Name: Barbara Thompson
Type: MSc dissertation
Publication date: 19/06/2017
Advisor:
Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| Osvaldo Martins de Oliveira | Advisor * |
Examining board:
| Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| Alexsandro Rodrigues | External Examiner * |
| Celeste Ciccarone | Internal Alternate * |
| Cleyde Rodrigues Amorim | External Alternate * |
| Osvaldo Martins de Oliveira | Advisor * |
| Sandro Jose da Silva | Internal Examiner * |
Summary: The present dissertation analyzes the ritual performed in the tomb of Gypsy Adélia Kothich. The tomb is located in the cemetery of Santo Antônio, in Vitória-ES. It is believed that this dead woman realizes graces and, because of this, her tomb constantly receives visitors, who define themselves as devotees, who deposit varied offerings on the tomb (candles, flowers, cigarettes, champagne). It seeks to understand the meaning of the requests of the devotees and graces obtained, the symbolism of the offerings deposited in the tomb, and how the practitioners of the rite develop memories, narratives about the life and death of Gypsy. Because it is a study of memories and identities, the tomb and the cemetery are conceived as places of memory and demarcation of Gypsy identities and of the social actor who performs the ritual gesture. In order to fulfill the objectives, a qualitative research was carried out, having as methodology the ethnography and the bibliographical research. In addition, the field diary, participant observation, interview, oral history, life history and conceptual analysis were used as instruments of data collection. In addition to the field work in the Santo Antônio cemetery, two visits were made in Umbanda terreiros, interviewing a total of 52 people. In sum, it is concluded that this ritual of memory institutes a new experience with the sacred, fomenting the amplification of the variation of the cultural flow that until then existed in the cemetery, that is, the set of beliefs, practices, values and customs. Thus, the polysemy rite to the Gypsy enlarged and intensified the sharing and hybridism of symbologies, among citeriterial rites. And it enabled the re-modeling of boundaries and identities of members of religious groups such as Umbanda and Catholic, and the group of the living and dead, establishing a fluid identity. At the same time that the ritual brings about a hybridism in the religious identity of the devotee, it is also feasible to conceive that, being a devotee being endowed with hybrid religious practices, this is transported to the rite. Thus, hybrid religious identity is the cause and consequence of the existence of the Gypsy rite. In addition, the gypsy ethnic group has its positively reconstructed identity through the image of Cigana Kostichi. The ritual realizes the valorization of living and dead beings that are multiple, dubious and with a strong presence of hybridism, encouraging the harmonious fusion of religious values. Such hybridity, movement, and transit are manifested both in the multidimensional identity of the "devout" social actors, and in the very identity of the Gypsy.
