Environment and Religion in a Developing Country: the Role of Sacrifice in the Xangô of Recife (brazil)

The basic ritual act of the Xangô, a cult of African origin found in Northeastern Brazil, is the offering of animal sacrifice to its deities. But by far most of the meat that results from this practice is redirected to the faithful and thus the Xangô appears as good to eat. It is also good to employ, since priests and their assistants function as providers of some specialized services, rewarded by believers in money or in kind. The cult, therefore, in spite of its primarily religious meaning, appears as an adaptive strategy that attempts to respond to some of the challenges of its environment.