Secrets of the Afro-Cuban ritual sacrifice

In the very heart of the Island of Freedom, life unknown to tourists is seething - here, far from the eyes of strangers, secret religious rituals of palo and even sacrifices are practiced.

Many spiritual practices in Cuba are an unusual fusion of Catholicism and Afro beliefs, since the culture and traditions of many of the inhabitants of the island are associated with their ancestors who came from the African continent. Mixed with Catholic traditions, palo witchcraft rituals create incredibly striking combinations.

In this issue you will see photographs by photographer Jan Sohor, who captured scenes of ritual sacrifice in Santiago de Cuba and Havana. All of them are associated with the religion of Palo Mayombe (also known as Palo Monte) - an African cult practiced in a secret or veiled form by slaves of African origin in the countries of Central and South America.

(Total 16 photos)

1. Beginner's initiation ritual according to Palo Monte traditions. The religion of Palo or in other words the "Rules of the Kongo" is a synthesis of several religious directions, including communication with spirits, worship of the dead and the practice of black magic. (Jan Sochor - Global Post)

2. The Cuban sells shells, feathers and other organic items that, according to Afro-Cuban beliefs, have mysterious properties. The Palo Mayombe religion teaches that everything that exists around us is inhabited by spirits. And that Palo rituals give group members the opportunity to communicate with these spirits directly. (Jan Sochor - Global Post)

3. The priest of Palo prepares for the ritual in his home temple. Palo originated in Central Africa among the peoples who spoke the Bantu language and lived in the regions that today are called the Congo and Angola. (Jan Sochor - Global Post)

4. The believer draws a symbol on the floor of the temple, which is considered the main one in releasing the forces associated with the altar. Palo religion is based on two ideas: the worship of the spirits of ancestors and faith in the power of nature. (Jan Sochor - Global Post)

5. The drawings on the walls of the African Heritage Center in Santiago de Cuba are associated with spiritual traditions that came to Cuba thanks to African slaves. (Jan Sochor - Global Post)

6. The goat is decorated and prepared for the sacrifice. (Jan Sochor - Global Post)

7. Priest of Palo Monte with a typical red and white bracelet in Havana. Traditionally, the inhabitants divide the priests of Palo into "good" and "evil". "Evil priests" are afraid not only of the Paleros themselves, but also of adherents of other religions, including Voodoo. (Jan Sochor - Global Post)

8. The priest of Palo sacrifices a goat during a ritual in Santiago de Cuba. The forces that Palero interacts with are for the most part not good or evil in the human, mundane sense of those words. Basically, these are “neutral, pure Energies”, capable of both healing and destroying. (Jan Sochor - Global Post)

9. The center of all Palo rituals is a cauldron called "Ngana" or "Prenda" (pictured). It is filled with sacred bones, sticks and graveyard earth. This cauldron is home to the spirits of dead people, who act as intermediaries between the person and other spirits. (Jan Sochor - Global Post)

10. Many spiritual practices in Cuba are a mixture of Catholic and African elements. In order to practice Palo in the Christian world, many of the original symbols were replaced with Christian ones. Therefore, today, images of Christian saints and the cross are used in rituals. (Jan Sochor - Global Post)

11. Religious signs and symbols of Palo on a wall in Havana. Palo traditions have more moral freedom than most other religions. The religion of Palo is certainly directed more towards the self-realization of man than towards his self-restraint. (Jan Sochor - Global Post)

12. A believer with a red bandage over his eyes during the initiation ritual. Initiation into Palo involves a ceremony called Rayamiento (scratching), during which special marks are scratched into the skin. After that, according to the adepts of Palo, the beginner receives protection from some particular spirit. This is usually the same spirit that protects his godfather. (Jan Sochor - Global Post)

13. The altar fell with Catholic figurines next to other sacred Afro-Cuban objects. (Jan Sochor - Global Post)

14. Bright Afro-Cuban patterns on the facades of buildings in Santiago de Cuba. (Jan Sochor - Global Post)

15. It must be said that a rather gloomy and sinister cult fell on a superficial, profane look. The fact that there are individuals in Palo who predominantly practice what is commonly referred to as "evil sorcery" does not in any way give the right to stigmatize the entire Religion as "black magic". (Jan Sochor - Global Post)

16. This slaughtered pig went to a religious ritual in Santiago de Cuba. (Jan Sochor - Global Post)