A cura pela palavra: a trajetória de uma rezadeira entre o campo e a cidade e sua vivência de reza tradicional

Abstract

This article aims to describe the development of the craft of the rezadeira traditional healer who uses prayer through the account of Dona Lurdes, who details her more than 40 years of practice. By examining her work, we can also reflect on all the other people—mostly women who—organize their daily activities by prioritizing praying and healing through words for those who seek them, as the main task amidst all the other responsibilities they must perform in their day-to-day lives. Praying for others takes precedence over any other commitments they might have at the time. In this work, we chose a qualitative approach to analyze the phenomena of this healing activity, using interviews, some photographs, and bibliographic references to provide support and breadth to this focus on the craft of healing through words, which is an integral part of popular religiosity. In the area where we conducted our research, there used to be many rezadeiras and rezadores (male healers), but today we found only two elderly women, both over eighty years old—one still active, the other no longer practicing. Our research was conducted in the city of Ingá, which is part of the Agreste Paraibano mesoregion, with a population of 17,692 inhabitants (2022 census), located ninety-seven kilometers from the capital, João Pessoa. During our fieldwork, we concluded that the decrease in the number of rezadeiras is concerning, and efforts must be made to formalize the recognition of this craft by public institutions so that this legacy can be passed on to future generations as both information and appreciation, enabling new rezadeiras to take up the role left by the older ones. One effective way would be to incorporate traditional prayer/blessing into the Integrative and Complementary Health Practices (PICS¹), as outlined in Ordinance No. 702, Annex A of Annex 4 of Annex XXV, within the framework defined as "laying on of hands.