Encantaria Cult in Umbanda

• Grant number: 09/12232-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2010
• End date: August 31, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Social Psychology
• Principal Investigator: José Francisco Miguel Henriques Bairrão
• Grantee: Júlia Ritez Martins
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Umbanda religion expresses and elicits Brazilian psychological ethno-theories, besides being in a continuous process of mutation and reelaboration. Lately, the enchant cult, a category originally related to cults in the north region of the country (Amazon and Northeast), has been spread in some terreiros. In scientific bibliography this theme is found only in anthropological and sociological studies. The presence of the enchant cult in other religions and places and the hypothesis about its dissemination have not been studied yet. This research aims to fill in this gap, by investigating the possible meanings of that category introduction under an ethno-psychological perspective. As it is not usually an extension of the pantheon but a reinterpretation of part of the yet existent one, this investigation aims also to contribute to understand the process of recategorizations in the popular religiosity and possession cult universe. A case study in a terreiro where the enchant cult is developed was the elected investigation procedure. Data collecting will include participative observation, with records on field diary, and semi-structured interviews with worshipers and mediums in trance aiming to retrieve the meaning of enchanted in umbanda terms. Data analysis will be qualitative, considering the present enchantment concept characteristics and comparing them to the bibliographic study results.

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

MARTINS, Júlia Ritez. Encantaria in umbanda. 2011. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC) Ribeirão Preto.