Divine glances: Elements of resistance to the iberian peninsula's colonization in afro-ecuadorian and afro-brazilian religious expressions [Miradas divinas: Elementos de resistencia a la colonización de la península ibérica en las expresiones religiosas afroecuatoriana y afrobrasileña]

Abstract

Evidence of African origin in the people of Esmeraldas can be found in their religious expressions. Throughout history these elements, possessors of a specific identity, have been the very spaces of resistance to the cultural imposition of colonization. While the majority of the Afro-Ecuadoria population is Catholic, it is possible to find within its religiosity the components of resistance which have remained active, and which are in some respects similar to the expressions found in Brazil, constituting a symbolic cartography of spaces appropriated in daily life-undisciplined daily spaces-, hidden from the lances of civilization. In this context, this article's purpose is to present field research carried out in Esemeraldas (Ecuador) and Sao Paulo (Brasil) in search of common aspects of Afro-American religiosity. The article is a comparative study of two specific forms, namely, the arrullos of Ecuador and the Brazilian candomble.