Photo credits: Kelis Blanquicet Herrera
San Basilio de Palenque, located in the Colombian Caribbean, is not only famous for its history of resistance and freedom, but also for its rich and complex spirituality. In an effort to understand this dimension beyond stereotypes, we explore the beliefs, rituals and practices that are integral to life in Palenque and its cultural identity.
Spirituality in Palenque is rooted in African religions, fused with Catholic elements, a syncretism that reflects the cultural resilience and adaptation of enslaved Africans. The Palenqueros believe in spiritual entities and ancestors that influence their daily lives. These beliefs not only provide solace but also keep our connection to our African roots alive.
Palenque’s rituals are rich in symbolism. Rites of passage, such as baptisms and funerals, incorporate ancestral traditions and are essential for social cohesion. Julia Miranda, a traditional sabedora (wisewoman), explains, “In each ceremony, we honor our ancestors and keep our traditions alive.”
Music and dance are fundamental during our spiritual ceremonies. Drumming, singing, and dancing are not only forms of artistic expression, but also means of communication with our ancestors and spiritual entities. In addition, traditional medicine, practiced by healers, combines a knowledge of medicinal plants, prayers, and santiguos (blessings), which reflect a cosmovision where the spiritual and the physical are intrinsically linked. For example, the Festival of Drums and Cultural Expressions of Palenque, which has been held since 1985, is a space where all these cultural manifestations converge for several days. This year, the festival is dedicated to Palenque women.
The Lumbalú is a funeral ceremony of the Palenquero community, an example of the cultural and religious syncretism that characterizes the Palenqueros, a merging of African and Catholic elements.
In San Basilio de Palenque, the cemetery also represents a spiritual place, a source of protection and connection between the hereafter, the afterlife and the reconnection with the ancestral territory. In an interview with Professor Sebastián Salgado Reyes, about the importance of the cemetery, he said: “For the Palenqueros this place and its location is very important, because it allows the protection and safeguarding of life during the final moments of the Lumbalú wake.”
El Lumbalú es una ceremonia fúnebre de la comunidad palenquera, ejemplo del sincretismo cultural y religioso que caracteriza a los palenqueros, combinando elementos africanos con influencias católicas.
The Lumbalú wake ceremony usually lasts nine days and nine nights, during which rites are performed to allow the soul of the deceased to transit to the other world. During the last night, games and rounds are performed to keep the mourners awake. Everyone in the community, including family members, friends and neighbors, participate in the Lumbalú, they gather to pay homage to the deceased and support the relatives in their mourning.
In an interview with my father, the teacher and philologist Bernardino Pérez Mirando, as a community storyteller1 for the Baudó Agencia Pública media, he emphasized: “The Lumbalú is the connecting portal between life and death. And it is through the Lumbalú that happiness is attained in those three worlds that represent each of the souls: the supreme world, that connection with life and the earthly world, and the Kalunga world. That Kalunga is the world of the mohans.”
As I mentioned in my previous article on the Palenque river, the Mohán represents the connection between the earthly world and the underwater spiritual world, as a symbol of respect for nature and caution in the face of the unknown.
“It should be noted that, kasariambe is a space where souls interact, a space where we watch over the health, protection and welfare of their loved ones, to allow them safe passage through the Lambe River in the canoe without a paddle. For us, the Lambe River is the path between our world and eternal life,” said Salgado Reyes.
Music and dance are crucial elements of this ritual; African-rooted rhythms and chants hold spiritual significance and help guide the soul of the deceased on its journey to the afterlife. The pechiche drum is a traditional instrument used in the Lumbalú ceremony, and its sound is essential in creating the ritual atmosphere, setting the rhythm for the songs and dances.
The funeral chant, “A pila e la lo”, usually accompanies this mourning, as Salgado Reyes explains, “Relatives and friends carry the soul that remains in the house, through the ritual ‘a pila e la lo’ [a pile of rice], to integrate with the two [souls] that were detached from the body at the moment of death, to dialogue about their roles in protecting their relatives.”
To learn more about the Lumbalú, I invite you to watch this video produced by the Universidad de la Costa, in conversation with Moraima María Cimarra Hernández, where I participated as film and interviews community liaison in my Palenque community:
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