Yemeya: Mother and Star of the Sea
Sometimes spelled Yemeja, Yemaya, Yemaja or Yemoja, She is the original "Stella Maris" goddess (Star of the Sea) and She is admired all over the world. Originally a West African goddess from the Yoruba religion, She is a part of the Orisha pantheon along with her little sister Oshun and Her big sister Oya. Yemeya is now celebrated throughout the Afro American religions. What makes Yemeya so different is the similarities that she shares with other goddesses of the Sea" such as Aphrodite, goddess of Salmon or "Salmon Woman" (Tsimshiam), and Mazu (Chinese).
Primordial Mothers of all Creation
Her name means "Mother Whose Children are the Fish." Like all goddesses of the Sea She is considered Mother of all creation, and is thought of as a primordial Mother of all living things. So powerful is the Stella Maris symbols that some have added the Christian goddess Mary to their pantheon to be included in that energy. Because She is primordial Mother, Yemaya is the Spirit of creativity, sensitivity, wisdom, healing, emotions, nurturing, compassion, love and loving embrace, for She hold the Womb of the world in Her being. Sea birds, fish and sea creatures are Her children. Yemeya is often depicted as a mermaid, and a Spirit of protection.
Tale of Yemaya by by Luisah Teish
Here is an article written by Luisah Teish, writer of the Book "Jambalaya." Here Yeye Teish tells the story of Yemeya.
THE TALE OF YEMAYA
Once there was a beautiful woman by the name of Ye-ma-ya, who looked into the waters of the ocean.
"Prayer to Yemanja" (Zolrak)
In this article I wish to introduce readers to one of the most powerful Goddesses found in the many African-Caribbean traditions. Her name is Yemaya, or Ymoja as she was known to the Yoruban people of West Africa. She is the Mother of the Ogun River and was also referred to as the "Mother of the Waters". This is because she is said to give birth to the world's waters - that new springs would appear whenever she turned over in her sleep, and that springs would also gush forth and turn into rivers wherever she walked. Together with Oshun and Oya (the guardians of the River Niger), Yemaya was said to be "supreme in the arts of mystic retribution", and protected her people "against all evil".
Yemaya is a merciful Goddess who women called upon for aid during childbirth, and the Goddess to whom her people prayed to for fertility, especially by women who have trouble conceiving. According to legend, she birthed 14 of the Yoruban Gods and Goddesses (also referred to as "orishas"). This came about through her being raped by her own son. After this ordeal, Yemaya lay a curse upon him, causing him to die. However, when this happened, the Goddess chose to die as well, and went upon a mountain peak. As she died, the bursting of her uterine waters caused a great flood which, in turn, created the oceans, and from her womb, the 14 orishas were born.
When the Yoruban people were enslaved, their Goddess went with them, sustaining them with life even in the face of the darkest times, in the new world. When her people were brought to the Americas, Ymoja became known as Yemaya, the "Mother of the Ocean", for this was the first time that her people had came into contact with the ocean. As the Yoruban people were not allowed to practice their beliefs in this new world, they merged their deities with images of Catholic saints, and subsequently created a number of new religions - Santeria in Cuba, Voudoun in Haiti, Macumba in Brazil, and Candomble in Bahia. Within all these differing religions, Yemaya is still revered as a powerful deity.
To the Brazilian Macumba, she is known as Imanje, the Ocean Goddess of the Crescent Moon. In Cuba, there are many variants to her name - while Yemaya taramagwa was the wealth Queen of the Sea, she was also the stern Yemaya Achabba, the violent Yemaya Oqqutte (violent aspect), and the overpowering Yemaya Olokun, who could only be seen in dreams. To the people of Haiti, the Goddess is known as Agwe, and as La Balianne to the people of New Orleans.
Being a Goddess of the Sea, Yemaya is often depicted as a beautiful mermaid, or earing seven skirts of blue and white. The cowrie shell is sacred to her and her places of worship are the seashores, or large rivers that flow into the sea. In Brazil, where she is referred to as ""Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception", crowds still gather today on the beach of Bahia to celebrate Candalaria, a ceremony in which offerings of soap, perfume, and jewelry are thrown into the sea in honor of Yemaya. Letters of requests to the Goddess are thrown also. The people wait to see if their offerings are accepted by the Goddess, or returned to them upon the waves. It is believed that the Goddess would wash away the troubles of her followers with her waters, the waters of the womb of creation and
dreams.
Colours attributed to Yemaya are blue, silver and white. Symbols are the six-pointed star, an open shell, the Moon, and bodies of water. Stones are turquoise (and other light blue crystals), pearl, mother-of-pearl and coral. The trout lily and sea lavender are her flowers, while sandalwood, tea rose, lilac and frangipani are her fragrances. She is also said to be fond of melons.
"Prayer to Yemanja" (Zolrak)
In this article I wish to introduce readers to one of the most powerful Goddesses found in the many African-Caribbean traditions. Her name is Yemaya, or Ymoja as she was known to the Yoruban people of West Africa. She is the Mother of the Ogun River and was also referred to as the "Mother of the Waters". This is because she is said to give birth to the world's waters - that new springs would appear whenever she turned over in her sleep, and that springs would also gush forth and turn into rivers wherever she walked. Together with Oshun and Oya (the guardians of the River Niger), Yemaya was said to be "supreme in the arts of mystic retribution", and protected her people "against all evil".
Yemaya is a merciful Goddess who women called upon for aid during childbirth, and the Goddess to whom her people prayed to for fertility, especially by women who have trouble conceiving. According to legend, she birthed 14 of the Yoruban Gods and Goddesses (also referred to as "orishas"). This came about through her being raped by her own son. After this ordeal, Yemaya lay a curse upon him, causing him to die. However, when this happened, the Goddess chose to die as well, and went upon a mountain peak. As she died, the bursting of her uterine waters caused a great flood which, in turn, created the oceans, and from her womb, the 14 orishas were born.
When the Yoruban people were enslaved, their Goddess went with them, sustaining them with life even in the face of the darkest times, in the new world. When her people were brought to the Americas, Ymoja became known as Yemaya, the "Mother of the Ocean", for this was the first time that her people had came into contact with the ocean. As the Yoruban people were not allowed to practice their beliefs in this new world, they merged their deities with images of Catholic saints, and subsequently created a number of new religions - Santeria in Cuba, Voudoun in Haiti, Macumba in Brazil, and Candomble in Bahia. Within all these differing religions, Yemaya is still revered as a powerful deity.
To the Brazilian Macumba, she is known as Imanje, the Ocean Goddess of the Crescent Moon. In Cuba, there are many variants to her name - while Yemaya taramagwa was the wealth Queen of the Sea, she was also the stern Yemaya Achabba, the violent Yemaya Oqqutte (violent aspect), and the overpowering Yemaya Olokun, who could only be seen in dreams. To the people of Haiti, the Goddess is known as Agwe, and as La Balianne to the people of New Orleans.
Being a Goddess of the Sea, Yemaya is often depicted as a beautiful mermaid, or earing seven skirts of blue and white. The cowrie shell is sacred to her and her places of worship are the seashores, or large rivers that flow into the sea. In Brazil, where she is referred to as ""Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception", crowds still gather today on the beach of Bahia to celebrate Candalaria, a ceremony in which offerings of soap, perfume, and jewelry are thrown into the sea in honor of Yemaya. Letters of requests to the Goddess are thrown also. The people wait to see if their offerings are accepted by the Goddess, or returned to them upon the waves. It is believed that the Goddess would wash away the troubles of her followers with her waters, the waters of the womb of creation and
dreams.
Colours attributed to Yemaya are blue, silver and white. Symbols are the six-pointed star, an open shell, the Moon, and bodies of water. Stones are turquoise (and other light blue crystals), pearl, mother-of-pearl and coral. The trout lily and sea lavender are her flowers, while sandalwood, tea rose, lilac and frangipani are her fragrances. She is also said to be fond of melons.
Altar of Yemeya
With Her Altar, Today Our Offering is a Child of the Mother