A jurema sagrada de Maria do Salgadinho: representações do catimbó no sertão do Seridó potiguar

Abstract

The text analyzes the work of Jurema Sagrada carried out by Maria do Salgadinho (Maria Moreira da Silva, 1933-2017), between the years 1952 to 2016, in the context of Afro-Amerindian religiosities in Seridó Potiguar. The research is based on the premise that there are traces of ancient rituals in their practices that encompass black and indigenous cultures. Above all, the people generically called Tapuias (Tarairiu), who lived in the North-Rio Grande hinterland. Through gestures, rituals and the constant use of smoke, leaves and jurema drink, I believe in the approximation of its rituals with the cult of indigenous ancestors. Question: To what extent does Maria do Salgadinho's Sacred Jurema incorporate elements of ancestral jure practices? Is it possible to state that their practices intersect with Umbanda, giving rise to new perceptions of Afro-indigenous religiosity in Seridó Potiguar? To guide the discussions, I rely on theorists such as Ronaldo Vainfas (1995), who contributes to reviewing the effects of the European presence in 16th-century America; Darcy Ribeiro (1995), who addresses the formation of the “Brazilian” people; Cristina Pompa (2001), dealing with indigenous diversity and the use of “religion as translation”; in addition to Mircea Eliade (2010), Sandro Guimarães Salles (2010), Luiz Assunção (2010) among other scholars who deal with the problem in question. Thus, I understand that the approximation between academia and microhistories is relevant, enabling narratives such as that of the sertaneja religious Maria do Salgadinho, as these move other centralities and promote, through tensions, negotiations and accommodations, significant changes in space and in people's lives. who allow themselves to experience profound experiences in any sphere, including the spiritual one. This was the case of this woman, mestizo, of rural origin, who participated in the history of her place through her religiosity, forged in the wilds of the Sertão.