Ricky Ricardo and Yoruba Religion

Turns out that Babaloo was not just a made-up word

Photo by Ban Yido on Unsplash

As a kid, I remember watching black-and-white re-runs of I Love Lucy. One of the songs that Ricky Ricardo sang at his nightclub had him pounding on his drums and singing “Babaloo! Babaloo! Babaloo Aye!”

Turns out that Babalú-Aye (from the Yoruba Obalúayé) is a manifestation of Olodumare. He is considered the supreme creator god in the Yoruba religion of West Africa. Obalúayé is the spirit of the Earth and strongly associated with infectious disease and healing.

Apparently worshippers believe he promotes cures for illnesses and heals those who are close to death. Heat is one of his properties, so a fever is considered to be a sign that he is active.

Sacrifices to him include grains and must be made during the day.

So how did the worship of Obalúayé get to the Americas? It came with the Africans who were transported as slaves to South America and the Caribbean.

In Cuba, the traditional Yoruba religion of West Africa merged with Roman Catholicism to become Santería, and Obalúayé became Babalú-Ayé.

Santería (also called Osha) is a polytheistic religion that involves deities called oricha. Their names are derived from Yoruba deities but they are also linked…