I love unique things and, therefore, I am always on the lookout at boot fairs and charity shops for anything that is unusual. The stranger the item, the more I am tempted to buy it so that I can spend many happy hours researching its history. Invariably, these items cost me just a few euros.
One of my recent purchases was a charm necklace. The vendor told me that it might be to ward off evil spirits. Not wanting to get involved in ’voodoo’ things, I very nearly did not buy it, but it being so unusual, I took a chance and I am so glad that I did!
I discovered that the necklace is a ‘Penca de Balangandã’ and that this charm jewellery originated in the Bahia area of Brazil in the 17th century. Bahia is where African and Brazilian cultures are most intertwined for it was here that the slave trade began in the 1500s when slaves were brought from Africa to work on the sugar plantations. The balangandãs can depict both cultures, symbolising their combined beliefs, customs and heritage.
Enslaved women were not allowed to wear jewels, but once they gained their freedom, they began to wear balangandãs in protest and as a statement of their freedom.
The balangandã became popular in the 18th and 19th centuries as freed slaves invested their money in the small charms. These were usually made of gold or silver and could also be traded as investments. Some charms would also be given to slaves by the slave owners as a form of payment.
The name balangandã refers to the noise that the charms make when they dangle against each other and most likely derives from Bantu words.
Traditionally, the charms were hung on a large clasp made to symbolise the slave ships and it had a bird on each side to depict the continents of the Americas and Africa. The clasps with the various charms were worn on a chain around a woman’s waist or wrist. When they were not being worn, they were hung near the door in their house for protection. Being the superstitious person that I am, my charms are hanging by the front door … just in case.
Each collection of charms reflected the individual’s circumstances, their hopes and beliefs. There were also special charms to evoke the protection from Christian saints and African gods, thus combining the two cultures. Charms for health, happiness and prosperity were favoured, but there were also ones worn in gratitude for the survival of a hard time, illness or trauma. Traditionally, the charms could be domestic tools, fruits, objects, religious symbols, coins, food, animals etc., each with its own symbolism and special meaning to its owner.
My fascinating balangandã has nine charms on a 30 cm chain, without the large clasp. The charms are relatively small in comparison to those worn on the waist of which I have seen photographs online. I do not know whether it is vintage or modern, but I do think it is old and made of silver. It was rather tarnished as can be seen in my before and after photographs but became a beautiful silver necklace once I cleaned it.
The chain itself represents the slavery and wards off sickness and evil. I believe the first charm on the left to be a Buriti fruit, also known as the tree of life for its health benefits. Second is a pitanga Brazilian cherry used by the indigenous people for medicinal purposes, so both of these represent health and wellbeing.
The third is a cashew apple (caju) which originated in the northeast of Brazil. Did you know that a cashew nut is actually the seed that comes from the tip of a fruit used for making juice? I had no idea. The ‘nut’ is extracted from its outer toxic shell and roasted. As a charm, the cashew is to honour the gods of thunder, lightning, fire and justice.
Next comes the ladle (Cuia or Cabaça), a gourd vessel which in some African cultures symbolises the female womb. The gourd is hollowed out, dried and attached to a handle to scoop liquids or for eating. Used in everyday life, the Cuia reflected the resourcefulness of the enslaved people.
Then there is what is probably the most common charm seen on balangandãs sold at auctions and in antique shops. It is the wooden carved fist in the form of a ‘fig’ or ‘figas’ with the thumb protruding between the bent index and middle fingers. Still used today, this symbol wards off jealousy, illness and evil spirits. The arm and hand is always made of wood, in contrast to the rest of the silver charms, perhaps to emulate the natural strength of wood and its spiritual significance in African cultures.
The gourd charm represents Christian saints, protects children and depicts its versatility, usefulness as a water-carrying vessel.
This is next to the Berimbau which is an Angolan musical bow, introduced by the slaves to Brazil. It is usually made with Biriba wood, a gourd as a resonator and a single steel stringed bow. Sounds are created by using a stick or stone across the bow and it is still used by various musicians today.
Next is the cocoa bean representing where the slaves worked. Cocoa plantations in Bahia were created after Dom Pedro II, King of Portugal, directed in 1679 that Brazilian landowners had to plant cacao trees. The cocoa plantations took over from the sugar plantations and became economically important to the country during the Portuguese colonization as well as after the Brazilian independence of 1822.
Finally, there is the pomegranate which is a symbol for wealth and fertility. Pomegranates were planted by the Portuguese settlers in their new homeland and even today the pomegranate is very symbolic in Brazil and is often used in festive celebrations and to grace church altars.
Balangandãs are still used in religious rituals related to the Candomblé and Umbanda religions which combine African religions with influences from Roman Catholicism. However, most are made as a tourist souvenier with new types of charms and materials replacing the ancient silver, brass and copper.
The Balangandã is not just a decorative necklace. It depicts the history and identity of the African- Brazilian traditions and cultures. It is a symbol of the slaves’ lives transmitting, through time, their resilience and strengh, keeping their story alive. I am so honoured to own it.
So now you know!
By Isobel Costa
|| features@algarveresident.com
Isobel Costa works full time and lives on a farm with a variety of pet animals! In her spare time, she enjoys photography, researching and writing.
