“Abô” The Ayran's bath

Abstract

This essay register the child's cleansing ritual, Ayran, held in the yard (terreiro) of Candomble nagô Ilé Àse Òrìsànlá Tàlábí. Ayran is a child born in the yard and son of the Mãe de Santo (Mother of Saint): Mãe Lú de Iemanjá. In the family line of succession is also one of the heirs of the tradition of the house.

The Community Axé Talabi is a Yard Traditional Community’s located in the Metropolitan Region of Recife, in the north of the state of Pernambuco. It is in operation for over twenty-six years, the group Ilé Àse Òrìsànlá Tàlábí (Casa de Força do Grande Orixá que Nasce do Alá/ Power House of the Great Orisha that is born of Allah), popularly known as Ilê Axé Oxalá Talabi or Axé Talabi, Yard Nagô dedicated to the preservation of the Cult to Orisha and Sacred Jurema. The community was founded by Maria da Solidade Sousa França - TàlábíDeiyin (Mãe Dada de Oxalá/Mother of Saint Dada of Oxalá) and her husband - ObáDodê (Painho de Xangô/Father of Saint of Xangô). The Yard remains an important work of multiplication and preservation of the African-Brazilian culture in their sacred activities also through the conducting of various social projects carried out in the community. Currently the yard activities are conducted by the two sons of Mãe Dada (Mother Dada): Mãe Lú de Iemanjá (Mother Lú of Iemanjá) and Pai Junior de Odé (Father Junior of Odé).

The herbal bath, named in the Yoruba language as “Abô”, is a process of purification and strengthening that uses the elements of nature, common to the pantheistic religions. In Candomblé, herbs are a very important gift of Orisha Ossain because without the herbs and leaves, no ceremony can begin. These herbs have lot of Axé (sacred power) that act on the golden eliminating all the negative energies of the body.

Credits:

Author: Rennan Peixe

Photographs: Ayran

Direction, image editing and text: Rennan Peixe