- What is umbanda?
- Origin of Umbanda
- Umbanda beliefs and symbols
- Umbanda practices and ceremonies
- Orixás or spiritual guides
- Criticism of the Umbanda
We explain what the Umbanda religion is, what its beliefs are and its origin. Also, what are their ceremonies and spiritual guides.
What is umbanda?
Umbanda is a religion of Brazilian origin, in which the heritage of African religions brought to America for the slaves of the colonial era, with diverse elements Hindus Y christians, as well as with traditions of Native American peoples. Despite being originally from Brazil, it has spread to neighboring territories such as Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay.
Umbanda is a term from Kikongo, a Bantu language native to Angola, and can be translated as "the art of healing." This is possibly because it was initially part of the “Magic” with which African healers healed their fellow human beings, based on their reconnection with a cosmic order.
Since its emergence in the 20th century, the Umbanda religion has gained notoriety in the region as a popular religious practice, linked to numerous Brazilian singers such as Vinicius de Moraes, José Bezerra da Silva or Raul Seixas. Its presence became central in the field of Brazilian neo-Pentecostalism, with the celebration of at least three congresses of believers and practitioners, as well as the creation in 2003 of the Faculty of Umbandist Theology, an institution that functioned until 2016.
Due to its syncretic character, Umbanda has numerous points of contact with other religions and its divinities often coincide in representation, associations or day of worship with the apparitions of the Christian Virgin or with members of the Catholic saints.Likewise, Umbanda has meeting points with other religions of African origin, such as the Macumba, the candomblé or the Yoruba religion of the Caribbean, but it should not be confused with any of them, since it is a syncretic religion of Brazilian origin.
Origin of Umbanda
Although there are debates regarding its origin, it is known that the Umbanda religion emerged at the beginning of the 20th century, from what was considered traditional religious practice or macumba. This practice was common in Rio de Janeiro in the 19th century, and encompassed two aspects, one popular in nature (popular umbanda) and the other more refined and accepted by certain local elites (white umbanda). Of the two streams, it was the first that spawned the worship current umbanda.
According to the story of its practitioners, the date of origin of Umbanda is November 15, 1908 (or 1907), from the possession of Zelio Fernandino de Moraes, a young middle class from a Catholic family from Rio de Janeiro. , called, by a spirit known as the “Caboclo das sete encruzilhadas” (in Portuguese: “the caboclo [that is, the spirit] of the seven crossroads”), an entity for whom all paths are always open.
That night, the caboclo spirit, alternating with another entity called "Preto Velho Pai Antonio” (that is, “old black daddy Antonio”), instructed those present in the creation of the Spiritist Shop Nossa Senhora da Piedade (something like "spiritual tent of our lady of piety") and the practice of numerous rites, thus laying the foundations of the Umbanda religion.
Umbanda beliefs and symbols
There is no unified body of beliefs of the umbanda, that is, a doctrine only.On the contrary, various forms of worship coexist, such as the traditional Umbanda, the Umbandomblé, the sacred Umbanda, the Christian Umbanda or the Omoloko Umbanda.
However, Umbanda in general is a monotheistic religion, which posits the existence of an all-powerful deity inaccessible to human beings, known as Olorum either Zambia, whose vital energy drives life and manifests itself in the world through various spiritual guides, known as orishas. Together, these deities make up a kind of pantheon, which people can access through the trades of a medium.
At the same time, Umbanda maintains that there are certain human values universal, known as the Seven Lines of Umbanda, which give meaning to the existence and serve to guide conduct towards harmony with its environment (animal, vegetable, mineral, etc.) and the fulfillment of its own vital sense, assigned by the divinity. These "Seven Lines", in addition, are linked to certain materials and specific elements of reality, as follows:
- Fe – Crystal (crystal)
- Love – Mineral (metal)
- Knowledge – Vegetal (plants)
- Balance – Fiery (fire)
- Order – Aeolian (air)
- Transmutation – Telluric (earth)
- Life – aquatic (water)
Each of these lines is represented by very varied divinities, coming from all corners of the planet, which link current religions and extinct cults, to which Umbanda is equally open. However, each line is guarded by an orixá, as administrator and caretaker of said lines. virtues, whose relations with the humanity they obey a law of cause and effect: all good received or badly suffered must be repaid through divine justice.
Through spiritual work, the guidance of the spirits and the connection with the appropriate material elements, the faithful of Umbanda seek to lead their lives towards a greater good and towards the satisfaction of a sacred mission in the world.
Umbanda practices and ceremonies
Umbanda practices can be very varied, depending on the aspect of the cult that is practiced. In general, it is rites that seek to link the human being with their specific spirit guides (or simply find out who they are).
Ritual procedures and their forms are determined by the priest (pai-de-santo, babaloxá either babala) that interprets the wishes of the spirit guide, so that they are not always carried out in the same way, nor do they involve the same steps. Even so, these rites are usually carried out in shops or spiritual houses previously suitable to invoke the spirits, and are generally open celebrations to the presence of the public.
Broadly speaking, the different rites of Umbanda can be classified into three categories:
- Possessions. As its name indicates, they consist of the invocation of one or more spirits to penetrate the body of the medium, under the ritual guardianship of the priest. These spirits are usually according to (mythical ancestors), caboclos (indigenous spirits) or old men (African spirits), and even some orishas. During the time of possession, the mediums enter a trance and can communicate the divine will to those present.
- initiation rites. In general, the initiation rites to the Umbanda religion involve deep symbolism and the presence of sacrificial animals, which are fed by the initiate for weeks and even months, to later be ritually sacrificed.The initiates then have their heads washed, their hair cut, and bathed in the animal's blood, to mark their death as a profane and their rebirth as a follower of Umbanda.
- The offerings. The link between human beings and divinities is made through the symbolic exchange of goods, animal sacrifices and food, depending on what the orixá "asks for". These rites are combined with communion practices similar to the Catholic one, processions, prayers and songs of the Christian liturgy, with offerings of tobacco, brandy, candles, flowers, rice, perfumes and the meat of roosters and chickens, to name a few examples.
Finally, Umbanda has a very diverse ritual calendar, in which Catholic festivities are combined with those of African origin. For example, September 8 is the day of oxum (ochun or Oshun), orixá equivalent to the Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre.
Orixás or spiritual guides
The Umbanda pantheon is extensive and there is room deities with different names and ways of representing themselves. The pantheon of the orishas, however, is very similar to that of the rest of the African religions on the continent (such as the Yoruba, in the Caribbean) and is mainly composed of:
- Oxala. The most important of the orishas and the first created by Olorum, possessor of feminine and masculine traits at the same time. He is syncretized with the Christ of the last days and sometimes with the Virgin of Mercedes, he is the creator of the Earth and of the human being, owner of everything white, of thoughts, of the head and of dreams. In other religions of African origin it is known as hopefully or as obbatalá.
- Xango. Orixá of justice, lightning, thunder and fire, is syncretized in Santería with San Marcos and Santa Bárbara, and has a double historical and divine trait, since it is assumed that he was the fourth mythical king of the Nigerian city of Oyo .He is a violent and vengeful orixá, owner of the sun and storms, strong, brave and fair. He is credited with several wives and the wielding of a double-edged axe. In other religions of African origin it is known as Monkey either Shango.
- Ogum. He orixá warrior and patron of blacksmithing, metals, technology and protector of surgeons, soldiers and policemen. Irascible and violent in character, he is represented with a machete, with which he cuts his rivals to pieces or makes his way through the jungle vegetation. He is associated with Saint George of the Christian pantheon, and often with Saint Peter, since he holds the metallic keys to paradise. In other religions of African origin it is known as Ogun or Ogun.
- oxossi. He orixá hunter, patron saint of prisoners and fugitives, owner of the bow and arrow. He is considered a magician or sorcerer, he is associated with the color blue, yellow and coral, and his intelligence, sagacity and inventiveness are his. He is the best of hunters, whose arrows never fail, and he is the one who sustains the prisoners. Brother of Xangó and Ogum, he is the son of Oxalá and Iemanja. In other religions of African origin it is known as oshosi or as Ochosi.
- Iemanja. He orixá associated with the sea, abundance and motherhood, protector of sailors and fishermen, and mother of all fish. She is the most popular and publicly revered Orixá in Brazil and in various regions of the Caribbean and the United States, bearer of numerous epithets such as "lady of the waters", "mother of the water" or "mother of all Orixás". Her drowned ones are claimed by her to live as her husbands and wives, for which she has come to be associated with European sirens; in different senses, she is more associated with the Virgin Mary. In other religions of African origin it is known as Yemaya either Jemanjá.
- oxum. Female Orixá, associated with fertility, owner of bronze and all rivers.Hers are also Saturday and the color gold, and she is represented as a vain, sensual woman who goes to the river to bathe dressed in necklaces and ornaments. She is associated with the Virgen de la Santísima Caridad del Cobre, and she was one of the wives of Xango. In other religions of African origin she is known as ochun or Oshun.
- Oba. Female Orixá, associated with sacrificial love and fidelity conjugal, owner of the lakes and lagoons, and inhabitant of the cemeteries, in which she guards the tombs. She is depicted as a strong, fearsome, envious and misunderstood woman. She does not usually take sons among the faithful, and she is associated with the color old pink, the dagger, soup and tureens. Her cult is syncretic with that of Santa Catalina or Santa Rita de Casia, and in other religions of African origin she is known as Obba or Obba.
- Oxumare. Androgynous Orixá, associated with the snake and the colors red and blue, which represent both masculine and feminine respectively. His are the movement, the wealth, the balance, he is in charge of sustaining the water cycle and that which remains, that endures. He is the guarantor that things continue as they are. In other religions of African origin she is known as Oshunmare either like Oshumare.
- Obaluaié. Male Orixá, lord of the earth, disease, venereal infections and plague and misery in general. He is a nocturnal deity, who during the day hides in the ivy, the cundeamor or the coralillo, and is the orixá responsible for the selection of the deceased. He is represented with a cloth on his head, since his face is covered with wounds, and he usually asks for sacrifices of goats, chickens or pigeons. In other religions of African origin it is known as Babalu Aye or as Obaluaye.
Criticism of the Umbanda
The Umbanda religion has often been at the center of controversy, since being popular in the social classes in low-lying areas and in peripheral urban areas, it has been linked to criminality and social marginality. Additionally, she is often viewed with suspicion due to her animal sacrifices, a practice frowned upon in Western sensibilities.