AFRICAN BRAZILIAN RELIGION – ENGLIGH SUBTITLES

Candomblé at a glance (BBC)

Candomblé is a religion based on African beliefs which is particularly popular in Brazil. It is also practised in other countries, and has as many as two million followers (?… I believe there are way more than 2 million… Francisco Lacaz Ruiz, the video maker)

The religion is a mixture of traditional Yoruba, Fon and Bantu beliefs which originated from different regions in Africa. It has also incorporated some aspects of the Catholic faith over time.
A religion which combines elements of many religions is called a syncretic religion.
Enslaved Africans brought their beliefs with them when they were shipped to Brazil during the slave trade.
The name Candomblé means ‘dance in honour of the gods’.
Practitioners of Candomblé believe in one all powerful God called Oludumaré who is served by lesser deities. These deities are called orixas. (They can also be called voduns and inkices.)
Candomblé practitioners believe that every person has their own individual orixa which controls his or her destiny and acts as a protector.
Music and dance are important parts of Candomblé ceremonies. Specially choreographed dances are performed by worshippers to enable them to become possessed by the orixas.
There is no concept of good or bad in Candomblé. Each person is only required to fulfil his or her destiny to the fullest, regardless of what that is.
Candomblé is an oral tradition and therefore has no holy scriptures.
The first official temple was founded at the beginning of the 19th century in Salvador, Bahia in Brazil.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/candomble/ataglance/glance.shtml

The ceremony depicted on the video is a “Xirê”, a praisal to the 16 more common Orishas that goes for about 6 or 7 hours and is open to the non initiated persons. In the days preceding the Xirê, a series of internal rituals take place at the “Axé” or “Ilê” (both terms used to refer to each House of Candomblé)