Arruda atrás da orelha atravessa o Atlântico: um estudo etnobotânico da simbologia da Ruta Graveolens l. nos ritos de umbanda

Abstract

As from the Botanic knowledge emerges experiences that humanity has accumulated in its whole history. In the present study, we realize the relations established between the human being and plants through rites to get health, environment harmony and emotional stability for individual and collective scope. A representative symbolic value is assigned to the vegetable, moreover its medicine function. In the African Brazilian religions' rite liturgy, vegetables are symbolic components that assume significant importance into the system, expressing itself through several languages. For that study it is presented the plant Ruta graveolens which has its popular name as arruda, with European continent as its origin root and during colonial Period crosses the Atlantic ocean, then to be integrated to the brazilian religion field. With the plurality of culture values established in our country with colonization process, It is unavoidable the assimilation of symbolic contents