IRMANDADE NOSSA SENHORA DA BOA MORTE DE CACHOEIRA: A CELEBRAÇÃO DA VIDA

Abstract

The Irmandade da Boa Morte is a religious entity present in Cachoeira, a historic city in the Recôncavo da Bahia that has been hosting since the 19th century a fraternity composed of religious women, black and elderly, who practice the cult of African origin and with syncretic activities with the Catholic cult. The municipality of Cachoeira is marked by strong religious movements, involving Catholicism with a Christian matrix and Candomblé, a Brazilian religion, but with an African matrix. The historical coexistence between both made possible an approximation between Candomblé and the Catholic Church in whose process the presence of two different religious matrixes in the same cult were present. Thus, this study intends to present the Irmandade da Boa Morte as a singular entity that resists time, not only as an expression of striking cultural manifestation within the Bahian territory, with the recording of black culture in its dance, food and customs, but as expression of celebration of life, through an analysis of the daily life of the Irmandade de Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte, its way of life, its activities and worship, as well as the celebration of the festival of Boa Morte. To this end, we sought to present and interpret this phenomenon in the light of Cliffod Geertz's interpretative analysis, among other authors through the observation and research of the religious manifestation, its celebration and its devotion. The taking of this trajectory is developed, in addition to observation, from written documents and oral reports from participants in the process and historians from the region.