Mary Ann Clark: violence and Santería

[Mary Ann Clark]

Violence

Once again we have to define our terms. What do we mean by “violence”? War certainly seems to qualify. What about police work? Is farming violent? What about the killing of animals for food? Does it make a difference if such deaths happen in the slaughterhouse (cows, chickens and pigs) or out in the forest (deer and birds)? If someone’s attacked, that is an act of violence but what about if they fight back? Is that violence?

Is some violence good and other violence bad? How do we determine which is which? In general, people seem to think violence to protect or feed themselves is appropriate while violence against themselves, their families or people they care about is not. Defensive violence, as long as it doesn’t exceed some standard of proportion, is generally allowable while offensive violence is often not considered appropriate. However, people are often willing to allow offensive violence when there is a perceived threat against oneself, one’s family or another such target.

Santería is often considered to be a violent religion. Although there are evil and violent people that belong to this tradition, as there are evil and violent people that belong to all religious traditions, some people think that because animal sacrifice is an integral part of Santería that either violent people are drawn to it or that people’s inhibitions against violence are lowered.

As I have argued elsewhere (see my Where Men Are Wives and Mothers Rule: Santería Ritual Practices and Their Gender Implications, chapter 6) sacrifice in Santería isn’t really in the service of violence. It doesn’t fulfill the criteria generally applied to religious violence. It isn’t primarily a response to or encouragement toward other types of violence. Neither does it serve either as a form of scapegoating or as the replication of a hunting culture. Instead sacrifice is generally perceived as part of a larger feasting even in which humans and deities share and are invigorated by the flesh and blood of the sacrificed animals--the same animals people might eat in a non-ritual context, for example chickens. The idea of sacrifice in Santeria is more than merely the killing of animals. It includes all types of natural and manufactured goods given to the Orisha. So just as one might sacrifice a chicken or a goat, one might also sacrifice honey or bolts of cloth or rice pudding or even cool water.

The Yoruba people and their culture was a warrior culture. They were deeply engaged in empire-building and other types of warfare during the period when many of them were brought to the Americas as part of the slave trade. However, as their religious tradition was reconstructed here, it is not a violent tradition. Rather the tradition has a place for all types of people and all of the ways people must exist together. Thus while some of the deities are peaceful and nurturing and encourage their followers along those paths, others are warriors who are willing and able to fight when necessary and encourage a warrior attitude in their followers. In this they mirror society. We need nurturers but we also people who are will and able to defend themselves and others. We need teachers and policemen, hunters, weavers and soldiers.

However, once unleashed violence often proves uncontrollable. There’s a story of the Orisha Ogun, the blacksmith who is also the protector of the town of Ire. Once the people of the town were being attacked. They call to Ogun to come and help them defend their city. Which he did. However, after he had managed to kill all of the invaders his blood lust was so strong that he turned against the townspeople, slaughtering them in turn. It wasn’t until everyone was dead that he awoke as from a dream and realized what he had done. He vowed then and there, never again to fight in a human battle.

As with all myths there are many ways you can think about this story one of its important lessons is that once you release violence you lose control over it. Thus violence might leave the situation in a worse state than it would have been otherwise.

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