A grove of sacred leaves: interdisciplinary research (Botany-Anthropology) about religious symbolism of plant species at Santuário Nacional da Umbanda, São Paulo

Abstract

This Scientific Iniciation projet aim to realize an interdisciplinary study envolving botany and anthropology, about tradicional uses of natural and cultivated plant species at Santuário Nacional da Umbanda (Umbanda National Shrine, SANU), located at Santo Andre, Sao Paulo state. This Atlantic Forest area (which belongs to a municipal green area called Pedroso Park) was idealized and mantained by Umbanda Federation of ABC Region. It is reserved for ritual practices by adepts of afro-brazilian religions, in which divinities are directly associated to nature elements. In this work, it is intended to realize an ethnobotanic survey about traditional uses (in particular religious uses) that those species may have. Thus, based on available literature, known distribution of plant species and its biogeographical history, as well as on the ethnobotanical surveys realized about general and specific traditional knowledges for this region, we intend to define and discuss aspects of religious traditional knowledge associated to liturgic uses of plants in this studied area. (AU)