Return to Nature: Sacred Plants in the Azerin Funerary Rite of Candomblé Nação Angola.
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) January 14, 2026 Thaís Salatiel de Azevedo, Ygor Jessé Ramos, Nina Claudia Barboza Da Silva
In the Azerin funeral rite of Candomblé Nação Angola, five sacred plant species—Elaeis guineensis, Raphia vinifera, Dracaena fragrans, Lagenaria siceraria, and Morus nigra—are deliberately chosen for their associations with deities and their capacity to provide spiritual protection. Participant observation and literature review show that these plants do not merely express protection but operate as mediating elements in communication with ancestors, structuring the greeting and continuity of ancestor worship. The work expands understanding of ritual plants in Afro-Brazilian religiosity and the biocultural heritage of these communities.