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Sopona

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89:, smallpox was believed to be a disease foisted upon humans due to Shapona's “divine displeasure.” Formal worship of the god of smallpox was highly controlled by specific priests in charge of shrines to the god. Prior to the early 20th century, people of this religion believed that if the priests were angered, they were capable of causing smallpox outbreaks through their intimate relationship with Shapona. The name "Sapona" (alt. Shapona, Saponna, etc.) is considered a secret and taboo name, not to be spoken aloud in respect for the power of the Lord of 132:. He is the divinity of the earth, wellness, smallpox, and can heal or inflict both insanity and disease on humans. It is known as Sakpata among other Gbe speaking people such as Ewe, Fon and Adja. Their territory stretches from south western Nigeria to the Volta Region of Ghana. Oral history has it that this disease decimated their ancestors during their sojourn at Adja Tado until they were cured by a Yoruba man known as Torgbui Anyi. Sakpata is one of the most worshiped deities among them. 20: 107:
suspected that the priests were deliberately spreading the disease, and surreptitiously joined the cult. He discovered that the priests were causing the disease through applying scrapings of the skin rash of smallpox cases. Based on this information, the British colonial rulers banned the worship of
192:. A skirt and hood made of straw that covers the entire body is the clothing associated with Sakpata-Omolu followers and worship. In the Jejé tradition, Kpo and Loko are also associated with straw clothing. The 204:) are all accessories associated with Sakpata-Omolu. He is seen to have both the power to inflict and cure skin disease and other contagious diseases. In present times this includes 24: 220:
tradition, Sopona is known as Shakpana or áčąakpanna, and is similarly a ferocious god associated with healing smallpox. In a survey of Orisha shrines on
543: 31:, and other public health experts attending a 1969 conference on smallpox eradication. It is adorned with layers of meaningful objects such as 328: 501:
Bader, Richard-Ernst: Sopono, Pocken und Pockengottkult der Yoruba. Erster Teil. Medizinhistorisches Journal 20 (1985) 363-390 (German)
93:. For this reason, the deity has a number of other names and titles which have been in use since the pre-modern period, such as Omolu. 504:
Bader, Richard-Ernst: Sopono, Pocken und Pockengottkult der Yoruba. Zweiter Teil. Medizinhistorisches Journal 21 (1986) 31-91 (German)
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Shapona in 1907. Worship continues, however, with the faithful paying homage to the god even after such activities were prohibited.
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This carved wooden statue of Sopona was one of approximately 50 created by a traditional healer as commemorative objects for the
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with palm or straw bristles, is used in Sakpata-Omolu rituals. Small gourds, white cowry shells, a black necklace (
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Bennett, J. L. (2003). "JAMA -- The Greatest Killer: Smallpox in History, March 5, 2003, Wear 289 (9): 1171".
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or Omolu. Speaking his true name is avoided so as to not invoke the power of disease.
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Sapona is the traditional, sacred and protected name of the Orisha popularly known as
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Hail Orisha! A Phenomenology of a West African Religion in the Mid-Nineteenth Century
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Smallpox- the Death of a Disease: The Inside Story of Eradicating a Worldwide Killer
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The Formation of CandomblĂ© : Vodun History And Ritual in Brazil
706: 584: 197: 169: 165: 19: 18: 711: 616: 225: 525: 62:. The Yoruba people took their traditions about Shapona to the 838: 185: 161: 476:
Spirits, Blood, and Drums: the Orisha Religion in Trinidad
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Encyclopedia of Religious Rites, Rituals, and Festivals
478:. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. p. 150. 287:
JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association
862: 831: 755: 724: 593: 567: 560: 445:Salamone, Frank A. (2004). Levinson, David (ed.). 316: 310: 308: 265:(1st ed.), Prometheus Books, p. 32, 537: 228:are found in almost every location. Those to 8: 564: 544: 530: 522: 160:nation). He is associated with the colors 429: 337:Princes and Peasants: Smallpox in History 78:religion that developed in the Americas. 319:The Greatest Killer: Smallpox in history 244: 81:Within the traditional religion of the 406:"Treatment of Intracranial Metastases" 176:associated with him are Sakpata-Omolu 7: 374: 372: 370: 511:. London: Longmans, Green, and Co. 66:when they were transported in the 14: 518:. Leiden, the Netherlands: Brill. 224:, James Houk found that flags to 74:, among many other names, in the 236:) closely follow in popularity. 509:Olodumare: God in Yoruba Belief 323:. University of Chicago Press. 16:God of smallpox for the Yorubas 1: 112:Dahomey religion/Gbe religion 379:ParĂ©s, Luis Nicolau (2013). 937: 404:Hilton, G (Oct 13, 1956). 299:10.1001/jama.289.9.1171-a 70:. He has become known as 725:Countries of development 507:Idowu, E. Bolaji. 1962. 335:Originally published as 514:McKenzie, Peter. 1997. 410:British Medical Journal 140:Sopona is known in the 422:10.1136/bmj.2.4997.881 44: 568:Supreme Creator (God) 22: 474:Houk, James (1995). 315:Hopkins DR (2002). 120:Sopono is known as 91:Infectious Disease 45: 888: 887: 863:Legendary figures 720: 719: 416:(4997): 881–882. 330:978-0-226-35168-1 118:Dahomean religion 928: 916:Smallpox deities 565: 546: 539: 532: 523: 490: 489: 471: 465: 464: 442: 436: 435: 433: 401: 395: 394: 376: 365: 362: 356: 355:McKenzie 1997:70 353: 347: 334: 322: 312: 303: 302: 282: 276: 275: 259:(23 June 2009), 257:Preston, Richard 253:Henderson, D. A. 249: 172:, as in Africa. 54:) is the god of 936: 935: 931: 930: 929: 927: 926: 925: 891: 890: 889: 884: 858: 827: 751: 716: 589: 556: 553:Yoruba religion 550: 498: 493: 486: 473: 472: 468: 461: 444: 443: 439: 403: 402: 398: 391: 378: 377: 368: 363: 359: 354: 350: 331: 314: 313: 306: 284: 283: 279: 273: 251: 250: 246: 242: 218:Trinidad Orisha 214: 212:Trinidad Orisha 138: 114: 105:Oguntola Sapara 60:Yoruba religion 17: 12: 11: 5: 934: 932: 924: 923: 918: 913: 908: 903: 901:Yoruba deities 893: 892: 886: 885: 883: 882: 880:Moremi Ajasoro 877: 872: 866: 864: 860: 859: 857: 856: 851: 846: 841: 835: 833: 829: 828: 826: 825: 820: 815: 810: 805: 800: 795: 790: 785: 780: 775: 770: 765: 759: 757: 753: 752: 750: 749: 744: 739: 734: 728: 726: 722: 721: 718: 717: 715: 714: 709: 704: 699: 694: 689: 684: 679: 674: 669: 664: 659: 654: 649: 644: 639: 634: 629: 624: 619: 614: 609: 603: 601: 591: 590: 588: 587: 582: 577: 571: 569: 562: 558: 557: 551: 549: 548: 541: 534: 526: 520: 519: 512: 505: 502: 497: 494: 492: 491: 485:978-1439903766 484: 466: 459: 453:. p. 24. 437: 396: 390:978-1469610924 389: 366: 357: 348: 329: 304: 277: 272:978-1591027225 271: 243: 241: 238: 213: 210: 142:Afro-Brazilian 137: 134: 113: 110: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 933: 922: 919: 917: 914: 912: 909: 907: 904: 902: 899: 898: 896: 881: 878: 876: 873: 871: 868: 867: 865: 861: 855: 852: 850: 847: 845: 842: 840: 837: 836: 834: 830: 824: 823:Letra del año 821: 819: 816: 814: 811: 809: 806: 804: 801: 799: 796: 794: 791: 789: 786: 784: 781: 779: 776: 774: 771: 769: 766: 764: 761: 760: 758: 754: 748: 745: 743: 740: 738: 735: 733: 730: 729: 727: 723: 713: 710: 708: 705: 703: 700: 698: 695: 693: 690: 688: 685: 683: 680: 678: 675: 673: 670: 668: 665: 663: 660: 658: 655: 653: 650: 648: 645: 643: 640: 638: 635: 633: 630: 628: 625: 623: 620: 618: 615: 613: 610: 608: 605: 604: 602: 600: 596: 592: 586: 583: 581: 578: 576: 573: 572: 570: 566: 563: 559: 554: 547: 542: 540: 535: 533: 528: 527: 524: 517: 513: 510: 506: 503: 500: 499: 495: 487: 481: 477: 470: 467: 462: 460:0-415-94180-6 456: 452: 448: 441: 438: 432: 427: 423: 419: 415: 411: 407: 400: 397: 392: 386: 382: 375: 373: 371: 367: 364:Idowu 1962:97 361: 358: 352: 349: 346: 342: 338: 332: 326: 321: 320: 311: 309: 305: 300: 296: 292: 288: 281: 278: 274: 268: 264: 263: 258: 254: 248: 245: 239: 237: 235: 231: 227: 223: 219: 211: 209: 207: 203: 199: 195: 191: 187: 183: 179: 175: 171: 167: 163: 159: 155: 154:Sakpata-Omolu 151: 147: 144:tradition of 143: 135: 133: 131: 128:or similarly 127: 123: 119: 111: 109: 106: 101: 99: 94: 92: 88: 84: 83:Yoruba people 79: 77: 73: 69: 65: 61: 57: 53: 49: 42: 38: 37:cowrie shells 34: 30: 26: 21: 832:Sacred sites 515: 508: 475: 469: 449:. New York: 446: 440: 413: 409: 399: 380: 360: 351: 336: 318: 290: 286: 280: 261: 247: 215: 201: 193: 153: 149: 139: 129: 125: 121: 115: 102: 95: 80: 51: 47: 46: 921:Plague gods 911:Health gods 906:Yoruba gods 849:Osun-Osogbo 555:(Orisa-IfĂĄ) 293:(9): 1171. 232:and Osain ( 182:butterflies 68:slave trade 895:Categories 854:Yorubaland 692:Orisha Oko 682:Babalu Aye 496:Literature 345:0226351777 240:References 190:mosquitoes 98:BabalĂș-AyĂ© 72:BabalĂș-AyĂ© 798:Iyami Aje 702:Oshunmare 575:Olodumare 451:Routledge 202:laguidibĂĄ 146:CandomblĂ© 136:CandomblĂ© 64:New World 818:Calendar 808:Babalawo 763:Medicine 747:Trinidad 637:Ọrunmila 599:Irunmole 339:(1983), 230:Shakpana 222:Trinidad 206:HIV/AIDS 180:, black 156:in the ( 126:Shakpana 56:smallpox 48:áčąá»Ì€pọ̀na 35:skulls, 875:Ọranyan 870:Oduduwa 839:Ile Ife 813:Iyalawo 803:Egungun 732:Nigeria 677:Ọsanyin 642:Ọbatala 595:Orishas 561:Spirits 431:2035631 234:Osanyin 216:In the 194:xaxarĂĄ, 178:beetles 174:Insects 150:Sakpata 122:Sakpata 87:Nigeria 58:in the 52:Shapona 788:Gelede 783:Ogboni 756:Topics 742:Brazil 697:Erinláșč 687:Olokun 662:Yemọja 652:Aganju 647:Shango 622:ỌáčŁá»á»si 607:Elegua 580:Ọlọrun 482:  457:  428:  387:  343:  327:  269:  188:, and 168:, and 130:Sopono 76:Orisha 39:, and 33:monkey 768:Music 707:Ibeji 657:Agemo 585:Olofi 198:broom 186:flies 170:white 166:black 41:nails 773:Itan 737:Cuba 712:Yewa 627:ỌáčŁun 617:Ogun 480:ISBN 455:ISBN 385:ISBN 341:ISBN 325:ISBN 267:ISBN 226:Ogun 158:JejĂ© 103:Dr. 50:(or 844:Oyo 793:IfĂĄ 778:Art 672:Ọba 667:Ọya 632:Ori 612:EáčŁu 426:PMC 418:doi 295:doi 291:289 162:red 152:or 148:as 116:In 85:of 29:WHO 25:CDC 897:: 424:. 412:. 408:. 369:^ 307:^ 289:. 255:; 208:. 196:a 184:, 164:, 124:, 27:, 597:/ 545:e 538:t 531:v 488:. 463:. 434:. 420:: 414:2 393:. 333:. 301:. 297:: 43:.

Index


CDC
WHO
monkey
cowrie shells
nails
smallpox
Yoruba religion
New World
slave trade
BabalĂș-AyĂ©
Orisha
Yoruba people
Nigeria
Infectious Disease
BabalĂș-AyĂ©
Oguntola Sapara
Dahomean religion
Afro-Brazilian
Candomblé
Jejé
red
black
white
Insects
beetles
butterflies
flies
mosquitoes
broom

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