The garden and the market: human-environment relations and collective imaginary in Afro-Brazilian Candomblé between Italy and Brazil
The garden and the market: human-environment relations and collective imaginary in Afro-Brazilian Candomblé between Italy and Brazil

Summary/Abstract: This paper explores Candomblé rituals from the perspective of human-environment relations, taking into account not only human followers, but also animals, plants and artifacts that are necessary for the making of Candomblé terreiros. While this process of interaction between different realms is codified by strict rules and prescriptions, it also adapts according to the environment where the Candomblé community is located. Drawing from fieldwork data collected in a Candomblé terreiro that has been active in Italy for almost two decades, this paper aims at presenting the challenges and adaptations of the religious practice in different natural landscapes. By taking into account the spatial composition and the material culture involved in the Italian terreiro and its references in Brazil, this work re-thinks how Candomblé practitioners relate to the cultural and ecological environments.

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