The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #87095   Message #1624916
Posted By: Azizi
11-Dec-05 - 08:45 AM
Thread Name: Folklore: Are bright colors evil?
Subject: RE: Folklore: Are bright colors evil?
Here's another example from African & African Diaspora cultures:

The West African/Caribbean/South African diety-Oshun

"In Santeria, Oshun (known as Oxum in Brazil) is the Orisha who rules the 'sweet' waters- rivers, brooks, and streams. Oshun is closely related to Yemaya, and their aspects sometimes overlap. She is the goddess of love, passion, and sensuality, as well as money and prosperity. Her preferred offerings are honey, copper jewelry or coins (usually in multiples of five). She is most often associated with St. Cecilia, and in Lukumi, she is Our Lady of La Caridad del Cobre, the protectress of Cuba. Her colors are yellow and gold.
In Vodoun, Oshun is known as Erzulie. Erzulie's colors are shades of pink. While Erzulie and Ochun are very much alike, Erzulie has a vengeful, implacable aspect when angered. Her aspect Erzulie Dantor is a fierce protector of women, an avenger of domestic violence, and a patron of lesbians".

-snip-
source:
About Oshun

A Drawing of Oshun is found by clicking this link.

Note that in that drawing Oshun is wearing a reddish color piece of material around her waist. Also note that Oshun was drawn holding and looking into a hand mirror, admiring herself. This is the way that she is usually depicted.

My point in sharing this information is that it seems to me that Osun/Oshun/Erzulie may have helped shape American Black folks' images of fast, vain, vengeful women.

The history of slavery and the post-slavery history documents that traditional West African culture {Osun-Yoruba [Nigeria, West Africa] took root and spread throughout parts of the Caribbean, USA, Brazil, and other parts of South America. I wonder if anyone has done any research on the influence of the colors associated with Yoruba orisas such as Osun [and Sango, even though he is a male diety] on the stereotypes associated with the American fast woman.