Macumba? by junge1

Photography • Mythology • posted on Aug 24, 2011

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Description

I saw these two figures in the open windows of a building along Rua Almirante Alexandrino, Santa Tereza between the bondinho stop and the bars. Seeing these gave me a weird feeling and I was glad it was daytime. Is it 'Macumba'? Macumba is a word of African (Bantu) origins. Various explanations of its meaning include 'a musical instrument, the name of a Central African deity, or simply magic'. It was the name used for all Bantu religious practices. Mainly in Bahia Afro-Brazilian in the 19th century. 'Macumba' became common in some parts of Brazil and is used by most people as a pejorative word meaning 'Black Witchcraft' (Wikipedia). Whether this is 'Mucambo' or 'Black Witchcraft' or just harmless figures hanging in a window, it made me feel uncomfortable. This picture was taken on 19 June 2011, Sig... Thanks for commenting!

Comments (34)

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kgb224

3:48PM | Wed, 24 August 2011

Stunning capture my friend. God Bless.

whaleman

3:54PM | Wed, 24 August 2011

Awesome catch!

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KarmaSong

4:04PM | Wed, 24 August 2011

Impressive puppets, and an interesting narrative on the Brazilian people's beliefs. Superb work on this, Sig !

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flaviok

5:16PM | Wed, 24 August 2011

Aqui no Brasil ela se caracteriza muito mais por magia negra. Excelente captura meu amigo, aplausos (5)

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sandra46

5:17PM | Wed, 24 August 2011

splendid image! great capture!

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bazza

5:46PM | Wed, 24 August 2011

Interesting characters Sig.. Kind a weird to hang them in the window though.

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Feliciti

6:07PM | Wed, 24 August 2011

i see both figures as guitarplayer and the other as dancer to the guitar music, but i don't know how it works in the night...definitely something creepy?! great captured !!

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bronwyn_lea

7:56PM | Wed, 24 August 2011

Great picture. You have the most interesting photos.

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jophoto

8:15PM | Wed, 24 August 2011

Interesting and mysterious!

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npauling

8:49PM | Wed, 24 August 2011

An excellent capture of these cute little characters.

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kbrog

9:36PM | Wed, 24 August 2011

Excellent capture! Those are really cool figures. :)

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Minda

9:46PM | Wed, 24 August 2011

Great capture sig i really like it verrrry cute...:)

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KaToFel

10:01PM | Wed, 24 August 2011

Ja, diese Figuren sind doch die Hüllen der Verstorbenen. Den oft kopflosen Seelen. Das hast Du gut gemacht = fette Beute. Bravo

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auntietk

12:07AM | Thu, 25 August 2011

When I first saw them I thought they were charming, but then I read what you wrote and I could easily see what made you uncomfortable. You already had a context for these figures, and I did not. They do seem ritualistic, don't they? Great shot, and something interesting to think about.

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