"Diabo velho, eu vou cortar seu chifre, seu rabo e dar pra Exu comer": uma etnografia das Giras de Exu em espaços públicos do Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

This research aims to understand the social dynamics that enable the systematic and organized performance of Exu rituals in public spaces. Starting from the central question—what are the articulations and negotiations between the State and the organizers of the rituals that make the realization and expansion of these religious events in urban spaces possible?—it proposes to investigate the process of occupation of public space in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro. The focus is on the Exu rituals that occur especially in the central region of the city, with emphasis on the National Sanctuary of Zé Pelintra, located in the Lapa neighborhood. This location was chosen for its centrality in the process of consolidation and expansion of the phenomenon to other territories, both in the city and in other Brazilian states. The research adopted an approach intensive in the field of studies of complex societies and used, as a theoretical basis, the contributions of Urban Anthropology in dialogue with the Anthropology of Religion and the Anthropology of Ritual. In this intersection, the aim was to understand how Exu's Giras operate as Afro-Brazilian religious practices that, by occupying public space, articulate spirituality, politics, resistance, and symbolic dispute. Throughout the fieldwork, it was possible to observe the existence of a circuit of Giras that not only shares religious foundations but also establishes connections with cultural elements, community demands, and strategies for identity affirmation. The Sanctuary of Zé Pelintra functions as a gravitational point for these dynamics, mobilizing religious agents, artists, community leaders, and devotees around practices that challenge the logic of the invisibility of Afro-Brazilian religions in urban spaces. Furthermore, the research identified a complex network of relationships and disputes involving religious leaders, public authorities, the media, local residents, and other social actors. These conflicts are evidenced in the struggle for territory, visibility, institutional recognition, and resources. The constant presence of the Giras (spiritual ceremonies) on the street strains the boundaries between the sacred and the profane, the public and the private, the traditional and the contemporary, generating new ways of experiencing faith and occupying the city. Thus, the research contributes to the understanding of the Giras as an expanding urban phenomenon that redefines public spaces based on Afro-Brazilian spiritual practices, revealing how these rituals operate as devices of resistance, territorial reorganization, and the production of political and religious subjectivities in the heart of Rio de Janeiro.