Info For Y'all Afro-Brazilian Boa Morte Festival: A Unique Will Of Forcefulness Too Endurance Of African Women Inward Diaspora

IRMANDADE DE NOSSA SENHORA DA BOA MORTE ( SISTERHOOD OF OUR LADY OF GOOD DEATH)


             Sisterhood of the Good Death - Bahia
Irmandade de Boa Morte inwards Cachoeira - Bahia - Brazil. Sisterhood of descendants of slaves who resisted slavery together with established their correct to a dignified life.

In the Brazilian province of Bahia, well-nigh an sixty minutes past times machine from the better-known metropolis of Salvador, lies the historic metropolis of Cachoeira, where the Irmandade de Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte, Sisterhood of Our Lady of the Good Death, holds their annual mid-August festival. Don’t allow the advert fool you; in that location is goose egg macabre well-nigh this celebration. H5N1 unique will to the strength together with endurance of the African Diaspora, Boa Morte is a festival of deep cultural, social, spiritual together with religious significance, a joyful appear of life, faith together with happiness.
                          Procession on the street past times members of Boa Morte

The Festival exemplifies the syncretism of Catholicism together with traditional African faith known inwards Brazil equally Candomble. The “Good Death” refers to the blending of the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary inwards the Catholic Church together with the Candomble worship of the iyas, woman mortal spirits of the Ancestors. Members of the Sisterhood who have got transitioned together with ancestors who during slavery, died costless or fighting for liberation, are also venerated. They all are believed to have got achieved the Good Death. The Virgin Mary, because of her bodily assumption, together with the ancestors, because of their struggle together with ultimate liberty earlier or upon death, were all insured a proper passage from the stuff to the spiritual world.
                     Mass at the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel,Bahia

The Sisterhood is said to live the oldest organisation for Women of African Descent inwards the Americas. It is a vestige of African Secret woman mortal societies, together with began to a greater extent than than 150 years agone inwards pre-abolition era Brazil. Brazil had to a greater extent than than iv times equally many Africans imported to its shores equally the United States, amongst the bulk entering the province through Bahia.
     (Wearing costumes of "Creole" - trunk head, trinkets, white coat, skirt together with colorful slippers depression - they acquire to a greater extent than colorful waterfall on the Sabbath together with were, equally always, welcomed amongst neat affection past times the people. "Little miss Dona" (106 years) is the oldest of the Sisters of the Good Death. Age does non boundary his actions together with she walks the streets of Cachoeira without apparent fatigue. cachoeiranos collaborate amongst The Brotherhood, 1 of the symbols of the city.)

Throughout the colonial period, Cachoeira was a rich metropolis at the pump of the cane-growing region; its beautiful examples of Baroque architecture attest to its sometime opulence. It is referred to equally the Heroic City because of its role inwards fights against the Portuguese, but for people of African decent, the Sisters of Boa Morte are its truthful heroes.
                                        Donna Filhinha (106 years)

In Colonial times when Candomble, a traditional African shape of worship was outlawed, the Sisters cloaked their formation equally a lay catholic sisterhood to transcend downwards their traditions together with pay homage to the orixas, disguised equally Catholic Saints. They used their skills to earn coin to purchase others from servitude equally good equally their spiritual might together with social network to provide novel freed slaves protection, sanctuary together with prophylactic passage to quilombos, settlements of freed together with escaped Africans. Brazil was the lastly province inwards Earth to abolish slavery inwards 1888, due inwards constituent to the might together with prowess of these amazing women.
                                Members of Sisterhood seated together with having a chat during Boa Morte festival

During the incredible festival of all-night vigils, masses, processions, together with feasts, the electrical current Sisterhood exhibit their gratitude together with reverence to Nossa Sehnora who answered their prayers for liberty together with to the original ancestors of the sisterhood past times commemorating their decease together with ascension.
                           Irmandade de Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte

Traveling to Cachoeira for Boa Morte was my first of all sense exterior of Brazil’s major metropolitan areas; inwards contrast to it’s to a greater extent than urbane Neighbor Salvador, meliorate known Rio or bustling Sao Paolo, at first of all glance Cachoiera seems a sleepy, beautiful, but somewhat faded, almost abandoned colonial town. But equally amongst the Virgin Mary who masks the Candomble rites together with rituals, goose egg at Boa Morte is exactly equally it seems.
                        Worshippers belongings candles at the church

As each solar daytime of the festival passes, the unloose energy builds, people descend upon the City from every management inwards tour buses, cars together with taxis together with the ceremonies start out to remove a to a greater extent than secular than religious tone. Sound systems appear, together with a carnival atmosphere develops. Bahianas, woman mortal vendors dressed inwards white amongst huge total skirts together with colorful caput scarves laid upwardly store along the streets serving all agency of delights, most notably acarajé, black-eye peas fritters fried inwards palm oil, amongst a spicy shrimp sauce together with vegetables, which is served similar a sort of Brazilian Falafel or taco together with is a signature dish of Bahia.
     Procession inwards honour of Our Lady of Glory, inwards Cachoeira, Bahia. Photo: Fernando Vivas | Agency The Afternoon 08/15/2008

On the lastly solar daytime the sisters acquire festive, amongst the dark shawls together with somber faces of the processions long gone they care for the crowds to a swirling, whirling solo trip the lite fantastic within a crowded circle known equally Samba de Roda. Decked out inwards their jewels together with white eyelet they trip the lite fantastic together with spin at the middle of a circle of onlookers defying their to a greater extent than oftentimes than non septuagenarian status. While much of the sacred rituals of Boa Morte are reserved for the members of the Sisterhood, the Samba de Roda is a world exhilarating, magical celebration of life together with freedom.( http://globalaxe.org/blog/boa-morte-festival/)
                    Beautiful Afro-Brazilian kids at Boa Morte  festival



A BROTHERHOOD OF OUR LADY OF GOOD DEATH, H5N1 PERSPECTIVE AND GENDER MUSEUM


                 Procession of  of followers of   Irmandade de Boa Morte inwards Cachoeira - Bahia - Brazil  
           
 This piece of work is constituent of a larger project, the deployment of a novel manufacture inwards the Museu Afro- Brazilian Cultural Heritage Sector Afro-Brazilian, which surveyed well-nigh prospects museum together with gender inwards the Brotherhood of the Good Death, an establishment created inwards the early on nineteenth century past times a grouping of dark women, catamenia inwards which in that location were other brotherhoods of white men, mulattoes together with blacks, but none formed exclusively past times dark women. In this, they had liberty to choose, organize together with reign inwards the festivities. Many churches held masses together with processions, but none did equally good equally the Church of Barroquinha where they were. In 1820, presumably, the Brotherhood of Good Death inwards Cachoeira settled. From the creation this Fellowship was created the first of all Terreiro of Candomblé, Iya Omi Axe Intilá Aya, a theatre the background of the Church of Barroquinha after suffering persecution past times the authorities, settled inwards neighborhood of Vasco da Gama, amongst the advert of Iya Ile Oko Nasso, known equally the White House, from 1920, gave nativity to ii to a greater extent than Terreiros: Ilê Axe Opo Afonjá inwards São Gonçalo do Retiro together with Ilê Iya Iya OMIM masse, the Federation, known equally Gantois.

The secular brotherhood known equally the Brotherhood of Our Lady of the Good Death, formed only past times dark women, born inwards the midst of a slave monastic tell unstable when the metropolis of Salvador had a population of about 65,500 inhabitants divided into socio-occupational groups, amongst constant explosions antilusas pop revolts, the chief 1 beingness the Malian revolt inwards 1835, according Reis (2003, p. 27). Until today keeps live the brotherhood elements of african-Brazilian culture, such equally religious rituals, oral, costume, cuisine, music, dance, amid others; origin demand non live exact, however, Tavares (1964, p. 335th) dates dorsum to the 1820s, the Church of the Saviour inwards Barroquinha, resisting, so in that location nearly ii centuries.

The Brotherhood of Our Lady of the Good Death, had since its inception, together with continues to have, equally its chief objective, the devotion together with the devotion to Our Lady, together with silent other objectives inwards the background, such equally the practise of loans together with assist fiscal donations together with specially the purchase of manumission for enslaved; inwards cases of decease associated amongst the Brotherhood took responsibleness for burials together with masses. The activities listed, the only 1 that does non apply to contemporaneity is purchase of manumission, the to a greater extent than they hold preserving, through its rituals, retentiveness of their African ancestors. Importantly, the involvement of the sisters inwards the religious festivities colonial catamenia was remarkable inwards the sense of organisation together with periodic celebrations of Masses (Reis, 2003, p. 332). The grooming together with the goals of the Brotherhood of Good Death is approaching other brotherhoods color formed at the same time, however, this is 1 inwards which women reign completely. During its formation together with legitimation inwards Bahian society, the sisters have got suffered prejudices: color, gender, economic, amid others. Being a society, markedly patriarchal together with sexist, these women fought together with negotiated to stand, able to exhibit their piece of work inwards organizations of the festivities of Our Lady together with the achievement of its objectives, through their courage together with strength.
                            Procession at Boa morte festival

 It is noteworthy that Verger (1992, p. 101) speaks of the Brotherhood of Good Death equally preserving the spirit of initiative nagôs that women had inwards Africa, related to the activities together with management administration. In the colonial catamenia in that location were other brotherhoods linked to the Catholic Church, inwards its Most, formed past times white men, mulattos together with blacks, together with amid these brotherhoods black, silent inwards strength for the section of ethnic origin: the Jeje, together with the nagôs Angolans (Reis, 1991, p. 55), but was non mutual only formed a brotherhood for dark women, slaves, ex-slaves together with freed. In the other sororities, when had women inwards their composition, they had a much lower participation compared men. It was upwardly to them but the organisation of religious festivals of the Catholic Church, or participation inwards services together with charity to the needy brethren (Reis, 1991 p. 58).
        Followers release doves together with pigeons into the air amongst a belief of returning amongst message of peace

In the instance of the Brotherhood of the Good Death, women had consummate liberty to determine together with organize the festivities, since the men were non constituent of the grouping composition religious. Women of the Brotherhood were also known equally dark political party high, stand upwardly out inwards the telephone call upwardly for [...] African social elite inwards Bahia (Birth; Isidoro, 1988, p. 16). Relating to the creation of the Brotherhood of the Good Death, the Catholic character, the universe african-Brazilian religious, it is possible to break mutual links that refer to the rites of decease together with life, referring to ties Iyabás Candomblé linked to decease together with life: Nana together with Iansã, Yemanja together with Oshun, who have got a betoken similar to the Death together with Assumption. With the formation of the Brotherhood of Good Death records are also creating 1 of Terreiros the 1st of Candomblé inwards Brazil, linked to the Brotherhood because it was created [...] past times women devotees of the Confraternity of Our Lady of the Good Death, [...], together with a human being supporter of the Brotherhood of Our Lord of the Martyrs, [...]. Verger (1992, p. 113), the Iya Omi Aya Intilá Axe inwards honour of Shango, a theatre at the bottom of Church Barroquinha, which housed political meetings together with demonstrations of all kinds, Birth together with Isidore (1988, p. 16). After its foundation, this Terreiro suffered diverse persecutions past times the authorities civil together with ecclesiastical, roofing some localities soteropolitanas, settling inwards the neighborhood of Vasco da Gama, amongst the advert of Iya Ile Oko Nasso, immediately known equally Casa

Branca. From 1920 Terreiro this gave ascent to ii others: the Ile Axe Opo Afonjá, inwards São Gonçalo do Retiro together with OMIM Iya Iya Ile Masse, the Federation, known equally Terreiro do Gantois. The leaders of these Terreiros were constituent of the Brotherhood of the Good Death. In the registration processes of official history, many women began to anonymity, yet of import names resisted to live forgotten, such equally Hilaria Batista de Almeida, known equally Aunt Ciata; Anna Eugenia dos Santos, known equally Mother Aninha; Bibiana Maria do Espirito Santo, known equally Mother Mary; Satira; Juliana; Sabina; Caetana; José Maria; Apollinaria; Justiniana; Xandinha; Zina; Mary Melo; Sinha shake; Agda Maria de Oliveira, amid others; Birth (1998, p. 14). Based on the stories of women's lives inwards the past times kept the Brotherhood, the Current sisters silent preserving the stuff together with immaterial civilization african-Brazilian. Even inwards the nineteenth century the Brotherhood of Good Death expanded into the Reconcavo settling inwards the together with so Town of Our Lady of the Rosary of Porto da Cachoeira, (Born, 1998, p. 14), along amongst the growth of the Reconcavo, specially economical growth of the hamlet together with its harbor, which was a major inwards the Bahia time, where goods arriving together with leaving from diverse parts of the world, specially slaves from dissimilar African nations.

In Waterfall, first, the Brotherhood settled inwards a theatre known equally Casa star number 58, together with all indications are that this theatre belonged to a legendary African lady past times advert Karoxa, (Birth; Isidore, 1988, p. 22). The theatre received this designation because of an Exu sitting inwards port Input inwards the shape of a star, in all likelihood belonging to 1 of women amongst ties amongst the Brotherhood together with Bogum of Candomblé, (Birth, 1998, p. 15-16). The activities performed inwards that theatre was formed the first of all Terreiro of Candomblé Jeje-Marrim patch that is 1 of the few amongst that advert today, existing inwards Brazil, which is constituent of the Candomblé Bogum of the Old Mill inwards the Federation Salvador. The feast of Our Lady of the Good Death ever happens inwards August, to a greater extent than exactly on days 13, fourteen together with 15, which are the days that are celebrated Death, Funeral andthe Assumption of Our Lady, an adaptation of the Christian calendar which commemorates the Assumption on August 15. Marked past times processions together with masses, this festival dates dorsum to the 4th century AD inwards Antioch, (Costa, 2002, p. 13).
                       Mrs. Estelita Santana - Judge Perpetua the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Good Death inwards Cachoeira, tomorrow September fourteen had completed 103 years. Mrs. Estelita Save! Save the Brotherhood! Save waterfall! Save Our ​​Lady! :: Adenor GONDIM 09/13/09 [+] ::

Since then, Oriental civilization that spread speedily to the West arriving inwards Brazil at the halt of eighteenth together with early on nineteenth century. The feast of Our Lady of the Good Death was the most disputed the Catholic Church, many churches held masses together with processions, celebrating the political party the side past times side day, no longer did so good equally the chapel of Barroquinha, amongst longest route, the busiest together with most ostentatious presentation (Campos, 2001 p. 358-359), beingness organized for years past times the Brotherhood of the Lord of the Martyrs Barroquinha, together with and so began to portion the same amongst the organisation of the Brotherhood Boa Morte, who Priore was a grouping of dark women devoted to Our Lady of Good Death.
                            Adenor Gondim - Cachoeira - Bahia August 2002 Mrs. Estelita, 98 years, Judge Perpetua the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Good Death inwards Cachoeira Bahia

The organisation of festivities begins months before, when the sisters gear upwardly for total devotion to Our Lady, seeking to dissever tasks amid themselves. On first of all solar daytime of the festival happens at the Funeral Mass inwards the Chapel of the Brotherhood itself, where ensure sisters Mary together with sisters together with retrieve deceased relatives, together with presently after offering supper white foods when used without the presence of palm oil. On this solar daytime the sisters have on the white garment, symbolizing mourning inwards african-Brazilian culture. On 2nd day, happens the volume of this body together with follows the procession or funeral procession the streets of Cachoeira, amongst sisters dressed inwards their finery.
                        samba de roda
 On the 3rd day, is conducted Mass together with procession of the Assumption of Our Lady Victorious inwards the streets of Waterfall, amongst sisters wearing the costume gala, but leaving on display the color red, symbolizing the joy together with glory of Our Lady together with wearing lots of jewelry. The procession is accompanied past times thousands of visitors together with intense fireworks. Shortly after Brotherhood procession to serve inwards their home-based feijoada accompanied past times samba wheel, all inwards a peculiar mixture of the profane mystic-religious system, (Birth; Isidoro, 1988, p. 29). On this solar daytime Waterfall receives thousands of tourists, mainly african- Americans, together with other Brotherhoods, together with communities surrounding the capital,to honour this cultural practise that preserves of import elements of african-memory Brazilian.
    
Day Baiana 25 xi 2006 - Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of the Blacks - Pillory


The Sisters of the Good Death, fifty-fifty inwards the human face upwardly of varied cultural change, socio- economical together with religious, hold finding reasons for their existence together with social function, maintaining its tradition amongst strength together with beauty, preserving traits of memories ancestors. The dynamic associative dating dorsum to women's associations inwards Africa, if constitutes an of import chemical constituent for its ain survival inwards Brazilian society; together with currently, amongst footling to a greater extent than than ii dozen women. Initially the Brotherhood had over ii hundred, but equally a lawsuit of social dynamics This Brotherhood was losing adept. The Brotherhood of Good Death over the years has contributed to the Maintaining this rich retentiveness african-Brazilian, keeping alive, either through records, either past times oral or past times the piece of work amongst the community together with amongst their ain Brotherhood is the sacred rituals, the gift that keeps Brotherhood cultural retentiveness african-Brazilian inwards their daily lives. 

(http://www.cult.ufba.br/enecul2005/LiviaMariaBaetadaSilva.pdf)
follow this link for farther information:http://www.terra.com.br/revistaplaneta/mat_395.htm


THE FEAST OF GOOD DEATH: AN AFRO-CATHOLIC EMANCIPATION
CELEBRATION IN BRAZIL
Sheila S. Walker
The Feast of Good Death

                                            Members of the Sisterhood feasting-Bahia,Brazil
Each twelvemonth on the Fri eve nearest August xv inwards the town of Cachoeira inwards the province of
Bahia inwards northeastern Brazil, several dozen Afro-Brazilian women start out the reenactment of the
complex Afro-Catholic religious ceremonial that their enslaved African an cestresses created
more than 1 together with a one-half centuries ago. Catholic processions together with masses inwards honour of the death
and supposition into sky of the Virgin Mary are interwoven amongst symbols together with interpretations
fundamental to the Candomblé, the faith of Yoruba origin that is the ground of Afro-Brazilian
spiritual life inwards Bahia together with inwards the other parts of Brazil amongst important populations of African origin.
The solemnity of the sacred celebration is complemented past times an energetic samba de roda (ring
samba) typical of Cachoeira together with based on African trip the lite fantastic styles. The Festa da Boa Morte
(Feast of Good Death) is an exemplary manifestation of the multi-layered reality of AfroBrazilian culture.
                         
The women are members of the Irmandade da Boa Morte (Sisterhood of Good Death)
created within the Catholic Church inwards the early on nineteenth century, which numbered upwardly to two
hundred women when Cachoeira was a wealthy saccharide cane producing area. As the sisters
explained, the Virgin Mary died on a Fri and, beingness without sin, was assumed into sky in
body together with soul on the next Sunday—certainly a "good death." Hence the Catholic Feast of
the Assumption on August 15. The Virgin is known equally Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte (Our
Lady of Good Death) from her decease to her assumption, at which betoken she becomes Nossa
Senhora da Gloria (Our Lady of Glory). The existent subject of the Boa Morte pageantry, then, is
less 1 of mourning for the Virgin Mary's death, than 1 of rejoicing for her supposition into
heaven.


On Fri eve the sisters send a reclining statue of Our Lady of Good Death inwards a solemn
procession through the streets to Cachoeira's largest church, where they identify the statue inwards front
of the altar. After a volume of mourning for the Saint together with for the deceased members of the
Sisterhood, they render to their coming together theatre to serve a dinner to the members of the
community who accompany them there.
On Sabbatum eve after spending the solar daytime preparing the feast they volition serve on Sunday, the
sisters walk together to the church building where some other volume of mourning is said for Our Lady of
Good Death. They 1 time to a greater extent than send the statue through the streets inwards a funeral procession
accompanied past times mournful music from 1 of the town's ii bands. The statue is together with so placed in
the museum of religious articles contiguous to the church, where it volition stay during the year,
and a standing statue of Our Lady of Glory is taken from the museum into the church. Sisters
and people who have got attended the volume touching the statue to asking the saint's blessings, together with the
congregation eventually disperses.

On Dominicus morning, the sisters 1 time to a greater extent than get together at their coming together theatre together with walk together to the
church, taking their green places inwards the forepart pews for the volume celebrating the supposition of
Our Lady of Glory into heaven. In a lastly triumphant procession, the statue of Our Lady of
Glory is carried through the town accompanied past times bands playing joyous music, together with past times many of
the people who attended the mass, some of whom assist the sisters to send the statue. At the
end of the procession the sisters render the statue to the museum until their side past times side annual
procession, together with render to their coming together theatre followed past times many people from the town. After
serving a copious repast to these guests, the sisters residue for the band samba they volition trip the lite fantastic on
Sunday eve together with repeat on Mon together with Tuesday evenings, 1 time to a greater extent than offering nutrient to all who
attend.
                           dancing at Boa Morte festival of feast
Although the priest who said the masses insisted that the Feast of Good Death was a purely
Catholic celebration, numerous indicators propose that this is non the entire explanation of the
event. The most obvious indicator is that a purely Catholic ceremony inwards Bahia peopled
exclusively past times Afro-Brazilian women is, patch non solely impossible, at to the lowest degree highly
improbable—and inwards this instance is a definite misperception of the complex meanings of the event.
In Bahia, the expanse of Brazil inwards which African civilization has remained the strongest together with most
influential, the faith of the overwhelming bulk of the Afro-Brazilian population, together with of
much of the non-Afro-Brazilian population also, is the Candomblé. This is truthful inwards spite of most
Bahians', including Candomblé members' together with leaders', formal membership inwards the Catholic
Church, together with is consistent amongst the veneer of Catholicism that has allowed the Candomblé to
persist from the catamenia of slavery upwardly to the acquaint inwards spite of persecution past times the political
authorities.
The Candomblé is based on the worship of the Orishás, the spiritual beings of the Yoruba
people of the electrical current patch of Nigeria, whose faith managed to live the middle passage
from West Africa to the Americas. The Orishás correspond major forces of nature together with human life,
and are intimately involved inwards the social together with private lives of their devotees. They are honored
in ceremonies inwards which they are believed to come upwardly into the human community past times manifesting
themselves inwards the bodies of their devotees who have got been prepared past times initiation to have them
and who, inwards a trance state, trip the lite fantastic the movements characteristic of the Orishás to compelling
drum rhythms.
When forced to acquire well-nigh Catholicism past times the Portuguese together with prohibited from worshipping the
Orishás openly during slavery, the Africans learned the names together with characteristics of some of the
Catholic saints together with established equivalences based on the similar attributes they perceived
between them together with the Orishás. St. Lazarus the leper, the statue of whom shows his skin
covered past times sores, was assimilated to Omolú or Obaluaiye, the Orishá of smallpox, which is
characterized past times pare eruptions. By extension the Orishá of all affliction together with of death, Omolú can
also restore wellness together with life. Maternal Orishás such equally Yemanjá, Orishá of the ocean, were
assimilated to diverse versions of the Virgin Mary. And the most exalted Orishá, Oshalá, who
was responsible for creating human beings, was seen equally equivalent to Jesus on the ground of the
importance of both inwards their respective religious systems.
watch:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZJgh8gvfQc&feature=player_embedded

There are no stuff images of the Orishás, who are supernatural forces, but the statues of the
saints came to correspond the equivalent Orishás. And, on feast days for the saints the Africans
feigned that they were worshipping the saints to camouflage their existent intention of honoring the
equivalent Orishás, a subterfuge that insured the preservation of their spiritual reality. Eventually
the Africans acquire Afro-Brazilians began to believe inwards the might of the saints to assist them,
but never to the exclusion of the ground of their religious life—the Orishás. Thus, although the
Feast of Good Death clearly is a existent Catholic celebration that represents to a greater extent than than but a
veneer of Catholicism, to say that it is purely Catholic ignores the pregnant of much of the sisters'
symbolic behavior, together with oversimplifies what is really a complex cultural statement.
For the Fri procession the sisters have on the same elaborate lacey, long total skirts together with blouses
that they have on to participate inwards Candomblé ceremonies. They also emphasize that the repast they
serve to the community is "white food," which, inwards price of absolute color—fish, lettuce and
tomato salad, scarlet berry wine—some of it is not. When asked why they have on white together with serve
"white food," the sisters reply, "Because it is Friday." Fri is the solar daytime of Oshalá, who
represents peace together with wisdom together with whose color is white. "White food" inwards the Candomblé context
is nutrient prepared without the scarlet palm fossil oil used inwards much Candomblé cookery. After Candomblé
ceremonies the favorite foods of the feted Orishá are served to everyone inwards attendance, which is
probably the model for Earth feasting that characterizes the Feast of Good Death, as
opposed to other Catholic saints' days on which in that location is no feasting. On Fridays, however, no
food is prepared amongst palm fossil oil because of Oshalá. This symbolism of the white clothes together with food
on Fri suggests that the ostensibly Catholic pageantry may also incorporate other symbolic
behaviors that are to a greater extent than related to the Candomblé than to Catholicism.
        see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxoZ6xwBXBM&feature=player_embedded

For the Sabbatum together with Dominicus processions the women apparel inwards the characteristic uniform of the
Sisterhood, consisting of a long dark pleated skirt, white blouse together with caput tie, together with dark stole
lined amongst scarlet satin together with worn over 1 shoulder. Whereas on Sabbatum the stole is worn with
the dark side out to limited mourning for Our Lady of Good Death, on Dominicus it is worn with
the scarlet side out to limited the joy of her supposition into sky equally Our Lady of Glory. On
Sunday the sisters add together many chain-link necklaces together with bracelets to brand their outfits more
festive, together with peradventure also to symbolize the chains of bondage from which their enslaved
ancestresses gained their freedom.
The beauty of the garment is 1 argue for which members of the Sisterhood say they like
belonging to it, some adding that the uniforms are also a source of spiritual protection. Sisters
have traditionally been buried inwards them. The Candomblé 1 time to a greater extent than provides the explanation for the
meaning of the otherwise non obvious red, black, together with white colors of the Sisterhood's uniform,
which hardly correspond Catholic mourning colors. They are rather the colors associated amongst the
Orishá Omolú, who tin both convey together with protect from death, a logical association for the Feast of
Good Death. Omolú's solar daytime of the calendar week is Monday, 1 of the days of the feast, together with on this
same Mon a major celebration is held for Omolú inwards Salvador, the province capital, that also
juxtaposes the Candomblé together with the Catholic Church.

Most evidently unrelated to Catholicism are what are said past times knowledgeable natives of
Cachoeira to live the totally private lastly acts of the complex pageantry. On Tuesday nighttime after4
the lastly band samba together with meal, the sisters celebrate the culmination of their devotion. Entering
their other religious reality, they concur a Candomblé ceremony, only for themselves, to honor
their Orishás. Then the flowers that served equally decor for the celebration for the saint equally good as
any leftover nutrient are deposited inwards a nearby river, which is exactly the agency Candomblé
ceremonies for H2O Orishás such equally Yemanjá end.
That these Candomblé symbols together with meanings are integral to the Feast of Good Death does not
imply that the goal of the Sisterhood is non to honour the saint. When asked if in that location were a
relationship betwixt the ii religious systems, the president of the Sisterhood said that the
Sisterhood was 1 matter together with the Candomblé another, then, apparently amongst no sense of cultural
dissonance, ended the conversation amongst "May Omolú bless you." In add-on to her leading role
in the Sisterhood, she is an of import Candomblé priestess. In fact, almost all of the sisters are
initiates together with fifty-fifty priestesses of the Candomblé. Thus, although their sincere intent may live to
perform a Catholic ritual for their "little saint," equally they affectionately telephone call upwardly her, the spiritual
foundation of the lives of the sisters is the Candomblé, non Catholicism. Hence the basic
understandings, meanings, together with symbols amongst which they have got infused their Catholic behaviour are
based on the Candomblé.
                      Brazil Building of the Sisterhood of Boa Morte (remaining grouping of slaves, first of all yard
                     of  Church,Brazil is a Candomblé country)

The statues of Our Lady of Good Death together with Our Lady of Glory are both dressed inwards a lite blue
cape over a white dress. These colors propose an obvious human relationship amongst Yemanjá, the Orishá
of the seas, whose solar daytime is Saturday, together with whose colors are lite blueish together with white, the colors of the
ocean. It is noteworthy that the 3 Orishás—Oshalá, Omolú together with Yemanjá— whose color
symbols stand upwardly out inwards the Feast of Good Death are amid the most of import inwards the AfroBrazilian pantheon. Oshalá is the manlike mortal parent of the other Orishás equally good equally of people, together with inwards some
versions of the mythology Yemanjá is the woman parent of the other Orishás. They, thus, correspond the
very fundamental principles of fatherhood together with motherhood, thus procreation together with the continuity
of life, together with Omolú represents the triumph of life over death.
The Afro-Brazilian Sisterhoods together with Brotherhoods
The Sisterhood of Good Death began inwards the Church of Barroquinha inwards Salvador inwards 1821, and
existed inwards the major towns inwards the expanse but died out everywhere except Cachoeira. The first
Candomblé temple openly institutionalized inwards Salvador was also created past times women from the
Church of Barroquinha. The Casa Branca was officially instituted inwards 1850, together with the other two
most traditional Candomblés inwards Salvador, Axé Opô Afonjá together with Gantois, grew out of it. The
women who created these Candomblés together with their successors have got also been members of the
Sisterhood of Good Death.
The Sisterhood of Good Death was 1 of the numerous sisterhoods together with brotherhoods of
African slaves together with freedmen together with women created within the Catholic Church inwards the l8th together with l9th
centuries. The priests' major motive for creating such organizations was, non surprisingly, to
Catholicize the Africans together with brand them surrender their ain spiritual beliefs together with practices. The
African together with Afro-Brazilian sisterhoods together with brotherhoods functioned equally mutual assist and
benevolent societies inwards add-on to the at to the lowest degree stated intention of promoting Catholicism. An5
estimated 85% of freed Black men together with 83% of freed Black women were members of these
groups during the years 1790-1826 inwards Bahia. Their numbers decreased inwards the 2nd one-half of the
nineteenthcentury equally authorities agencies gradually took over the social safety functions they
had fulfilled.

One of the major churches inwards Salvador, the Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos
(Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of Black People), was built past times members of the Irmandade
de Nossa Senhora do Rosário (Brotherhood of Our Lady of the Rosary), which was created
in Bahia inwards the seventeenth century. In l704 the archbishop gave the African Brotherhood
permission to construct a temple, which they finished inwards 1710, supplying their ain materials and
working on it after finishing their regular jobs. Our Lady of the Rosary was honored annually by
the Brotherhood amongst a volume together with an opulent procession on the 2nd of Oct until l917.
Inside the church, inwards add-on to a statue of Our Lady of the Rosary, in that location are also statues of
two Black saints—St. Anthony of Catigerona, an African, together with St. Benedict the Moor.
The sisterhoods together with brotherhoods were originally based on the African geographic together with ethnic
origins of the members. The first of all Irmandades de Nossa Senhora do Rosário were constituted of
men from the Republic of Angola expanse together with their descendants, together with the Irmandade do Senhor da Redenção
na Bahia (Brotherhood of Our Lord of the Redemption inwards Bahia) were men of Gege or Ewe
origin from the electrical current Benin-Togo expanse of West Africa. The exclusive memberships of these
initial brotherhoods led to the creation of others grouping men of other African ethnic groups
and together with so of mulattos, together with they all eventually began to acknowledge whatever Afro-Brazilian human being equally the
process of miscengenation destroyed African ethnic purity.

 The sisterhoods were originally
organized along the same ethnically particularistic lines. The Sisterhood of Good Death, like
Salvador's first of all Candomblé, was constituted of Gege women—the same Gege women!
The sisterhoods together with brotherhoods have got been characterized past times a Brazilian scholar as, "the
fulcrum of 1 of the most of import positions of resistance together with defence of Blacks against
slavery inwards Brazil."(3) European white travelers inwards Bahia inwards the eighteenth together with nineteenth centuries
were impressed past times the zeal together with enthusiasm of the Afro-Brazilians' "external manifestations of the
Catholic religion," but few were aware of the African cultural legacy that remained nether the
external appearance of religious orthodoxy. The bear witness available, mainly inwards the shape of the
oral tradition, points to the importance of these institutions equally repositories of the African cultural
heritage.(4) In a study of the Brotherhoods of Our Lady of the Rosary equally a counteracculturative reaction, Veríssimo de Melo makes the betoken that such an analytical perspective
provides the only agency to sympathize "the involvement of the Blacks inwards a religion, the Catholic
religion—totally unusual to their primitive [meaning, I would similar to think, original] beliefs."(5)
Eighteenth- together with nineteenthth-century commentators on these Afro-Catholic institutions reported
with some dismay seeing processions for Our Lady of the Rosary accompanied past times the music of
drums together with clarinets equally good equally burn downwards works, together with 1 observer was scandalized to regard a statue of
the Virgin "painted black."(6) De Melo concludes that:
… inwards spite of its apparent Catholic significance, Our Lady of the Rosary was for Blacks
a transposition of the idol of their primitive religion—perhaps Yemanjá… Being unable6
to worship their gods publicly—because the slave masters did non permit the fetishist(7)
cult—the slaves affiliated amongst the Catholic brotherhoods, where they could, tranquilly,
through the procedure that would live known afterward equally syncretism, worship their African
idols inwards the shape of the Roman Catholic saints. Only through the phenomenon of
syncretism is it possible to sympathize the devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary and
other saints past times the Black slaves.(8)
In add-on to providing a context for the religious syncretism that allowed the Africans and
Afro-Brazilians to maintain their religious beliefs inwards disguised form, the sisterhoods and
brotherhoods had the of import secular business office of serving equally credit unions through which the
slaves saved to purchase their liberty inwards the shape of cartas de alforría, "free papers". In Bahia
some of the enslaved negros de ganho were allowed to piece of work for themselves, paying a certain
part of their income to their masters together with using the residue for their ain purposes. This primary role
as "liberation banks" was a major preoccupation of the sisterhoods together with brotherhoods prior to
emancipation inwards 1888.
                        watch:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIIETIu6P3M&feature=player_embedded#!

In an article on the Sociedade Protetora dos Desvalidos (Society for the Protection of the
Needy), Salvador's oldest existing autonomous Afro-Brazilian institution, Julio Santana Braga
emphasized the Society's primal historic role equally a credit union, membership inwards which was limited
to African together with Afro-Brazilian men who could give proof of having a legitimate income. The
Society, which silent owns a edifice inwards the Terreiro de Jesus inwards Salvador, together with which recently
celebrated its 150th anniversary, was founded inwards 1832 past times a costless African, Manoel Victor Serra,
under the advert of Irmandade de Nossa Senhora da Soledade Amparo dos Desvalidos
(Brotherhood of Our Lady of Solitude Shelter of the Needy). Inspired past times the Brotherhood of
Our Lady of the Rosary, the Society had equally its goals, inwards add-on to the spiritual (Catholic)
instruction together with uplifting of its members together with the providing of assist to the needy, the acquisition of
emancipation for all of its members. Like the other brotherhoods, it promised its silent enslaved
members "free papers", "with which yous volition taste non only eternal liberty inwards the second
transmigration into the side past times side life, but that volition also costless yous inwards this 1 from the worst
subjugation."
Thus, the brotherhoods together with sisterhoods were organizational structures within which Africans
and afterward Afro-Brazilians could organize nether the aegis of the Catholic Church to oppose the
system of slavery, together with inwards which costless Blacks could collaborate amongst their silent enslaved brothers
and sisters to increase the ranks of the free. The founders of the Society for the Protection of
the Needy were really preoccupied amongst the enquiry of to whom to entrust their funds, not
wanting to entrust them to the priest of the church building inwards which it was founded without numerous
precautions because the goals for which the African together with Afro-Brazilian men intended to work the
money did non conform to the intentions of the church. Such disguised emancipation funds were
a prelude to the emancipation credit unions that sprang upwardly starting fourth dimension inwards 1834 inwards the context of
the abolitionist movement, inwards which members specifically pooled their coin inwards the sort of
rotating credit scheme found inwards much of Africa together with the Caribbean Area inwards monastic tell to purchase costless papers,
without the religious pretense of the sisterhoods together with brotherhoods.

Further bear witness of the other-than-religious intentions of the Society was that it was non until
three months after its founding that the members began to hash out what their religious obligations
would be. The conclusion was that they would celebrate an annual volume for Our Lady of Solitude
on Nov 16, a somewhat minimal requirement for a really religious organization. The
religious goals of the Society, whether primordial inwards the intentions of the brothers or not, but
without which the grouping could non have got been created, were used when it wanted to obtain
benefits for its members from the Catholic Church. The fact that the Society began equally a Catholic
brotherhood did not, however, hateful that only professed Catholics were accepted for full
membership. Proclaimed Muslims such equally Manoel Nascimento, meliorate known past times his Islamic
name of Gibirilu, were also members, which suggests that Catholic purity was hardly a key issue
for the members. The fundamental requirement for membership inwards the Society was together with silent is to
be a Black man.(11)
Another major business office of the brotherhoods together with sisterhoods was to assure their members a
"good death"—a decent burial, similar the African American burial societies inwards the United States.
Members stipulated the atmospheric condition inwards which they wanted to live buried, oftentimes dressed inwards the
uniform of the organization, which was in all likelihood their finest article of clothing. Church funerals
were held for members amongst all appropriate pomp together with circumstance, such that the funerals of
poor Blacks on their lastly solar daytime of glory oftentimes rivaled those of rich whites.(12) H5N1 prominent
woman inwards Cachoeira lately said that she volition bring together the Sisterhood of Good Death when she is
older so that she tin have got a church building funeral together with live buried inwards the opulent costume, thus assuring
herself a goodness death.
Such is the context inwards which the Sisterhood of Good Death began, its major concerns being, like
the other Afro-Catholic sisterhoods together with brotherhoods, to assist its members together with to gain freedom
for those who were silent enslaved. The founders of the Sisterhood made a vow to Our Lady of
Good Death that if she would costless them from slavery, they would concur a procession together with feast in
her honour every year. They interpreted their might to salve together with purchase their liberty equally bear witness of
the Virgin's intercession, together with the electrical current sisters' procession continues to fulfill the vow of their
ancestresses. That their vow was to Our Lady of Good Death/Our Lady of Glory suggests that
their ain transition from slavery to liberty was similar a resurrection from the decease of their life as
slaves to a novel heavenly life equally costless women. The yearly ceremonial may, thus, live viewed equally an
emancipation celebration—the oldest continuous celebration of emancipation from slavery inwards the
Americas, performed past times the oldest continuing African American women's organisation inwards the
Americas.

The Candomblé together with the Sisterhood of Good Death
The Candomblé together with the Sisterhood of Good Death correspond ii dissimilar techniques used by
the enslaved Africans to institutionalize together with successfully maintain the reality together with integrity of the
African spirituality that continues to live the ground of Afro-Brazilian life, inwards spite of Euro-Brazilian
efforts to eradicate this religious scheme together with supplant it amongst some other 1 based on fundamentally
different conceptual together with behavioral foundations, together with serving antagonistic social together with cultural
ends. The Sisterhood together with Feast of Good Death correspond the appear of African religious8
forms within the really establishment whose explicit mission has been to eliminate them. They
represent the infiltration of the Orishás into the Catholic Church. The Afro-Catholic sisterhoods
and brotherhoods used what was to live an alienating establishment equally a cloak of protection within
which to limited meanings essential to themselves together with antithetical to the intentions of the
unwittingly complicitous host institution.
The Candomblé, inwards contrast, represents some other vogue of Afro-Brazilian insistence on preserving
their religious integrity—outside of the institutions of Euro-Brazilian society. During slavery and
after, to the extent possible the Afro-Brazilians held their Candomblé ceremonies inwards rural areas
distant from their white oppressors. When this was impossible, they devised ways, past times equating
the Orishás together with the saints, to worship their prohibited African spiritual beings inwards total thought of the
slave masters, amongst the approbation of those committed to extirpating the African religious heritage.
The Feast of St. Lazarus, celebrated annually inwards mid-August inwards Salvador, offers an interesting
example of a sort of overt fusion of both forms. While a Catholic volume is beingness celebrated
within the Church of St. Lazarus, Candomblé members carrying statues of the saint go into a
trance together with "manifest" together with trip the lite fantastic for Omolú inwards forepart of the church. The spatial locus of these two
forms of worship within together with exterior of the church, inwards add-on to beingness enforced past times the Catholic
hierarchy, is symbolically appropriate together with reflects the dissimilar styles used past times Afro-Brazilians to
maintain their spiritual life together with conform it to the exigencies of a novel together with oppressive social
environment.
    For it is this joy tin inwards a handbasket of alms to Mass Cosmas together with Damian. 
:: Adenor GONDIM 25/09/09

Whereas the sisterhoods together with brotherhoods took the Orishás into the Catholic Church, hiding
them inwards the vestments of the saints, the Candomblé took the saints out of the church building amongst which
to camouflage the Orishás. Whereas the sisterhoods together with brotherhoods adopted together with adapted
Catholic rituals inwards monastic tell to honour the Orishás inwards the shape of the saints, the Candomblé adapted
its ain rituals to honour the saints inwards monastic tell to honour the Orishás they represented.
The most extreme shape of Afro-Brazilian resistance to cultural oppression, to oppression in
general, was the creation of quilombos, the independent communities laid upwardly inwards remote places
by people who physically escaped from the slave scheme rather than creating a agency to preserve
their cultural infinite within it. Candomblés have got been characterized equally "internal quilombos," as
islands of African cultural self-preservation within Brazilian society
     Door of the Church of the Third Order of Carmel. 

Savior scorned reborn inwards unproblematic people occupying churches, terraces, stadiums, streets, squares with solemn together with debauched his way, beingness religious together with profane. Salve Nov 25 - Official Day of Baianas . the XE! Every Day is Day Baianas, Boy!

It is of import to acknowledge that the nature of the saints together with the Orishás, together with thus of the
Afro-Brazilians' perceptions of them, is really different. The saints are abstract, together with are known to
the Afro-Brazilians only inwards the shape of pictures together with plaster statues. The Orishás, inwards contrast,
descend to world to the telephone call upwardly of ceremonial drum rhythms to acquire into the bodies of their devotees,
who really "become" the spiritual beings who have got come upwardly to trip the lite fantastic inwards the midst of their human
community. The Orishás have got personalities together with likes together with dislikes, together with they influence the daily
lives of their devotees. People's characters together with fate are determined past times the Orishás, who are
their spiritual guides together with guardians, non past times the saints.
It is important that the ii styles of religious self-affirmation represented past times the Sisterhood of
Good Death together with the Candomblé are non mutually exclusive options for Afro-Brazilians, but that,9
on the contrary, the same individuals founded, together with their descendants silent participate in, together with are
leaders of, both systems. When the influential priestess of the Candomblé, Axé Opô Afonjá,
died inwards l967, a funeral ceremony was held, equally it had been for her predecessor inwards l938, inwards the
Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of Black People. But a Catholic funeral is non sufficient for a
Candomblé initiate, together with a special Candomblé ceremony for the dead, an axexéi, was also held
for her.

The Sisterhood of Good Death preceded the official establishing of the Casa Branca
Candomblé equally an Afro-Brazilian establishment growing out of the Church of Barroquinha. The
Candomblé temple that eventually became overtly officialized equally the Casa Branca, however,
existed earlier the entry of its members into the Catholic Church. According to 1 account,
there are people who attest that the Casa Branca is really to a greater extent than than 350 years old, dating from
the beginnings of slavery inwards Brazil. They say that its original location was inwards a subterranean spot
entered through a hole inwards a tree.(13) Although the specifics of this version of the original location
are clearly apocryphal, it is undeniable that forms of African religious worship began equally presently as
the Africans reached Brazil, together with non only preceded, but also precipitated the creation of the
Afro-Catholic sisterhoods together with brotherhoods.

In Cachoeira people say that the Sisterhood of Good Death grew out of a Candomblé whose
members were forced into the Catholic Church past times a priest who was anxious to halt their
autonomous religious life, together with in that location is every argue to believe that its origins inwards Salvador were
the same. The original locus of the religious grouping that became known equally the Casa Branca
was in all likelihood surreptitious inwards the figurative rather than literal sense inwards that it was secluded inwards a
remote expanse because of persecution past times slave owners, together with also because such a location was
totally appropriate for a faith based on the forces of nature.
The church's drawing of Candomblé members into itself did not, however, kill the Candomblé,
as was the intent. The Candomblé went into the church building inwards the shape of the sisterhoods and
brotherhoods, going surreptitious inwards a sense, together with it came out 1 time to a greater extent than inwards the shape of overt,
autonomous institutions. As a lawsuit of belonging to the Sisterhood of Good Death, the original
sisters were able to secure their freedom, for which they remained grateful to Our Lady of
Good Death/Our Lady of Glory. They also, patch remaining members of the Catholic
Sisterhood, firmly institutionalized their ain autonomous spiritual foundation exterior of the
church. The Afro-Catholic sisterhoods together with brotherhoods have got almost gone out of existence,
whereas the Candomblé continues to flourish together with proliferate. The Catholic Church used the
sisterhoods together with brotherhoods to wage state of war on the Orishás—and the Orishás won the holy war. (http://dickinsg.intrasun.tcnj.edu/boamorte/Article.pdf)
                                 
Life 

just 
goes on.


   

Continued 
Life 
so.





     
Black together with White I was born, I grew upwardly together with raised White together with Black. One solar daytime the noonday Sun was coming upwardly together with the colors began to bother. 
Bota bother well-nigh it. Retei me together with opened the doors was a disaster this stormy intercourse of colors. 
dawn a lazy lost the fearfulness of colors.


Bahia Maragogipe August 200

Photos:http://www.apenasbahia.blogger.com.br/

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