This afternoon, we had our usual Afro-Brazilian culture class - today`s topic being... Afro-Brazilian religion, more specifically, Candomblè!
I thought this topic was pretty nifty, especially because it`s just so cool how mixed of a religion Candomblè is.. or, I guess to be more proper, it is very `syncretized.´ So, even though I`m not an expert on Candomblè, I thought that I`d use some of today`s post to just present some of the information that we received today in class!
So, Syncretism is when one religion assimilates into another religion, kind of making a fused, mixed religion. In the case of Candomblè, a fusion of different African religions (coming to Brazil via the trans-Atlantic slave trade, mainly Yoruba-speaking) and Catholicism occurred.
Popular Catholicism in Brazil is for the most part, apparently very practical, being more devotional than sacramental. For example, our teacher was saying how people here usually go to church in order to ask for protection, security, and ways to solve everyday problems, in exchange for gifts/devotion to god.
With the trans-Atlantic slave trade, several different groups from Africa were transported to Brazil, and mainly in the urban areas, several associations were formed by the slaves as a means of building their own community/family away from their real homes. Examples of these associations are: Juntas, bank-like organizations to buy other people`s freedom; Cantos de Trabalho (I didn`t really get this...?), slaves that would sell their master`s things in the market would keep some of the profit for themselves?; and Irmandades Catò licas, sisterhoods and brotherhoods.. that also built churches for themselves (since slaves couldn`t enter their master`s churches).
Anyways! What IS Candomblè? First off, it`s a VERY secret society - solely oral traditions, and so people within the religion are not really allowed to talk that much about its ceremonies and whatnot... which is kind of funny, since our teacher for today is actually a membre of Candomblè.. but I guess he didn`t reveal TOO much to us, haha?!
Candomblè belives in one, all powerful god (Oludumarè), who is served by lesser deities (orixas). Every person in Candomblè has their own orixa (can have more than one!) that controls a person`s destiny and protection. An Orixa represents a force in nature (water, trees, etc..), is associated with certain foods, colours, animals, and days of the week, and are sometimes associated as being the ancestors of different ethnicities (like, African kingdoms) or different elements (like, trees). According to our teacher, there is no concept of good or bad - just, that people need to fulfill their destiny to the fullest, and that any wrongs that one commits WILL return to them. Additionally, Candomblè worships ancestors - so, sometimes, one will have a particular orixa because their grandmother/ancestor had it - and ancestor spirits ensure that past moral standards will continue in the present.
SO! In a REALLY small nutshell, Candomblè worships nature and ancestors, and practices of Candomblè include: Divination (to try to figure out the cause of any misfortune of a Candomblè follower), Initiation (apparently takes about a month, which one spends in recluse/at the temple, to prepare people`s body to be `taken´ by an orixa in a trance), Sacrifice (no explanation needed??), Celebration (feasting after the sacrifice ceremony. Apparently, this is the ONLY practice of Candomblè that OUTSIDERS are allowed to attend. Everything else, is SECRET), Possession (by an orixa), and Healing (physically and spiritually).
So, the way that Catholicism is involved, is mainly that all the orixas (spirits) have second names that are associated with Saints of the Catholic church - in order for the slaves who started this practice to not be too discriminated.
There is more that we learned, but.... I think that`s enough.... haha!
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Just as a sidenote, I thought I`d write a little about what`s been on my mind a little, these past 2 days. If you`re interested more about Brazilian adventures, then... don`t read further, haha!
So, one of the things I wanted to gain from this trip was to get a better perspective of what I want to do with my life. Today is `tanabata,´ a type of festivitiy in Japan where one is supposed to make a wish (the story goes that two lovers in the stars/sky are separated by the Milky Way all year long, but ONLY on 7.7, are allowed to see each other), so I figure that today is an appropriate day for me to wish for something pertaining to my future goals.
For this Brazil program, one of our assignments includes giving a presentation on any topic pertaining to Brail that we found to be interesting. With me, I`ve been interested in researching the differences in diet between the US and Brazil. This started, because, as I think I`ve mentioned SEVERAL times before, there is a TON of sugar or salt in almost EVERY Brazilian dish I`ve had here, so I was interested in seeing whether or not there was a noticeable difference in diabetes prevalence in Brazil vs. the US. Well, so far, I`ve had some trouble finding information comparing diabetes levels, but I found a lot of information on overweight/obesity levels.
Of course, the US has higher percentages of overweight/obesity prevalence than Brazil, but a lot of papers that I found seem to point out that levels in Brazil are increasing at a pretty rapid rate, especially because: the economy of Brazil is becoming more competitive, globally; at the same time, food prices in Brazil are very high, so that cheaper but unhealthy foods are becoming more of the reality; the population is becoming more urban than rural/agricultural... amongst other things. Anyways. In addition to getting all these facts and figures, I started diving into really weird (but relevant?) tangents, such as sugar import/export, numbers of McDonalds restaurants, literacy rates... etc. etc.... If I get stuck on a topic I like, I can spend HOURS doing everything I can to get the answer I want.
Perhaps it`s because I don`t have my OChem or Biology book in front of me right now (you know I`m not THAT crazy to lug Vollhardt and Campbell on an airplane, right?? haha!), but at this moment, I feel really interested in more public health issues, like providing more education/health services for people. That being said, though, I still want to be at the forefront of research in order to BE there and actually provide answers/solutions, medically (pharmacology?). And that being said, I also want to actually interact with patients, because I want to actually see the faces of people that I`m trying to help, and to let them know that they`re not just another number or file in the system.
Okay. nevermind. perhaps I`m still confused as to what I want to do with my life - so, I´m still stuck between Grad school, Pharm school, and perhaps Physician`s Assistant or Nursing School program. AGH! At least.. I`m still SURE that I want to travel and provide health-care to people in need, probably through a program such as or similar to that of Doctors Without Borders! AGH!
Basically.... I need an orixa for MUITO help! haha~!
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While you are at it,check to see if they use corn syrup in their food and how they process their sugar/food products. I think that will have an effect on the rate of diebetes. It is also interesting that in Bahia they don't eat as much fast food but more traditional Bahian dishes, perhaps you will see a discrepancy where in the US underpriveledged folks eat more fast food as opposed to here where the same class eats more traditional foods. Maybe you might narrow your research to this area because of the diversity of the country here...or not...just a suggestion. Great thoughts by the way. LOL!
ReplyDeleteI think public health is a very important issue that can have a big and meaningful impact on many people's lives. It's interesting that you note that food prices have gone up, but unhealthy foods have become cheaper and more widespread. In a sense it's great we've solved the problem of starvation, but obesity is now a problem that limits people from living the types of lives they want to live.
ReplyDeleteMore education is important, but I worry the economic reality is that most people have difficulty affording or justifying healthy food. I'm not sure what the solution to this problem is, but I think it would be an admirable cause to fight for.