In order to understand this work better, it is important to have a bit of background information. This story between a man and awoman, a mother and her son, takes place in Cuba in the early to midnineteen hundreds at a time of carnival. They are both mulattos. Forthe Afro-Cubans, and other Cubans alike, this time of carnival is a timeof worship and praise. In the Afro-Cuban religion of Lucumi, orSanteria, the gods are worshipped and praised especially at this timeof carnival.The Lucumi religion is a hybrid religion: a mixture of WestAfrican religion and Catholicism. It came about as the African slaves inCuba were forced to practice Catholicism. In order to keep their ownAfrican religion, they masked their gods with the names of the Catholicsaints in order to appear as if they were indeed practicing Catholicismand after years of practicing both religions side by side, Santeriaevolved. There are several aspects of this religion present andimportant to Olofes Razor. There are four gods mentioned in theplay, Yemanya, Chango, Ochun and Olofe. There is also trance likepossession and song, dance and rhythm in worship and praise of thegods. I will continue by first explaining these elements themselvesand then will go on to explain their relevance to the story.The second god referred to in the play is Yemanya (Our lady ofRegla). One of the chants they sing begins with the phrase, OculeMaya,1 which is used in Cuba to greet the goddess Yemaya. Itmeans, Hail Yemanya. She is a very beautiful ocean goddess and isassociated with the moon, but more importantly she is the god offertility and brings young women to womanhood. This is veryimportant because she is referred to by the young man when hespeaks of going out into the carnival to be with the young ladies andthe mother also refers to her when she speaks of the same subjectand also when she speaks of coming into womanhood herself. Yemanya is also referred to when the mother and son ...
