Seus saberes moram na encruzilhada da cristianização dos ritos africanos e da africanização do cristianismo, com o tempero profundamente indígena, acrescentado aos poucos por diversas contribuições
This excerpt, written by Luiz Antonio Simas in the book "O corpo encantado das ruas," evokes the knowledge of a religion that is typically Brazilian: umbanda, declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Rio de Janeiro in 2016 for its cultural importance.
Tenda Espírita Vovó Maria Conga de Aruanda, in Estácio, was the first institution registered on the map of umbanda terreiros in the city of Rio de Janeiro Tânia Rêgo/Agência Brasil
Image description: This is a photograph of a religious altar, possibly related to Umbanda, as mentioned in the provided context. On the left side, we see a statue of a female figure dressed in blue, followed by another of a male figure in red and white clothing. In the center, there is a large image of Jesus Christ with his hands raised, flanked by two female figures dressed in white. On the right, there is a female figure in colorful attire wearing a crown of red feathers. In the foreground, a woman dressed in white and green stands, while a seated man in front of her wears a white hat. Behind the objects, there is a rounded structure with several statues and religious ornaments.Umbanda is one of several religious denominations of African origin found throughout the national territory, and can be understood as an amalgam of African, Indigenous, and European Christian rites, such as Catholicism and Kardecism.
The most widely accepted version of the origins of umbanda as a religion places its founding on 11/15/1908, during a session at the Spiritist Federation of Niterói: Zélio Fernandino de Moraes channeled an entity who introduced himself as Caboclo das 7 Encruzilhadas.
On 11/16/1908, he founded the Tenda Espírita Nossa Senhora da Piedade - considered the 1st Umbanda house in Brazil. Thus, in addition to the emergence of other terreiros, the doctrinal and ritualistic foundations important for the recognition of Umbanda as a religion in the 20th century were established, despite all the prejudice against the entities of caboclos, pretos velhos, and indigenous spirits.
www.anf.org.br
Image description: This is a photograph of an Umbanda altar, with several statues and religious objects arranged at different levels. On the left side, there is a figure of a priest dressed in white, followed by a series of female statues in shades of gold and brown. In the center, there is a large statue of a celestial being with raised hands, wearing a golden robe. On the right, there are more female statues and a decorative object with red feathers. The background is white, with an arched structure. The predominant colors are gold, white, red, and black.Over time, different rituals - many of them predating the 1908 founding - were considered and included under the umbanda denomination. Today, the city of Rio has more than a hundred terreiros, such as the traditional Tenda Espírita Vovó Maria Conga de Aruanda. This was the 1st house registered in the city's mapping of umbanda and candomblé terreiros, carried out based on studies by the Instituto Rio Patrimônio da Humanidade (IRPH) to promote public policies for the safeguarding of Axé spaces.
Old Black Slave
Image description: This is a painting depicting an elderly man with gray hair and a white beard. He is seated, holding a pipe in his right hand. In the background, there is a brown jug and a metal cup. To the left, there is a figure on a horse, dressed in red and blue clothing, with a red helmet. The background of the painting features tones of green, yellow, and brown.Umbanda terreiros play a fundamental role in charity work and support for the communities where they are located. Moreover, umbanda and candomblé are the origins of many well-known rituals, such as jumping 7 waves on New Year's. Even so, the constant attacks on terreiros in Rio expose the racism against religions of African origin.
