Oxum no Rio Atlântico: aspectos da Orixá Oxum no Brasil e na África Iorubá

Abstract

Oxum is one of the primordial deities in the Yoruba pantheon, governing waters, fertility and the preservation of humanity. This orixá also holds influence over wealth and prosperity, the care of children, destiny (or head), sorcery, the sacred feminine, and healing. With the diaspora, Oxum’s worship expanded, adopting new aspects related to love, seduction, vanity, youthfulness, and sentimentality. At the same time, some of her characteristics were subdued through association with Our Lady due to the imposition of Catholicism during the colonial period. This dissertation seeks to understand how certain aspects of Oxum were included and excluded, as well as the reasons behind these developments. To achieve this, we consider the historical and social contexts of the Americas and Brazil, the colonial process and the emergence of Afro-Brazilian religions. Through the analysis of myths and others Brazilian and Yoruba literature, we could highlight several similarities and differences between these regions, identifying possible reasons for these variations. Additionally, structured qualitative interviews were conducted with members of african-religions to investigate how the historical-social contexts and religious experiences shape they individual perceptions of this orixá. Through these observations, we found that Oxum is seen as a multidimensional orixá, embodying both African and Western traits. This hybridism has enabled the survival of her worship in the diaspora, allowing Oxum to take on diverse forms according to the needs of her devotees.