Why Brazilians Drown Cars, Gadgets in the Sea as Sacrifice to Yeye Osun

Adeyinka Olaiya, Sao Paulo/

As Yoruba traditional religion booms in Brazil, the constant adoration of its deities and offering of sacrifices is evident in the lifestyle of worshippers.

Offering sacrifices in the Latin American nation has, however, been taken to a new level.

Worshippers now drown brand new luxury cars and gadgets in the sea as offerings to the gods.

NewsmakersNG engaged some worshippers in Brazil to know why they offer such shocking sacrifices to Osun, the Yoruba goddess of the sea.

“It is my money. Oracle said it and I will continue with it. I will do what I like with my money. I can buy and throw any amount of luxury cars into the sea as sacrifices to Osun. It is my money. It is none of your business,” says Ivete Sangalo, a Brazilian celebrity, top singer and music maker after being criticized by the press to have started this type of offerings.

Sangalo in 2014 became the very first Brazilian Afro-descendant of the Candomble religion (a Yoruba traditional sect in Brazil) that threw a brand new Mercedes Benz car into the ocean as offerings to the goddess of the sea in accordance with the revelations of the oracle “Ifa”. She has since been offering brand new cars to the river goddess.

NewsmakersNG learnt that the offerings were made as thanksgiving concerning their protection and for all they made throughout the year.

Mae Osun da Silva, a Brazilian Iyalorisa, said, “Many of our rich men in Brazil are of this traditional religion and can go to any extent in appeasing the goddess. Don’t be surprised that the constant drowning of these objects in our seas could be new secret forms of offering sacrifices to Yeye Osun, the river goddess.”

Silva spoke with NewsmakersNG during the celebration of Yeye Osun in Praia Grande, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Brazil has several of its celebrities practising the African traditional religion, which gives a constant boost in keeping the religion alive with a number of Ile-ase – traditional shrines competing with church buildings in every nook and cranny of the country.

Those who make the offerings believe that the divine power in the sea would give them back in surplus. They also sacrifice flowers, expensive liquors as Red Label; costly wristwatches, cash, refrigerators, televisions, clothes, cell phones and several other products.

New Year eves in Brazil’s riverine areas are always full of people performing various spiritual rites for a better year ahead.

Brazilians throng the beaches to beg for favour and prosperity from the goddess. Many enter the New Year in white clothes and attires making sacrifices for a better country.

The government of Brazil, however, warned against the pollution of the seas by the spiritualist. They are allowed to do all necessary spiritual attributes in the sea, but with serious caution not to pollute nature. They are also warned not to scare tourists away from visiting the beach sides.

The state governments of Brazil through the local governments take care of sanitary issues at the sea. The government appears to have learnt to carry along its spiritualists and the tourists for a peaceful environment.

Tragedies at Brazilian seas involving important personalities are linked to the wraths of Yeye Osun, who according to the worshippers asked for more meaningful sacrifices.

Worshippers spoke about a Brazilian Supreme Court Judge, late Justice Teori Zavaski, who died along with two other people years back after his helicopter plunged into the sea.

They also mentioned a popular actor and director, Domingos Montagner who died in the black river Francisco at the center-north area of Brazil. He drowned and died in the sea after he finished shooting a television programme.

Another popular beach in Sao Paulo, Brazil, claimed the life of Brazilian celebrity, Carolina Bittencourt who was sailing with her husband and her daughter few months ago.

“We have to appease our gods and give them what they want so they can also give us what we want. Let us adhere to what the oracle says so we can live in a calm and peaceful environment,” Omo Awo, Leandro da Silva told NewsmakersNG.

Asked why they prefer to throw worthy and costly things into the sea as sacrifices, Leandro Silva de Ogun said, “I prefer to sacrifice non-living things to the Gods than slaughtering innocent animals as sacrifices to the Orixás. Africans slaughter dogs, goats and other domestic animals as sacrifices to the Orixás; some even sacrifice human beings in Africa, this is not good.”

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