Presença da Mãe D’Água: Precisões sobre antigas hierofanias das divindades da água em Salvador (Bahia)

Abstract

The present paper addresses the localization of the ancient hierophanies of water deities from African matrix cults, especially those listed under the name of Water Mother (in Portuguese, Mãe d´Água), in Salvador (Bahia).The records of these places, besides the interest in African-Brazilian cultural aspects, can shed light on the urban history of Salvador and this relationship more typical of urban heortology, the study of festivals and events on a broader scale. Life in the city – the values and beliefs of its inhabitants, the movements in processions, the sacralization of natural places or buildings, its calendar with everyday life and moments of festive effusion – help us understand the city in its physicality and the city and its transformations help us situate and grasp this urban life dynamics.