Religiosidade popular: santos, magos e feiticeiros - o universo religioso na comunidade rural do Ligeiro.

Abstract

This thesis aims to describe and analyze a rural type of popular religiosity in Ligeiro. This is characterized by a multiplicity of beliefs, religious practices and witchery. In order to organize and systematize the data which were collected, the religious and magical universe was divided into three fields: the religious fields, the field of authentic wizards. The religious field covers the saints, who are believed to have the power to perform miracles. The occasional "magus" or "rezadeiras" are people considered to have special power to cure physical and psychological ills, or the effects of wichery. The third field comprises magicians, "catimbozeiros" or "pais de santos" who are greatly feared because of the belief that they possess power to produce evil as well as exorcise evil spirits. The survey of this great variety of religious fields and magicians in Ligeiro is the object of this systematized study carried out through a description of the popular religiosity of this settlement, and an ethnographic analysis in the period between 1994 and 1995.