Alex Cuoco is an Africanist, writer, photographer, and ethnographer. His relationship and commitment to African culture surpass intellectual interest. He brings the reader access to Yoruba culture and Orisha religion in a simplified form, free from the grip of scholarly formatting. With simple language and format, his writings allow the reader to break free from "Notes" and submerge himself in the book's magical contents.
NEW RELEASE: "Ìyàmi-Àjé Our Mothers: Owners of the Womb of the World"
January 2024, 570 pages large format 8.5X11, Hardcover and Paperback Editions.
The Divinity Odù and Ìyàmi Òṣòròngà are the highest forms of female power and Divine àṣẹ. They are the most Powerful Mothers and owners of a potent energy that can only be compared to that of the Supreme God Olódùmarè-Ọlóòrun and of Orisha Èṣù. No other Yorùbá deity has more power over procreation than the Divinity Odù and Ìyàmi Òṣòròngà, the exception being Òṣun and Yemọja. All Àjé women on Earth are their subordinates and make use of their àṣẹ. Both the Divinity Odù and Ìyàmi Òṣòròngà are Deities that are highly feared and respected in Yorùbáland. These divinities and Àjé are usually referred to by familiar names: Ìyàmi Òṣòròngà, My Mother the Sorceress; or simply by Ìyámi, My Mother; Ẹlẹyẹ, owner of the bird; Àjé, and as Àgbà or Ìyá Àgbà, Elderly Mother. But, regardless of the name used to refer to Ìyàmi Òṣòròngà and Àjé, their power is the same and obsolete.
The power of the Divinity Odù and Ìyàmi Òṣòròngà was given to them by Olódùmarè-Ọlóòrun at the time of creation. The Divinity Odù was the only woman among male Orishas sent into the world. And with women’s power on Earth, they were in charge of procreation, as they were and still are the owners of all wombs. In this manner, the Divinity Odù, Ìyàmi Òṣòròngà, and all Àjé control the menstrual cycles of women, thus exercising power over human creation.
Given our times and the crises we face, the power of women and what they represent today is more evident than ever. This work reflects not only the power of the Divinity Odù, Ìyàmi Òṣòròngà, and Àjé but also their presence and influence in our daily lives; what they have represented in the past, in the present, and what they will continue to represent in the future. Today, their existence and àṣẹ are fundamentally crucial to our society as it was at the time of creation.
The mythical aspect of the Divinity Odù, Ìyàmi Òṣòròngà, and Àjé appears in many publications and has become a current topic of many discussions. In this work, the author included 40 Ìtàns to give the reader a small window into the mythical helm of these Powerful Divinities. Following the Ìtàns, there is a look into the Gèlédé Rituals and Societies of Western Nigeria and Kétu. It is followed by the topics of Àjé Sorceresses, examples of Oríkì Praises to Ìyàmi-Àjé-Ẹlẹyẹ-Odù, Sacrifices, 236 Sacred Leaves, 15 Sacred Trees, 21 Sacred Birds, the Orishas and Ìyàmi, the Odù-Ifá and Ìyàmi, Òògùn: Yorùbá Magical Medicines, a few examples of Ìyàmi Òògùn Works and Ọfò Incantations, Power and Rituals, Symbols, Names of Ìyàmi, Sacred Rivers, and The Hunting of Àjé by the malicious Atinga Society. Next, the reader will find two thematic Poems about Ìyàmi-Àjé-Ẹlẹyẹ and the Divinity Odù, as a form of salute and final reverence to Our Mothers, the Owners of the Womb of the World and Root of Creation. Following the poems, there is a review of the controversy of Ìyàmi-Àjé Initiations, Shrines, and Colors. The book closes with the Conclusion and a Selected Glossary of Yorùbá words and topics.
Reviewed by Carine Engelbrecht - December 17, 2020
African Narratives of Orishas, Spirits and Other Deities by Alex Cuoco introduces readers to the multi-patterned tapestry of West African myths and legends. Before the bulk of the collection kicks off, the Orishas and their spheres of influence are introduced in a section entitled 'Cast of Characters,' which is very useful to refer back to, should you get lost - and it is hard not to get lost in such a rich and detailed report. In the first section, the adventures and misadventures of the Orishas themselves take center stage. Here we meet figures such as Esu the trickster, the seductive Osun, and Olodumare, the chief God of the Yoruba. Some are wise, while others may be driven by vanities and other passions. Primarily, they dispense punishments and rewards, but their methods and their priorities might be very individual. For example, the intrigues of Oya's relations with Ogun and Sango, and Logunede's gender bending love affairs might remind you of a daytime soap opera. In the second section, interactions with other spirits and deities are chronicled. The third section of the book lifts the veil on various beliefs about spirituality and magic that underlie the mythology, while the fourth section discusses the influences of different Orishas on their devotees.
African Narratives of Orishas, Spirits, and Other Deities by Alex Cuoco can serve as a valuable resource and reference guide to anyone who is interested in the mythology and folklore of West Africa. It also offers insight into the roots and origins of Vodun, popularly known as Voodoo, as a belief system and in the fragmented heritage of the diaspora of Africa, as encountered in the West Indies and the Americas. Students of world mythology in general might be interested in exploring the echoes of various universal themes found also in the narratives of the Yoruba. At the heart of it, the Orishas and other deities represent a timeless pantheon and are connected with different personality types and there is even a place for gender ambiguity in the cosmic dramas played out by the Orishas.
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