Hi everyone and Happy Juneteenth! For those of you that do not know, Juneteenth celebrates the emancipation of the remaining enslaved African-Americans in the Confederacy which occurred on June 19th, 1865. Or in other words it marks the end of slavery in the US (as we knew it - watch 13th on Netflix to find out what I mean).
Due to the importance of this day, we are dedicating this week's Fantasy Friday to the Orisha. The Orisha are the collective name for the god pantheon of the Yoruba people of West Africa. The history of the Orisha is very well documented and the Gods are still worshipped today by Yoruba people across the world. The history of the Orisha also served as the inspiration for our flagship comic: Shango (the thunder-god of the Orisha).
This mythology/religion has particular significance for Juneteenth as for many Africans that suffered the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade, these were the gods and goddesses that they prayed to, for guidance and strength. The evidence for this can be seen in the vast numbers of Yoruba speakers and Orisha worshippers in Brazil (one of the key destinations during the slave trade). But as today we celebrate freedom from slavery, let us also take this opportunity to reconnect with our rich history: