Contemporary Debates About Umbanda
In current times, Umbanda has been the subject of numerous questions. Among them, its origins are debated, with some attributing Umbanda to a lineage lost in the centuries of Brazilian colonization, blending it with Macumba and Calundu practices, going so far as to exaggerate by claiming that the famous calunduzeira Luzia Pinta was an Umbandista. Practices are confused with organized religion, and thus, an endless debate unfolds.
In this debate, the figure of the caboclo is central in this discussion, because a caboclo was in the eye of the storm of the polemics about the foundation of Umbanda.
The Founding of Umbanda
In this whirlwind of ideas, we go back to November 15, 1908, when the young Zélio Fernandino de Moraes provided the initial spark to a movement that would later be known as Umbanda. It is even easier to forget that, in reality, it was through the work of the Caboclo das Sete Encruzilhadas (Caboclo of the Seven Crossroads) that this religious movement began to take shape. Of course, no one in their sound mind would deny that the practices of Umbanda are tributary to the Macumbas.
I am aware that many feel that Zélio was not the founder of Umbanda at all. I am not really engaging in this debate here. What I feel is undeniable is that Zélio started a movement that would be called Umbanda and that, yes, took some Macumba practices, rejecting some of the more African elements. Thus, far from being perfect, the movement started by Zélio and the Caboclo das Sete Encruzilhadas is fundamental in the Brazilian religious scenario.
Therefore, when we talk about Caboclos and Umbanda, we must immediately refer to the Caboclo das Sete Encruzilhadas, for whom no paths were closed. This fact alone —not a minor one — would already guarantee the Caboclos a place of prominence in Umbanda. However, the story of these entities does not end there — quite the opposite.
Painting depicting the Caboclo das Sete Encruzilhadas.
Characteristics and Roles of the Caboclos
In general, the Caboclos in Umbanda are spirits of Indigenous people or mixed-race individuals. However, not always, as I will explain later. They are associated with a strong altruistic sense and an assertive personality. They know the herbs and magic of the forests and are therefore excellent healers. They enjoy cigars and light beer and prefer to work near nature. They are linked to the Line of Saint Sebastian/Oxossi. Of course, Oxossi, being the hunter and the man of the woods, is linked especially to the native people. His syncretism with Saint Sebastian probably starts with the iconography of this saint, who is strapped to a tree trunk and pierced with arrows.
Saint Sebastian by Il Sodoma, 1525.
Symbolic Names and Nature Connection
It is interesting to note that the names of the Caboclos often show a close relationship between them and the forces and phenomena of nature. For example: Pena Branca (White Feather), Jurema, Sete Flechas (Seven Arrows), Arranca-Toco (Stump-Puller), da Lua (of the Moon), Sete Montanhas (Seven Mountains), and others. This connection with nature also communicates a return to what is whole in life, letting go of materialism, a value that gains special significance within spiritualist doctrines.
Ritual Presence and Incorporation
During incorporation (spirit possession), they usually present themselves with precise and vigorous movements. Upon arrival, many shout and perform something resembling a dance, often mimicking the throwing of a spear or shooting of an arrow. Thus, the incorporation of the caboclos communicates this idea of the warrior and hunter. They are somewhat brute, alluding to their more “wild” roots. This is not to be taken in a pejorative way. Caboclos are cherished and prized in Umbanda, and all these mannerisms are to be taken as their ways. Simple as that.
Cabloco arriving. Source: Tiktok - @juniorolliver
Diversity Among Caboclos
The caboclos are not a homogeneous group. For example, there are the so-called Caboclos de Couro (Leather caboclos), which are entities known as Boiadeiros (Cowboys) — linked to the simple, mixed-race people of the countryside, who handle lassos and cattle calls (berrante). Additionally, there are the Caboclos de Ogum, who are warriors working under the line of Ogum, such as Ogum Rompe-Mato, Ogum Iara, and others. On the other hand, the caboclos linked to the natives are called Caboclos de Pena (Feather caboclos).
This plasticity of the caboclos is something that is being largely forgotten. As time passes, boiadeiros and spirits tied to Ogum become more and more understood as apart from caboclos. There is a strong movement today to understand the caboclo as purely native. Although I am not here to judge how the religions develop, it is important to note that around Brazil, the word caboclo never meant only people linked to natives, but it was more like a word one used to refer to a person who lives in the countryside and works in the land.
African Roots and Spiritual Syncretism
The origin of the caboclo worship likely finds its foundation in the worldview of Bantu-origin peoples and their ancestral cults and reverence for the “owners of the land.” This incorporation of the American ancestor within an African spiritual cycle gave rise to what is known as Candomblé de Caboclo, which would in turn influence Umbanda.
I am not going to discuss Candomblé de Caboclo here. It is not an easy topic, and it would take us far away from our objective. It is enough to say that this kind of Candomblé is indeed supported in Bantu cosmogony.
Romantic Nationalism and the "Good Indian"
Umbanda scholars will note that the presence of the caboclo, highlighting Indigenous elements, resonates with the nationalism seen in 19th-century Romantic literature, such as O Guarani. This Indigenous figure, far from being a savage, is portrayed as noble, brave, loyal, and warrior-like—a “good Indian.” Although in modern times it is absurd to think of Indigenous peoples as savages, it is also important to recognize that their characteristics are diverse and complex and not akin to anything Western society would expect from its citizens.
In any case, the caboclo that was shaped in Umbanda is tributary to this idea of the noble savage. We can see indications of that in the painting of the Caboclo das Sete Encruzilhadas and also in the behavior and virtues of the caboclos that I have already presented.
Poster for the movie “O Guarani”, telling the love story between a native and a white woman. 1979.
Spiritual Complexity Beyond Academia
In any case, it is also necessary to understand that when working with Umbanda from a spiritual perspective, one must strip away academic purism and understand that when it comes to spirits, the matter is much more complex. For example, the Caboclo das Sete Encruzilhadas also revealed himself to be Father Gabriel Malagrida, a Jesuit who was executed by the Inquisition in Lisbon in 1761 for heresy, after publishing texts supposedly dictated by angels who spoke inside his head.
Depiction of Father Gabriel Malagrida.
Reconciling Identities Across Reincarnations
How can one reconcile the vision of a spirit who presents himself as a humble and simple Brazilian native, but who in a previous incarnation had been a learned Jesuit? The Caboclo das Sete Encruzilhadas revealed that he had the privilege of being born as a Brazilian Caboclo after his life as Malagrida and that he now chose to present himself as such to break the divide between high Spiritism — Kardec's doctrine, which accepted only spirits that were doctors and scholars — and low Spiritism, which was judged as lesser and of reduced importance.
Concluding Remarks
Umbanda is a beautiful and sophisticated religion that has three principal classes of spirits amongst its ranks: caboclos, pretos-velhos (old blacks), and crianças (children). I will talk about the others in time, but it is important to let all that information about the caboclos sink in. They are not to be taken as simple spirits just because they come from native origins; on the contrary. Each and everyday now we have the opportunity to listen to and to read native authors and scholars, and with that comes the possibility to realize how complex and beautiful their way of thinking is. If we can strip ourselves out of the fullness of being westerners (although I don't really know if Brazilians, in my case, can really be called that) , we will be able to perceive how much we can learn from natives.
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