Espíritos fugidios: a Jurema no Recife

Abstract

This thesis consists of an ethnography of jurema as practiced in Recife – in the sense that it takes place in terreiros located in the city’s suburbs. The focus of the analysis is the relationship between people and spirits in a world assumed to be shared. My hypothesis is that this sharing presupposes both a continuity between spirits and humans, as well as a discontinuity that is modulated through ritual actions. Based on this basic question, I describe the main constitutive aspects of the cult.