Africa under the skin. Cold Candomble in Brazilian Salvador
Salvador, the former capital of Brazil and the "black" city of the country, European appearance: Potted streets, colonial homes, Catholic temples and cosmopolitanly dressed people. Only two phenomena – Capoeira and Candomble – give out the African Salvador soul. If the Kapoeir’s dance in the evening can be observed on each area and even free to visit the school at school, the sacred ritual of the Candomble is not available to random spectators.
In the travel bureau, I was offered a tour of the ceremony of Kandomble. True, at the stage. I also wanted to see a real ceremony. According to the press of the employee of my hotel with the onset of darkness, I went to walk through the historical center. Next to the descent of Largo-pre-Pelouryn Male in inconspicuous clothes in a quiet voice so that the police did not hear, offered passers-by-tourists to participate in the ritual Kandomblel. From me and five more foreigners took a large amount, put into the minibus on the verge of decay and on steep roads without lanterns were lucky in Favel – Brazilian slum.
Nobody explained nothing to us, no historical reference. We left the minibus and immediately hit Terreiro – a plain house with a room of 30 square meters. M. According to disapproving views of those present at our cameras immediately it became clear that all that was happening here – the present. This excursion is illegal, and the one who brought us – a member of the community who wanted to earn.
While we are without a single sound, stunned, sat in the last row in a semi-empty temple, the participants of the ceremony exhibited additional chairs for the parishioners and freed the place for musicians. Chairs for women were to the right of the entrance, for men – left. Gradually, the temple was filled with people. Parishioners, all to one black, were dressed in white, at the meeting shook and kissed each other hands. We slipped with indifferent glances, not expressing the slightest interest. Musicians played an African melody and soldered in Portuguese. After a few songs from the backup, women came out with lush skirts on the frames and began to walk in a circle, dancing.
People arrived and arrived. Those who did not have enough space in Terreiro, stood on the street and watched what was happening through the windows. Those who danced in the circle repeated the same movements until they fell into the trance. Soon men joined women in the circle. Those who fell into the trance took to the ground and disguised into the Divine, which, in their opinion, set out in the human body. Then the present view began: dancers in gilded armor, in hats with feathers of exotic birds, in luxury dresses were launched in a trance. It is not surprising that Europeans, brought up on a stricter perception of religion, suppressed such fun. Until the middle of the last century, the cult Candomble was outlawed. Until now, Terreiro – buildings where rites are passing, – no way designated and do not differ from ordinary houses.
Parishioners, according to the rules only understandable, they got up from their places, they sat down. We were repeated for them, although standing in ten and fifteen minutes in such cramping it was hard, as well as to carry out stoolness, humidity and thirst. I was surprised that for those four hours that we stayed at the ceremony, none of the parishioners drank and the throat of water. We, enchanted by the spectacle, forgot about time, dinner and thirst, just watched and looked at people in a trance, broken and building faces. Parishioners seem to have also not to physical needs, only they, unlike us, were observed by the Divine: how the spirits occupy their bodies of their comrades.
We left Terrairo in the midst of dancing. The man who brought us was a sign, we got up from our places and with great difficulty broke through the crowd. Came out of the temple into the Black Salvadorian midnight, tired, dehydrated and with the understanding that nothing like that would never see.
Upon returning home, I began to understand what. It turned out that the Kandombla in the language of Yoruba means "the custom of black people". White people had their custom. Portuguese brought slaves from Africa and forcibly paid them to Catholicism. One after another was built churches for black. Slaves sincerely accepted Catholicism, but they continued to worship the Orishas – the spirits of nature. It is the spirits, and not to the Supreme God Oloraun, who created this world and moved away from him forever. Orishas, Spirits-deities, live among people, so worship them nicer: it is easier to get feedback. Each person has one or more patrounds. If you add to the spirit of the patron saint with a personal request, you need to sacrifice an animal or plant.
At first glance, rituals are performed not only by marginal layers of society, but also the middle class, as well as highly secured people. During his life in Brazil in many homes I have ever seen Altari Orishas. More often than others were the altars of the goddess of the water of Iehenge, the statues of which have an amazing similarity with the Virgin Mary.
Perfume perfectly: they have preference, character, strong and weaknesses, favorite dishes. As befits this religion, there is a complete package of myths and stories about Orishas, as well as its own theory of peace building. They say it is more complicated than the cubalistic tree of life, and certainly much surrelevant.
