Candomblé's cosmic tree and Brazil's ficus species

Abstract

Candomblé identifies largely orally transmitted religious traditions in Brazil tracing back to various parts of Africa. This research identifies the species of Ficus that serve as Candomblé's cosmic tree. Nineteen religious centers (terreiros) were surveyed and 17 had fig trees. Contrary to the general assumption of a single species, five native figs were identified, including Ficus elliotiana (S. Moore), F. clusiifolia (Schott), F. gomelleira (Kunth), F. cyclophylla (Miquel), and F. tomentella ((Miq.) Miq.) The most common was F. elliotiana, followed by F. gomelleira and F. clusiifolia. These results suggest that Candomblé has a complex relation with a variety of Ficus species, both native and exotic, and a wider survey that includes more rural communities and other urban areas will probably yield many surprises.