Santería Enthroned: Art, Ritual, and Innovation in an Afro-Cuban Religion

Ever since its emergence in colonial-era Cuba, Afro-Cuban Santería (or Lucumí) has displayed a complex dynamic of continuity and change in its institutions, rituals, and iconography. Originally published in 2003 Santería Enthroned combines art, history, cultural anthropology, and ethnohistory to show how Africans and their descendants have developed novel forms of religious practice in the face of relentless oppression. Focusing on the royal throne as a potent metaphor in Santería belief and practice it shows how negotiations among ideologically competing interests have shaped the religion’s symbols, rituals, and institutions from the nineteenth century to the present. Rich case studies of change in Cuba and the United States, including a New Jersey temple and South Carolina’s Oyotunji Village, reveal patterns of innovation similar to those found among rival Yoruba kingdoms in Nigeria. Throughout, the book argues for a theoretical perspective on culture as a field of potential strategies and "usuable pasts" that actors draw upon to craft new forms and identities – a perspective that will be invaluable to all students of the African Diaspora.

Ever since its emergence in colonial-era Cuba, Afro-Cuban Santería (or Lucumí) has displayed a complex dynamic of continuity and change in its institutions, rituals, and iconography. In Santería Enthroned, David H. Brown combines art history, cultural anthropology, and ethnohistory to show how Africans and their descendants have developed novel forms of religious practice in the face of relentless oppression.

Focusing on the royal throne as a potent metaphor in Santería belief and practice, Brown shows how negotiation among ideologically competing interests have shaped the religion's symbols, rituals, and institutions from the nineteenth century to the present. Rich case studies of change in Cuba and the United States, including a New Jersey temple and South Carolina's Oyotunji Village, reveal patterns of innovation similar to those found among rival Yoruba kingdoms in Nigeria. Throughout, Brown argues for a theoretical perspective on culture as a field of potential strategies and "usable pasts" that actors draw upon to craft new forms and identities—a perspective that will be invaluable to all students of the African Diaspora.

Transforming Anthropology

"Brilliantly constructed, theoretically sophisticated. . . . Brown's text exemplifies how we might use historical data for theoretical innovations that shed new light on the complexities of race, legitimacy, and people's struggles over the authenticity of social and cultural change."—Kamari Maxine Clarke, Transforming Anthropology

— Kamari Maxine Clarke

Ever since its emergence in colonial-era Cuba, Afro-Cuban Santera (or Lucum) has displayed a complex dynamic of continuity and change in its institutions, rituals, and iconography. In Santera Enthroned , David H. Brown combines art history, cultural anthropology, and ethnohistory to show how Africans and their descendants have developed novel forms of religious practice in the face of relentless oppression. Focusing on the royal throne as a potent metaphor in Santera belief and practice, Brown shows how negotiation among ideologically competing interests have shaped the religion's symbols, rituals, and institutions from the nineteenth century to the present. Rich case studies of change in Cuba and the United States, including a New Jersey temple and South Carolina's Oyotunji Village, reveal patterns of innovation similar to those found among rival Yoruba kingdoms in Nigeria. Throughout, Brown argues for a theoretical perspective on culture as a field of potential strategies and "usable pasts" that actors draw upon to craft new forms and identitiesa perspective that will be invaluable to all students of the African Diaspora. American Acemy of Religion Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion (Analytical-Descriptive Category) Ever since its emergence in colonial-era Cuba, Afro-Cuban Santería (or Lucumi) has displayed a complex dynamic of continuity and change in its institutions, rituals, and iconography. In this book, David H. Brown combines art history, cultural anthropology, and ethnohistory to show how Africans and their descendants have developed novel forms of religious practice in the face of relentless oppression. Focusing on the royal throne as a potent metaphor in Santería belief and practice, Brown shows how negotiations among ideologically competing interests have shaped the religion's symbols, rituals, and institutions from the nineteenth century to the present. Rich case studies of change in Cuba and the United States, including a New Jersey temple and South Carolina's Oyotunji Village, reveal patterns of innovation similar to those found among rival Yoruba kingdoms in Nigeria. Throughout, Brown argues for a theoretical perspective on culture as a field of potential strategies and "usable pasts" that actors draw upon to craft new forms and identities-a perspective that will be invaluable to all students of the African Diaspora Introduction pt. I. Institutional and ritual innovation 1. Black royalty : new social frameworks and remodeled iconographies in nineteenth-century Havana 2. From Cabildo de Nación to casa-Templo : the new Lucumí, institutional reform, and the shifting location of cultural authenticity 3. Myths of the Yoruba past and innovations of the Lucumí present : the narrative production of religious cosmology, hierarchy, and authority pt. II. Iconographic innovation 4. Royal iconography and the modern Lucumí initiation 5. "The palace of the Obá Lucumí" and the "Creole taste" : innovations in iconography and meaning Conclusion Appendix 1. Fredrika Bremer's description of a Sunday afternoon drumming in a Havana Lucumí Cabildo, 1853 Appendix 2. Irene Wright's description of her visit to an "African Cabildo" in El Cerro, 1910 Appendix 3. The "regular" Ifá-Centric initiation versus the Ocha-Centric initiation Appendix 4. The Oriate's counternarrative to Ifa-Centric Ocha practice Appendix 5. Calendar of Oricha and Saint Feast Days Appendix 6. Oral data from fieldwork : interviews, personal communications, and correspondence. Title Imprint CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTRODUCTION PART 1 INSTITUTIONAL AND RITUAL INNOVATION 1 BLACK ROYALTY 2 FROM CABILDO DE NACIÓN TO CASA-TEMPLO 3 MYTHS OF THE YORUBA PAST AND INNOVATIONS OF THE LUCUMÍ PRESENT PART II ICONOGRAPHIC INNOVATION 4 ROYAL ICONOGRAPHY AND THE MODERN LUCUM INITIATION 5 “THE PALACE OF THE OBÁ LUCUMÍ” AND THE “CREOLE TASTE” CONCLUSION Appendix 1 Fredrika Bremer’s Description of a Sunday Afternoon Drumming in a Havana Lucumi Calbildo, 1853 Appendix 2 Irene Wright’s Description of Her Visit to an “African Cabildo” in El Cerro, 1910 Appendix 3 The “Regular” Ifa-Centric Initiation versus the Ocha-Centric Initiation Appendix 4 The Oriate’s Counternarrative to Ifa-Centric Ocha Practive Appendix 5 Calendar of Oricha and Saint Feast Days Appendix 6 Oral Data from Fieldwork: Interviews, Personal Communications, and Correspondence Notes Glossary Works Cited Index In the early 1980s, I began exploring the botanicas of Hudson County, New Jersey, and the boroughs of New York for Yoruba religious iconography. David H. Brown. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 373-391) And Index.