AYAHUASCA
Gilberto Gil receives document
in defense of ritual as cultural heritage of Brazil
 The culture minister Gilberto Gil received yesterday, at the Universal Light Christian Illumination Center - Alto Santo, founded by the master Raimundo Irineu Serra in Rio Branco (AC), the document in which centers representatives that integrate the three founder branches of the ayahuasca doctrines ask that the Institute for National Artistic and Historical Heritage (Iphan) establish the recognition process of ayahuasca use in religious rites as intangible heritage of the Brazilian culture.
Thursday, May 1st of 2008 (Published in the Blog do Altino) |
The Marriage Cerificate
of Raimundo Irineu Serra and Raimunda Marques Feitosa,
this one held in the year of 1937, when he was 44 and she 19 years old. In this period Mestre and his followers were still living in Vila Ivonete and Raimunda was the daughter of Maria Franco, former wife of João Pereira. It is interesting to notice that they were both baptized in the state of Maranhão. According to Jairo da Silva Carioca's account, in
March of 1955 Ms. Raimunda decides to abandon the relation with
Mestre Irineu, in a subject of this doctrine that few
comment. It is common knowledge the difficulties in the relationship,
mostly due to the problems created by his mother-in-law, Ms. Maria
Franco. “Her mother would put a finger in everything that
Mestre determined, being a perturbation in his life,” comments
Ms. Percília Matos.
From origins not well known, Ms. Raimunda was a Pajé* from birth and had a great spiritual knowledge. “She
was the key of trust for Mestre. He taught and she learned. She
would really make invocations. He taught her the pontos**.
She took care of the men and the women,” reports Francisco
Grangeiro, until the day that of her own free will she decides
to leave behind all the years of companionship with Mestre Irineu.
“She left to São Paulo with her mother, where she
went to die, as it seems to me, run over by a car,” reports
Ms. Percília Matos.
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*Pajé - name for a shaman who is also a powerful medicine-man (woman).
From native tribes of Brazil.
**pontos - in the
doctrine they are small verses that once invoked are able of cure,
of taking a person out of embarrassing situations in a miração
for example, and so on and so forth. They can be whistled or simply
invoked through the concentration. Few people know these calls.
Ms. Raimunda, Ms. Percília Matos, Ms. Lourdes Carioca,
Ms. Veriana and madrinha Peregrina are women that know some of
these secrets (according to Jairo da Silva Carioca). Pontos, in
some afro traditions, means chanting and callings to invoke spirits.
A few years later Mestre marries Peregrina Gomes, his last wife, this one according to the Queen's orientation.
(Document kindly sent by Juarez Bomfim) |
