fan

[epicous]

I scanned this photo from a Salvat encyclopaedia:



There is a kind of fan with cascabeles. Do you know its name?

[Thomas Altmann]

Hi epicous,

that's definitely no percussion instrument, even though it is adorned with jingles. This is really a fan, and it is a ritual accessory of the orisha Ochún; see the yellow coloring and the number of 5 jingles. In Lukumí language it is called abebe, more specifically abebe-Ochún. When Ochún manifests among the initiated participants of a bembé or Santería ceremony, she is re-dressed in her religious garment, and she is given the (consecrated) abebe.

It looks like there's another abebe in black and white seen in the picture. Honestly, I cannot associate it with any orisha, because the only other orisha that carries an abebe is Yemaya - as far as I know. Her color is blue or blue and white. Maybe the original blue color looks black in the photo.

The maraca in the upper left corner seems to be the blue and white ritual rattle of Yemaya. Anyway, I am surprised how all these religious paraphernalia have made it into a regular encyclopedia as regular percussion instruments. The red and white objects on the right are the rattles of Changó and Aggayú, respectively. These religious rattles are called acheré, and they belong exclusively to the orisha and are used to summon them; they don't have a musical application in the first place. The maraca that the singer uses for marking the clave during a toque de santo (with batá) may also be called acheré, but in this case it's usually a profane maraca.

Thomas

P.S.: The acheré of Aggayú is traditionally made of gourd, and his color is a darker red than in the photo. This one looks like it is made from a cow horn. The only orisha that are associated with horns are Ogué and Oyá. But Oyá's achere is a painted dried flamboyan fruit. And Ogué - I don't believe he's got an achere on his own. Ogué lives with Changó. You can see his red and white horns on top of some Changó bateas. So this object remains somehow dubious.

[epicous]

Clear information.

Anyway, I am surprised how all these religious paraphernalia have made it into a regular encyclopedia as regular percussion instruments.

This encyclopaedia dates from 1969-1970. Not updated then...

[niallgregory]

Hi epicous,

that's definitely no percussion instrument, even though it is adorned with jingles. This is really a fan, and it is a ritual accessory of the orisha Ochún; see the yellow coloring and the number of 5 jingles. In Lukumí language it is called abebe, more specifically abebe-Ochún. When Ochún manifests among the initiated participants of a bembé or Santería ceremony, she is re-dressed in her religious garment, and she is given the (consecrated) abebe.

It looks like there's another abebe in black and white seen in the picture. Honestly, I cannot associate it with any orisha, because the only other orisha that carries an abebe is Yemaya - as far as I know. Her color is blue or blue and white. Maybe the original blue color looks black in the photo.

The maraca in the upper left corner seems to be the blue and white ritual rattle of Yemaya. Anyway, I am surprised how all these religious paraphernalia have made it into a regular encyclopedia as regular percussion instruments. The red and white objects on the right are the rattles of Changó and Aggayú, respectively. These religious rattles are called acheré, and they belong exclusively to the orisha and are used to summon them; they don't have a musical application in the first place. The maraca that the singer uses for marking the clave during a toque de santo (with batá) may also be called acheré, but in this case it's usually a profane maraca.

Thomas

P.S.: The acheré of Aggayú is traditionally made of gourd, and his color is a darker red than in the photo. This one looks like it is made from a cow horn. The only orisha that are associated with horns are Ogué and Oyá. But Oyá's achere is a painted dried flamboyan fruit. And Ogué - I don't believe he's got an achere on his own. Ogué lives with Changó. You can see his red and white horns on top of some Changó bateas. So this object remains somehow dubious.

Thats a superb response Thomas . You know your stuff