Syncretism and Afro-Brazilian Religions

The Syncretism is characterized by the union of various religions and ideologies that form another.

Currently, the most visible syncretism is the religious one, but the ideological one is also present in various areas of the social and human sciences.

Religious syncretism

Syncretism is present in religion where it is possible to visualize elements of various religions that have influenced a certain belief.

Catholicism, for example, was born from Judaism and adopted several Jewish festivals such as Easter, which received another meaning with Christians.

Likewise, the Catholic Church absorbed practices from the pagan religions of the Roman Empire such as the use of images, priests' vestments and pagan festivals such as Summer Solstice, transformed into the celebration of Saint John the Baptist.

This can be seen in all religions, as there is no such thing as a pure religion.

Religious syncretism in Brazil

In Brazil, syncretism is evident among African-based religions that have incorporated elements of Catholicism. It is important to note that this mixture was processed differently in different parts of the country.

The main reason that explains this phenomenon is the form of power exercised by Portugal at the time of colonization.

As the crown and the Church were united in the colonization project, conversion to Catholicism is imposed on the conquered peoples. Like the Indians, enslaved blacks were forced to adopt the Catholic religion.

Faced with the conquest of territory such as Angola, the colony began to exploit the slavery of black Africans, as this resulted in a profitable trade. Thus, slavery between indigenous and black people began to coexist, although the Church condemned the use of unpaid indigenous labor.

By the determination of conversion, the captured slaves started to have contact with the Catholic religion even on the ships that transported them to Brazil.

Read more:Quilombos and Recôncavo Baiano

African Orixás

Intimidated by the punishments that would be imposed if they did not accept conversion, many slaves apparently embraced the Catholic religion, but maintained the cult of their orixás of origin.

The white lords, on the other hand, allowed singing and dancing on Sundays, as well as prayers and drumming inside the slave quarters.

Some historians maintain that masters believed that in this way, slaves would keep Africa in memory. In this way, they would not forget the rivalry between the different groups, avoiding a revolt against the state of slavery.

Among the figures of the Catholic Church worshiped by the Portuguese is Santa Bárbara, to whom the slaves pretended to sing, but in fact, the cult was intended for Yansan, orixá of sexuality, goddess of the winds and lightning.

São Lázaro, with his wounds and wounds, is also syncretized with Omolú, the orixá of skin diseases.

Yemanjá, the goddess who lets her own life come out of her womb, is syncretized with certain denominations of the Virgin Mary, such as Nossa Senhora da Conceição. Because it occurs differently in different parts of the country, the syncretism of the same saint or orixá is not identical.

In Rio de Janeiro, for example, the war orixá Ogun is syncretized with São Jorge and in the State of Bahia with Santo Antônio.

The image of Saint George in armor and helmet, bravely fighting a dragon, contrasts with Saint Anthony holding a baby in his arms. According to the Church, however, Saint Anthony was also a soldier and, therefore, fought, which explains the syncretism with Ogun.

Afro-Brazilian Religions

During the period of exploitation of slave labor, Brazil received people from different regions of Africa. Because they were from different places, they did not speak the same language and also worshiped different orixás and had different traditions.

Some fought among themselves and, in common, shared only the fact of being enslaved in the colony. Brazil received Sudanese, Guinean and Bantu blacks. The diversity is such that the Guineans are integrated by Muslims.

Candomblé

The name Candomblé was given to religiosity and to the set of many religious manifestations of enslaved blacks.

The word Candomblé is an onomatopoeia indicative of African dance. That is why historians classify African religions as various candomblés, after all, candomblé is divided into nations such as nagô, keto and ijêxa.

Practitioners of this religion had to adapt to the circumstances they encountered in each mill and region of Brazil in order to continue with their practices. Thus, they adopted the feasts of the saints and their images in this adaptation process with the aim of keeping their cults alive.

Umbanda

In Rio de Janeiro, at the beginning of the 20th century, another phenomenon of syncretism occurred with the birth of Umbanda.

This is a mix between Afro-Brazilian religions, Catholicism, indigenous legends and Alan Kardec's spiritism. That's why it's a belief that was born syncretized.

Its conceptual principles, "Light, Charity and Love", come from spiritism and the way of worshiping the orixás has its origin, basically, in Candomblé. However, unlike this one, indigenous entities are also worshiped.