Annotated Bibliography Alonso, M. C. "The Development of Yorùbá Candomblé Communities in Salvador, Bahia, 1835-1986." The Development of Yorùbá Candomblé Communities in Salvador, Bahia, 1835-1986 (Book, 2014) [WorldCat.org]. Macmillian, 10 May 2016. Web. 07 Nov. 2016. Miguel C. Alonso explains the foundation of the Yoruba belief system and culture that forms a basis for the understanding of Candomblé. He takes us to Yorubaland in southwest Nigeria and explains the significance of the Oyo Empire and the of Yorubaland, “cradle” residence of the spiritual head of the Yoruba, the Oni. He cites Andrew Apter’s scholarship that places the town of Ile-Ife at the center of the Yoruba civilization. Prominent Candomblé figures Oduduwa and Olodumare (the mythical god from whom the deities follow) are adopted directly from the Yoruba. He lays out the pantheon of Yoruba and Fon deities that form the basis for an understanding of the Candomblé orixa which in Bahia are syncretized with Catholic saints. Alonso offers many insightful comparisons between Yoruba spiritual practice in Nigeria and in Bahia. One is that in Bahia, women (Mae de Santo) headed the of spiritual compounds or “terriero’ worship, a departure from Yorubaland where women often played a role but did not dominate as in Bahia. One reason women ascended to head the terrieros is because they had the organizational skills and financial means to do so, having worked as traders and in other roles in urban centers. In Bahia the terrieo served almost exclusively as a place of worship, not doubling as a residence as in Nigeria. Another Bahian adaptation of Yoruba spiritual practice allowed the Mae de Santo to achieve her status through years of study and
Annotated Bibliography Alonso, M. C. "The Development of Yorùbá Candomblé Communities in Salvador, Bahia, 1835-1986." The Development of Yorùbá Candomblé Communities in Salvador, Bahia, 1835-1986 (Book, 2014) [WorldCat.org]. Macmillian, 10 May 2016. Web. 07 Nov. 2016. Miguel C. Alonso explains the foundation of the Yoruba belief system and culture that forms a basis for the understanding of Candomblé. He takes us to Yorubaland in southwest Nigeria and explains the significance of the Oyo Empire and the “cradle” of Yorubaland, residence of the spiritual head of the Yoruba, the Oni. He cites Andrew Apter’s scholarship that places the town of Ile-Ife at the center of the Yoruba civilization. Prominent Candomblé figures Oduduwa and Olodumare (the mythical god from whom the deities follow) are adopted directly from the Yoruba. He lays out the pantheon of Yoruba and Fon deities that form the basis for an understanding of the Candomblé orixa which in Bahia are syncretized with Catholic saints. Alonso offers many insightful comparisons between Yoruba spiritual practice in Nigeria and in Bahia. One is that in Bahia, women (Mae de Santo) headed the compounds or “terriero’ of spiritual worship, a departure from Yorubaland where women often played a role but did not dominate as in Bahia. One reason women ascended to head the terrieros is because they had the organizational skills and financial means to do so, having worked as traders and in other roles in urban centers. In Bahia the terrieo served almost exclusively as a place of worship, not doubling as a residence as in Nigeria. Another Bahian adaptation of Yoruba spiritual practice allowed the Mae de Santo to achieve her status through years of study and