VV(5) - Underwater Themes

[David Morris]

>From: lorentzen-nicklaus at t-online.de   "yemanja is the sea goddess. she is 
>patroness of fertility and the abundance of life. in  l u c u m i, she is 
>masked by our lady of regla, but in brazil, where these spirits are far 
>more publicly represented, she is pictured in statues and prints as either 
>a mermaid or a woman dressed in pearls and blue robes."

http://www.pagans.org/~yemanja/yemanja/index.html

"Prayer to Yemanja

O mother of waters!
Great is your power, your strength, and your light.
Great is the love you have for your sons
As is the wisdom with which you govern
>From all oceans and seas.
Let my request reach you
And do me the favor
Of removing enemies from my path
And smother my fears.
Let neither sadness enter my home,
Nor grudges nor sorrow.
Let your greatness
Be the greatest wealth you dispense to me.
Hail, Yemanja, lady Yanaina,
Whatever your name,
Whatever the beaches and coasts
Your waters may kiss.
Whatever the incessant rhythm
Of your waves, of your seas,
I entrust in you my faith
As part of God's creation on this earth
And this is why I ask you ________,
Because I know my request shall be granted
If it is just as well deserved by me."


http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~lorenz/fall97/project1/jennings/goddess.html

"Yemanja is the African sea goddess, who is said to have rivers "flowing 
from her breasts"(Baym et al. 2618). There are two legends surrounding this 
goddess. One is that a son attempted to rape her, and while fleeing from him 
she fell and rivers flowed from her breasts. The second legend is that 
Yemanja's husband criticized her breasts and while fleeing with her pots, 
"he knocked her down," (Baym et al. 2618) and the rivers flowed from her 
breasts and gave birth to the other Orisha gods(gods and goddesses of the 
Yoruba peoples).

In West Africa Yemanja was called Yemoja and was considered to be a very 
voluptuous woman. She was a "matronly woman, loving but also strict and 
demanding" (Afolabi 1). It is also said that since Yemanja controls the 
oceans and other bodies of water, that she gave birth to the first life on 
Earth. As a result, it is said that she corresponds to the Virgin Mary, 
because in addition to giving birth to the first life on Earth, she was made 
"queen of the heavens as well as queen of the sea" (Katz 40). Since Yemanja 
corresponds to the Virgin Mary, her colors are also white and pale blue.

The belief of Yemanja was transported across the seas by the Africans who 
were brought as slaves to Brazil. As the slaves were transported by ship, 
they sang to Yemanja in hopes that she would protect them from floods and 
storms. When they actually reached land, they felt that Yemanja was 
responsible for their lives.

On Febuary second of every year Brazilians gather near any body of water to 
pay a tribute to Yemanja. She is honored by baskets filled with gifts such 
as perfume, roses, mirrors and other feminine products. These baskets are 
dumped into the waters of Yemanja. "If the goddess is pleased with the gift, 
she will grant the wish of its offerer. If not, she will hurl the gift back 
onto shore, alerting the giver to beware" (Katz 45). It is also said that 
"those who please her are blessed with many children" (Baym et al. 2618). "


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