Antes de me curar cura-te primeiro: mulheres negras, candomblé e práticas de cura na Ilha de Itaparica (1880-1910)

Abstract

Candomblé on the Island of Itaparica, between 1880 and 1910, through the intersection of written and oral sources. The post-abolition period and the early Republic were marked by significant changes in Bahian society, which were also influenced by European standards of civility. In this context, Black women played a crucial role in the struggle for their individual and family subsistence, establishing networks of solidarity, affection, care, and healing. These experiences preserved and politically reaffirmed the customs and cultural traditions inherited by them. To this end, the study adopts theoretical approaches that consider the social and cultural experiences of Black women in the discussions of gender, race, and class. It is grounded in the analysis and cross-referencing of written sources from the Public Archive of the State of Bahia and the Digital Newspaper Library of the National Library, as well as oral sources from the Iyalorixá Ana de Katendê of the Ilê Oyá Axé Alakayê terreiro in Vera Cruz (BA), in order to socially and culturally contextualize the experiences related to healing practices through tradition. Therefore, the research highlights the crucial role of orality as a source, focusing on knowledge derived from oral tradition in Candomblé, in order to find methodologies in the intersection of sources to articulate the memories and experiences of the Black community, particularly in the post-abolition context.