The Taste of Blood: Spirit Possession in Brazilian Candomblé 0812230612, 0812213416

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The Taste si Spirit Possess eo in Hra7ililan Candomble Jim Wafer .

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The Taste ofBlood

University of Pennsylvania Press CONTEMPORARY ETHNOGRAPHY SERIES Dan Rose and Paul Stoller, General Editors

A complete listing of the books in this series appears at the back ofthis volume

The Taste ofBlood Spirit Possession in Brazilian Candomblé

Jim Wafer

fy University of Pennsylvania Press

Philadelphia

Copyright © 1991 by James William Wafer All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Wafer, James William, 1948—

The taste of blood : spirit possession in Brazilian Candomblé / Jim Wafer.

p. cm. — (Contemporary ethnographyseries) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8122-3061-2. — ISBN 0-8122-1341-6 (pbk.)

1. Candomblé (Cult)—Brazil. I. Title. II. Series. BL2592.C35W33 1991

299'.67—dc20

90-28641

CIP

Contents

Participants Pre-text

vil xi

Part 1: Exu

1.

The Lips of Pomba-Gira

2

Padilha’s Vow

II

3

Corquisa

23

Part 2: Caboclo

4 Order and Progress 5 Of Keys

6 Villages

53 88 108

Part 3: Orixa

7 8

Child Spirits The Throne

9

Tempo

I21

ISS 166

Epilogue: Egum Postface

179 I9I

Glossary

195

References

205 213

Index

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Participants

In Jaraci

House ofMarinalvo

Marinalvo: priest of the Candomblé religion Sultão das Matas: Marinalvo's principal caboclo spirit Joãozinho: initiate in the house of Marinalvo, and childhood friend of Ar-

chipiado

Cravo: Joaozinho’s eré spirit Neuza: Marinalvo’s mother Delcir: Marinalvo’s boyfriend Sebastião: ogá (male ritual official) in the house of Marinalvo, responsible for sacrifices Dudu: ogá and head drummerin the house of Marinalvo Zita: equede (femaleritual official) in the house of Marinalvo

Marta: “little mother”(ritual deputy) of the house Celso: prospective “little father” (ritual deputy) of the house Boiadeiro: Celso’s caboclo spirit Joana: initiate

Luisa: initiate Gilberto: initiate Rosilene: elderly initiate, and neighbor of Marinalvo’s mother Angélica: Marinalvo’s housekeeper

Paulo: prospective oga (male ritual official) Almiro: a visitor to the house, from Rio de Janeiro

Chela: the house’s dog

House ofEdivaldo

Edivaldo: priest of Candomblé, neighbor of Marinalvo Tupinambá: Edivaldo's caboclo spirit

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Maria Eugénia: Edivaldo’s female exw spirit Tais: nickname of Wilson, resident in the house of Edivaldo

Corquisa: one of Tais’s female exw spirits, enemyof Sete Saia Sete Saia: the other of Tais’s female exu spirits, enemy of Corquisa Tupinambá: Taís's caboclo spirit

Sete Punhal: Taís's male exu spirit Zezé: “little mother” (ritual deputy) and resident in the house of Edivaldo Dinho: husband of Zezé, resident in the house of Edivaldo, but ogã (male ritual official) in the house of Biju Toninho: brother of Edivaldo, and one of the latter's initiates

Others

Byu: priest of Candomblé Pomba-Gira: Bijus female exy spirit

Luiz: priest of Candomblé Zé-Pelintra: Luiz's male exu spirit

Oswaldo: priest of Candomblé Bisc6: Oswaldo’s egum spirit Seu Antônio: priest of the Umbanda religion Dona Nega: owner of a small bar in Jaraci

In Fazendão

Dona Clara: elderly Candomblé priestess, who gave Marinalvo the priestly initiation

Dona Laura: “little mother” (ritual deputy) in the house of Dona Clara

In Matungo

Mané: priest of Candomblé, who gave Marinalvohis first initiation; now enemyofthelatter

José: headofthe religious organization that performsrituals for the equm spirits in Matungo

Participants

IN

In Lobito

Gelson: priest of Candomblé Pena Branca: Gelson'”s caboclo spirit Márcio: friend of Archipiado, resident of Lobito, occasionalvisitor in the

house of Gelson Jorge: friend of Marcio Rei das Cobras: caboclo spirit of a female initiate in Gelson’s house Trovezeiro: caboclo spirit of a priest who is Gelson’s initiatic “brother”

Others

Archipiado: friend and research assistant of the narrator Rory: American anthropologist, friend of the narrator Xilton: priest of Candomble, friend of Rory

Carlos de Barros: professor of anthropologyat the Federal University of Bahia, friend of Archipiado Miguel: friend of the narrator Sérgio: priest of Candomblé Pena Branca: caboclo spirit of Sérgio / Evaristo: nicknameof the narrator

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