Images and persons in Candomble

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Sansi-Roca, Roger. 2011. Images and persons in Candomble. Material Religion, 7(3), pp. 374-393. ISSN 1743-2200 [Article]

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Abstract or Description

This article discusses the presence of “images” in the Afro-Brazilian religion Candomblé. In many traditional houses of Candomblé it is often said that it is not allowed to photograph or film rituals. On the other hand, in recent years, the presence of Catholic and other figurative images in Candomblé shrines has been questioned by recent “purification” movements—often led by these traditional houses—who fight syncretism, separating Catholicism from African religion. Still, in many cases figurative images are present in shrines, and rituals are photographed and filmed. This article argues that, beyond syncretism, images in Candomblé are contentious because they can be powerful: they can be indexes of the presence of Candomblé santos, they can become instances of a “distributed person.”

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Article

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https://doi.org/10.2752/175183411X13172844495975