Templo de Oxalá: pessoas, entidades e modos de cuidado na umbanda na Fazenda Rio Grande, Paraná

Abstract

This dissertation is a qualitative study of an Umbanda community in the city of Fazenda Rio Grande, Paraná. It seeks to highlight the modes of care that mark the relationships between the people who circulate in the terreiro and the preta-velha spirit Vovó Maria Conga. By analyzing the relationship between Mother Neli de Oxalá and Vovó Maria Conga, it describes the ways in which the old woman acts in the Temple of Oxalá, in the life stories of the women who are in charge of the terreiro and shaping the possible meanings of doing umbanda in contemporary Brazil. As a result, this research contributes to reflections on Afro-Brazilian religions in Paraná based on the narratives of black women whose lives are intertwined with a spiritual guide who provides care practices inside and outside the terreiro.