Further Readings
Bastide, R. (1978).The African Traditional Religions of
Brazil. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Braga, L. (1961).Umbanda e quimbanda. Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil: Ed. Spiker.
Brown, D. D. (1994).Umbanda—Religion and Politics in
Urban Brazil. New York: Columbia University Press.
Brumana Giobellina, F., & Martinez, E. G. (1989).Spirit
From the Margin—Umbanda in Sao Paulo: A Study in
Popular Religion and Social Experience. Stockholm,
Sweden: Almqvist & Wiksell International.
Camargo, P. (1961).Kardecismo e Umbanda. São Paulo,
Brazil: Ed. Pioneira.
Carneiro, E. (1961).Candombles da Bahia. Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil: Ed. Ouro.
UMBILICAL CORD
The umbilical cord is the lifeline between a devel-
oping child and its female parent. Many African
cultures consider the umbilical cord as an essential
part of birth rituals. The umbilical cord’s drying up
or falling off connotes the full coming into being of
a new person. Once an infant comes into the world
from the womb, it remains attached to the mother
until the umbilical cord is cut, tied, and then cut or
detached in some way. The baby is no longer a part
of its mother’s womb, but is now a part of the
family and community into which it is born. The
umbilical cord is reflective of continuity because
the baby is usually reflective in some way, shape,
or form as a continuation of its ancestors, elders,
and family group. The umbilical cord connotes
collectivity as the child becomes an extension of
its immediate and extended family. The umbilical
cord’s departure or falling off is perceived as sym-
bolic of the actuality of a new family member who
is now a part of the family group. African people
reinforce their cultural traditions in this trireality
via their birth rituals and ceremonies.
Kikuyu, YansiIn birth ceremonies and rituals, Africans include the
umbilical cord, along with the placenta, in various
ways. Sometimes both the umbilical cord and pla-
centa are buried before, during, or after a naming
ceremony. In some instances, only the placenta is
disposed of through burial. The Kikuyu of East
Africa bury the placenta in an uncultivated field
because open pastures symbolize, for them, all that
is new, fertile, and strong. The Yansi of Central
Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo) throw the
placenta’s physical remnants into the river as a way
of showing that the child belongs to the community.Sierra Leone
In Sierra Leone, a baby is named only after the
umbilical cord has dropped off. Prior to this time,
it is thought that the baby does not yet have an
identity of its own. In Sierra Leone, people treat
the placenta as a special object. Following birth,
the placenta is buried by the child’s maternal
female elders. A hole is dug below a banana tree
by the wife’s mother or another female elder at the
house of the maternal grandmother. The placenta
is placed in a circle, and the end that connected
the child to the mother is placed upright. People of
Sierra Leone believe that if this end is buried in a
downward position, it will cause sterility. The dis-
posal of the placenta indicates that the child has
transformed from being alone in the mother’s
womb and will take its place in the family and
community during the naming ceremony.Africans Born in the United States
The Mende people have a strong connection to
Africans born in the United States. Midwives report
that the Gullah or Geechee people of South
Carolina share with the Mende people of Sierra
Leone language, crafts, and rituals. Common
beliefs and rituals are documented and still prac-
ticed among these two groups of Africans. One of
these beliefs concerns the umbilical cord, which is
buried (along with the placenta) to remind the child
where he was born. Usually a fruit tree is planted
to ensure the child that he will never go hungry.Fang
Among the Fang community of equatorial Africa,
the image of the umbilical cord is a symbol of con-
tinuity. The Fang claim that the umbilical cord is
ever present in Bwiti (a religion practiced in GabonUmbilical Cord 681