Abstract
Candomblé is an African tradition with its own social organization, hierarchy, and rules. Researching with children in the Candomblé ketu Ilê Axé Omin Mafé terreiro in Sergipe, one can understand that the world of Candomblé has its own theories and notions whose relationship with Western theories and notions is complementary. During 15 years of research on ketu Candomblé, I have collected data on the experience of children in religion, the social and ritual places they occupy, and the experience of children who have relative ritual authority over adults and children, such as “ogian boys”. Looking at children with ritual authority at Ilê Axé Omin Mafé, the relativization of the child’s (social and biological) notion is evident.
Keywords:
Candomblé; children; ogans; ritual authority