Umbanda: Encyclopedia - Umbanda

Umbanda

Originating in Brazil in the early 20th century, Umbanda is a religion that blends Catholicism, Kardecist Spiritualism and Afro-Brazilian traditions. It started among the lower-class Afro-Brazilian population of Rio de Janeiro but has now spread all over the country. The term "Umbanda" derives from Kimbundu, an Angolan language and means "religious practitioners".

Umbanda is a monotheistic, syncretic religion based on the worship of Angolan spirits, brought to Brazil by the African slaves during the colonial period and others borrowed from Brazilian popular culture. Additionally Orixás, from the Yoruba patheon are given token rule over the various legions of spirits and are associated with a Catholic saint under whose guidance the spirits work. The main class of spirits include Pretos Velhos (old black slaves), Exús (devils but named after the Yoruban deity with whom they bear little resemblance), Baianos (Women from Bahia), Boiadeiros (Brazilian Cowboys), Sereias (Mermaids), Caboclos (Brazilian Indians) and others.

Umbanda, being an urban phenomenon grounded upon Central African influences but borrowing heavily from European influences, has developed an accommodation with urban environs. Many temples (called tendas or terreiros) appear normal houses from the street, and the poorer ones often are. Larger, more middle class Houses of Umbanda often are laid out in a fashion similar to a church. Atabaques, or drumsMusic (percussion and chanting) play a central role in some Umbanda congregations and are almost non-existent in others. The head of the terreiro is called "pai-de-santo" ("saint father") or "mãe-de-santo" ("saint mother") and the possession priests who are his or her intiates are usually called "filhos-de-santo" ("saint children", masculine plural form).

Worshipping involves sacrifices to the deities (hens, cheap wine, farofa, cachaça, popcorn, cigarettes, hard cider and other types of foodstuffs or beverages, depending on the "saint") and has initiation rites that range from simple to complex. "Pais de santo" and "Mães de santo" also play divination using the "jogo de búzios" (the reading of the arrangement of small sea shells), give advice to those who seek it and produce "strong prayers" (Rezas fortes) for those who need them to evade troubles with the police, lack of money, sexual impotence, and other of lifes hardships.

Until the second half of the 20th century, all Afro-Brazilian religions were considered criminal activity by the Brazilian government and periodically repressed. More recently they have become part of popular culture as many novelists and songwriters have written or sung about them. Several of Jorge Amado's works, for instance, are concerned with the trials and tribulations of the Afro-Brazilians. From the 1960s, many songs about Umbanda and the other Afro-Brazilian religions became popular. Among the famous Brazilian composers who treated the subject, Tom Jobim, Toquinho, Vinícius de Moraes, Geraldo Vandré and Clara Nunes are the most widely known. In the 1970s, poet Vinícius de Moraes married his last wife, Gesse, in an Umbandist ceremony witnessed by many prominent figures of Brazilian culture and politics.

Umbanda is juxtaposed with Quimbanda which now appears to be claiming its identity as a separate, supposedly more African religion and distinct from both Macumba and Candomblé.

Recently, some evangelical groups, which have gained more adherents in Latin America in the last decade have begun harrassing and attempting to persecute African derived religious traditions. These persecutions have sometimes become violent, some fanatics stopping at nothing to eliminate what they do not understand. In the last couple of years, the African traditions have begun to defend themselves, even winning cases in the national courts, demonstrating that Brazil is a country which defends religious freedom.

Umbanda - Famous Umbandists

• Clara Nunes — Brazilian samba singer.
• Vinícius de Moraes — Brazilian Poet.
• Raul Seixas — Brazilian rock singer and songwriter.

Categories: New religious movements | Religion in Brazil | Afro-American religion

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Umbanda", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki