Santería: the religion

When the Yoruba of West Africa were brought to Cuba as slaves, they preserved their religious heritage by disguising their gods as Catholic saints and worshipping them in secret. The resulting religion is Santeria, a blend of primitive magic and Catholicism. Gonzalez-Wippler describes Santeria's pantheon of gods ("orishas"), the priests ("santeros"), the divining shells used to consult the gods ("Diloggun") and the herbal potions prepared as medicinal cures and for magic ("Ewe") as well as controversial ceremonies - including animal sacrifice. Migene Gonzalez-Wippler has also written "The Santeria Experience", "The Complete Book of Amulets and Talismans", "Dreams and What They Mean to You" and "The Complete Book of Spells, Ceremonies and Magic".