Capoeira: The History of an Afro-Brazilian Martial Art

114 THE CAPOEIRA SCENE IN BAHIA
saint-of-the-snake in the candomblés de caboclo’. 79 Most observers did relate capoeira to the more syncretic
candomblés, which are also often identified as belonging to the ‘Angola’ nation.
These are, however, comments from outsiders, which do not necessarily reflect the way practitioners of
capoeira and Afro-Brazilia n religio ns saw t heir m utual relatio nship. Candomblé priestesses were often
not that keen to have their shrine associated with the capoeiras. The anthropologist Ruth Landes was told by
one of them: ’Well, they say it’s because the men of capoeira do not believe in God. They drink a lot of rum,
they are tough customers, sometimes they are lawbreakers—it’s another world.’ 80 I believe that most
‘mother of saints’ would have insisted on the fundamental differences between candomblé and capoeira,
between the cult of the ‘saints’ (orixás) and what was primarily regarded as a recreational activity, a game
(jogo or brincadeira). As M.Cobrinha Verde said: ‘Capoeira for those old angoleiros had her magic.
Nobody should confuse the magic of capoeira with the magic of candomblé.’ 81 For that reason it can be
more fruitful to look not only at formal similarities with African religions, but rather with African combat
games. E.Powe highlighted that Capoeira rituals conform to the requirements of the African martial arts,
namely: (1) invocation, (2) transformation, and (3) celebration. Thus the ladainha, chula, and corrido from
capoeira equate with each of the three divisions from Hausa combat games. 82
Links between Catholicism or candomblé and capoeira did not exhaust the spiritual aspects pervading the
art. Even though many capoeiras sought protection from an orixá, especially the warrior Ogun or the hunter
Oshossi, 83 others requested protection elsewhere. It is very likely that some nineteenth-century capoeiras
were Muslims. Islamic influence on capoeira are for instance detectable in the use of the term abadá—
denominating in contemporary capoeira the practitioners’ uniform. The term derives from the white tunics
which Muslim slaves (malês) used during prayers. 84
When M.Cobrinha Verde, in the quote above, distinguished the magic of capoeira from the magic of
candomblé, he probably referred to what is known in Brazil as mandinga. That term is best translated into
English as ‘sorcery’ and is probably derived from the Mandinka people in West Africa, although there is an
alternative etymology. 85 Mandinka slaves were renowned for their knowledge of healing and magical
powers during times of slavery. The meaning came to include any practice regarded as ‘witchcraft’ by the
white establishment, and more particularly protective devices, such as prayers or the confection of amulets,
usually worn around the neck. These patuás, believed to ‘close the body’, that is, to protect its owner against
any bad spells and even against bullets, were very popular among capoeiras. ‘Closing one’s body’ used by
candomblé practioners and mandingueiros (sorcerers) alike, also became paramount in Bahian vadiação. In
addition to spiritual protection it refers to the specific ways practitioners moved, striving to adopt postures
that are less likely to expose them to sudden attacks. 86 The use of witchcraft by capoeiras also explains why
mandingueiro became another synonym for the practitioners of the art.
Although mandinga predominantly derived from African practices, some symbols of mandinga also
related to Western esoteric traditions. The five-pointed star of Solomon, for instance, was of common use
among slaves in Brazil, and was also frequently employed by free workers, for instance cart-drivers, and
capoeiras. 87 M.Noronha made extensive use of the star of Solomon, accompanied by the Catholic initials
J.M.J. (for Jesus, Mary and Joseph). He carried that mandinga symbol in his patuá, painted it on the gourd
of his music bow, and drew it on the pages of his manuscripts. 88
The knowledge of strong prayers to ‘close the body’ was another common practice among Bahian
capoeiras. M Cobrinha Verde, ‘son’ of the orixás Nanamburucu and Oxalá , is a famous case in point.
During years he used prayers to St Ignes, St Andrew, ‘seven capelaries’, and ‘seven leaves’ from a
scapulary (breve), guarded safely on a virgin plate on his table at home. His teacher in this syncretic,
pragmatic way of combining different religious traditions was an African, Uncle Pascoal, from Santo
Amaro. Cobrinha Verde relates how he used to go and clean the old man’s house on the other side of the river.