SanteríaLucumí

Santería Lucumí is a syncretic Afro-Cuban religion that blends Yoruba-derived beliefs, rituals, and liturgical language with elements of Roman Catholicism and other influences. It developed among enslaved West Africans, primarily Yoruba speakers, in Cuba from the 18th century onward and has spread across the Caribbean, the Americas, and Europe.

Central to the tradition is the worship of orishas, spiritual beings associated with natural forces, ancestors, and human concerns. Practitioners seek guidance through divination systems—most notably dilogún (cowrie-shell divination) and, in some branches, Ifá—and participate in ritual drumming, song, offerings, and ceremonial possession. Important ritual actions include cleansing rites, offerings (often called ebó), and initiation processes that incorporate consecration of a devotee to an orisha.

The term Lucumí refers both to the liturgical vocabulary retained from Yoruba languages and to the cultural-religious lineage that preserves those ritual forms. Lucumí is primarily a ritual lexicon used in chants, prayers, and names rather than a fully preserved spoken language. Religious specialists include santeros or santeras (priests and priestesses) and, where Ifá is maintained, babalawos; houses of worship are commonly called ilés.

Santería Lucumí has influenced music, visual arts, and popular culture and remains an important identity marker in Afro-Cuban communities. It is subject to varying legal and social attitudes in different countries and has been the focus of both scholarly study and public debate about religious freedom, cultural heritage, and ethical practices.