Summary Of The History Of Umbanda

By Janine Hughes


Umbandism is a combination of religious believes borrowed from Catholicism, African tradition religion and native Brazilian religion. It has an added flavor of Spritualism and also closely resembles Candomble. The history of Umbanda dates back to 1900 with the origin being Brazil under Zelio Fernandino. During its expansion years, it spread to Argentina and Uruguay.

Followers this religion across the three countries do not have a strictly uniform belief system. In fact, most followers regard themselves as Catholics. However, there are common believes that act as a uniting factor. They include the belief in as supreme deity who is called Zambi or Olorum. Zambi has several representations that are manifested in daily life.

Catholic influence has seen some of the followers believing that certain catholic saints emit some forces or powers that are called orixas. These energies or forces are considered divine. Faithful also seek the intercession of spirits of their deceased relatives and friends. Their rituals involve interacting with them.

Two central tenets of Umbanda are reincarnation and karma. This explains their constant interaction with the spirits of their dead ancestors. By karma, they believe that the good deeds a person performs will return or turn back to him in one way or the other.

The origin of Umbandism appears to be an attempt to reconcile Catholicism, Spiritualism and Brazilian traditional religion. The aspect of spiritualism is heavily manifested in communication with dead acquaintances and relatives. Within their temples are psychics and mediums who talk to ancestors on their behalf. It is Catholicism that gifted them the belief in one God while native Brazilian religion, blended with African rituals after years with slaves, gifted them the Orixas.

It is Zelio who founded the religion in 1900 while in Rio de Janeiro. He acted as a psychic under Allan Kardec and therefore had influence over his followers. This explains the presence of spiritualism which resembles what the followers of Kardec Allan did. Brazilian religions had been influenced by slaves from African and were therefore not purely traditional.

The precise date for formation of Umbanda is said to be 08, November 1908 during a seance in Rio. Zelio, the psychic, was 15 years of age. He had the power to manifest in two spirits that followers of Allan regarded as inferior. This did not deter him from commencing the journey towards own religion. It did not gain momentum until 1930 when Brazilians needed a unifying factor during political turmoil. The religion by Zelio was the only authentic Brazilian focal point they could find.

There are priests and priestesses in Umbanda temples who interact with spirits on behalf of worshipers. The temples are built like the Catholic churches and are called terreiros. Their worship ceremonies are characterized by dances, eating and drinking. There are sacrifices made to God and accompanied by chanting. For visitors to join the group, they are likely to have manifested a spirit.

Despite Umbandists identifying with Catholicism, many religious groupings consider them ungodly. In particular, the Catholic Church is opposed to the worship of spirits and mockery of sainthood. While evangelicals can be credited for enhancing spiritualism among the faithful, they consider their way of practice inappropriate and insist that it causes possession by demons.




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