History of umbanda

[Ɔkyeame Kwame]

HISTORY OF UMBANDA

UMBANDA is the new designation of an old Religion.

Since immemorial times the mankind worships its Gods tying them to the forms or elements of the Nature. Thus, we have several THEOGONIES (1), amongst which stood out: the Egyptian, the Greek and the Roman.

Among the Black People of Africa several Theogonies was developed, standing out the ORISHA (2) Theogony, Divinities that dominate the Nature elements and second a Main God (and Only) in the control of the Earth and its inhabitants.

That Religion of Orixás arrived to Brazil, through the African blacks originating from of the area where today it is located Nigeria, brought as slaves, since the first years of Brazil, untill II Empire.

By virtue of the disaggregation of the Cult of Orixás, motivated by the deliberate dissemination of the blacks by the several Brazilian areas, mixing the several groups, the UMBANDA appeared, a simplified form of the African model of the Religion of Orixás, which is, still, very complex, requesting a long initiation period.

That new form of Cult of Orixás mixed with strange practices to the African model, such as: Practices of Occultism, Kardec's Spiritism, Oriental Religions, Indigenous Cults and Catholic Practices. Even so, its base stayed africanist, because the main purpose of UMBANDA is still the Cult to Orixás, which and done in a imitation (*) of the Cults of Nation (3), the today called CANDOMBLÉS (4).

(*) We don't want to give pejorative sense to the word " imitation ", but yes to say that the ceremonies of Umbanda are similar to the one of the Candomblés, of course with variations.

Several classifications have been given to the forms of Umbanda practiced nowadays, but we preferred not to enter in this subject for too much polemic. We preferred to refer to the description than it is, nowadays, the Umbanda practiced in great number of Terreiros. (excerpt)
See link below for a more detailed history of UMBANDA

http://www.angelfire.com/ca4/Umbanda/Ing.html

[Ɔkyeame Kwame]

WHAT IS UMBANDA ?

The word Umbanda is a sacred term from Abanheenga language, spoken by members belonging to the Tupy Lineage. Contrary to what many may think this word has not been brought by the African slaves. In fact, its usage has been found in Afro-Amerindian cults only after 1934. Before then only a few roots were recognised in Asia and Africa, although without the mearmin g of a Knowledge System based on the synthetic understanding of Philosophy, Science, Art and Religion. .

The term Umbanda considered ‘s "Lost Word" was disclosed by Spirits, members of the Brotherhood of Ancestral Spirits. These spirits are Beings that have not incarnated for a long time as they reached a high level of development, however they honour Umbanda temples by coming down to bring the Light of Knowledge on behalf of Oxalá - Jesus Christ. They use medium power of incarnate beings formely committed as means for their manifestation. The parts that make up the word Umbanda are respectively: AUM -BAN - DAN. Their translation can be verified using the Adamic or Vattanic alphabets revealed to the Ocident by Marquis Alexandre Sant-Yves d’Alveydre, in his work "THE ARQUEOMETER".

AUM means "THE SUPREME DIVINITY" its symbol is broadly known.


BAN means "SET OR SYSTEM", in Adamic is


DAN means "RULE or LAW" expressed graphically as:


The UNION of the parts or AUMBANDAN means "THE SET OF DIVINE LAWS" synthesised as:

ou

Therefore, AUMBANDAN or SET OF DIVINE LAWS is a COSMIC PROTO-SYNTHESIS, the generating principles of the Universe called WISDOM and DIVINE LOVE. It’s gets to Human Beings as a SCIENTIFIC AND RELIGIOUS PROTO-SYNTHESIS which retains and gives origin to the four pillars of human knowledge, named PHILOSOPHY, SCIENCE, ART and RELIGION..

. According to the explanation above we understand that Umbanda is the patrimony of the Highly Developed Spiritual Beings that govern the Planet Earth, the Human Beings incarnate or desincarnate are the heirs of this Only-Knowledge. However the acquisition of this cosmic knowledge depends on the conditions and prerequisites that the person should have to enable him to understand the scope and meaning of this patrimony. He should also be able to take part effectively in the Planet development advance as a spirit of wide horizons and cosmic awareness.

Consecration of a medium initiated in the Initiation Order of the Divine Cross.
The Initiating Process or Initiation is the awareness development process that leads the Being to integrate within this context. The candidate, in this process, examines the Causes and Origins of our Universe based on its personal knowledge and the Laws that rule the Macrocosmos. Umbanda Movement is a Philo-Religious Movement that aims at regaining the ONLY-KNOWLEDGE or AUMBANDAN which propagation is supported by the UMBANDA COSMIC CIRCLE and its interna l or initiating aspects have their roots established in the INITIATIC ORDER OF THE DIVINE CROSS a Temple-School for Umbanda High Initiation. .

http://www.umbanda.org/umban_e.htm