Iyalorisha

Overview

To become an Iyalorisha, one must become a part of the family, the lyawo of the Orisha. lyawo is a word that has become important because of the Cuban/Puerto Rican component of the Yoruba religion. It might be said that the lyawo is literally an initiate into the family of an Orisha. A ritual of 10 days must be performed. The lyawo is labeled as such usually after the initial 10-day ritual, but the lyawo cannot perform her duties until the entire year of rituals and celebrations has occurred. The beginning of that initiation process lasts between 8 and 10 days in the Santeria/Lukumi (this is mainly from the Puerto Rican or Cuban region) tradition of Orisha religion. On the first day of this 10-day ritual is the birth of the new lyawo and her Orisha, as the lyawo receives the Orisha internally and becomes linked for life.

For 7 of those 10 days, the lyawo is sometimes in seclusion. After these 10 days, the person becomes an lyawo, but her behavior is severely restricted for 3 months. Then another ritual is done, but this ceremony takes only 1 day. Some of the restrictions are lifted after this ritual, but the lyawo still faces some restrictions for the next 9 months.

Depending on the particular ethnic group, the restrictions on the lyawo will be lifted on the 1-year anniversary of the initiation, 7 days after the 1-year anniversary, or a certain number of days after the 1-year anniversary based on the ritual number of the lyawo's Orisha. At this point, when the restrictions are lifted, some of the houses in the town may have a ceremony similar to the 3-month ceremony.

The Initial Period

The lyawo, after her 7- to 10-day initiation, is believed to be a child and therefore must be treated as such for the first 3 months. Therefore, the heavy amount of restrictions during this period stems from this belief. During this 3-month period, the lyawo is always supposed to be well dressed, with her clothes always white and clean. Women are supposed to wear baggy skirts and blouses or dresses, but never pants, and they must have something covering their heads—be it a hat or scarf—at all times during this period except when bathing or sleeping. A piece of cotton is placed underneath their head covering throughout these 3 months.

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