Yoruban religious survival in Brazilian Candomble.

Candomble is a possession religion widely practiced in Brazil today. This Afro-Brazilian religion is syncretic, a mingling of the pantheon, practices, and beliefs brought to the New World by Yoruban slaves and freedmen with the Catholicism of the dominant European culture. Candomble is one of many New World religions finding its roots in African beliefs. In Brazil alone, we find a multitude, including Xango, Umbanda, and Macumba. Other African-based religions, such as Haitian Vodun, Bahamian Obea, and Cuban Santeria have made a home for themselves in various areas of the United States, most notably Florida, New York, and California (Voeks 1997).

What distinguishes Candomble from these other Afro-Brazilian religions is the members' interaction with orixas (orisas) (1), or deities. To be classified as a house of Candomble, a terreiro, or "religious center," must have members who "receive," are "ridden by," or are possessed during trance by orixas. A terreiro must also have a member who has been "seated" by Exu (Esu), the trickster messenger and mediator between man and the other deities (Houk 1995:54; Wafer 1991:4).

This paper is primarily concerned with the origins of Candomble. Why, when the Africans brought to the New World came from multiple diverse cultures, each with its own rich religious traditions, was it the Yoruban pantheon and practice that took root and grew? To answer this question, this paper examines various contributing factors, including the demographics of the Portuguese slave trade, the role of the Yoruba in Africa, the role of Yoruban slaves in Brazil, and characteristics of the Yoruban set of beliefs that predispositioned it to survival in the New World. After a discussion of the levels of syncretism that the Yoruban religion underwent on its way to becoming Candomble, there is a brief overview of Yoruban cosmology and how it is similar to and differs from the Catholic cosmology.

The Yoruba

The Yoruba are an African people concentrated in South-Western Nigeria, specifically the States of Oyo, Ondo, Ogun, Lagos and Kwara, as well as a part of the Bendel State of Nigeria. Some Yoruba also occupy the Republic of Benin (formerly known as Dahomey) and Togo, countries located west of Nigeria (Awolalu 1979:xiii).

The Yoruba have been urban for centuries. Their kingdoms were made up of independent city-states, which were organized according to landholding lineages. State politics were centralized and ritualized, ruled over by a king. The king's female relatives directed religious activity and managed the royal compound (Nevadomski 1993:20; Pinn 1998:56).

The official known as "mother of all women" coordinated the female hall of the community, deciding the position women took on important public issues such as the declaration of war, the implementation of taxes, and the maintenance of markets in addition to holding court and settling disputes (Harris 1997:340-341). This role is reminiscent of that of mae de santo (2), literally "mother of the saint," head of the Candomble terreiro. While some terreiros are headed by male leaders, pais de santo, of "fathers of the saint," according to Robert A. Voeks, the majority of terreiros are led by women (1997:51).