Why, in Brazil we can meet so many religions, cults, beliefs, religious philosophy? What are the origins of religious syncretism among Brazilians? Religious syncretism born of the merger of three cultures and faiths - Indian, African and European.Brazil is a young country - a dozen years ago, celebrated the 500th anniversary of its discovery by Europeans. Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French, coming here, found the Indians- their culture, language and religion. Portuguese, as explorers, began to organize a "new world" order of "old world", according to european models. They forced the Indians to work. The Indians, not prepared to work systematically, began to flee into the bush. Whites killed many Indians.Thus began the sixteenth century, bringing slaves to Brazil from Africa, from Nigeria, Sudan, Angola and Mozambique.African slaves came with their own religious tradition and philosophy of life. Portuguese, who were catholics, forced African slaves to profess the catholic faith. So, without preparation, on the strength of priests, at the request of the masters, slaves were baptized en masse. According to the social mores of the time they were obliged to confess the faith of his owner- master.Officially, the slaves were catholics, prayed in catholic churches, which they built, but in the spirit yearned for their gods, beliefs and traditions. Not wanting to conflict with the lords, who did not accept African beliefs, they began using their cult statues of Jesus, Virgin Mary and Catholic saints, giving them new names, names of deities in Africa, so called -Orixas.

So:Jesus is identified with OXALA - the most important deity in the hierarchy of African deities

MOTHER OF GOD - Iemanja, the queen of the seas and waters in the African tradition

St.Jerome is Xango, the god of lightning, storms and justice

St.GEORGE - OGUM, god of warst.

St.BARBARA - Lans, the goddess of the winds

St. Lazarus and ST. ROCH - XATENA - the god of disease

St. SEBASTIAN - OXOSSE - god of hunting

St. Bartholomew - OXUNARE - the god of rivers

St. Cosmas and St. DAMIAN - IBEJI - god of twins

The Holy Spirit is identified with the IFA

SATAN was named EXU - god of evil, used by all the gods to send messages to mortals.

Series: ''Religious syncretism in Brazil''. Copyright Agnieszka Balut.