Kélé

Kélé

Kélé

Afro-Saint Lucian religion

Kélé is an Afro-Saint Lucian religion, originated from the Djiné people of the Babonneau region.[1] Its primary deities are Ogun, Shango and Eshu. Kélé ceremonies include the drumming of the tanbou manman (mother drum) and the tanbou ich (child drum) of the Batá drum family. The religion has its origins in African slaves of the Babonneau region. The religion is strongly connected to the Ogun festival in Nigeria. Repressed by the Roman Catholic church until the early 1960s, it had been practiced in secrecy underground. The ritual includes the display of smooth stones (one of Shango's worship items) and iron or steel items in honor of Ogun.[2] The faith itself is believed by some scholars to be a Saint Lucian version of Yoruba religion.[3]

Name

The name Kélé comes from the word ikele, which refers to white beads worn by Yoruba Shango devotees in Nigeria. The religion is also sometimes referred to as "Chango."[4][5]

History

Kélé was introduced to Saint Lucia by enslaved Yoruba speakers.[6] It was banned by colonial authorities in Saint Lucia.[1]

References

  1. [1]
    Taylor, Patrick (2013). Taylor, Patrick; Case, Frederick I.; Meighoo, Sean (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Caribbean Religions: Volume 1: A-L; Volume 2: M-Z. University of Illinois Press. p. 897. doi:10.1108/RR-06-2014-0169. ISBN 978-0-252-03723-8. JSTOR 10.5406/j.ctt2tt9kw.
  2. [2]
    Kuss, Malena. Music in Latin America and the Caribbean: An Encyclopedic History REANNOUNCE/F05: Volume 2: Performing the Caribbean Experience. ISBN 9780292784987.
  3. [3]
    Joseph E. Holloway (2005). Africanisms in American Culture. Indiana University Press. p. 254. ISBN 0-253-21749-0.
  4. [4]
    Cohen, Peter F. (2002). "Orisha Journeys: The Role of Travel in the Birth of Yorùbá-Atlantic Religions". Archives de sciences sociales des religions. 47 (117): 17–36. doi:10.4000/assr.2474. ISSN 0335-5985. JSTOR 30116593.
  5. [5]
    Simpson, George Eaton (1973). "The Kele (Chango) Cult in St. Lucia". Caribbean Studies. 13 (3): 110–116. ISSN 0008-6533.
  6. [6]
    Pollak-Eltz, Angelina (September–December 1993). "The Shango Cult and Other African Rituals in Trinidad, Grenada, and Carriacou and Their Possible Influence on the Spiritual Baptist Faith". Caribbean Quarterly. 39 (3/4): 12–26. doi:10.1080/00086495.1993.11671791. ISSN 0008-6495. JSTOR 40653857 – via JSTOR.
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