In Yoruba syncretism, Saint Anne is primarily syncretized with Naná Burukú (or Nanán Baruqué), an ancient deity, a primordial mother, associated with creation, drizzle, mud, and the mysteries of life and death, thus connecting her to the figure of the Virgin Mary's mother. This process of religious fusion, initiated by enslaved Africans, united the characteristics of the Catholic saint with this fundamental orisha to maintain their beliefs under the guise of Catholicism.