Word: iemanja
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...stone thrown in a pond. In the 1800s, despite the supression of Afro-Brazilian religions, followers of such faiths would secretly worship West African deities during Roman Catholic rites. For example, someone might act as if they were praying to the Virgin Mary when they were really praying to Iemanja, the goddess of the sea. The tour guide doesn't tell us any of this. She does point out that Sao Sabastiao translates as "Saint Sebastian...
...Year's Eve, Brazilians pay homage to Iemanja, the African queen of the sea. Millions of revelers clad entirely in white, a symbol of purity in Afro-Brazilian culture, throng the beaches of Rio de Janeiro to placate Iemanja and court good luck by lighting candles and tossing flowers, cosmetics and other gifts into the ocean for the vain goddess...
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