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Difference between revisions of "María Lionza"
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[[File:Maria-Lionza-Tarot.jpg|300px|thumb|Maria Lionza depicted as [[The Empress]] in ''El Tarot de Maria Lionza'']] | [[File:Maria-Lionza-Tarot.jpg|300px|thumb|Maria Lionza depicted as [[The Empress]] in ''El Tarot de Maria Lionza'']] | ||
'''María Lionza''' is a folk [[saint]] and the central figure in the most widespread new religious movement in Venezuela. The cult of María Lionza, like many other [[African diaspora religion]]s, is a blend of African, indigenous, and [[Christianity|Catholic beliefs]]. | '''María Lionza''' is a folk [[saint]] and the central figure in the most widespread new religious movement in Venezuela. The [[cult]] of María Lionza, like many other [[African diaspora religion]]s, is a blend of African, indigenous, and [[Christianity|Catholic beliefs]]. | ||
She is revered as a goddess of nature, love, peace and harmony. She has followers throughout Venezuelan society, from small rural villages to Caracas, where a monumental statue stands in her honor. | She is revered as a goddess of nature, love, peace and harmony. She has followers throughout Venezuelan society, from small rural villages to Caracas, where a monumental statue stands in her honor. | ||
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Traditions of trance communication (seeking to [[channeling|channel]] the soul of dead people in a living body) may have started about 19th and 20th century in Latin America, popularized by the teachings of the 19th century Frenchman Allan Kardec. Angelina Pollok-Eltz from Andrés Bello Catholic University in Venezuela, who has worked on the subject, says that the rituals in Sorte started in the early 1920s and were brought to urban areas a decade later. | Traditions of trance communication (seeking to [[channeling|channel]] the soul of dead people in a living body) may have started about 19th and 20th century in Latin America, popularized by the teachings of the 19th century Frenchman Allan Kardec. Angelina Pollok-Eltz from Andrés Bello Catholic University in Venezuela, who has worked on the subject, says that the rituals in Sorte started in the early 1920s and were brought to urban areas a decade later. | ||
Maria Lionza followers travel to the mountain for a week each October 12 during the national Day of Indigenous Resistance. In 2011, estimates indicated that about 10% to 30% Venezuelan were followers of the cult. At the time, Venezuelan authorities indicated that about 200 thousands followers participated in the traditions, including foreigners coming from the Americas and Europe. In 2011, Wade Glenn, an anthropologist from Tulane University in the United States, estimated that about 60% of Venezuelan population may have participated in the cult of María Lionza at some point. Glenn argues that the conversational aspect of the rituals may have therapeutical effects. | Maria Lionza followers travel to the mountain for a week each October 12 during the national Day of Indigenous Resistance. In 2011, estimates indicated that about 10% to 30% Venezuelan were followers of the [[cult]]. At the time, Venezuelan authorities indicated that about 200 thousands followers participated in the traditions, including foreigners coming from the Americas and Europe. In 2011, Wade Glenn, an anthropologist from Tulane University in the United States, estimated that about 60% of Venezuelan population may have participated in the cult of María Lionza at some point. Glenn argues that the conversational aspect of the rituals may have therapeutical effects. | ||
The rituals themselves bear much in common with traditional Haitian [[Voodoo]], although the two religions are not connected. They both involve drinking alcohol, smoking, and trances caused by rhythmic drumming. | The rituals themselves bear much in common with traditional Haitian [[Voodoo]], although the two religions are not connected. They both involve drinking alcohol, smoking, and trances caused by rhythmic drumming. | ||