Candomble is loosely translated to mean dance in honor of the gods. The history of Candomble states that it is an African-Brazilian blend of religion that borrows heavily from Bantu, Fon and Yoruba. It blends these African traditional believes and practices with Christianity and mostly Catholicism. Even with two million followers, it is yet to have a holy scripture.
Slaves who were transported to Brazil from Africa are credited with carrying their religious practices to South America. Most of their slave masters were Catholics and did not allow slave to continue with their religious practices. They forced them to convert to Christianity. The slaves resulted to practicing their traditional rituals in disguise. They integrated them with Catholicism which was dominant among slave owners.
The practice of Candomble was still outlawed in Brazil as late as 1970s. Its popularity has only risen after the society opened up to freedom of religion. It is very popular in Salvador da Bahia, a city that is still visited by most blacks in Brazil as they seek to know their ancestral history.
While it is termed as religion, many blacks still identify Candomble as a cultural practice and identity. This has seen a push to purge the religion of any practices that are borrowed from Christianity in order to make it purely African. The followers have a God referred to as Oludumare who has deities called Orixas that serve him.
The actions of worshipers are not described as good or bad. The common belief is that there are consequences for every wrong action. Each individual is alive to fulfill a particular goal. This goal is controlled by Orixas who also protects you during your daily endeavors.
The worshipers allow Orixas to possess them by performing certain dances. Orixas are considered as ancestors who died recently or sometimes back. The Orixas are also referred to as Inkices and Viduns. They are spirits and act as the link between God and human beings.
There is a connection between the Orixas and forces of nature like animals, food, etc. The personality a person displays relates to his Orixas. The collective name for Orixas is Baba Egum or Egungun. It is Baba Egum who controls morals within this religion and ensures that these morals are perpetuated from one generation to the other.
The way of worship is for priests and priestesses to disguise themselves as Egums. They then engage in particular dances and songs as a way of inviting Orixas to possess them. A possessed worshiper goes into a trance that involves enacting community practices. The trance will only end when the Orixas is done with the worshiper and leaves.
Women are highly privileged among worshipers and have earned the title Mothers of the Holy One. Their responsibility is to lead the dances and train young priestesses to safeguard the future of their religion. Their temples or places of worship are referred to as terreiros. They designate particular places for each God with clearly demarcated indoor and outdoor space. Worshipers must sprinkle clean water before entering the temple to get rid of external dirt. They also must be in clean clothes.
Slaves who were transported to Brazil from Africa are credited with carrying their religious practices to South America. Most of their slave masters were Catholics and did not allow slave to continue with their religious practices. They forced them to convert to Christianity. The slaves resulted to practicing their traditional rituals in disguise. They integrated them with Catholicism which was dominant among slave owners.
The practice of Candomble was still outlawed in Brazil as late as 1970s. Its popularity has only risen after the society opened up to freedom of religion. It is very popular in Salvador da Bahia, a city that is still visited by most blacks in Brazil as they seek to know their ancestral history.
While it is termed as religion, many blacks still identify Candomble as a cultural practice and identity. This has seen a push to purge the religion of any practices that are borrowed from Christianity in order to make it purely African. The followers have a God referred to as Oludumare who has deities called Orixas that serve him.
The actions of worshipers are not described as good or bad. The common belief is that there are consequences for every wrong action. Each individual is alive to fulfill a particular goal. This goal is controlled by Orixas who also protects you during your daily endeavors.
The worshipers allow Orixas to possess them by performing certain dances. Orixas are considered as ancestors who died recently or sometimes back. The Orixas are also referred to as Inkices and Viduns. They are spirits and act as the link between God and human beings.
There is a connection between the Orixas and forces of nature like animals, food, etc. The personality a person displays relates to his Orixas. The collective name for Orixas is Baba Egum or Egungun. It is Baba Egum who controls morals within this religion and ensures that these morals are perpetuated from one generation to the other.
The way of worship is for priests and priestesses to disguise themselves as Egums. They then engage in particular dances and songs as a way of inviting Orixas to possess them. A possessed worshiper goes into a trance that involves enacting community practices. The trance will only end when the Orixas is done with the worshiper and leaves.
Women are highly privileged among worshipers and have earned the title Mothers of the Holy One. Their responsibility is to lead the dances and train young priestesses to safeguard the future of their religion. Their temples or places of worship are referred to as terreiros. They designate particular places for each God with clearly demarcated indoor and outdoor space. Worshipers must sprinkle clean water before entering the temple to get rid of external dirt. They also must be in clean clothes.
About the Author:
You can visit ocaminhodosol.com for more helpful information about Summarized History Of Candomble Religion.
No comments :
Post a Comment