Quimbanda - Working with Both Hands

Its modern day meaning is related to witchcraft, bindings, curses etc, and the phrase ‘doing a Macumba’ is generally employed in reference to any kind of witchcraft in Brazil. Macumba - , which interestingly enough derived from the Bantu ‘ma-Kiumba’ - loosely translates to ‘Spirits of the Night’. Reference is here given to the practice of secret, nightly meetings. The word ‘Macumba’ if used among actual practitioners is not viewed as negative, but its use by non-practitioners remains largely derogatory in intent.

Quimbanda, the actual magical tradition - as related to Macumba, the commonly used umbrella term for African Traditions in Rio - has been subject to a long history of largely urban development. People cultivated what they needed in their lives, their religion and spiritual development. Quimbanda can be seen as more of a ‘popular religion’ - a religion of the people - and not as ‘earth-based’ religion or spirituality. Macumba is not so much a tradition of ‘spiritual evolvement’ or of high flying ideas, but a spiritual path that is meant to meet the day to day needs of its followers.

Being of Bantu/Congo origin, the cosmology as well as the way of ‘working’ of Quimbanda is in many ways similar to the Cuban Palo traditions. Looking at the practice of Quimbanda in Brazil today, we could even say that it is in many ways closer to Espiritismo Cruzado and some forms of Caribbean Spiritism(Espiritismo) then to traditional Palo Mayombe.

As with most African based traditions, teachings, initiations and 'license' to work with these spirits on a deeper level then the occasional 'spell', is passed on from teacher to student.

Of particular interest on the European Roots of Quimbanda is also Laura de Melloe Souza's The Devil and the Land of the Holy Cross: Witchcraft, Slavery, and Popular Religion in Colonial Brazil, which provides excellent information on the transplantation of Medieval European Witchcraft and Folk Magic from Spain and Portugual to Brazil!This book shows that the Spanish and Portuguese Inquistion 'exiled' practitioners of the dark arts to Brazil instead of executing them and gives references and evidence of the survival of European Witchcraft in Brazil!

A Glance at History

"Assuming that witchcraft and paganism were formerly the same phenomenon, they (Wiccans and Neo-Pagans) are mixing two utterly different archaic concepts and placing themselves in a certain amount of difficulty. The advantage of the label 'witch' is that it has all the exciting connotations of a figure who flouts the conventions of normal society and is possessed of powers unavailable to it, at once feared and persecuted. It is a marvelous rallying-point for a counter-culture, and also one of the few images of independent female power in early modern European civilization.

The disadvantage is that by identifying themselves with a very old stereotype of menace, derived from the pre-Christian world itself, modern pagans have drawn upon themselves a great deal of unnecessary suspicion, vituperation and victimization which they are perpetually struggling to assuage..."

(Source: Ron Hutton, ‘Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles’, p 335)

Anthropologists like to distinguish between religion and witchcraft/sorcery, and use them as technical terms. They regard ‘witchcraft’ as the supposed power of a person to harm others by occult or supernatural means, without necessarily being aware of it. The witch does not choose to be a witch, and the supposed harm does not necessarily arise from malice or intent. Sorcery may be learned, whereas witchcraft is intrinsic. A sorcerer may use incantations, ritual, and various substances in order to do harm, while a witch does not.

The most obvious distinction between Witchcraft/Sorcery and Religion is that religion benefits the community. The duties of the priesthood are blessing of the fields to ensure a rich harvest, the cursing of enemies (as seen in the case of the druids who cursed the Roman legions upon their arrival in Britain, and the intermediation between the community and the gods - all this, to ensure the blessing, prosperity and survival of the community. Witchcraft and sorcery on the other hand, are concerned with the blessing, prosperity and survival of the individual.

Neo-Paganism

The problem of terminology and semantics can not be overlooked in the rise of Neo-Paganism in Europe and North America. Neo-Paganism is a conscious attempt to revive the cults of the pre-Christian deities of North-Western Europe, mainly Celtic deities such as Lugh and Daghda, or Teutonic deities such as Odin and Thor. One section of the Neo-Paganism movement describes itself as ‘wicca’ or ‘witchcraft’, and its adherents call themselves 'wiccans’ or ‘witches’.

Wicca is a fairly well-established modern religion, popular mainly in Britain and North America. Historically, Wicca can be traced back to the writings of Gerald Gardner, who wrote mainly in the 1940s. Gardner was aware of what had been published about witchcraft in his lifetime, but had a very hazy grasp of history, and a lack of any sustained research into older texts. Gardner’s view of early 13th-century England, laid out in High Magic's Aid, was apparently based on a cross between The Witch Cult in Western Europe and Ivanhoe, and represents a vision of the past even more wildly inaccurate than either, says Ron Hutton in ‘Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles’, p. 333.

Many Wiccans believe that their religion goes back to pre-Christian times in North-Western Europe, and that the witch hunts that culminated in the 16th and 17th centuries constituted a persecution of their religion, a Christian attempt to eradicate pagan religion and culture. This view is derived mainly from Margaret Murray's book ‘The Witch Cult in Western Europe’. Margaret Murray, an Egyptologist, claimed that there was a witch cult that represented a pre-Christian religion in Europe, that Christianity was accepted only by the upper classes in society, and that the witch cult continued underground until it was violently eradicated in the Inquisition. Most accusations of Witchcraft, however, were not made among the upper classes, but between village and town folks. 'Sorcery however, was mainly practiced by the middle classes and clergy man' says Richard Kieckhefer in 'Forbitten Rites'

Religion

Witchcraft was also a common concept in pre-Christian Europe, and it was an ancient pagan custom for those who believed Witchcraft and Sorcery were being used against them or their kin to take personal retaliation. Death by burning was thought to be a proper penalty and was practiced by the German tribes who worshipped Odin, Thor and the other deities of the Teutonic pantheon in pre-christian times. (see Norman Cohn’s ‘Europe's inner demons: an enquiry inspired by the great witch-hunt’ p. 147-149).

Similar practices were found in the ‘civilized’ society of the Roman Empire. Charles Williams in his book 'Witchcraft' states that ‘…the pagan Romans, like most ancient peoples and modern tribal societies, prescribed the death penalty for those who killed or who harmed property by witchcraft’. The hunting and killing of suspected witches was clearly an established pagan practice long before the coming of Christianity!

The ‘witchcraft and sorcery ‘that was being suppressed in the Witch Hunt was definitely not a pagan religion. The early Christians disapproved of both pagan religions and witchcraft, but they did not generally confuse them. The Pagan Roman Empire executed hundreds of Christians for refusing to endorse the validity of its system and its religion, but when Christians were in power they tended to attack deities but spare humans. There are few recorded cases of legal execution of pagans in the first two centuries of the Christian Roman Empire - nor, with very few exceptions, were heretics put to death until the 11th century. In those parts of Europe inhabited by Germanic tribes, Christians actually put an end to the tradition of hunting and killing witches!

White-wash

Once a religion draws more interest to it, becomes larger, more widely known and accepted, the white-wash begins! Witchcraft, Wicca and Neo-Paganism have developed into respectable spiritual paths with followers in all walks of life. Joseph Campbell, author of many well known books of Mythology, once stated that 'The old gods of the previous religion became the demons of the new faith’. It is interesting to see this re-happening in a religion as new as Wicca and Neo-Paganism. The concept that everything that is not acceptable any longer is evil, dirty and outdated has very quickly made its way into these religions. Many witches and neo-pagans like to associate themselves with the beauty, charm and romanticism of ‘the pagan religions of old’ but completely ignore how hard, demanding and difficult life has been 500 years ago. Places such as Avalon, Thebes and Atlantis, the use of ‘fancy dress’, extravagant tools and crystals have replaces the dirt and blood of ancient times. Wiccans and Neo-Pagans in the 21st century no longer call on the spirits of the dead but surround themselves with light and love, mail order ‘ascension oils’ and group re-birthing. Familiar spirits have simply become 'household pets' and Working Spirits have been degraded to ‘Fairies, Angels and Archetypes’. TV Shows such as ‘Charmed’ and ‘Sabrina’ have also done their part to make this new version of witchcraft more acceptable - how ‘charming’ to be a ‘white-lighter’!

Simply put - Quimbanda does not conform to New Age ideas or inventions by chaotical magicians! The true power of Quimbanda - and true connection to Exu and Pomba Gira - can only be experienced if this tradition is practiced the way it is intended to be - raw! Quimbanda will cut through to your soul and your deepest being. Quimbanda will challange you, make you rethink and re-define yourself...don't put your foot into it if you're not prepared for the ride!

.