Teachings of the Santería Gods
The Spirit of the Odu
Ócha'ni Lele
Published by Destiny Books, 2010
At the core of the diloggún - the sacred divination system of Santería - are
the sacred stories known as the patakís, narratives whose themes are as
powerful and relevant today as they were in the minds of the ancient Yoruba
who safeguarded them. Each patakí is connected to one or more of the
16 odu, the principal creative forces of Santería. Some recount the lives of
orishas on Earth, others the lives of individuals in Heaven, and some tell of
the odu themselves, for even they once walked the earth as mortals.
The first book to explore these ancient African stories in English,
Teachings of the Santería Gods recounts more than 100 of these sacred
parables, including many stories reassembled from the oral tradition of the
African diaspora. Ranging from creation myths to what happens when a
love potion works far too well, these stories share the wisdom and spirituality
of the Yoruba people of ancient Africa and form the living, oral bible
of one of the world's fastest-growing faiths.
Ócha'ni Lele has been immersed in the underground culture of orisha worship
since 1989. He made Ocha in 2000 and was crowned a priest of Oya.
His other books incude The Secrets of Afro-Cuban Divination, Obí: Oracle
of Cuban Santería and The Diloggún: The Orishas, Proverbs, Sacrifices,
and Prohibitions of Cuban Santería. He lives in Winter Park, Florida.
"There is no more magical way to feel close to the orishas than through the
patakís. It is there that one is transported to one's imagination. Ócha'ni Lele
has a very spiritual manner in elevating my imagination through his writing,
which reveals a special touch. Maferefun orichas! What is seen is not questioned!
This is a special book for those of us who go forth from the heart,
without malice. Ócha'ni Lele, my dear, I congratulate you!"
- Ivy Queen, vocalist, musician, and Queen of Reggaeton
"This book is a page turner. Ócha'ni Lele relates these sacred stories with
the ease of a knowledgeable narrator while drawing clarity and meaning
out of the religion's complex chorus of voices. This book moves the deep
spirituality of the religion away from ethnography and connects the sacred
to religious studies where it is well overdue."
- Oba Ernesto Pichardo, Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye
(The text above comes from the back of the book)