... to each other not by blood, but by being in the same orisha "house-. A family is formed of initiates who share the same padrino (godfather) or madrina (godmother). The godparents, who are also Santeria priests, guide the initiates and teach them the ways of their orisha house and other philosophies and practices of Santeria. These godparents give "birth- to the new members of the family (new initiates) and acts as their sponsors until ... , they too can act as godparents to future initiates. Each ile is a family unit of godchildren and godparents. (Murphy 1993: 52-53) There is a hierarch...

• Word Count: 8386
• Approx Pages: 34
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School