Umbanda
Umbanda is a genuinely Brazilian religion, founded in 1908 in Rio de Janeiro, that synthesizes elements of Candomblé, Kardecist Spiritism, popular Catholicism, and Brazilian Indigenous spiritual references into a new and distinct religious system.
Last reviewed: 2026-07-20
Historical fact
The traditional founding narrative places Umbanda's birth in 1908 in São Gonçalo, near Niterói, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, attributed to a young medium named Zélio Fernandino de Moraes. Unlike Candomblé, Umbanda is not a direct continuation of any single African tradition: it is a new religion, formed in Brazil through the synthesis of Orixá worship, Kardecist Spiritism (the French-derived spiritist movement based on the writings of Allan Kardec, hugely popular in Brazil since the late 19th century), popular Catholicism, and Brazilian Indigenous spiritual figures. Its central mediumship practice involves incorporating spirits organized into 'lines' (linhas) — most characteristically caboclos (spirits associated with Indigenous Brazilian identity) and pretos-velhos (spirits of elderly enslaved Africans, venerated for their wisdom and humility). Orixás are also worshipped in Umbanda, but typically in a more syncretized and universalized form — often explicitly identified with Catholic saints and framed within a broader spiritist cosmology centered on reincarnation and spiritual evolution.
Interpretation — The inside view (practitioners)
For practitioners, Umbanda is a legitimate and complete Brazilian religion in its own right, not a simplified or 'lesser' version of Candomblé. Incorporating caboclos and pretos-velhos is experienced as a direct encounter with spirit guides of great wisdom and generosity, whose mission is to help, heal, and counsel those seeking assistance at the terreiro — a charitable service ('caridade') often placed at the very center of Umbandist identity. Many practitioners embrace the religion's syncretic, inclusive character as a virtue in itself, rather than as a dilution of 'purer' traditions.
Interpretation — The academic view (anthropology of religion)
Scholars of religion treat Umbanda as a paradigmatic case of a new religion formed in early 20th-century Brazil, amid urbanization, social mobility, and the circulation of ideas between urban middle classes (drawn to Kardecist Spiritism) and Afro-Brazilian communities (bearers of Orixá worship). In this reading, the structure of spiritual lines and the emphasis on mediumistic charity reflect a historical attempt to make Afro-Brazilian religiosity more acceptable to white society and the authorities of the time — without reducing Umbanda to a mere defensive strategy. It is treated as an original, coherent religious system with its own logic and theology.
This section presents one tradition's interpretation, not a verifiable fact.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Umbanda the same as Candomblé?
- No. Although both worship the Orixás and have Afro-Brazilian roots, they are distinct religions: Candomblé is a direct continuation of specific African traditions (organized into nations), while Umbanda is a new religion, created in Brazil in 1908, that combines Orixá worship with Kardecist Spiritism, popular Catholicism, and the mediumship of caboclos and pretos-velhos.
- What are caboclos and pretos-velhos in Umbanda?
- They are the two main spirit 'lines' incorporated by Umbandist mediums: caboclos are spirits associated with Indigenous Brazilian identity, generally linked to strength, nature, and healing; pretos-velhos are spirits of elderly enslaved Africans, venerated for their wisdom, humility, and counsel.
Sources
- Roger Bastide. The African Religions of Brazil (1978).
- Reginaldo Prandi. Mitologia dos Orixás (2001).
- Pierre Verger. Orixás: Deuses Iorubás na África e no Novo Mundo (1981).
- Stephen D. Glazier (ed.). Encyclopedia of African and African-American Religions (2001).