Wednesday 24 November 2010

A long journey for an Indian godess

After crossing the water from the jungle that was the focus of the last post, it was almost impossible not to notice the official shrine put up by the local council. It had an official place for lighting candles and for leaving offerings, as I guess a sensible move to try to minimise damage to the nature reserve.

What really caught my interest was the name of the saint: Santa Sara Kali. Being and old India head I immediately recognised Kali as a Hindu godess and amazed to find her in Brazil. She is the black one, consort to Shiva lord of death most often portrayed in her destructive form. She is the godess of time and change. In Brazil, she is the patron saint of the gipsies.

Indian 1940s Kali poster
Santa Sara Kali

Monday 22 November 2010

saints in Santos

 Continuing on with my ritual site spotting walks, I have extended my area of operations to Santos on the coast of Sao Paulo state. A walk into the forest by the edge of a recreation lake and nature reserve uncovered an area extensively used to give offerings to orixas and for working charms. The site's proximity to water and abundace of rocks and different types of tree make it ideal for ritual activities.

 On the forest floor stands Nossa Senhora Apericida the patron saint of Brazil originally said to have been found by fishermen in the sea. She has ebony skin and is supposed to be responsible for numerous miarcles. At some distance apart in the bole of the tree stand two entities connected with Umbanda: a 'preto velho' (old black) who is the spirit of a wise old slave, who would normally be called in to give advice on such things as domestic disputes and a caboclo, representing the spirit of a deceased free indigenous indian.

 A plate containing rose petals hs been left as an offering in front of the effigies of the spirit entities. The major way that Umbanda differs from the related religion Candomble is in its use of spirit entities to act as intermediaries between humans and orixas. In this way it incorporates elements of European spiritism.





On a rock stands the figure of Moses with a candle in front.

 Candomble and Umbanda use a number of saints and biblical figures taken from Catholicism to represent orixas, gods  of mainly (but not exlusively) of African origin. This system would no doubt have been useful for slaves to hide disaproved of non-Cristian pantheistic practices. Indeed, persecution of such religions continued until well after the abolition of slavery. According to many historical sourcess, it was not until the 1970s that Candomble and associated religions were able to come completely out into the open. This religious 'syncretism' as it is mostly reffered to by acedemic,s with its use of parallel systems of ritual symbols, is also an exaample of the flexibility and inclusivness often a hallmark of pantheistic religions and illustrates the ease with which one culture can find ideological equivalents in the traditions of another.Catholic saints are as much part of Candomble as African deties. Although there is a movement to do away with Christain symbols in the religion, it has not seemed to have made much headway.

Moses stands  for Xango http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shango (also sometimes spelt `Shango' `Sango' or 'Chango'). He is the sky father and undergod of lightening and thunder. In the Yoruba tradton, from which he comes, he is the royal ancestor. He is depicted holding a double headed axe representing swift and balanced justice. It is not difficult to see the connection between one ancestral law-giver and another.







Saturday 20 November 2010

traces of witchcraft in the city

 During my walks around Sao Paulo city, I have been getting better and better at noticing the signs of ritual activity. Practisioners of Candomble or Umbanda ( more usual in South Brazil) are often paid large sums of money to carry out ceremonies usually involving sacrafices or offerings by private individuals for a variety of different reasons. With my trusty little camera, I've been able to take some pictures.

 offerings left beneath a tree

Ideograph made from beer-bottle tops embedded in the ground. Probably the sign for Exu (sometimes written 'Eshu') . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eshu Exu is the trickster god, the orixa connected with roads, ways and decisions. He is the orixa that I have had to deal with more often than others in my life so itt's probbaly a god idea giving him an honourable mention early on in this blog.


A miniture coffin put under the cementary gates surrounded by popcorn, which is a food normally offered to Omolu (also called Obaluaie or Babalu Aye). Omolu, who is the patron saint of thsi blog, is the orixa most connected with healing and illness.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omolu

Tuesday 9 November 2010

São Vincente and Ze's mythic creatures


After a little break on the northern coast of Sao Paulo, I am back to blogging, and my journey has moved further north and inland into Minas Gerias. The first stop is São Vincente, a small town in the interior of rural Minas, to visit an old friend, Ze Geraldo.

While I am introducing people, it would be a convinient time to introduce also a new project, which will feature in this blog. This is to create the likeness of a mythical being or group of beings suggested by people on my journey incorporating, as much as possible, something from the place where these people live.



First up is Ze, who when requested to suggest a mythical beast offered a winged unicorn. When it later became clear what I what I meant to include by using the term 'myth'; the word didn't have an intimidating granite portal replete with clkassical columns, and did not exclude on terms of origin, class or anything else and would include what he had termed 'folkloric', he decided to add a more local being called Curupira. He is the guardian of the forset who has back-to-front feet and therefore presents to any pursuers hunters reverse tracks thererby leading them the wrong way. We decided that he should be leading the unicorn.

This elevation of Classical European myth above any other is perhaps unsuprising in a country with such a history of European colonial hegemony. Although Brazil is some time after independence, and has been preaching and practising a cosmopolitan culture reflective of its ethnic diversity, there is still an evident conservatism which looks toward old Europe, in fact a Europe which in reality has long become dated.

It is not difficult to see in a place like São Vincente a vignette of Brazila nd it's historical relics. It is a town whose skyline is dominated by its two catholoic churches, one on each of its hills and the surrounding vast fazendas (farms) and peopled by the decendents of land owners, slaves and indentured workers. It is, I guess, what would be descibed as a typical small town, keen to preserve more than anything else.

                                           broken statues of saints left as offerings at a crossroad crucifix