Pretas-velhas: narrators from Brazil

Abstract

The Umbanda religious figure of the Preta-velha spirit has a continuous representation throughout the texts of Brazilian literature. This is likely due to the fact that she is alive in Brazil’s collective unconscious. The main objective of this research is to investigate the representation of the Preta-velha spirit from a literary perspective, focusing on her role as a storyteller. Thus, the justification for this research is the revival of the Umbanda religious figure, consigned in literature and, therefore, present in Brazil’s sociocultural imaginary. The theoretical foundation of this study is grounded in the works of: Freire (1963), Santos (1999), Estés (2007, 2008), and Rezende (2017). Regarding the methodology, two key moments were essential: the first consisted of selecting the research corpus from national literature, and the second involved comparing the literary representations of Preta-velha. As for the findings of the investigation, we concluded that in Brazilian literature, Preta-velha has a strong connection with oral practices. In fact, storytelling is one of her main characteristics. Furthermore, the narrative art associated with the object of investigation can be considered a psychic resource for the development of consciousness.