Olga de Alaketu
Encyclopedia
Olga de Alaketu or Mother Olga- (c.1925—September 29, 2005) was a prominent Candomblé
high priestess, who was influential in promoting Candomblé and distancing it from Catholicism
.
A fifth generation descendant of the royal house of Aro in modern Benin
; Alaketu served as high priestess of the Ile Maroia Laji
temple in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil
, one of the oldest Candomblé temples in Brazil. Her temple attracted many prominent people including the writer Jorge Amado
, and the French
anthropologist Pierre Verger. When the Ile Maroia Laji was declared a national heritage site, Cultural Minister Gilberto Gil
said of Alaketu:
"In the last forty years, we can consider Mother Olga as the greatest proponent of the religion of the Orisha
s in all Brazil."
Alaketu died from complications from diabetes in 2005, and was buried in the Bosque da Paz Cemetery. She was succeeded by her eldest daughter Jocelina Barbosa Bispo ("Jojó").
Candomblé
Candomblé is an African-originated or Afro-Brazilian religion, practised chiefly in Brazil by the "povo de santo" . It originated in the cities of Salvador, the capital of Bahia and Cachoeira, at the time one of the main commercial crossroads for the distribution of products and slave trade to...
high priestess, who was influential in promoting Candomblé and distancing it from Catholicism
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....
.
A fifth generation descendant of the royal house of Aro in modern Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
; Alaketu served as high priestess of the Ile Maroia Laji
Ile Maroia Laji
Ile Maroia Laji is one of the oldest Candomblé temples in Salvador, Brazil, in the neighborhood of Matatu de Brotas. It was designated a National Heritage Site in 2005...
temple in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, one of the oldest Candomblé temples in Brazil. Her temple attracted many prominent people including the writer Jorge Amado
Jorge Amado
Jorge Leal Amado de Faria was a Brazilian writer of the Modernist school. He was the best-known of modern Brazilian writers, his work having been translated into some 49 languages and popularized in film, notably Dona Flor and her Two Husbands in 1978...
, and the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
anthropologist Pierre Verger. When the Ile Maroia Laji was declared a national heritage site, Cultural Minister Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira , better known as Gilberto Gil or , is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, and songwriter, known for both his musical innovation and political commitment...
said of Alaketu:
"In the last forty years, we can consider Mother Olga as the greatest proponent of the religion of the Orisha
Orisha
An Orisha is a spirit or deity that reflects one of the manifestations of Olodumare in the Yoruba spiritual or religious system....
s in all Brazil."
Alaketu died from complications from diabetes in 2005, and was buried in the Bosque da Paz Cemetery. She was succeeded by her eldest daughter Jocelina Barbosa Bispo ("Jojó").