Glossary of Afro-Brazilian Religions

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About this glossary

This glossary brings together key terms from Afro-Brazilian religions, including Umbanda, Candomblé and other traditions of African origin, with clear and respectful definitions. Many words come from African languages, particularly Yoruba, and carry centuries of history, resistance and knowledge. Understanding this vocabulary helps challenge prejudice and recognise these traditions' cultural and spiritual value.

One point matters from the outset: macumba is a legitimate religious and cultural term of African origin, not an insult. Its derogatory use as a synonym for sorcery or something harmful stems from racism and religious intolerance. This glossary, like the rest of the platform, treats the term respectfully.

Afro-Brazilian religions are diverse. Many terms change in meaning and use according to region, nation and religious house. Where possible, these definitions describe those differences neutrally. Much ritual knowledge is reserved for initiates. This material is educational and introductory, and does not replace learning within a religious community.

This glossary contains 72 terms organised into 7 thematic sections. Use the sections below to explore different areas of religious vocabulary.

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Foundational concepts

Ideas that recur across many African-derived traditions in Brazil. Understanding these concepts helps explain the vocabulary in the other sections.

Axé
From the Yoruba àṣẹ, the vital force or sacred energy that, within the cosmology of African-derived religions, permeates and moves everything that exists. Axé circulates among deities, people, animals, plants and ritual objects; rites accumulate, renew and redistribute it. The word is also a greeting or wish of strength, similar to ‘so may it be’ or ‘strength to you’.
Macumba
A term of African origin that historically named Afro-Brazilian religious practices as well as a percussion instrument. Racism and intolerance distorted its meaning, turning it into a derogatory synonym for sorcery or something harmful. Many practitioners and scholars reclaim it as a legitimate expression of religious and cultural identity, rather than an insult.
Sincretismo (syncretism)
The process of bringing together elements from different religious traditions. In Brazil, it particularly refers to associations between orixás and Catholic saints, such as Iemanjá and Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes, which helped enslaved people preserve their worship amid prohibition and persecution. Views differ: some houses value syncretism as part of their history, while others seek a closer return to African roots.
Ancestralidade (ancestry)
The principle recognising ancestors as the foundation of existence and an ongoing source of guidance and strength. Honouring ancestry means venerating those who came before, keeping the memory of religious and family lineages alive, and understanding the present as supported by earlier generations. This value is central to many Afro-Brazilian religions.
Fundamento
The body of restricted knowledge and ritual rules sustaining a religious house, gradually transmitted from elders to newer members. To say something ‘tem fundamento’ means that it has a ritual basis and reason for being, rather than being a personal invention. Much of this knowledge is reserved for initiates and is not made public.
Nação (Ketu, Angola, Jeje)
In Candomblé, nação, or nation, names liturgical traditions shaped by the African origins of enslaved peoples. Ketu, also Queto, strongly preserves Yoruba heritage and worships orixás; Angola has Bantu roots and worships inquices; Jeje derives from Fon and Ewe peoples and worships voduns. Each has its own ritual language, songs, rhythms and deities within a broadly shared structure of worship.
Candomblé
An Afro-Brazilian religion formed from the traditions of enslaved African peoples, preserving ritual languages, myths and practices of African origin. It is organised into nations, including Ketu, Angola and Jeje, and worships orixás, inquices or voduns according to the tradition. Initiation, the house's hierarchy and the oral transmission of knowledge are defining features.
Umbanda
A religion that emerged in Brazil in the early twentieth century, bringing together African traditions, popular Catholicism, Kardecist Spiritism and Indigenous influences. Charity and spiritual assistance are central values. Entities such as pretos-velhos, caboclos, children and exus manifest through mediums. Umbanda has many branches, with practices varying substantially between religious houses.
Quimbanda
An Afro-Brazilian religious tradition centred on the worship of Exus and Pombagiras, entities associated with practical concerns in life. It has historical connections to Umbanda but its own identity, liturgy and religious foundations. Names and practices vary by region and house, and understandings of what defines it are diverse.
People and hierarchy

Roles within a religious community. Hierarchy organises ritual responsibilities, defines who may perform particular tasks and gives structure to the família de santo, or religious family.

Babalorixá (Pai de Santo)
A priest who leads a religious house, initiates and guides its members, conducts rituals and safeguards the tradition's foundations. The word combines Yoruba babá, father, with orixá. In Portuguese he is also called pai de santo or zelador de santo. Reaching this position requires many years of initiation, learning and responsibility.
Ialorixá (Mãe de Santo)
A priestess who leads a religious house, with responsibilities equivalent to those of a babalorixá. From Yoruba iyá, mother, and orixá, she is called mãe de santo or zeladora de santo in Portuguese. Black women founded and led many of Brazil's oldest and most influential houses, giving ialorixás a central historical role.
Filho de Santo
A person who has been initiated or is undergoing initiation, belongs to a religious house and receives spiritual guidance from its pai or mãe de santo. Members and priests together form the família de santo, a religious family whose spiritual bonds can be as significant as relationships with blood relatives.
Iaô
In Candomblé, a newly initiated person who has undergone feitura de santo and is still completing a period of obligations and learning, traditionally lasting around seven years. During this phase, the iaô follows strict rules concerning conduct, clothing and ritual behaviour. The term evokes a symbolic ‘wife’ or ‘bride’ of the orixá.
Egbomi
In Candomblé, someone who has completed the initial period of obligations, generally the iaô's seven years, and acquired seniority within the house. The Yoruba word conveys the idea of an older brother or sister. An egbomi takes on greater ritual responsibilities and may guide newer members.
Ogã
A trusted male office in Candomblé and Umbanda, generally confirmed following selection by an orixá or the house's leadership. The ogã does not enter trance and supports the community through tasks such as drumming, when serving as ogã alabê, caring for specific obligations and providing material and ritual support. It is a position of respect and responsibility.
Ekedi
A trusted female office in Candomblé, devoted to caring for orixás and people in trance during rituals, arranging clothing and maintaining the ceremony's order. Like an ogã, an ekedi traditionally does not incorporate spirits. This role is essential to the house's celebrations and ritual obligations.
Médium (medium)
A person who serves as a channel for entities or spirits to manifest, especially in Umbanda and traditions influenced by Spiritism. Mediumship usually develops gradually under the house's leadership, with attention to balance and responsibility. Not all Afro-Brazilian traditions use this vocabulary: Candomblé more often speaks of initiates who receive an orixá.
Abiã
In Candomblé, someone who attends a house but has not yet been initiated, preceding the iaô stage. An abiã takes part in open activities, fulfils simple obligations and becomes familiar with the tradition before possible initiation. The term marks an early stage of attachment to the community.
Ritual spaces and objects

The places where worship takes place and the material objects supporting rituals. Each object usually has a symbolic meaning and a particular function; many are handled only by people with the appropriate preparation.

Terreiro
The physical and communal space where Afro-Brazilian religious worship takes place. Beyond a temple, it is a centre for social life, welcome and the transmission of knowledge, bringing together the família de santo. The term is widely used in both Candomblé and Umbanda.
Ilê
A Yoruba word meaning house or home that also refers to a house of worship. Many terreiros include ilê in their name, for example Ilê Axé followed by a reference to an orixá or the founder. The term reinforces the idea of the religious community as a large symbolic household.
Barracão
The terreiro's main hall, where public celebrations, dances and collective ceremonies take place. Community members and visitors gather there to observe and participate in rites. In addition to the barracão, a terreiro usually includes spaces restricted to initiates.
Atabaque
A drum of African origin, played with hands or sticks, that is fundamental to many Afro-Brazilian religious traditions. Its rhythms call the deities and guide ceremonies. In Ketu Candomblé, the three main drums are generally named rum, rumpi and lé, each with its own size and role.
Guia (ritual necklace)
A ritual necklace worn by practitioners, usually made from beads in colours associated with their orixá or spirit entity. It serves as protection, identification and a sign of belonging, and is usually prepared and consecrated through a specific rite. Guia is more common in Umbanda; Candomblé often uses fio de contas.
Fio de Contas
A consecrated beaded necklace, also called ilequê or ilekê in Candomblé, identifying a person's orixá and linking them to a religious house. Colours and construction follow the rules of each nation and orixá. As a sacred object, it is treated with care rather than as an ordinary accessory.
Quartinha
A small clay or ceramic pot holding water or other ritual liquids beside the assentamentos of orixás. Among its meanings are coolness, life and the continuity of axé. It is one of the objects commonly involved in everyday care for deities.
Assentamento
A collection of sacred elements, which may include stones, tools, containers and other materials, in which the axé of an orixá, inquice or vodun is established and worshipped. Prepared ritually, it is cared for through offerings and recurring obligations. It is among a house's most important and restricted religious foundations.
Ferramenta (ritual emblem)
A symbolic object, generally metal, representing an orixá and its domains: Xangô's oxê, a double axe; Oxóssi's ofá, a bow and arrow; or the abebé, mirror or fan, associated with Oxum and Iemanjá. These objects accompany assentamentos and ritual clothing, giving material form to the deity's history and role.
Spirit entities and deities

The spiritual powers worshipped and the entities manifesting during religious work. Orixás, understood as deities, should be distinguished from Umbanda entities, spirits engaged in charitable service, although they may be connected.

Orixá
A deity of Yoruba origin associated with natural forces and aspects of human existence, such as Ogum with iron and work, Oxum with fresh water and love, or Xangô with justice and thunder. Each has particular colours, symbols, foods and greetings. In Candomblé, orixás manifest through initiates; in Umbanda, they usually govern spiritual work while entities incorporate through mediums.
Olorum / Olodumare
Names of the supreme being in Yoruba tradition, creator of everything that exists. Olorum, or Olodumare, is understood as a distant, transcendent divinity who entrusts the world's governance to the orixás. Direct worship is less frequent than worship of orixás, but this being is recognised as the source of all axé.
Exu
A messenger orixá associated with paths, crossroads and communication between people and deities. In many traditions, Exu is greeted at the start of rituals. Colonial and Christian interpretations wrongly equated Exu with the devil, which does not describe his role in African cosmology. Umbanda and Quimbanda also speak of Exus as spirit entities addressing practical concerns.

Exu as an orixá and a spirit entity

Pombagira
A female spirit entity worshipped especially in Umbanda and Quimbanda, associated with communication, sensuality, protection of women and emotional and practical concerns. She manifests with a distinctive personality and direct language. Like Exus, pombagiras face considerable prejudice while holding great importance for their devotees.

Who is Maria Padilha?

Preto-Velho
An Umbanda entity presenting as the spirit of an elderly enslaved person, symbolising wisdom, patience, faith and resistance. Pretos-velhos offer advice, comfort and guidance, often concerning everyday life. Their calm, welcoming speech is among Umbanda's most recognisable images.
Caboclo
An Umbanda entity associated with Indigenous peoples and the strength of forests, connected to knowledge of herbs, healing and protection. Caboclos generally manifest with a firm, dignified bearing and take part in spiritual cleansing and guidance. They represent Indigenous heritage within Umbanda's spiritual world.
Erê (Criança / child spirit)
In Umbanda, erê may name entities belonging to the Crianças, or Children, line. In Candomblé, the word has uses connected with childlike manifestation and an initiate's relationship with the orixá. It is not automatically a synonym for Ibeji: meaning depends on the tradition and house. Reference: Baumgarten / UFSC study, pp. 88–89 (Portuguese PDF).

Cosme e Damião, Ibeji and erês

Baiano
An Umbanda entity representing working people of the sertão and rural interior, particularly northeastern Brazil. Baianos manifest with humour, distinctive speech and directness, offering practical guidance and opening paths within the religious understanding. They belong to Umbanda's varied lines of spiritual work.
Boiadeiro
An Umbanda entity connected with the cattle herder and rural cattle work in Brazil. Boiadeiros generally have a firm, protective presence associated with courage and hard work in the countryside. Alongside baianos and marinheiros, they form part of Umbanda's varied groups of entities representing popular figures.
Marinheiro
An Umbanda entity associated with the sea, navigation and sailors' lives. Marinheiros manifest in a relaxed manner, sometimes swaying as though aboard a boat, and participate in spiritual work concerning emotions, change and balance. They commonly have symbolic connections with water and Iemanjá.
Ibeji
The divinity of twins in Yoruba tradition, associated with childhood. In Brazil, connections are made with Cosme e Damião. Ibeji, erê and Catholic saints are distinct concepts, although they are related in some religious practices. Reference: Baumgarten / UFSC study, pp. 88–89 (Portuguese PDF).

Cosme e Damião: dates and traditions

Egun
The spirit of a deceased person, or ancestor, in Yoruba tradition. Worship of eguns has its own religious foundations and, in some traditions, dedicated ancestral rites. The orixá Iansã, or Oyá, is frequently associated with authority over eguns. Death and ancestry are approached with great ritual seriousness.
Vodun
A deity worshipped in Jeje traditions originating among Fon and Ewe peoples in present-day Benin and neighbouring regions. In the Jeje nation, voduns have a role comparable to orixás in Ketu, but with their own names, myths and rites. The term is at the root of vodu, also used in other African diasporic religions.
Inquice
A deity worshipped in Candomblé traditions of Bantu origin, such as Angola. Inquices, also written nkisi, broadly correspond to the role of orixás but have names and characteristics belonging to Bantu heritage. They reflect Central African peoples' contribution to Afro-Brazilian religious life.
Rituals and practices

The ceremonies, offerings and processes through which worship takes place. Many practices vary by tradition, nation and religious house, and some details are reserved for initiates.

Gira
An Umbanda gathering or ceremony in which entities manifest through mediums to assist and guide people. Giras are usually organised around lines of spiritual work, such as pretos-velhos or caboclos, and involve singing, clapping and atabaque drums. They are a central part of Umbanda community life.
Incorporação (spirit manifestation)
The phenomenon in which an entity or orixá manifests through a medium or initiate, whose gestures, voice and behaviour express that manifestation. It is experienced as direct contact with the sacred within a prepared ritual setting. Vocabulary varies: Umbanda often uses incorporação, while Candomblé describes an orixá ‘descending’ upon an initiate.
Ebó
A ritual offering to orixás for purposes such as spiritual cleansing, thanksgiving, requests or restoring balance. Its contents and form vary according to the need, tradition and orixá involved. It is central to the understanding of exchange and reciprocity through which axé moves.
Oferenda (offering)
Items offered to a deity or spirit entity, possibly including food, drinks, flowers, candles and other elements corresponding to the recipient's preferences and domains. Offerings express respect, gratitude and the wish to maintain a relationship with the sacred. Rules about what to offer differ substantially between traditions and houses.
Despacho
An offering placed at a particular location, such as a crossroads, forest or water's edge, often dedicated to Exu to open paths or carry a request. Outsiders sometimes misunderstand the term, but it describes a ritual act with religious foundations rather than something necessarily harmful. Its contents and destination follow the tradition's guidance.
Padê
An offering ritual for Exu, generally performed at the beginning of Candomblé ceremonies so that he may carry messages and open the paths of worship. Traditionally it involves elements such as farofa, water and drinks. It expresses respect for the messenger before the other orixás are greeted.
Bori
A ritual devoted to ori, a person's symbolic and spiritual head, understood as the seat of individual destiny. Bori seeks to strengthen, nourish and balance ori, with health, calm and steadiness as its aims. In many houses, it precedes or prepares for deeper processes of initiation.
Feitura de Santo
The set of Candomblé initiation rites through which a person is consecrated to an orixá and becomes a full member of the house. It may involve weeks of seclusion, obligations, learning and restricted knowledge. After feitura, the person becomes an iaô and enters a long period of further obligations.
Iniciação (initiation)
A ritual process through which someone becomes a consecrated member of a religious tradition. It is commonly understood as symbolic rebirth and a deep commitment to the house and its deities. Forms and durations of initiation vary considerably across Candomblé, Umbanda and other traditions.
Amaci
A ritual preparation made from sacred herbs and water, used to wash and strengthen a person's head, or ori, and connect them with their orixá. Amaci is often part of preparation and initiation. The herbs used follow the house's religious foundations and their associations with each orixá.
Defumação (ritual smoke cleansing)
The burning of herbs, resins and other aromatic materials for the purpose of energetically cleansing a space, object or person. It often opens spiritual work and ceremonies, preparing the setting for worship. Herbal combinations vary according to purpose and tradition.
Banho de Ervas (herbal ritual bath)
A ritual bath made with particular leaves and herbs for spiritual cleansing, protection, releasing negative influences or attracting positive energies. Plant selection follows the house's religious foundations and connections with orixás. It is widespread across various Afro-Brazilian traditions.
Jogo de Búzios (cowrie-shell divination)
A divination method using cowrie shells to consult orixás and interpret a person's destiny, paths and guidance. Trained priests read the shells through a complex system of combinations linked to odus. The practice requires extensive knowledge and ritual responsibility.
Ewé (leaves)
The Yoruba word for leaves and herbs, which play a central role in Afro-Brazilian religions. They are used in baths, amaci, smoke cleansing, remedies and numerous rites, with specific associations to orixás and purposes. A traditional saying holds that without leaves there are no orixás, illustrating the importance of this knowledge.
Obrigação (ritual obligation)
A recurring ritual commitment that initiates fulfil toward their orixá and religious house to renew and strengthen axé. Obligations may mark stages, such as particular years after initiation, and vary by tradition. Fulfilling them is an essential aspect of religious life.
Cosmology and narratives

Terms describing the structure of the world, destiny and sacred stories that transmit values and knowledge from one generation to the next.

Orum
In Yoruba cosmology, the spiritual or heavenly realm inhabited by orixás, ancestors and divine powers. Orum exists in constant relationship with aiê, the material world, and axé circulates between them. Understanding these two dimensions helps explain the logic of offerings and rites.
Aiê
In Yoruba cosmology, the earthly or material realm inhabited by human beings. Aiê is in continual exchange with orum, the spiritual realm; rites and the flow of axé maintain their balance. Everyday life, with its joys and difficulties, takes place in aiê.
Ori
The Yoruba word for head, understood not only as a physical body part but also as the seat of destiny and spiritual individuality. Each person has their own ori, to be cared for and strengthened through rites such as bori. The concept is central to understandings of self-knowledge in Yoruba-derived traditions.
Itan
A sacred story or myth recounting orixás' adventures, relationships and teachings. Itans transmit ethical values, explain the origins of things and guide conduct, forming a rich oral literature. They are regarded as sources of wisdom and religious foundations, rather than merely legends.
Odu
A path or configuration within the Yoruba divination system, associated with sets of itans and guidance for life. Odus are revealed through consultations such as jogo de búzios and require a priest's deep knowledge to interpret. Together they form a complex system connecting destiny, myth and counsel.
Encantado
A spirit entity present in traditions such as Tambor de Mina in Maranhão and Amazonian Pajelança, understood as a being that became ‘enchanted’ rather than dying. Encantados may have diverse origins connected to historical, natural or regional figures. The concept demonstrates the diversity of Afro-Brazilian religions beyond Candomblé and Umbanda.
Greetings

Expressions used to greet orixás and spirit entities, generally of Yoruba origin. Learning basic greetings is a simple gesture of respect when visiting a house or discussing these traditions.

Axé!
Beyond naming the vital force, axé is a greeting and wish of strength and positive energy, with a meaning close to ‘so may it be’. It commonly closes conversations, texts and blessings. It is a general greeting rather than one addressed to a particular orixá.
Laroyê
A greeting for Exu, often spoken as ‘Laroyê Exu’. It honours the deity's role as messenger and lord of paths. The expression appears in pontos, or ritual songs, and in ritual moments connected with Exu.

Learn about Exu the orixá

Odoyá
A greeting for Iemanjá, queen of the sea and salt water. It is sung in her honour, especially at seaside celebrations such as year-end festivities and her dedicated day. It expresses devotion and reverence for the great mother of the waters.

Learn about Iemanjá

Ora ie ie o
A greeting for Oxum, orixá of fresh waters, love, beauty and fertility. It is sung and spoken in her honour, celebrating her sweetness and power, and commonly appears in songs devoted to her.

Learn about Oxum

Okê Arô
A greeting for Oxóssi, orixá of hunting and forests, recognising his connection with woodland, abundance and knowledge of herbs. It is especially familiar in houses with a strong devotion to Oxóssi, including parts of Bahia's religious traditions.

Learn about Oxóssi

Kaô Kabiecilê
A greeting for Xangô, orixá of justice, thunder and fire. Spoken in his honour, it reveres his authority and his role as king and judge. The expression acknowledges his royalty.

Learn about Xangô

Êpa Babá
A greeting for Oxalá, orixá of creation and peace, regarded as the father of the orixás. Babá means father in Yoruba, and the expression honours his ancestral status and importance. It is common in celebrations of Oxalá, who is frequently associated with white.

Learn about Oxalá

Atotô
A greeting for Obaluaê, also called Omolu, the orixá associated with illness, healing and the earth. The word conveys a request for silence and respect before his power. It is spoken reverently when greeting him.

Learn about Omolú / Obaluaê

Eparrei
A greeting for Iansã, or Oyá, orixá of winds and storms, also associated with eguns. It honours her courage and transformative strength and appears in songs and ritual moments dedicated to her.

Learn about Iansã

Ogunhê
A greeting for Ogum, orixá of iron, war and work. ‘Ogum ie’ is another common form. It honours his strength and his role in opening paths, and is particularly familiar in houses where Ogum is the leading orixá.

Learn about Ogum

Explore further

This glossary is a starting point for understanding the vocabulary of Afro-Brazilian religions. To go beyond each concept, explore the deities, spirit entities and history that give these words meaning.

Knowledge of these religions is extensive and continues to live and grow. Approaching each term with care and respect recognises the contribution of African peoples and their descendants to Brazilian culture. Axé.