Initiation， Trance And Possession in an Afro—Brazilian Religion

Roberto Malighetti

Abstract：This article presents the process of initiation to the Tambor de Mina， the mainreligious tradition in Maranho， a state in the north of Brazil. The Tambor de Mina designates an ecstatic and inziatic religion that combines elements of different African traditions （especially nago e jeje）with elements of the Catholic religion and of the Amerindian culture （pajelania）.The foundation of this article is the words of a religious specialist，and these materials were collected by the author through a long talk with the specialist.

Key Words：initiation； Afro-Brazilian Religion； narratives

This article presents the process of initiation to the Tambor de Mina，the main religious tradition of the Brazilian state of Maranho.The Tambor de Mina designates an ecstatic and inziatic religion that combines elements of different African traditions （especially nago e jeje）1 with elements of the Catholic religion and of the Amerindian culture （pajelania2）.The term tambor means drum and derives from the importance of this instrument in the ritual.The word Mina refers to the fort of El Mina，a slave emporium founded by the Portuguese on the Gold Coast of Western Africa.In Brazil the term mina has come to denote generically all the slaves.

The text reports the words of a mineiro3.The narratives were collected by the author from 1996 and 1998，during many prolonged talks in Guimares，a village of the Baixada Occidental Maranhense.They were inscribed by means of an editing that selected and organized the words of my interlocutor from “the anthropologist point of view”.

I am a mineiro，I live taking care of religion.

My name is Vicente Raimundo Cardoso.Better known as Meme.Nobody knows me as Raimundo.I was born in Guimares on the 5th of April 1935，at six oclock in the morning.4 My parents were Raymond Matheus Cardoso and Dominga Zelia Cardoso.

My grandfather was a slave.Here in Guimares，to be a slave was very common.The whole world was made of slaves.I did not know my grandfather.I was born in the year that he died.Also my grandmother，Honorata，I could not know.My grandfather was a well-known man.His master taught him everything.He only did not teach him how to read.They did not want a Black man who could read.5

My mother worked at home.She did all the housework.She was also worked at the “frame” and wove.She worked with the frame and bobbin.My father had my color， but was taller，stronger.He was very well known.He worked doing a bit of everything.He only did not work the land.He did not have just one specific kind of work：he was a mechanic，plumber，and carpenter.Im also a carpenter.I work with houses，I make doors，windows.My father was poor， but very famous.He was one of the oldest of Guimares.He was an historical man.He got along well with everyone.Everyone would call him for advice.They asked him where to make a football field，where to make the hospital.He took care of everything.He was the greatest and the most important organizer of feasts.He taught African dances.All dancing groups that arrived in the village，they were looking for him.He also worked for Mundoca：6he made fences，fixed the houses， etc.Mundoca was a friend of my father.She also was my friend.Every time she came to the village，she looked for my father.Whether it was raining or windy，night or day，he had to follow her orders.The slaves had to take her from Frechal to Guimares on their shoulders.And she was very fat.But my father was not afraid of this.7

I was born dead.At three oclock in the afternoon.I spent the whole night dead.The people spent the night near me，mourning.My mother sent my uncle，her brother，to get my father who was working in another village.He came.At two oclock he arrived.And he brought the coffin.But the next day，twenty four hours before the burial，three in the afternoon again，I pulled my foot and started screaming.I cried a lot.The people were all shocked.I was already in the coffin，ready to go to the cemetery.

I began to be treated because I started to suffer and to disappear.They had to go after me for many days.The first time was in my house.Then I started to run into the forest.I was led by my guides.They started to take me.They were coming to take my thoughts.I was innocent.I knew nothing.Its like when you are sleeping.You do not know what it is happening.The other persons were telling me what had happened.I did not know what it was.This problem started when I was small child.I was less than a year.The first time was three days after I was born.They started to take， me out of my cradle and hide me from my parents.

Once I spent fifteen days.I was ten years old.I disappeared.They found me in the bushes.A lot of people went looking for me，even the police.They found me and brought me home.I disappeared into the well，into the river，into the forest.Once they found me after twenty four hours，another time after two or three days.My father always found me，with great with great difficulties but he managed to do so.He gave the alarm and thought people looked for me.

After I was seven，I was handed over to Sinha Paca，the woman who came to assist my birth.My grandfather put me here on his shoulder and took my hand.He took me to her place.There Sinha Paca took responsibility of me.My father and my mother could not govern me.She prepared me for healing，for curing.I learned through my intuition.It was not thought.It is the encantado8 that does everything.You call him and he comes to give guidance.It is he who gives the medicine.If you cannot incorporate him because of your young age，he speaks to you though your master.Even he is your encantado，your guide and you belong to him.

At one point she could no longer cope with me.She realized she could not solve my problems.I kept disappearing.Then my father called my uncle，Joo Soares.He was the nephew of my grandfather and my dads cousin.He was the pajè，most famous of the Guimares.He was called to take care of the questions that Sinha Paca could not understand.Joo took care of me until I was eighteen.I learned how to deal with the spiritual entities，how to call them，how to incorporate them，how to understand their lineage，to get rid of the evil forces and to cure.

Also Joo Soares could not solve everything.He did what he could.He went as far as he knew.He mainly taught me to cure.He could not continue because I was stronger than him.My guide was stronger than his.He took me to So Luís，to a lady whose name was Maria Pia.She was the oldest mineira of Maranho，the leader of a terreiro9 called Egypt.

Everybody knows this terreiro.It is very old，the oldest of Maranho.It has more than six thousand filhos de santo10.The terreiro was founded by Nhá Bá，a slave that came from Africa.She worked for many years.She was the me de santo of Maria Pia.When she died，Maria Pia took her place.Maria Pia was very important because she was the leader of Egypt：head of Jeje and of Nag.She came from Africa as a slave，in her mothers arms.She was free.11In the terreiro Maria Pia took care of everything.She resolved every problem.Also with the spiritual beings.These entities are damned.Set fire on people.They can be very dangerous when they arrive.They can come very angry，hitting，insulting，crying and shouting.They are warriors.They only want to fight and to kill.The master is there just to govern them，to tame them.They have to be thought.

In the terreiro of Egypt，with Maria Pia，I finished my preparation in the mina.I already knew the cure.12I am her filho de santo.I learned to domesticate the encantados.

A mission

Everybody is a medium.There is nobody who is not a medium.Some are stronger，some are weaker.One is good，one is evil.One does not receive the spirits because he did not prepare himself.One is manifest.The other is occult but he lives following the encantados orders.He has a lot of power because he is hidden.The medium is clairvoyant.He enters trance.And he comes to know something.It is like when you sleep and dream.He knows without anybody telling him.He has an intuition.He knows only a part.He does not know everything.Nobody can know everything

Every medium has his particular story.I caused a lot of troubles to my parents and to my friends.For others everything is much simpler.Many go into a terreiro，they fall on the ground and the pai de santo13sees if they can become filhos de santo.He then finds out who is their guide.Some persons came to see the ritual and fall down.Someone has an attack.Others feel very bad and suffer a lot.

There is a test.The test is a duty，an obligation to know the truth.You put a pan on the fire with a lot of oil.When it is boiling you put the hand in the oil.He who has received the spirit does not burn himself.Who is a pure burn？ Who is not pure，does not burn.He is cold.Even if the person is sweating hes cold.

I also do this.If you receive the encantado，I give a message to your encantado.The encantado comes over me and someone here gives a message for him.I tell him to give that message to you.If he did not give my message to you then you are lying，deceiving，mystifying.You are not true，because you did not receive the encantado.You can wait all day long，but the encantado does not come.

The encantados are like a herd.The animals are free.They do not have an owner.The encantado is loose in the field.It is the cattle that are not controlled.The encantado can arrive through the concentration.But he can also come without concentration.Because at the beginning people do not know how to concentrate，he can come anytime he wants.He is loose.He does not have a specific time to come.Often we do not have time to eat，to sleep，no time at all.We are having lunch and he arrives.We have to quit eating.He hits，screams，yells.Its horrible.It is not good.He does not want to be governed.Only the pais de santo or a me de santo can do something.But he would not accept other people.The pais de santo sees who is the encantado that belongs to the man.But first he has to control him.He has to control the encantado.

All mediums are born mediums.The medium is born more or less prepared for that.Who is not prepared，but is strong，is obliged to receive the entities.Without anything else，without having to work too much，he knows how to defend himself.He goes to the pais de santo only to be confirmed and to complete his preparation.If you were born intelligent，you come here to complete your education，your studies.But you already know.The medium has to be determined.He has to find a place like this to be indoctrinated，to learn the doctrines.We call this levantamento.It is something that happens when you fall on the ground.You fall and someone helps you to stand up.Levantamento means to be lifted，supported，to better understand things.

If a boy was born a medium， a pajè can immediately recognize him.I remember a boy.He was born suffering.He was taken to the doctor.The doctor said he could not do anything.So the boy was taken to another doctor.Also this doctor said he could not do anything.The boy continued to fall down.So he was taken to my house.I had to treat him.Otherwise he would have died，or would have gone crazy，remained crippled or blind.But first I had to talk with his father.First you have to talk to the father，the mother or to the person who is responsible for him.You have to talk to the parents，the husband，the brother，the son.I gave one of his clothes to the encantado to have a look.The encantado said the boy was a strong medium and that I had to take care of his medium-ship.So I treated him.I followed the orders doing everything until the end of the preparation.I cured him.I had to close his body，because everyone can receive the spirits in any moment.It is sudden.The pajé，the mineiro，the curador，they all know this.It is a damned serious thing.They say whether it is necessary to open the body or to close it.In anther case the father did not want his son would continue to work and dedicate to the Mina.His father panicked.He cried.Then he said that no，he did not want his son to be prepared.He wanted to close the body，because he did not have to take care of this.But it is dangerous.

The medium prepares himself to receive.He must first prepare in the cure.After the cure he goes to the mina.There is a person who prepares only in healing.You have to begin with the baths.After that you receive your mission.Mission means a duty.You have to follow your duties until you reach the point of the concentration.

The baths is to secure yourself.It is necessary to allow the encantados to find you.We have to have a lot of strength in the body to call them and receive them.Its not like calling Meme.In order to call I have to receive a lot of strength.So，you have first to purify the body to give it to the encantados.The bath is to clean the body.Clear matter.It is a serious thing.The first bath is with flowers.You open the way for the arrival of the spiritual entities.There are all sorts of baths.You buy them already made.You buy them in the shop.They are not expensive.

The first bath is to open the path for the entities.It is a baths with flowers.You have to put a flower for each of the different types.You just have to put them in odd numbers.Not in even number.You should also put in a little bit of alcohol，of wine.We put cachaa，14just a little bit，half a glass，or half a glass of wine and，when you have it，ammonia.Then you put what you use in your life：your perfume，your deodorant.Nine or seven drips.For each thing.Then you use the incense and myrrh.You buy them in the drug store.You have to take an incense bath.It opens the way.Incense is after bathing.We have to smoke the clothes before dressing.

Every day，for either seven or nine days，you have to take one.All baths have to be taken for seven or nine days.Seven days or nine days bathing before you have to take a normal bath with soap.When you have finished the bath you do not have to wipe.When you are dry you can pass on your body the special bath you prepared or you bought.Do not pour over the head.You should pass it on the body and wait until you are dry.Do not wipe.Its the last bath of the day.After you do not have to bathe anymore，its a bath of faith.For all our live we have to bathe.Baths never end.They only start.When you travel you must to take them with you.You have to be confirmed every day.

The filho de santo has to prepare the head.The encantado has to make a little cut in the middle of his head.You almost do not see the cut.And he puts in the contas，three little stones.We call them stones.Someone call them conta，others firmeza，other cabo verde.I call them conta.It is the same name.The encantado takes it form his body and puts it at the center of the filho de santos head.The encantado shows it to the man before putting it in his body，to be strong.The firmeza is a guide.The encantado takes it from his arm，from his mouth.From where he wants，he takes it by hitting his body，sucking，spitting.He hits his chest and a little stone comes out.It takes its form where he comes from.From where his encantaria is，then he puts it in your body.With some oil，it is an oil to reinforce.It is a guarantee.He gives it to you.The stones can break.If that happens，you have to take out the little pieces and put in a new one.You do not know where they are.They move in the body.When there is something evil against you，they come out.It is a firmeza.It helps you.It shows your way.Everything is much easier.

To became pais de santo you have to pass difficult tests.You have to spend a year and six months alone，by yourself，closed and isolated in a room.You can only talk to the people of the house.I remember I lived locked，closed，hidden.I just spoke with my father and with my mother and with the people of the home.The people of the house，to see me and talk to me，had to take a bath of incense.After this difficult test you can see.You can see according to your dreams.The entities came to talk to you while you sleep.They talk to you only in dreams.You start having intuitions about everything.You start to see many things.

The concentration is to receive the encantado.You sit down and you concentrate on things.You stay silent，without talking.You concentrate and then you receive.It is better to close your eyes.When he passes，the lightening is very fast.It is a serious thing.You have to close your eyes.With your eyes closed you can see more than with the eyes open.You see everything，the spirit，the encantado.You sit and you think about only one thing.Think of the Sacred Heart of Jesus，think of God.Think about the sea.Think about the encantado.As if it were a picture，just only one thought.You think，think and think until he comes.The guide comes.You have got the channel.It is like tuning the radio channels.It is the same thing.It is always like this for mediums.They concentrate and they receive the spirits.The spirits answer to the questions，give orders.Tell what to do.Invisibly.

The concentrator concentrates.The encantado comes.He can say something or can do something for the person.He knows what it is needed.The enchanted tells you if he thinks you have to dance，or to work alone， dance for the good or for the evil.You have to do what the encantado tells you.When you start receiving，your master and his guide control everything.If he wants the cure，you do the cure.If he wants mina，you go for the mina.If he wants you make spiritualistic work，you go for that.And if he wants all of them you have to do all of three of them.

When the encantado first comes，the pais de santo asks him：“Are you the master of this persons？” He says：“yes，I am.” If it I so，the guide commands all the encantados that belong to his lineage.He is the one who commands them all.The pai de santo is the one who carries the entity，who is in charge of the preparation to mediumship.He sees who the guide is.Every filho de santo has his guide，his master.He is responsible for all lineages.

The encantado is not Meme anymore.Meme is only the medium，his horse.I do not remember anything.Everything is forgotten.There are things the encantados does while he is in me that I do not like.When I receive the encantado I ask a friend to tell me what he does.I am sleeping.I do not know who came，who left.The friend tells me what he did，whom he attended，what he said，when he said he would come back.So I know what the encantados wants through these persons.Otherwise I would not know.When the encantados goes away，the friend tells me how he came，if he were happy or not，if he liked it or not，what he did，what he wanted.The encantado does not say this directly to the pai de santo.He does not talk to me.He leaves a message to a filha de santo or someone of the house else that then reports it to me.

When he wants to talk to me，he leaves a message.I incorporate him and he leaves a message to who is there.And then that person tells me.Its easy.He arrives here in a hurry，says what he wants.It is like among friends.Also the pais do santo and the encantado have a kind of friendship.One trusts the words of the other.If he says he comes at a certain time，then he comes.If I want，I can ask something to the encantado.He tells me whether he can help me or not.I talk to him with the messages.Whatever he says，that person is listening and will report it to me.

The pai de santo is responsible for receiving any kind of entities.His head is ready for this.The pai de santo controls the encantado，the leader of the lineage.He is responsible for him.The encantado is governed by the pai de santo.The pai de santo determines him.I take care of a lot of lineages.If we receive the lineage of cura we have to heal.But tomorrow might come an evil lineage.They might want to do evil，making me loose my way.They are like us.They want to kill，to fight.For this reason the pai de santo is necessary.He can control them，talk to them.

Only the pai de santo or me de santo can govern him.He does not accept others.They encantados are brave.After a while the get used to us.But they are judges.They punish.They fight.If they want they make you loose your employment.If you are not strong enough，I know it is a vey serious thing.They give punishments.After you are prepared，the encantado comes to look for you，he comes after you.He incorporates in you.And you have to follow his orders.He comes and asks.If you do not listen to him or do not follow what he says he gets very angry and starts fighting.He wants to take your head；he tries to take your arms.If you do not comply you will be punished.He punishes.He provokes something negative for your life.It is a difficult life.If you cannot go to the ritual you have to send a message and say you cannot go for a very serious reason.

It is a mission.The people of the terreiro have to come to every ritual.And stay here until it ends.In this terreiro they have to come here every day.Here is every day.The encantado comes to see how things are going.And then he goes away.The pajé has a mission.If you cannot come，you have to help as you can，giving us clothes，food，candles，water，coffee.It is a duty，an obligation.Its an obligation inside the sect.You cannot stay outside. The obligation is to suffer.With the time you continue to suffer.Because it is penitence，everybody suffers.And for suffering there is no cure.

Notes：

1.Nag is the name given in Brazil to the slaves of Yoruba language and culture coming form Dohomey and from Western Nigeria. The origin of the name Jeje is uncertain.It seems that it derives from a generic classification applied by the French to the populations of central Dahomey.It also designates the dialect of the language group fon and the ewe language.

2.The pajelania or cura or is the generic name for the Afro-Amerindian ritual of possession in the Northern and Northeastern regions of Brazil.

3.The term mineiro derives from the word mina.It refers to the religious specialist of the Tambor de Mina.

4.Guimares 05/04/1935 – Guimares 20/07/1998.

5.Maranho was one of the major economic centers of Brazil from the Eighteenth to the mid Nineteenth century.Hence it also was one of the Brazilian states that imported the largest number of slaves.The city of Guimares represented one of the areas with the highest number of fazendas （farms），described by contemporary sources as particularly rich and fertile.Afonso Taunay states that，in 1822，of the 200.000 inhabitants of Maranho，66.6% were slaves，the highest percentage in Brazil （Dantas，1988，pp.75-86）.In the municipality of Guimares，César Marques，confirms the high density of slave population stating that in 1870，a population of 14，500 souls，5，000 were slaves （Marques，1870，pp.11-23）.

6.Raimunda Fernandes Bogéa called Mundoca （1890-1956），was the widow and heir of Arthur Coelho de Sousa （1875-1952），The district judges Victory Mearim，Mayor of Guimares from 1919 to 1922，the last descendant of Manuel de Sousa Coelho （1772-1843） who first colonized the area and built some of the most prosperous plantations of Maranho，（Coelho de Sousa，1974；Malighetti，2007）.

7.The straight-line distance between Guimares and Frechal is about 20 km.

8.Generic term used in the Tambor de Mina.It refers to all the spiritual entities that are incorporated by the initiated religious specialists.The word encantado is also used，in more specific ways，to denote a specific category of spiritual beings：humans who disappeared mysteriously or became invisible.They live in particular places，usually in certain natural sites such as beaches，lakes or river beds called encantarias.

9.Terreiro is a term that refers to the religious space where the Afro-Brazilian religious ceremonies take place.

10.The terms Filha or filho de santo designate the novices and initiates，respectively female and male.

11.The Lei do Ventre Livre （Law of the Free Womb），enacted on September 28，1871，considered free all the children of slave women，born from the date of the law.Their parents continued to be slaves.In Brazil the total abolition of slavery took place in 1888.

12.Term that refers to the part of the religion dedicated to healing.

13.Me o pai de santo are the specialists who are in charge of the Afro-Brazilian religions.

14.Cachaa is a distilled spirit made from sugarcane juice.