Former Richest Man in Brazil Offers Gold Coins Worth US$ 170,000 to Afro-Brazilian Deity Yemanja in a Bid To Return to Glory

Former Richest Man in Brazil Offers Gold Coins Worth US$ 170,000 to Afro-Brazilian Deity Yemanja in a Bid To Return to Former Glory

By Julio Severo

Once the richest man in Brazil, Eike Batista is claimed to have resorted to an Afro-Brazilian ritual in the hope of rebuilding his billion-dollar empire, throwing gold in the Atlantic Ocean.

Eike Batista, in his former glory

The flamboyant businessman, who suffered one of the largest personal and financial collapses in corporate history, tossed over 700 thousand Brazilian Reals (about US$ 170,000) in gold coins onto the waves off the coast of Rio de Janeiro’s Ipanema beach last month after a medium and a priest of the Umbanda religion advised he needed to appease a water-bound deity Yemanja, known in Brazil as the queen of the seas. Umbanda is one of the several Afro-Brazilian religions following syncretic polytheistic beliefs that draw on African spiritual traditions mixed with elements of Roman Catholicism.

Brazilian Catholics are often syncretic, openly going to Mass on Sundays, but secretly going to Afro-Brazilian rituals on Friday.

In the past, Batista used psychics to guide his businesses, but his superstitions were unable to prevent the tide of misfortune. In 2013, when the Brazilian economy began its worst recession in over two decades, Batista lost 99 percent of his multi-billion dollar fortune. After mediums, psychics and misfortune, he is looking for more of the same.

Chartering a yacht, he took to sea to perform an Afro-Brazilian ceremony that involved placing the gold coins in an offering of flowers, perfume, champagne and a statue of Yemanja. The Umbanda priest led prayers, meditation and chanting, prophesying Batista’s return to the top will be “in only a matter of months.” 

Umbanda priests usually receive very large sums to perform their ceremonies for the rich. Batista has declined to comment how much he paid the Umbanda priest.

He has also made no mention of pentagrams and how many animals were sacrificed. Yet, an adherent makes any sacrifice to get his wishes fulfilled by the Afro-Brazilian spirits.

Regardless their ideological affiliation, many prominent Brazilian personalities resort to witchcraft for help, power and wealth. In 2012, even the U.S. government invited a Brazilian psychic to avert Superstorm Sandy. But the effort was useless.

In her 2008 trip to Brazil, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, a Presbyterian Republican, made an effort to honor the Afro-Brazilian religions as a rich legacy of Brazilians of African extraction.

With information from DailyMail.

Portuguese version of this article: Ex-homem mais rico do Brasil oferece moedas de ouro no valor de 700 mil reais para Iemanjá em tentativa de voltar à glória passada

Source: Last Days Watchman

Recommended Reading:

US Government Invited Brazilian Psychic to Avert Sandy

Associated Press defends Umbanda as an “Afro-Brazilian religion under threat”

Condoleezza Rice, a famous daughter of an American Presbyterian minister, visits Brazil to strengthen Afro-Brazilian religions

The 50 Most Violent Cities in the World Are Mostly Catholic and Syncretic