Maria Lionza
Encyclopedia
María Lionza is the central figure in one of the most widespread indigenous religions in Venezuela
. Her religion is a blend of African, indigenous
, and Catholic
beliefs similar to the Caribbean Santería
. She is revered as a goddess
of nature, love, peace, and harmony. She has followers in many layers of Venezuelan society from small rural villages to the modern capital of Caracas
, where a statue stands in her honor. Both the salsa
singer Rubén Blades
and the New Weird America
musician Devendra Banhart
have composed songs in her honor.
. Images portray her as a well-endowed and strong woman, riding a large tapir
. It is said that she reigned over the savage beasts, and in her throne were indigenous animals like turtles and snakes. She is said to still live on the mountain of Sorte, where her followers come to pay homage to her, calling her their "Queen." Because of the tradition, the mountain of Sorte was declared a National Park in the 1980s.
The name María Lionza comes from Santa María de la Onza ("Saint Mary of the Jaguar"), from the full name "Santa María de la Onza Talavera del Prato de Nívar" given by the Catholic Church to Christianize the religion. Eventually the name was contracted to "María Lionza".
, lies in the indigenous bemountain of Sorte, in Yaracuy
state, Venezuela, which is central to the religion. Therein is located the "Altar Mayor" or principal altar. As such, it is the main destination of pilgrimage from elsewhere in Venezuela and a place for people from the Caribbean to come to pay homage to the goddess. Though pilgrims come here all year round, the most important day is October 12. On this day, all the principal shamans and priests of María Lionza come together to pay homage to their Queen. Many of them of them do a tribal show called "Baile de las Brasas", where they do traditional dances, including dances over coals.
of saints known as the tres potencias or "three powers". The other two figures in this trinity are Guaicaipuro
, an Indian chief murdered by the Spanish
colonists, and Negro Felipe, a black slave who was also murdered by the colonists.
These three saints are the leading figures of the pantheon and lead several "courts" of lesser deities. These courts are:
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. Her religion is a blend of African, indigenous
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
, and Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
beliefs similar to the Caribbean Santería
Santería
Santería is a syncretic religion of West African and Caribbean origin influenced by Roman Catholic Christianity, also known as Regla de Ocha, La Regla Lucumi, or Lukumi. Its liturgical language, a dialect of Yoruba, is also known as Lucumi....
. She is revered as a goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
of nature, love, peace, and harmony. She has followers in many layers of Venezuelan society from small rural villages to the modern capital of Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, where a statue stands in her honor. Both the salsa
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
singer Rubén Blades
Rubén Blades
Rubén Blades Bellido de Luna is a Panamanian salsa singer, songwriter, lawyer, actor, Latin jazz musician, and politician, performing musically most often in the Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz genres...
and the New Weird America
New Weird America
New Weird America describes a subgenre of psychedelic and indie music, often psych folk, of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.-Origin of the term:...
musician Devendra Banhart
Devendra Banhart
Devendra Obi Banhart is a singer-songwriter and visual artist. Banhart was born in Houston, Texas and was raised by his mother in Venezuela, until he moved to California as a teenager. He began to study at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1998, but dropped out to perform music in Europe, San...
have composed songs in her honor.
Biography
According to the legends, María Lionza was born in 1502 to an Indian chief from the region of YaracuyYaracuy
Yaracuy State is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. It is bordered by Falcón in the north, in the west by Lara, in the south by Portuguesa and Cojedes and in the east by Cojedes and Carabobo....
. Images portray her as a well-endowed and strong woman, riding a large tapir
Tapir
A Tapir is a large browsing mammal, similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile snout. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia. There are four species of Tapirs: the Brazilian Tapir, the Malayan Tapir, Baird's Tapir and the Mountain...
. It is said that she reigned over the savage beasts, and in her throne were indigenous animals like turtles and snakes. She is said to still live on the mountain of Sorte, where her followers come to pay homage to her, calling her their "Queen." Because of the tradition, the mountain of Sorte was declared a National Park in the 1980s.
The name María Lionza comes from Santa María de la Onza ("Saint Mary of the Jaguar"), from the full name "Santa María de la Onza Talavera del Prato de Nívar" given by the Catholic Church to Christianize the religion. Eventually the name was contracted to "María Lionza".
Religion
The María Lionza religion, similar in most aspects to SanteríaSantería
Santería is a syncretic religion of West African and Caribbean origin influenced by Roman Catholic Christianity, also known as Regla de Ocha, La Regla Lucumi, or Lukumi. Its liturgical language, a dialect of Yoruba, is also known as Lucumi....
, lies in the indigenous bemountain of Sorte, in Yaracuy
Yaracuy
Yaracuy State is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. It is bordered by Falcón in the north, in the west by Lara, in the south by Portuguesa and Cojedes and in the east by Cojedes and Carabobo....
state, Venezuela, which is central to the religion. Therein is located the "Altar Mayor" or principal altar. As such, it is the main destination of pilgrimage from elsewhere in Venezuela and a place for people from the Caribbean to come to pay homage to the goddess. Though pilgrims come here all year round, the most important day is October 12. On this day, all the principal shamans and priests of María Lionza come together to pay homage to their Queen. Many of them of them do a tribal show called "Baile de las Brasas", where they do traditional dances, including dances over coals.
The Pantheon
María Lionza is the highest and most important deity in the pantheon. She is part of a trinityTrinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
of saints known as the tres potencias or "three powers". The other two figures in this trinity are Guaicaipuro
Guaicaipuro
Guaicaipuro was a native Venezuelan chief of both the Teques and Caracas tribes. Though known today as Guaicaipuro, in documents of the time his name was written Guacaipuro.-Life:...
, an Indian chief murdered by the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
colonists, and Negro Felipe, a black slave who was also murdered by the colonists.
These three saints are the leading figures of the pantheon and lead several "courts" of lesser deities. These courts are:
- The Indian Court, led by María Lionza and composed of many Venezuelan Indian chiefs.
- The Medical Court, led by José Gregorio HernándezJosé Gregorio HernándezJosé Gregorio Hernández, SFO [er-NAHN-des] was a Venezuelan physician. Born in Isnotú, Trujillo State, Venezuela, he went on to reach legendary status, more so after his death....
and composed of many other famous doctors. - The Court of the Juans made up by a number of figures belonging to Venezuelan folklore.
- The Teachers' Court, led by Andrés BelloAndrés BelloAndrés de Jesús María y José Bello López was a Venezuelan humanist, poet, lawmaker, philosopher, educator and philologist, whose political and literary works constitute an important part of Spanish American culture...
and some other authors. - The Black and African Court, led by popular black figures of Venezuelan historyHistory of VenezuelaThis article discusses the history of Venezuela. See also the history of South America.-Pre-Columbian period:Archeologists have discovered evidence of the earliest known inhabitants of the Venezuelan area in the form of leaf-shaped flake tools, together with chopping and plano–convex scraping...
such as La Negra Matea (who was a slave to the Bolivars and nanny of Simón Bolívar), and El Negro Primero (Pedro Camejo) who was known as Negro Primero because he was black and also among the first to go into combat. - The Celestial Court, composed of a number of CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
saints. - The Political Court, which includes Simón BolívarSimón BolívarSimón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
. - The Court of Malandros, made up of deceased criminals.
- The Viking Court, with various of the important Viking chiefs.