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Orisa Tradtion, Catholicism, and the Construction of Black Identity in 19Th Century Brazil and Cuba

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Orisa Tradtion, Catholicism, and the Construction of Black Identity in 19Th Century Brazil and Cuba University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2013 Orisa Tradtion, Catholicism, And The Construction Of Black Identity In 19th Century Brazil And Cuba Allison Sellers University of Central Florida Part of the History Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Masters Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Sellers, Allison, "Orisa Tradtion, Catholicism, And The Construction Of Black Identity In 19th Century Brazil And Cuba" (2013). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 2849. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/2849 ÒRÌSÀ TRADITION, CATHOLICISM, AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF BLACK IDENTITY IN 19TH CENTURY BRAZIL AND CUBA by ALLISON P. SELLERS B.A. Columbus State University, 2009 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of History in the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Central F lor ida Orlando, Florida Summer Term 2013 Major Professor: Luis Martínez-Fernánde z ABSTRACT This thesis compares the role of the hybridized religious traditions Candomblé and Santería in the construction of identity for people of color in Brazil and Cuba in the 19th century. In particular, it focuses on the development of these traditions within Catholic confraternities and contrasts the use of ethnic and religious categories within them to de fine “African-ness” and “blackness” as Brazil and C uba transitioned from slaveholding colonies to pos t-abolition nation- states. This comparison is illustrated through the examination of each colony’s slave trade and the nature of slavery as it was practiced within them; the analysis of the structure of Ibero- American Catholic practice and the diverse forms of religious expression which resulted from its interaction with Yorùbá òrìsà worship; comparing each colony’s independence and abolition move ments and t he racial tensions which follow ed; and contrasting the Brazilian and C uba n hierarchies of color, including the variety of mechanisms that both the enslaved and free people of color employed to navigate the multi-racial societies in which they lived. ii ORTHOGRAPHIC NOTE As much as possible, I have remained faithful to the spelling and diacritic usage for terminology as dictated by its language of origin. This sometimes results in variations when referring to a single concept (for instance: òrìsà, oricha, orixá). S uch variations generally do not affect clarity; where confusion might arise, I have attempted to clarify. In addition, I have elected to use Yorùbá spellings when not speaking about either Santería or Candomblé specifically (that is to say, when discussing Yorùbá religion in either Africa or the diaspora generally). iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am immensely grateful to a number of people who assisted and supported me as I worked to complete this thesis. I learned a great deal working with my adviser, Luis Martínez- Fernández, who challenged me and offered candid criticism. Without his contribution, this would have been a very different project. I would also like to thank Yovanna Pineda and Ezekiel Walker for their unflagging support, intellectual insight, and good advice as I made my way through this process. Their enthusiasm buoyed my confidence. Many thanks also to the John C. Hitt Library of the University of Central Florida; the Latin American Collection of the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida, Gainesville; and the University of Miami’s Cuban Heritage Collection for the use of their facilities and collections as I researched this thesis. My colleagues and good friends – Anne Ladyem McDivitt, Lindsey Turnbull, Keegan Malcolm, Sarika Joshi, Ashley Wilt, Kristen Holmes-Mailhot, Matt Noble, Joe Morris, William Franklin, Michael McConnville, Jennifer Cook, Andrew Doeg, and Adam Rock – all contributed in their own way to my graduate school experience. Their comradery kept me going and got me through some very difficult moments. I would also like to express my appreciation to the faculty of the UCF History Department for their support; in particular, special thanks to Amelia Lyons, Daniel Murphree, Barbara Gannon, Peter Larson, Edward Dandrow, Fon Gordon, Hakan Ozoglu, and James Clark. Joel E. Tishken of Washington State University was also a constant source of support and an invaluable resource as I navigated graduate school. Without his guidance and feedback, reaching this milestone would have been a much more daunting task. Finally, I would like to thank my family – Pennie Cushing, Philip A. Sellers, Beth and Larry Parker, Tony and Melody Sellers, Robert and Angela Sellers, Jennifer Champlain, Bethany Sellers, Virginia Sellers, and Ruth and Bud Mitchell – for their encourage ment as I have pursued iv my acade mic and career goa ls. Even when they worried, t hey never questioned my resolve and always made sure I knew I could count on their suppor t. Last but certainly not least, I am especially grateful to my partner, Carmin Corporán, who did so much to make this possible. I could not begin to do justice to her contribution in just a few lines, but suffice to say her love and optimism kept me going. Te amo siempre, hermosa. v TABLE OF CONTEN TS INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 THE ORIGINS OF HYBRIDIZATION ......................................................................................... 5 The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade to the Iberian Colonies ............................................................ 5 The S lave-Based Economies of Brazil and Cuba ..................................................................... 12 Ethnic Enclaves and Transplanted Religions............................................................................ 30 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 35 RELIGIOUS TRANSFORMATION IN THE COLONIAL CONTEXT .................................... 37 Catholicism and Slavery in Brazil and Cuba: Rural vs. Urban................................................. 37 Black Cofradías......................................................................................................................... 50 Religious Hybridization: Candomblé and Santería................................................................... 54 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 63 RELIGIOUS HYBRIDIZATION AND BLACK IDENTITY ..................................................... 65 Rebellion, Independence, and Abolition................................................................................... 65 Blackness, Whitening, and Finding a Place in a Multi-Racial Society .................................... 74 Africa n-ness vs. Ethnicity: Candomblé and Santería in the Making of Black Identity ............ 82 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 88 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................. 90 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................. 94 vi INTRODUCTION The trans-Atlantic slave trade in the 19th century brought thousands of Africans from a small region in what is now southwestern Nigeria to the Iberian colonies of Brazil and Cuba. These people, who initially identified themselves by city or region, ultimately coalesced under slavery into a more broadly defined ethnic group – the Yor ùbá – who shared the same language, similar customs, and perhaps most importantly, a religious tradition: òrìsà worship. Under the Catholic societies of Brazil and Cuba, the Yorùbá (known as Nagô and Lucumí, respectively) practiced their religion in secret, under the guise of saint veneration within Catholic confraternities. However, two fully hybridized traditions ultimately emerged: Candomblé and Santería. This work concerns how these traditions later formed critical referents in the construction of black identities in post-abolition Brazil and C uba. The historiography of the Yorùbá and their descendants is exceptionally rich. Perhaps more than any ot her Afr ica n ethnic group to cross the Atlantic in the era of slavery, the Yor ùbá capt ured scholars’ attention. This trend be gan just be fore the turn of the 20 th century and had a fa r-reaching impact on the study of the African diaspora in the Americas. Their civilization was lauded as exceptionally sophisticated and resilient to Westernization and, s imultaneously, as highly adaptable and thus capable of transmission across cultural boundaries. Their language, music, customs, and especially religion have been meticulously studied for over a century, and American scholars likely know more abo ut them than any ot her African ethni c group t ha nks to the pioneering efforts of Samuel Johnson, Fernando Ortiz, Lydia Cabrera, Pierre Verger, William 1 Bascom, and countless others. 1 Of particular interest to many has
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