Quimbanda is an Afro-Brazilian religion practiced mainly in urban centers in Brazilian cities. It is part of a series of Yoruba religions (idol worship), and belief in these deities has very different practices and names in other countries, such as:
- Candomblé, Ketu (Brazil)
- Kele (Saint Lucia)
- Quimbanda (Brazil)
- Santería (Cuba)
- Tambor de Mina (Brazil)
- Trinidad Orisha (Trinidad)
- Umbanda (Brazil)
- Yoruba religion (Nigeria)
1. History of Quimbanda
Before Quimbanda became its own separate religion, it was contained within the religious tradition of Macumba. During the late 19th century and into the mid-20th century, Macumba was a pejorative term for all religions considered by the white ruling class to be primitive, demonic, and superstitious black magic.
However, as African culture continued to blend with native Brazilian culture, Macumba transformed into two religions: Umbanda and Quimbanda. Umbanda represented the “whitened” aspects of Macumba, based on the spiritual and hierarchical values of French spiritualism and Catholicism.
On the other hand, Quimbanda represented the aspects of Macumba that were rejected in the whitening process, becoming “the Macumba of Macumbas.” The division between the white and black magic of Macumba has caused much debate about the unity or disunity of Quimbanda and Umbanda. Some believe that Quimbanda and Umbanda represent aspects or tendencies of a single system.
Others believe that Quimbanda and Umbanda have transformed into their own religions with their own influences and beliefs.
2. The Spirits in Quimbanda
In Quimbanda, male spirits are known as Exus and are considered very powerful spirits. Note that they are not the same as the Eshu, Ellegua of Lukumi, and Santeria; as Quimbanda has evolved as a religion, it has created a category of spirits collectively called Exus, whose name was taken from the deity Exu. The Exus refer to the phalanx of spirits. The purposes of the Exu spirits are described as follows:
“In Quimbanda, it is particularly associated with the cultivation of a set of powerful spiritual entities called Exus, whom their devotees refer to as guardians.”
The Exu spirits deal mainly with human and material matters as opposed to the “spirits of the law” used in Umbanda, which deal mainly with spiritual matters. From within the cult, however, Quimbanderos claim that Exus covers both Spirit and Matter, and that they simply consider it meaningless to stick with just one of them.
According to the tradition provided by trained sorcerers, Exus has a strict and high moral code. They simply agree to help people in delicate matters, such as seduction and revenge, but never with the disregard for morality and ethics that outsiders often attribute to them.
Pomba Giras Spirit
Another set of deities associated with Quimbanda does not derive directly from the Yoruba religious tradition: Pomba Giras, the female counterparts of Exus. Prominent Pomba Giras, such as“Pomba Giras María Malambo,”also known as “María de la basura” (Mary of the Garbage), are used for specific rituals that are often related to their names.
Thus,“Pomba Gira María Mulambo”is invoked to overthrow or destroy someone and turn them into Mulambo. A legend about María Mulambo says that she got her title from the fact that she renounced her wealth as a princess to marry her non-wealthy lover and join him in helping the poor, before her angry husband murdered her.
Because of this, it is not a good idea to ask her to attack someone without a good reason, as Pomba Giras has devious ways but a firm morality (albeit twisted for outsiders).
3. Quimbanda and Ogum
Ogum is known as the orisha of metal. Ogum is also credited as the patron of intersections. Ogum acts as an intermediary between the rituals of Exu in Quimbanda and the rituals of Umbanda, revealing the deep connection between Quimbanda and Umbanda.
4. Practices and Rituals
This religion involves practices and rituals related to the worship of African and Brazilian idols and spirits, which have spread throughout South America:
Rituals to male spirits
A classic Quimbanda ritual, called trabalho, consists of several parts: a motive, dedication to a spirit, a marginal location, metal or clay material (earth), an alcoholic beverage, aroma, and food (usually a palm leaf with pepper) mixed with oil, sometimes called miamiami. An example of a trabalho is as follows:
Trabalho 1: A work of great strength, under the protection of Exu to eliminate an enemy.
- Go to a crossroads on a Monday or Friday around midnight, if possible accompanied by a member of the opposite sex.
- Greet Ogum with a bottle of light beer, a white or red candle, and a lit cigar.
- Greet Exu by opening seven bottles of rum in a circle, lighting seven red and black candles, and offering seven cigars.
- Place the following ingredients in a vase and mix them together: cassava flour, palm oil, and chili peppers.
- Write the name of the person you want to hurt on the floor in the center of the circle and, with a knife, stab it violently, asking Exu to grant your request.
Rituals to female spirits
Depending on the purpose of the ritual in the Quimbanda religion, the aspects of the trabalho will change. For example, if one wishes to seek justice from Exu, they will use white candles, rum, and a written request. Therefore, certain colors denote different motives in a ritual: white symbolizes an honest motive linked to justice, and red and black represent an aggressive and illicit motive.
Other rituals within the Quimbanda religion replace the harsh or pungent smell of cigars with the sweet smell of carnations, thus symbolizing the transformation between harming and helping rituals. Likewise, rituals involving female spirits (Pomba Giras) are less aggressive in their performance. A trabalho to obtain a woman is as follows:
Work 7: to obtain a woman.
- On a Monday or Friday night, go to a crossroads where women gather and greet Pomba Gira with a little rum, or better yet, champagne or anisette (anise).
- Place two pieces of cloth on the ground, one red and one black, and on top of this place five or seven red roses in the shape of a horseshoe.
- Fill a good-quality cup with champagne or anisette.
- Write the name of the person you desire on the cup or in the center of the horseshoe.
- Sing a ponto (song) and thank Pomba Gira.
The particular elements of an Exu ritual in the Quimbanda religion remain unchanged in the Pomba Gira ritual and therefore mark Pomba Giras as the female counterparts of Exu: the colors, the location, the time of day, the day of the week, the scent (smoked), and the container for the food and the flour/palm oil mixture.
In a Pomba Gira trabalho, another set of elements indicates a softer coding: from rum to champagne or anisette, from the absence of flowers to red roses, from pepper in the flour/palm oil mixture to honey, and from a fierce initiation act to a song, which seems to suit the purpose of the ritual: to obtain a woman.
5. Marginal locations
“Marginal locations” refer to areas that have magical and spiritual significance where Quimbanda rituals are performed. Many Quimbanda rituals are performed at a crossroads, as Exu is the Lord of the Seven Crossroads and Ogum is the Lord of the Center of the Crossroads. Other marginal locations include the streets at night (as Exus are known as “people of the streets”), cemeteries, beaches, and forests, all during the night.
6. Animal sacrifices
Not all Quimbanda practitioners use animal sacrifices, and their use is according to the level of the spirits. No animal sacrifice is used for the crowned Exus. In certain rituals with Kiumbas (who aspire to become Exus), devotees offer sacrificial doves, chickens, roosters, goats, sheep, and bulls to help a spirit progress in power and ability.
Other rituals use animal sacrifices to obtain the help of a spirit to carry out an action. Adherents defend the practice because they believe that there is no worse animal sacrifice than in slaughterhouses, as it is believed that those animals suffer more than in a proper Quimbanda ritual.
7. Characteristics of Quimbanda
- The deities of Quimbanda are: Ogum, Exus, Negro de Edad (Black Age), Mestizos (natives), Ere, Ogun, Yemanja, Chango, Oxossi, Oshun, Oya, Omolú, and Obaluaye.
- Common rituals are: Human, material, and spiritual matters.
- Beliefs: Progression of the spirit in power and ability. Christian spirit hierarchy
- Influences: Native Brazilian culture, Yoruba religion, Kongo spirituality, European witchcraft, native Brazilian culture, Catholicism, French spiritualism, Bantu religion, Yoruba religion.
8. The emergence of Quimbanda
Until the mid-20th century, Quimbanda and other Afro-Brazilian religions were not considered religions at all. Instead, they were considered primitive and superstitious magic passed down intergenerationally from a past of African slaves. The black consciousness movement and the women’s movement.
By the late 1970s, the perfect environment was created for the emergence of Quimbanda. These movements helped to secure civil liberties during the long process of returning to democracy in Brazil. Historians refer to this process as “re-Africanization,” which means “the intentional affirmation of aesthetics, theologies, and practices considered more African.”
The re-Africanization movement led to greater popularity and respect for the spirits of Exus and Pomba Giras, which were previously considered illicit and demonic. Thus, the emergence of Quimbanda showed that Afro-Brazilian culture saved its traditional African religion from the misinterpretations of the white ruling class of superstitious black magic.
This re-Africanization movement simultaneously protected Quimbanda from the prevailing ideology of “whitening” that influenced other Umbanda and other eclectic Afro-Brazilian religions.
9. Contemporaneity
Quimbanda has had a rapidly growing membership since its emergence in the 1970s, especially in urban areas of southern Brazil. However, according to the Brazilian census, less than 1% of the population claimed to belong to Afro-Brazilian religions (including Quimbanda and Umbanda). Although very few of the Brazilian population claim to follow Quimbanda, many people from all social ranks use Quimbanda rituals from time to time.
