xii / Baba Ifa Karade
Those beings which are deemed angels by western def-
have been largely misinterpreted in the New World. The
mysticism has been overshadowed by the occultism. Basic
misconceptions result from this. In the Old World it has not been
forgotten that the aim of the mystic or priestly orders is not to
dwell upon occult powers but to seek the divine essence.
From a conceptual standpoint this is all-pervasive and all-
important. Seekers, or aspirants of the Yoruba religion, need to
be constantly reminded, as reiterated throughout the book,
that Yoruba is not a cult nor is it "occult." Yoruba is a divine
journey to the inner self and to God-Consciousness. Yoruba is a
religion.
"The indigenous Yoruba has a belief in the existence of a
self-existent being who is believed to be responsible for the
creation and maintenance of heaven and earth, of men and
women, and who also brought into being divinities and spirits
who are believed to be his functionaries in the theocratic world
as well as intermediaries between mankind and the self-
existent Being. "2 The Yoruba word for God is both
Oludumare and Olorun. There is no doubt that the African
conceived the One God theosophy eons before external
foreign influence.
In regard to traditional systems in general-and
specifically in Yoruba religion-it is said that they are
pagan and heathenistic. Clearly, the absurdity of such
views are relative to the lack of spiritual-religious sub -
stance of those who hold them. To say that one religion is
pagan is to say that they are all pagan. Inscribed within the very
scriptures of religious cultures throughout the world there
exist variants and strata of substantial recognition of
insubstantial forms of feelings, thought processes, super-
natural beings, transcendental worlds, and forces that
direct the creation and destruction of all things.
These forms materialize as structural tangible objects
shaped by the culture that expresses them. Statues, sym
2Omosade Awolalu, Yoruba Beliefs and Sacrificial Rites (White Plains, NY:
Longman Group, 1979), p. 3.
THE HANDBOOK OF YORUBA RELIGIOUS CONCEPTS / xiii
bolic religious artistic creations, and sacred physical posi-
tions, all demonstrate the human need and ability to make
concrete the multiplicity of realities that exist within the
universe.
inition are known to the Yoruba as orisha. The aspirant is
directed to see the orisha as emanations of the One Source or
Oludumare. The orisha are not simply mythological con-
structions designed to satisfy the lower mind and intent of
humans. As "angels" in all religious context they (the
orisha) were created and sent by Oludumare to assist in the
spiritual evolution of humankind.
"In the Judeo-Christian culture, the word for angels
signifies their work as messengers, but other words for
angels signify their essence. They are called gods, the sons of
gods, ministers, servants, watchers, the holy ones. They
constitute the court of Heaven."3 Although the Judeo-Christian
emphasis is clear, it need be fully realized that concepts of
angels existed long before their arrival. For example, the
Yoruba concept of ancestors and orisha as messengers of
Oludumare were in effect thousands of years prior to Judeo-
Christianity. Native people throughout the world speak of
being shown rituals by holy messengers and of being
shown how to farm and domesticate animals. Ancient peoples
of all world cultures depict angelic beings as seen
through their cultural eyes. They were helpers in the survival
and the raising of their nations.
The reality of angelic forces is based on faith and con-
viction. In the Yoruba religious system one must believe in the
orisha in order to ascend to God-Consciousness-in order
to reach the divine state of human being. Yet, a disruption of
this endeavor has been brought about by Christian and Islamic
influences. Burnham states, "Islamic angels fell after the
creation of humans, but Christian angels fell
s Sophy Burham, A Book of Angels (New York: Ballantine Books, 1990), p.
82.