[D10]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Thank you, again. This sort of thing is always useful.


Ah, indeed!

I had read about this goddess (as Mami Wata) during prior reseach of Afro-Caribbean mythology, but neglected to incorporate any mention of her into notes on Brazil

In real life, are those who make offerings to Yemenjá likely to practice a version of Catholicism, Candomblé or Umbanda that incorporates rituals believed to have magical powers?

I think so. Umbanda, candomble are full of actual magical rituals while spiritism and catholicism have more similar rituals.

For instance, in umbanda if you want someone to forget about something you write their name on a paper crush it on your hand thinking of what you want and throw it into a freezer. Tons of rituals like that exist but catholics and spiritists will only use them if they are very open minded multi religious individuals (of which there a good number).

Also dont forget the strong jesuit presence in brazil in general and in rio in particular, they even run the best private college in brazil i believe (PUC-rio)

Originally Posted by Icelander

Do you imagine that if there were real supernatural threats associated with the ocean in the 2000s and 2010s, and that occasional gifted people could accomplish subtle effects using some rituals with roots in the 19th century and earlier, that an organized religion / order of ritual magicians could arise under the name of Yemenjá in Rio and elsewhere in Brazil?

If so, any thoughts on how such a thing might develop (in secret from the authorities, most likely)?

Ironically, I think many such organizations already exist (some probably have the right flavor others dont), and I think it would be easy for the best and brightest to realize theres something actually going on and consolidate into an actual magician grp

Originally Posted by Icelander

On the other hand, my setting and the real world have begun diverging ever more widely and in the world of the setting, ships and oil rigs anywhere within a few hundred miles of a point 120 miles SE of Rio de Janeiro have suffered many more 'accidents' in the last couple of decades than in real life and by 2018, working on the sea around Rio is probably regarded as even more dangerous than joining BOPE or Comando Vermelho.

Interesting, i guess GRUMEC is going to have a lot of work