Cult to María Lionza

Authors

  • Roger Canals Université de Barcelone

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17184/eac.anthropen.005

Keywords:

Venezuela, Image, Rituals, Spirit possession

Abstract

The cult to María Lionza is a religious practice of Venezuelan origin based on the worship of the goddess María Lionza and other spirits of her pantheon. This goddess is sometimes represented as an Indigenous woman and sometimes as a mixed race or white queen. The spirits of the cult often “descend” into the bodies of mediums. Recently, the cult has acquired a transnational dimension and a strong presence on the Internet.

References

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Canals, R. (2011), «Les avatars du regard dans le culte à María Lionza», L’Homme. Revue Française d’Anthropologie, n°198-199, p.213-226. https://doi.org/10.4000/lhomme.22751

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Published

2016-09-01