Caribbean Religions

Even today and after extensive research, the Caribbean region continues to be highly controversial. On the one hand, this ethnic, linguistic and religious melting pot is heterogeneous. On the other hand, the common history of its peoples singles out the region in the Americas.

The Caribbean was the setting for the "discovery" or the "encounter" of two worlds that, until that moment, have been far apart. The fusion of cultures that convened in this region -the autochthonous, European and African civilizations- prompted a nonstop assimilation process and triggered the loss of cultural values. Thus, each and every territory took its own patterns from the standpoint of the kind of native population that interacted with the incoming European settlers: Spain, France, England and Holland, let alone countless African ethic groups.

One of the most scornful trades spawned by colonization was the Black Slave Trade, a situation that forced roughly 15 million Africans from different ethnic groups -Yoruba, Lucumi, Bantu, Mandinga, Arara, Mina, Fanti, Fon, Mayombe and others- out of their beloved lands and into the New World. Each group brought along their traditions, habits, languages and religions that were later on reinserted into a new picture on the basis on their religious consciousness and the new ambience this man stripped of his own culture had to cope with.

In 1685 under the rule of the Code Noir (it mandated slaves to be indoctrinated and baptized in the Catholic faith following a brief period of time) African natives were banned to take part in their religious celebrations, so this situation forced to go underground. Religion became a heathen cult. Worshippers were taken for conspirators. Sacred meetings were labeled as rebellion gatherings.

However, some African-origin cultural manifestations that were passed on orally from one generation to the next did outlive: music, dancing, linguistic dregs, cuisine traditions and religion make up the Caribbean authenticity, taking due account of the transculturalization process that occurred in these lands.

Specifically in the case of religion -construed as a unified system of creeds and sacred beliefs- analogies between aboriginal, Hispanic and African religious elements gave way to a constant exchange and eventually formed a new religiosity that has been changing in keeping with both the context and status of its practitioners through the years. These similarities forced the loss of some features, the acquisition of others and the birth of new components, let alone the fact that man, unlike any other field in life, shows more conservatism toward religion. For its part, the spread of gospel across Europe couldn't get rid of animist practices and pagan creeds of African origin, a condition that somehow contributed to ingrain certain religious conceptions.

Caribbean's popular religions -to tell them apart from ecclesiastic ones- are marked by their linkage to daily life, as well as to the peoples' tribulations and cultures. They all melt together Catholic elements and Indo-American or African cults. The presence of festive elements, myths and superstition; pilgrimages and icons; votive offering and promises, plus a utilitarian character.

We can talk about an assortment of religious manifestations in the Caribbean: Regla de Osha, Regla Conga or Palo Monte, Spiritualism, Voodoo, Abakua, Chango Cult, Maria Lionza Cult, Rastafaris, Shouters, among others.