The multiples influences of umbanda: from the mediunic continuum to the umbandista rhizome

Abstract

The theory of mediunic continuum, proposed in the 60s by Candido Procopio Ferreira de Camargo (1961) is one of the classic theories to explain the umbanda religion, and is still used by several authors. Analyzing the umbanda practices, however, we note that this religion goes far beyond the continuum between kardecism and umbanda as proposed by the author. What we propose in this paper therefore is to analyze this continuum theory, and, after analyzing some examples of umbanda practices that escape this pattern, propose a new concept for this religion from postcolonial theories: the concept of umbandista rhizome.

 Keywords: Umbanda. Mediunic continuum. Rizoma. Kardecism.