Horacio Guimares, a workman, lived in the village of Nilopolis,an hour's ride from Rio de Janeiro. Next door lived Ricardina Rosario da Silva, "Mae de Santo" (High Priestess) of a fetishistic, voodoo-like cult which Brazilians call "Macumba." Pious worshipers filled Ricardina's yard, clapped and stomped, chanted and sang, screamed and shouted outside Horacio's door.
Horacio lost sleep, protested, continued to lose sleep. One evening he came home from work, tired and late. He ate his black beans and went to bed. Soon Ricardina started the service. In a turban and bright red robes, she screamed incantations before the "pegi" (altar) to...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
