ABSTRACT
This article investigates the popular therapies in the Recôncavo da Bahia, understood as hybrid ontologies. During the observation in the field and in the dialogue with the therapists, we realized how the gestures and postures, procedures and statements involved in devotional and religious care (prayers, blessings, offerings, possessions) extend to the environment (herbs, plants, animals, tides, bush, yards, movements of the sun and moon etc.) in a relationship of continuity. Following these connections, we consider the relevance of the pragmatic perspective to analyze the connection between therapeutic techniques and artifacts (fabrications) and vital processes (growths), in order to map some configurations in hybrid ontologies. We also consider the transformative power of ritual in the production of these ontologies.
KEYWORDS:
Popular therapeutics; pragmatics; agency configuration; ritual