RT Article
T1 The Castrated Phallic God: Representations of Kurupi in Brazilian Religious Education
JF International journal of Latin American religions
SP 269
OP 285
A1 Stern, Fábio L.
A1 de Souza, Camila André
A1 Júnior, Antônio Pedro Lima
A2 de Souza, Camila André
A2 Júnior, Antônio Pedro Lima
LA English
YR 2025
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1927423325
AB Kurupi, a phallic Tupi-Guarani deity widely worshipped across Latin America, takes on distinct cultural adaptations in Brazil, influenced by significant historical forces. Despite the impact of the Tupi language on Brazilian culture, the colonial-era criminalization of Indigenous practices and later adaptations have resulted in a desexualized portrayal of Kurupi in Brazilian classrooms. This study compares representations of Kurupi by religious education teachers from São Paulo and the Amazon region. While educators in the Amazon tend to lean towards traditional Indigenous portrayals, teachers in São Paulo often incorporate syncretic elements, blending Indigenous and African influences shaped by popular media. We explore how these portrayals reflect broader trends in Orientalism and show how the Brazilian education system reshapes Indigenous myths to align with dominant urban perspectives, separating them from their cultural roots.
K1 African Religions
K1 Brazilian religious education
K1 Comparative Religion
K1 Cultural adaptation
K1 Decolonial studies
K1 Indian Religions
K1 Indigenous Religion
K1 Indigenous religions
K1 Orientalism
K1 Pagan Religions
K1 Paganism
K1 Tupi-Guarani mythology
DO 10.1007/s41603-024-00276-3