User:Flowlucca/Exu de Umbanda

Exu de Umbanda, or Exu de Lei, according to Umbanda, is a type of spirit, which can be in different levels of light, and that assist in spiritual works, incorporating or not in mediums, while working in Umbanda law.

They are also present in Jurema, Omolocô, Candomblé de Caboclo, among other Afro-Brazilian religions, or in "traced" terreiros in Umbanda and Candomblé. They are not present in terreiros of pure Candomblés, of the nation, such as Jeje-Maí, Queto, Angola, Ijexá and Nagô. In these, only the orixá Exu is worshiped, with which the law exus should not be confused.

Due to the Catholic influence in the colonization and political-social formation of Brazil, the exu was soon associated with the Devil even in the beginnings of Umbanda. Even today, there are Umbanda points that refer to this syncretism.

Characteristic
The Exu of Umbanda is a spiritual entity, supposedly the spirit of someone who was born and died, and therefore belongs to the so-called street people.

The name exu can be applied to both male and female spirits. Female exus, however, are also more specifically designated as Pombajiras, which are entities that, when incarnated, belonged to the female gender, and that for numerous reasons were added to one of the many lines of female exus, starting to work in Umbanda in this way.

When they incorporate, the male exus are usually characterized with capes, top hats and canes. But it is not mandatory that mediums use these garments for incorporation. Each terreiro works autonomously. Some centers standardize mediums' clothing; everyone, for example, wears white.

There is also another type of entity related to the exus, the exu-mirim.

History
The idea of ​​the Umbanda exu derives from the orixá of the same name, in Candomblé, which was considered the messenger of the other orixás.

His historical identification with the Christian devil was established not because of his functional characteristics, but because of aspects of his appearance. Since the Eshu of the Yoruba religion is a fire deity, to whom horns, a virile member and unbridled sexuality were attributed, he ended up relating his figure to that of a devil.

once Umbanda was created from Kardecism, according to Zélio Fernandino de Morais, the exus started to be seen in Umbanda theology as agents of the law of karma, a concept present in other predecessor religions. The exus would thus be, for this Umbanda view, elementary beings, that is, spirits in spiritual evolution within certain karmic functions.

From then onwards, the nomenclature "baptized exu", to refer to exus-de-law, and "pagan exu", to refer, in fact, to quiumbas, emerged.

For some Umbanda traditions, an exu would be at a lower level, but for others, they would be spiritual entities with the same evolution as the other entities, such as caboclos and pretos-velhos, only positioned in a different line of work. The exus, as well as pombajiras and exus-mirins, would act in a very dense spiritual plane, having more freedom of movement than the other entities, and thus being able to know and better solve the most immediate human needs.

Hierarchy
The more evolved exus are called "legion head exus", which are seven, and command a spiritual legion.

Are they:


 * Exu Lalu - direct service of Oxalá.
 * Exu Tiriri - direct service of Ogun.
 * Exu Tranca street - direct service to Oxóssi.
 * Exu Marabô - direct service of Xangô.
 * Exus from the phalanx of the skulls - direct use of Obaluaê.
 * Exu Gira Mundo Exu Gira Mundo - direct use of Time (k'tembo).
 * Maria Padilha - direct service to Yansã.
 * Exu do Lodo - Nanã's direct service.

These legions are subdivided into planes, subplanes, groups, subgroups and columns. Each of these subdivisions goes by a name, more or less specific. So, for example, the self-styled spirits of João Caveira's phalanx are actually a subdivision of Exu Caveira.

Salutation
The greeting to exus and pombajiras is "laroiê". It means something like "save the messenger".References




 * Bibliography


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 * BAUDIN, R. P. Fétichisme et féticheurs. Lyon, Séminaire des Missions Africaines - Bureau de Missions Catholiques, 1884.
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 * _________________. Um sopro do Espírito: a reação conservadora do catolicismo carismático. São Paulo, Edusp, 1997.
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 * ______________. Notas sobre o culto aos orixás e voduns. Tradução de Carlos Eugênio Marcondes de Moura, do original de 1957. São Paulo, Edusp, 1999.