Between the sacred and stigma

the (de)qualification of the feminine in Umbanda through the symbolic representation of the Pombagira

Abstract

This study investigates the symbolic representation of Pombagira within Afro-Brazilian religions, with emphasis on Umbanda, seeking to understand how her image articulates disputes over the qualification of femininity in religious, aesthetic, and political fields. The objective is to analyze, from a critical and interdisciplinary perspective, the meanings attributed to this entity, particularly the tensions between sacralization, eroticism, spiritual power, and marginality. The methodology adopts a qualitative bibliographic approach grounded in historical hermeneutics and gender studies, prioritizing analyses of ritual corporeality, feminine performance, and epistemologies of resistance. The investigation is structured around four axes: the symbolic origins of Pombagira and her relationships within the Afro-Brazilian pantheon; the feminine archetypes embodied in her figure and their ambivalences; academic and religious representations oscillating between veneration and stigma; and her role as a subversive and spiritually empowered figure. Partial findings indicate that Pombagira expresses insurgent forms of religiosity that challenge patriarchal norms while reconfiguring the sacred through the body, orality, and aesthetics. It is concluded that her image functions as a symbolic vector for the resignification of Black feminine spiritualities, calling for a revision of traditional analytical frameworks.