Holy Harlots: Femininity, Sexuality, and Black Magic in Brazil / Edition 1

by Kelly E. Hayes

Overview

Holy Harlots examines the intersections of social marginality, morality, and magic in contemporary Brazil by analyzing the beliefs and religious practices related to the Afro-Brazilian spirit entity Pomba Gira. Said to be the disembodied spirit of an unruly harlot, Pomba Gira is a controversial figure in Brazil. Devotees maintain that Pomba Gira possesses an intimate knowledge of human affairs and the mystical power to intervene in the human world. Others view this entity more ambivalently. Kelly E. Hayes provides an intimate and engaging account of the intricate relationship between Pomba Gira and one of her devotees, Nazaré da Silva. Combining Nazaré’s spiritual biography with analysis of the gender politics and violence that shapes life on the periphery of Rio de Janeiro, Hayes highlights Pomba Gira’s role in the rivalries, relationships, and struggles of everyday life in urban Brazil.

The accompanying film Slaves of the Saints may be viewed online at ucpress.edu/go/holyharlots.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780520262652
Publisher:	University of California Press
Publication date:	05/11/2011
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	312
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Kelly E. Hayes is Assistant Professor of Religion at Indiana University.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"A book outside of the box that will evoke the Pomba Gira in all its readers."—Nacla/Report On the Americas

Editorial Reviews

A book outside of the box that will evoke the Pomba Gira in all its readers.

Nacla/Report On The Americas

A clearly written and exciting book, filled with major insights, which will inspire further scholarship.

Missiology - Frank A. Salamone

"A book outside of the box that will evoke the Pomba Gira in all its readers."--Nacla/Report On the Americas

"A clearly written and exciting book, filled with major insights, which will inspire further scholarship."--Missiology

From the Publisher

"Holy Harlots is an engaging and much needed exploration of the Queen of the Catacombs and the Lady of the Raggedy Skirt..."

Western Folklore - Stephen C. Wehmeyer