At one time Santeria was the dominant religion of the Caribbean. The slaves of Africa brought their native religions with them and once they arrived they hid their religion behind Catholicism, synchronizing their Gods with the Catholic Saints. I find the aspect of native culture having to hide in plain site both powerful and heartbreaking in equal measure. Santeria has faded into the forgotten corners in many cultures but, in my youth, it was just as important as any mainstream religion. For this project I sought out friends, family-members, and strangers whose stories and life experiences most closely matched the Saint whose spirit I was attempting to capture.
In Santeria, the eternal creator of the universe is known as Olodumare, Owner of the Heaven. Olodumare forged the universe from the chaos of ashé, the primal force, in an epic struggle between the forces of life and death. From this struggle, all things came to be.
The patron saint of Cuba. The giver of miracles. She represents the joys of life. In 1620, two Indians, Juan de Hoyos and Juan Moreno, and a black slave known only as Rodrigo went to the Bay of Nipe to look for salt. As they were rowing their canoe they discovered a floating piece of wood with the image of the Virgin Mary carved within it. The three men who would become known in Cuban history as the three Juans, brought the carving to the town Varajagua where a small chapel was built in her honor. On May 10, 1916, Pope Benedict XV declared her the patron of Cuba. In Santeria Oshún is the deity of water and the embodiment of love. The subject of this photo is an extremely kind and well liked island presence.
This most popular Orisha is seen as the symbol of fire, thunder, lightening and the imperfections of human nature. He is the embodiment of passion, virility and raw power. When Santeros hear thunder rumbling they say Changó is galloping across the Heavens on his white horse. The man in the photo is a twice convicted felon. He has since reframed himself but remains a rake and a charmer.
Obatalá was the first orisha. As a symbol of peace Obatalá is known as the king of the white cloth. When he was a child my grandfather’s brother became severely sick. My great grandmother, his mother, placed an egg on his chest and prayed to Obatalá to spare his life. He slowly got better and from that day forward she wore nothing but white. I recreated this family memory using my own daughter and wife. My daughter was sick at the time. I’m not sure if the egg helped but she got better after the photo session.
Oyá is the embodiment of chaos and creates hurricanes whenever she is enraged. She is viewed as the unleashed passion of nature. The woman in the this photo is bon vivant: a performer, mother, artist. She is often at war with her passions, engaged in a constant battle between destruction and desire and has given hope to people who face the same struggles.
When I was young I would watch the rooster fighters with fascination. Osain is represented by roosters and their spurs. He is a mysterious, terrifying creature versed in the old ways. His talisman are used to attract money and good luck. The rooster is the photo is a real fighting cock, an undefeated champion who finally won his freedom and is now studded out for breeding.
Patron saint of prisoners and opener of doors. In the city of Atocha a child would often appear to prisoners with the gift of food. In Santeria he is represented by a mischievous young man who is viewed as both fate and justice.
Oggún represents fisherman and the brute, violent forces of nature. The man in the photo was born three months premature and has battled malnutrition his entire life, but through determination and force of will he has built himself into a formidable force.
Saint Lazarus was a healer of the poor and sick. He walked with crutches and always has dogs at his side. In Santeria Babalú-Ayé is perceived as the personifications of all epidemics. To Santeros Babalú-Ayé is a symbol of death and illness, as well as a cure for all types of ailments. The man in the photo is an ER doctor who recently lost his leg, at his side are three, three legged dogs. Together they stand firm, ready to help those in need.
Barbadina (Father of Fire) is said to manifest in men of violent and harsh tempers, only the kindness of a child disarms them. The man and child in the shot are father and daughter. The father was a struggling addict prone to violent outbursts. After the birth of his only child he reformed his life and opened a successful business.
Represented by a rooster always standing watch for danger. He sits upon a heavy iron that cannot be tipped over and is represented by all colors.
This beloved orisha is seen as the ocean waters and giver of all life and is always portrayed as a woman. She is the patron saint of sailors and fisherman and protects against drownings. She is represented by white flowers and water. In 1714, Our Lady of Regla was proclaimed patron of the Bay of Havana where she continues to honored to this day.
Saint Christopher lived alone by a ford where he earned a living carrying travelers on his shoulders across the water. One day a child appeared and asked to be carried across. Half way through the child became so heavy he could barley finish the crossing. The child told him the heaviness he felt was the weight of the world. The subject are father and son. The father recently gained full custody and the child, once shy and withdrawn, as blossomed into a confident personality.
Is known as a teacher who instructs the very young on the ways of life. Obba Moro is not represented by the child in the photo but rather the hen who teaches children to respect all living creatures.
Ibeyi are seen as a symbol of infancy and represent childhood and the duality of life. The children in the photo are my childhood friends. They are proper island children, rambunctious and prone to raising hell. They come in fast and hard just like the water spout in the photo.
Represents the hidden and forbidden. She often appears as a child who are known to be shrewd judges of human nature. The child in the photo is constantly drawn to the ocean and her personality that hints at the possibility that she knows a lot more than she lets on.
Guardian of the crossroads and keeper of the dead. He is said to represent misfortune and hopelessness and to punish callousness and impiety.
Represents the loss of a child and is symbolized by a mourning woman shrouded in white. In the summer of 2018 my sister lost her oldest child. We spread her ashes in the ocean as seagulls flew overhead.
There used to be a house in the middle of the ocean. Hemingway himself stayed there, drinking and telling stories into the night. It was one of the few reminders of how life used to be. How and why the fire started is still a mystery but I always felt it marked the beginning of the end for the old ways of life. Soon after our island traditions began to fade, replaced with gentrification and commerce. But if you look hard enough you can still find, hidden away in forgotten corners, waiting to be discovered.