Mythologis
The Candomblé Book: The Orixás, Xangô, Yemanjá, and the Living Religion of Brazil

Candomblé Mythology

The Candomblé Book: The Orixás, Xangô, Yemanjá, and the Living Religion of Brazil

The Orixás: Xangô, Yemanjá, and Oxalá

The faith the enslaved carried across the ocean and refused to lose: the orixás of West Africa reborn in Brazil. Xangô of thunder, Yemanjá of the sea, Oxalá the creator, and the drums, foods, and colors that call them down. A living religion.

150 pagesPDFEnglishMythologis Library

$14.99

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Inside this book

What you will read

  • 11 chapters, primary sources
  • Instant PDF download
  • Original ink illustrations
  • Inline citations to the tradition and ethnographies
  • Designed for print quality
See all chapters  +
  1. 01The Religion That Crossed the Ocean
  2. 02Olorun and the Distant Sky
  3. 03Oxalá, the Creator in White
  4. 04Xangô, Lord of Thunder and Justice
  5. 05Yemanjá and the Mother Waters
  6. 06Oxum, Iansã, and the Goddesses of River and Wind
  7. 07Ogum, Oxóssi, and the Gods of Iron and the Hunt
  8. 08Exu, the Messenger at the Crossroads
  9. 09The Terreiro: Drums, Dance, and Possession
  10. 10Axé, Offerings, and the Foods of the Gods
  11. 11Candomblé, Umbanda, and the Faiths of the Diaspora

About this book

About this Candomblé mythology guide

The faith the enslaved carried across the ocean and refused to lose: the orixás of West Africa reborn in Brazil, called down by drums, foods, and colors.

When the slave ships emptied their holds onto the docks of Bahia, they carried something the chains could not hold: the gods. To survive, the captives hid their orixás behind the masks of Catholic saints, and so the religion lived. Today Candomblé is a vibrant living faith, with its drums, its dances, its sacred foods, and its priests and priestesses through whom the gods themselves come down to dance.

This book is a respectful guide to that religion. Eleven chapters cover the distant creator Olorun, Oxalá in white, Xangô of thunder and justice, Yemanjá and the mother waters, the goddesses of river and wind, the gods of iron and the hunt, Exu the messenger at the crossroads, and the life of the terreiro: the drumming, the trance, and the sacred force called axé. Every chapter is grounded in the tradition and the major ethnographies.

Delivered as a print-quality PDF within 24 hours of purchase.

What you will discover inside

  • How the enslaved hid the orixás behind Catholic saints and saved their gods
  • Xangô of thunder and justice, who eats fire and rules the storm
  • Yemanjá, mother of the waters, and Oxum of the sweet rivers
  • Exu, the messenger at the crossroads, who carries every offering
  • The terreiro: the drums, the dance, and the descent of the gods into the body
  • Axé, the sacred force, and the foods, colors, and beads of each orixá

Candomblé mythology book at a glance

TraditionCandomblé mythology
Chapters11 chapters
Length150 pages
SourcesDrawn from the primary sources, cited inline
Reading levelBeginner-friendly. Every name and place is explained from scratch
FormatPrint-quality PDF
DeliveryPDF within 24 hours

Formats and editions

EditionWhat you getPrice
Instant PDFPrint-quality download, readable on any device. PDF within 24 hours.$7.99
PaperbackA paperback edition is on the way. Sign up on this page to hear when it lands on Amazon.Coming soon

About the author

Guillaume Henry, founder of Mythologis

Guillaume Henry

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Mythologis

Guillaume Henry founded Mythologis to make the world's mythologies readable without losing what makes them strange. Every Mythologis book draws on the primary sources first, cross-references multiple translations, and avoids inventing details that aren't in the originals.

More about the author

Keep exploring Candomblé mythology

Prefer to read before you buy? These free, fully sourced guides cover the same gods, myths and sources you will meet in the book.

Read the complete Candomblé mythology guide

Questions about the Candomblé mythology book

When will I receive my PDF?

Within 24 hours of purchase. Your download link arrives in your inbox automatically.

Is this book respectful of Candomblé as a living religion?

Yes. Candomblé is a living faith with millions of adherents, and the book treats it as such: descriptively, without sensationalism, and with care for the dignity of its practitioners. It explains beliefs and practices rather than judging them.

Is this book based on primary sources?

Yes. It draws on the oral tradition of the terreiros, the orixá praise-songs and patakís, and the foundational ethnographies of Pierre Verger, Roger Bastide, and Ruth Landes, with references to the standard scholarship.

What is the difference between Candomblé and the Yoruba orisha religion?

Candomblé is the Brazilian form of the West African orisha tradition, reshaped by the experience of slavery and contact with Catholicism. It shares its gods with the Yoruba religion of Nigeria and with Cuban Santería, but it has its own houses, rites, and history. This book centers on the Brazilian tradition.

How long is the book?

Eleven chapters, around 150 pages depending on the final layout. Designed to be read in evenings or in one long sitting.

Will there be a paperback on Amazon?

The PDF is available immediately. A KDP paperback edition follows once the book has been validated by readers.

What formats is this book available in?

Every title is available as an instant PDF, downloaded the moment you buy it: the link appears on the confirmation page and lands in your inbox. Selected titles also have a paperback edition on Amazon. Where the paperback is not out yet, you can sign up to be notified the day it does.

What is the return policy?

The PDF is delivered instantly by Mythologis. If a download ever fails or a file looks wrong, get in touch and we will make it right. Paperbacks bought on Amazon are handled under Amazon's own returns and refund policy.

Can I order from outside the United States?

Yes. The PDF is a digital download, so it works instantly anywhere in the world, with nothing to ship. Where a paperback edition exists, it is sold across Amazon's international marketplaces, with shipping rates and delivery times depending on your country.

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