, Bantu, Fon, and Yoruba. According to Candomblé practitioners, it is believed that each individual has their own Orixas that control their destiny and protects them. A specific force of nature is represented by each Orixas. It is associated with particular days of the week, animals, colors, or even foods. The personality or character of an individual is highly linked with their Orixas.
In Brazil, Baba Egum refers to the ancestor spirits collectively. Priests and priestesses masquerade during ceremonies as Baba Egum. It is also common for Candomblé adherents to perform specially choreographed dances wherein they expect to get possessed by their ancestor spirit.
Concept of Good and Evil
Candomblé is a religion that places emphasis on good and evil. Every individual is supposed to fulfill their destiny in the best way possible, no matter their desire. It does not mean that followers of the religion get a free ticket to do as they want. The main idea of Candomblé is that evil caused returns to one eventually. It might not happen today, but it would in the future.
The moral code of Candomblé is regulated by the Baba Egum. They have a responsibility to ensure that ethical standards continue to be followed today. The worship ceremonies help holds the standards. When followers get possessed by an ancestral spirit during ceremonies, they might act out good or bad scenes. The public tribunal highlights the good and the bad.
Holy Scriptures
Candomblé does not have any holy scriptures. It only has an oral tradition. However, many catholic rules have also been incorporated into the religion. The enslaved Africans brought many of their practices with them. They dance to honor the gods. Salvador, Bahi is home to the first Candomblé temple. Africans from across the world visit the temple to pay homage to their ancestors and their struggles.
Candomblé is a religion that does not have many deities. It has incorporated many catholic traditions that have allowed the faith to grow. Many young African-Brazilians fully embrace Candomblé and ditch the religion forced onto them by colonizers and slave owners. The future for Candomblé looks bright as more and more people accept religion.
