Two Nights of Celebration at the House of Iemanja in Codo, Maranhao
We offer our deep gratitude to Bita Barao, the spiritual leader (pai de santo) of the group that appears here, and to his daughter, Janaina (mai pequena of the group) who is shown as Iemanja in the photos below.
Their spiritual house (terreiro) in Codo, Maranhao is a huge complex with a courtyard, statues, and residence for the leaders and at least some of the devotees during the celebration. We are deeply grateful for their giving us access to this complex and allowing us to observe and photograph/video their celebrations. They were even so kind as to invite us from the sidelines (outside an observation wall) to a place inside the ceremonial area that is reserved for devotees and celebrants. More than that, some of the devotees would occasionally motion to me to take up a particular position in the space to better see some of the more dramatic moments (they knew when Iansa do Fogo — photos above and below — would appear and wanted me not to miss anything). Also, the devotees are accustomed to assisting any members who succumb to the experience. They extended that generosity to us as well and at various times helped me navigate the dusty river bank in the dark, probably avoiding an accidental baptism of my own with all my camera gear.
The context: We attended two nights of celebration — the first dedicated to Saint Barbara and Iansa (Yansa), the entity in Afro-Brazilian practice associated (syncretized) with Santa Barbara. The terreiro itself bears the name and image of Iemanja (photo left). Its full name is Tenda Espirita de Umbanda Rainha Iemanja, which translates roughly to Spiritual House of Umbanda Queen Iemanja. The word “tenda” literally means tent, but has come to mean a place of spiritual worship. Umbanda is the form or tradition of worship and has many diverse forms throughout Brazil. Iemanja is their chosen entity of identification and worship. Her figure, in blue in the photo to the left, is repeated in various photos below. The second night of the celebration was devoted to her. The first night was dedicated to the Catholic Saint (Santa) Barbara, who is also identified with the orixa Iansa. In this celebration Iansa’s attribute is that of Iansa de Fogo, Yansa of Fire.
The second night of celebration was to Iemanja (Yemanja), the goddess or orixa of water. She is often associated with some attribute of the Virgin Mary, particularly as Our Lady of Conception (Iemanja is mother of all the orixas), and the patron of sailors and fishermen (often called Nossa Senhora dos Navigantes).
These related identities are not fixed in Afro-Brazilian practice, but vary with the customs and understandings of each individual group (perhaps a bit like the way small towns and churches in Brazil have different patron saints). This particular group has is a practice known as Umbanda which combines a wide variety of entities from Christianity, African practice, indigenous figures, and a pantheon of others that are distinct to Brazil. Their statues and altar figures include the Virgin Mary, Iansa, Saint Sebastian, Jesus Christ, Iemanja, and many other figures that are part of their pantheon of spiritual entities. This includes various lineages of caboclos who are often identified with indigenous figures.
The photo below shows other common entities in Afro-Brazilian practice — Preto Velhos, or Old Blacks, who represent the spirits of blacks who died in slavery. They are ubiquitous in Afro-Brazilian practice in many different traditions. In some traditions the male Preto Velho may have some identification with Saint Benedict, the black saint.
Percussion and dancing are an essential part of the celebration. The devotees walk/dance in a counterclockwise circle at the beginning. Gradually some of the devotees dance more vividly and move to the center of the space.
The Second Night of Celebration, dedicated to Iemanja (Yemanja)
The celebration lasted for what was probably around two hours. There were many offerings to the orixa, and many dedications of devotees in the water (resembling baptism). This is a well-organized group and they provided for security, had a sound truck for singers who led the chanting and singing, chairs for some of the older devotees, and even a clean-up crew. Shortly after this long and deeply emotional ceremony there was no sign that that we had been there other than footprints and candle wax in the dusty river bank.