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Renata Ortiz 5 Ogum and the Umbandista Religion o understand the role of Ogum in the Umbanda religion it is necessary to be familiar with the structure of the Umbandista universe as a whole and, above all, its meaning within Brazilian society. Umbanda is not an Afro-Brazilian religion; unlike Candomble, the religion with which it will be compared here, Umbanda roots are neither black nor African. This does not mean that the African contribution has been unimportant to the formation of Umbandista religion. Quite the contrary, it is fundamental to the development of this new type of possession cult. However, the histories and the scope of influence of the two religions differ. Umbanda is a national religion; Candomble is one cultural group's religion. Consequently, Ogum differs in each of them. The Ogum of Candomble is one god among many; he is an unpredictable but accessible member of the spirit world. By contrast, the Ogum of Umbanda has been elevated to an inaccessible position in the cosmos, where he controls unpredictable spiritual forces; indeed, this Ogum has been elevated in some sectors of Brazilian society to the extent that he is a symbol of national identity. Candomble is a celebration of the collective African memory on Brazilian soil (Halbwachs 1968; Bastide 1971). The myths and the rites of Candomble resurrect the gods and the mythic histories originating in Africa. I do not mean that this memory is faithfully reproduced in Brazil; it does suffer from gaps and lapses of memory, and it takes on new elements which are introduced through the process of syncretism. Meanwhile, even when syncretism occurs, the pole of reference continues to be the African continent. For example , even though he has been syncretized with Saint George, Ogum does not lose his original characteristics. Orixa (deity) Ogum possesses traits analogous to the Catholic saint: both are warriors and they combat their enemies. Ogum and the Umbandista Religion 91 But the analogy can only be taken so far; Ogum possesses a mythic history which in the minds of Candomble acolytes cannot be confused with the Catholic hagiography. Syncretism is a form of bricolage that treats the Brazilian Catholic influences starting with a system of anterior classification, the collective memory (Bastide 1970). The changes which occur in the religious universe are filtered through the African system of classifying the world. Candomble is a black religion, even when it is celebrated by mestizos and whites. Umbanda, on the other hand, is a synthetic and not a syncretic religion. It makes use of the African element but it is not defined by it. Umbanda is a Brazilian religion in that it integrates various religious movements: Candomble, Catholicism, and Spiritism (as introduced by Allan Kardec). It is a blend of many cultural elements, and for that reason I have referred to it as a synthesis. Without doubt, the African contribution is of fundamental importance, but the black element can be understood only when it is considered from the point of view of all Brazilian society. Umbanda is a national religion, even when practiced by mestizos, blacks, or whites.I It is not easy to describe the history of Umbanda, for studies on this topic are few. There is agreement, however, that the religion emerged and was consolidated around the 1930s. One of the first terreiros (cult houses) of which we hear, the Tenda Espirita Mirim, was founded in 1924 in Rio de Janeiro. In this period many other cult houses appeared: Cabana Espirita Senhor do Bonfim, Tenda Espirita Fe e Humanidade, Cabana Pai Joaquim de Luanda, Centro Espirita Religioso Sao Iotio Baptista, Tenda Africana Sao Sebastiao, all in Rio (Bandeira 1970; 1961).2 In 1926, the Centro Espirita de Sao Jorge was founded in Porto Alegre. Little by little, the terreiros were united as confederations , and in 1939, the first Federation Espirita Umbandista was formed in Rio de Janeiro: it subsequently served as a model for other federations in the rest of the country. In 1941, the First Umbandista Congress took place, with the sole purpose of systematizing the religion and codifying its rituals. The emergence of the religion also can be documented through the change in meaning of the term Umbanda. Francisco Valente showed that the word Umbanda (of Kimbundo origin, an Angolan language) was initially used to describe both religious objects and the Kimbanda (an expert in spiritual matters ), but was not used to identify a systematized religion that somehow differed from the rest (Valente 1970;Ouintao n.d...

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