The Formation of Candomblé: Vodun History and Ritual in Brazil

Latin America in Translation

by Luis Nicolau Pares

Interweaving three centuries of transatlantic religious and social history with historical and present-day ethnography, Luis Nicolau Pares traces the formation of Candomble, one of the most influential African-derived religious forms in the African diaspora, with practitioners today centered in Brazil but also living in Europe and elsewhere in the Americas. Originally published in Brazil and not available in English, The Formation of Candomble reveals cultural changes that have occurred in religious practices within Africa, as well as those caused by the displacement of enslaved Africans in the Americas.
Departing from the common assumption that Candomble originated in the Yoruba orixa (orisha) worship, Pares highlights the critical role of the vodun religious practices in its formation process. Vodun traditions were brought by enslaved Africans of Dahomean origin, known as the "Jeje" nation in Brazil since the early eighteenth century. The book concludes with Pares's account of present-day Jeje temples in Bahia, which serves as the first written record of the oral traditions and ritual of this particular nation of Candomble.

Genres: Religion, Brazil, History, Africa

424 pages, Hardcover

First published November 17, 2013

Reviews

[Alyssa Harvie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love when you hit the research jackpot for school!!! But seriously, this was fascinating and I enjoyed reading it so much. Chock full of so much information and vibrant detail.