I based my final piece of work at University around the concept of superstition and irrational beliefs because the supernatural is something that has always interested me: whether it be astrology or witchcraft, it intrigues me and what’s more, I generally love the design that goes with it. It had never occurred to me that religion whether big or small was a fallacy of some sort and can be deemed an irrational belief to an outsider looking in. It was a complete accident that I stumbled upon the Santeria belief system, blowing my preconceived ideas and thoughts apart.
Santería, also known as Lucumi amongst other things, is an Afro-Caribbean religious tradition derived from traditional beliefs of the Yoruba people of Western Africa. Based on the West African religions brought to the New World by slaves imported to the Caribbean to work the sugar plantations, these slaves carried with them their own religious traditions, including animal sacrifice and looking to their dieties for help. Those slaves who landed in the Caribbean, Central and South America were forced to convert to Christianity. However, they were able to preserve some of their traditions by fusing together various beliefs and rituals and by syncretizing these with elements from the surrounding Christian culture, were able to keep practicing their true beliefs. In Cuba this religious tradition has evolved into what we now recognise as Santería.
