Bolsa Mandinga

Bolsa Mandinga.jpg

Bolsa de Mandinga (also known as patuas):

Mandinga pouches/talismans were primarily made of cloth or leather and were typically worn around the neck or the waist as a way to shield the body from:

  • Illness
  • Malnutrition
  • Injury
  • Disease
  • Evil

These pouches were predominantly worn by the African Portuguese diaspora in Brazil but various classes such as the noble elites within Portugal also sought the power of the mandinga. The use of the bolsa mandinga was prevalent in the Luso-Atlantic world due the strong influence of traditional African religions. These religions later became syncretic with Catholicism which allowed for them to further spread throughout the colonies. The most notable country that exemplifies the dichotomy between the various religions is the case of Brazil.

Souza, Laura M. The Devil and the Land of the Holy Cross: Witchcraft, Slavery, and Popular Religion in Colonial Brazil. Austin: University of Texas Press, Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies, 2003. Print.

Bolsa Mandinga