Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T13:54:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MarcosASQ.pdf: 1847107 bytes, checksum: 457dada89e7100d1590a1d686302b684 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-09-19 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / This dissertation is the result of an ethnographic journey undertaken in three spiritual centers of Umbanda , located in different districts of Natal/RN. The aim of the study was to understand how the representations of exus (spirit category) are established in the studied religious environment. In order to study this, mythical narratives of songs and of people were analyzed. In addition, the incorporated spirit entities, loaded with codes and values, were possible to be read and understood. The present work was developed according to a theoretical and methodological approach that interprets culture as a constant construction process, with representations and significations. The empirical research focuses on the ethnographic observations and the narratives; providing the experimentation of the models of discursive dialogues and polyphony. It was observed that the studied empirical field is marked by the cult of the Jurema which influences the mythical construction of exus . Therefore, this study enabled a reflection on the meeting of notions of two distinct worlds ( Umbanda and Jurema ). This reflection is crucial to the understanding of the position that exus occupy in the local umbandista system / Esta disserta??o ? fruto de uma viagem etnogr?fica empreendida em tr?s Centros Esp?ritas de Umbanda, situados em diferentes bairros da cidade do Natal/RN, com o objetivo de compreender como as representa??es dos exus (categoria espiritual) s?o estabelecidas no campo religioso estudado. Para tanto, procurei apreender as narrativas m?ticas presentes nas m?sicas, nos discursos dos sujeitos e no desempenho das entidades espirituais incorporadas, como carregadas de c?digos pass?veis de leitura e dotadas de valores. O trabalho segue um vi?s te?rico-metodol?gico que concebe a cultura como processo em permanente constru??o, dotado de representa??es e significa??es. A pesquisa emp?rica privilegia a observa??o etnogr?fica e as narrativas, propiciando ? experimenta??o de modelos discursivos de di?logos e polifonia. Observou-se que o campo emp?rico ? marcado pelo culto ? Jurema que, por sua vez, influencia a constru??o m?tica dos exus. A investiga??o possibilitou, ainda, a reflex?o sobre o encontro entre duas no??es de mundo distintas (Umbanda e Jurema), determinantes para o entendimento da posi??o que as entidades exus ocupam no sistema umbandista local