Faith tested by fire: Venezuela’s María Lionza cult
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Thousands of people travel to Cerro María Lionza mountain in Yaracuy, Venezuela, each year, with peak visits occurring on October 11 and 12 to participate in spiritual ceremonies.
For decades, devotees have gathered to honor María Lionza, a central figure in Venezuelan espiritismo, along with other deities like Cacique Tamanaco, Catia, Rosa, and Tibisay. These gatherings represent a continuation of indigenous traditions dating back to the colonial period and are seen as an expression of Venezuelan identity.
One key ritual, the Baile en Candela (Dance on Embers), takes place at midnight on October 12. During this ceremony, practitioners, some with decades of experience, walk across hot embers, fueled by the energy of drums, tobacco, candles, and collective shouts of encouragement. Edward Guidice, a ritual practitioner for 30 years and a devotee of María Lionza for 42, exemplifies the deep faith of those involved.
Following the Dance on Embers, devotees participate in other ceremonies including the Baile del Vidrio (Dance of Glass). This ritual, primarily performed by the Viking Court, involves practitioners in a trance walking and dancing on broken glass. Participants sometimes demonstrate their faith through acts of self-purification, such as allowing blades to pass over their tongues. This year, ceremonies also honored the Medical Court following earthquakes and resulting fatalities in La Guaira.
Through these rituals, devotees believe entities inhabit human bodies to heal and offer guidance.
