This chapter explores the role of the witch and witchcraft in Afro-Cuban religious narratives known as patakís to argue that, unlike popular conceptions of the witch as an antagonist, Afro-Cuban female deities characterized as witches are important world-(re)makers and powerful neutralizing forces. The author focuses on the Afro-Cuban religion known as Santería and its deities called orishas. In particular, this chapter examines two of the religion’s most well-known female orishas—Yemayá and Oshún. Through analysis of their patakís, the author suggests that Yemayá and Oshún’s depiction as witches is not incidental to their divine nature but rather a characterization of the very mechanism through which they exercise feminist resistance against imbalance and injustice in the world.

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The Witch in Afro-Cuban Religion

  • Elaine Penagos

摘要

This chapter explores the role of the witch and witchcraft in Afro-Cuban religious narratives known as patakís to argue that, unlike popular conceptions of the witch as an antagonist, Afro-Cuban female deities characterized as witches are important world-(re)makers and powerful neutralizing forces. The author focuses on the Afro-Cuban religion known as Santería and its deities called orishas. In particular, this chapter examines two of the religion’s most well-known female orishas—Yemayá and Oshún. Through analysis of their patakís, the author suggests that Yemayá and Oshún’s depiction as witches is not incidental to their divine nature but rather a characterization of the very mechanism through which they exercise feminist resistance against imbalance and injustice in the world.