Paper short abstract:

In Brazilian Candomblé a system of negative hypersensitivities feeds on allergic reactions and a system of prophylactic prohibitions protects against 'negative energies', described as psychosomatic symptoms. Ritual avoidance of substances is the condition for a general 'energetic' well-being.

Paper long abstract:

The Brazilian Candomblé, an initiation cult of African origin, was the empirical context in which I carried out my research, the fundamental goal being to understand the role played by ritual prohibitions known

as 'quizilas' in relation to the cult's 'mythical ancestors', the orixàs. My fieldwork led to the following hypothesis: on the one hand, there exists a system of prophylactic prohibitions designed to protect against 'negative energies', described as a sensation of weakness or irritability, and including other psychosomatic symptoms; on the other hand, there is a system of negative hypersensitivities or 'antipathies' which feed on allergic reactions (see Smith: 1979), especially in the realm of nutrition. Elements such as animals, food, drink, colours, and so on, linked to incidents concerned with the orixàs during their mythical existence justify the feelings of repulsion and the symptoms of intolerance. At the same time, new allergic reactions that follow the ingestion of certain types of food or drink and new symptoms of intolerance (diarrhea, vomiting) may be the indication of an unknown individual connection to some orixà. It is through divination that connections between physical symptoms, ingested products and the orixàs are constructed. Allergic reactions may be construed as an ongoing process of production of antipathies in the therapeutic relation. Avoidance of subtances may be assumed to be a specific ritual norm for the intiate, a condition to be respected for a general 'energetic' well-being.