(also known as "Rule of Osha" or "Rule of Lucum")
The roots of Santería are found in the beliefs of Yoruba people native from Nigeria. During and after the slave trade Santería emerged in Cuba, like the 'Chango' cult in Trinidad, 'Candomble' and 'Macumba' in Brazil and the 'Voodoo' cult in Haiti, which all also originate from West African religion. The Cuban slaves freely adapted aspects of the Catholic church and identified their African deities with the Christian saints. Out of this Santería developed.
The religion is constructed upon a hierarchical, pantheistic system of thought. One of its most significant characteristics is the worship of spiritual beings - ancestors and African deities known as 'Orishas'. These gods have various guises which manifest different characteristics. Each Orisha 'owns' a natural force - such as sea, wind, fire, thunder - and each represents a concept such as justice, war, passion or wisdom.
Each god has specific songs and rhythms which are played on the Batá drums at their particular festivals called 'Tambores'. Having invoked the deity, this music is used to convey adolation and requests.
Nowadays more than a hundred million people are estimated to be involved in the cult of the Orishas, not only in the 'old world' but also in the 'new world'.
Batá drums are three two-headed drums looking much alike. But their size and functions are different. The biggest one, 'Iyá', is the mother of the other two drums and represents the Orisha 'Yemayá' - the goddess of the oceans. The middle drum is 'ItótelÈ'. It is the melody player and the most sensitive of the three. It stands for 'Ochun' - the goddess of love. 'Okonkólo' is the smallest of the Batá drums and is the keeper of the time. It stands for the Orisha 'Elegua', which is a child - the prince of the Yoruba mythology.