Candomblé
The Afro-Brazilian religion of the orixás, centred on the terreiro, with houses called nations such as Ketu, Jeje and Angola.
Also: candomble, terreiro, orixá, mãe de santo, pai de santo
Candomblé is an Afro-Brazilian religion, formed in Bahia in the nineteenth century from the practices of enslaved Africans. Its houses, terreiros, belong to nations: Ketu, from Yoruba traditions, Jeje, from Fon, and Angola, from Kongo and Angola, each with its own songs and language. A mãe de santo or pai de santo, mother or father of the saint, leads the house, and initiates, the filhas and filhos, are believed to be claimed by an orixá, who may enter them in the dance. Offerings and rites include animal sacrifice. For decades police raided terreiros, and registration was required in Bahia until the 1970s. Followers face harassment by some evangelical groups, and Brazil's courts have protected the religion.