Syncretism

We explain what syncretism is and in what contexts it can occur. In addition, we tell you what cultural, religious and linguistic syncretism is.

What is syncretism?

Syncretism is the fusion or combination of different cultural beliefs or traditions. It occurs when elements from different societies integrate to form a new system of beliefs or practices.

The phenomenon of syncretism occurs as a result of a process of intense contact between different groups, such as the conquest of one people by another or the prolonged social, cultural and commercial exchange between two different societies.

The term syncretism It is of ancient Greek origin. It is believed to come from the Greek word sýnkresis, which means “union” or “fusion”. In the 16th century, the term was used by the Dutch philosopher Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466-1536) to refer to the conciliation of two different philosophical perspectives. Since then, it became a word used in various social sciences, such as anthropology, linguistics and history.

cultural syncretism

Cultural syncretism is a process of cultural mixing, in which two or more cultures merge into one. This process can occur in very different ways and over long periods of time.

In most cases, it involves the imposition of a dominant culture on another dominated one, but the result of the contact between the two is that of a new culture, mixed and inheritor of both traditions.

Examples of cultural syncretism

Throughout history, there have been different examples of cultural syncretism. Among them, we can highlight:

1. Greco-Roman culture. It was formed by the incorporation of fundamental elements of the culture of Ancient Greece by the society of Ancient Rome. The Romans took much of the Greek pantheon and stories, giving Latin names to the gods and identifying their Roman culture with that described in rich Greek mythology.
2. Latin American culture. The construction of Latin American identity occurred from the syncretism between Native American cultures, the dominant European culture and the African culture brought by slaves, the result of the conquest and colonization of America in the 15th century.
3. Tex-Mex Culture. The cuisine of the border region between Mexico and the United States reflects in its name the fusion that gave rise to it. In it the ingredients and flavors of both cultures are combined. For its part, Tex-Mex music incorporates elements of Mexican folklore with the influence of American country and rockabilly music.

religious syncretism

Religious syncretism is the process of assimilation of two or more different belief systems, which gives rise to a new religious culture which combines elements of both systems. It is a historical process that occurs due to the imposition of one religion on another and the reinterpretation of the fundamental elements of both traditions.

On many occasions, religious syncretism allows deities from different religions to be assimilated into one. For example, in the Afro-Brazilian tradition, figures of Catholic saints were combined with Yoruba divinities, creating a unique synthesis that reflects the diverse cultural heritage of the region.

In other cases, equivalences are established between practices and stories. In this way, elements common to both religions are identified and reinterpreted as a new common teaching. For example, in the syncretism between Native American traditions and Catholicism during colonization, ancestral deities and rituals were reinterpreted as Christian saints, allowing indigenous communities to preserve elements of their culture while adopting the Christian faith imposed by the colonizers.

Examples of religious syncretism

Some historical examples of religious syncretism are the following:

1. Isis-Demeter. In the Hellenistic world, the Egyptian goddess Isis was syncretized with the Greek goddess Demeter, through the fusion of elements of both religious traditions in a widespread popular cult.
2. Yoruba Santeria. In Cuba, Santeria practices combined African Yoruba elements with Catholicism, so that each orisha (spirit) corresponds to a Catholic saint. This facilitated the survival of ancestral practices under the images of the Christian religion.
3. Dionysus-Bacchus. In Ancient Rome, the Greek god Dionysus was assimilated and syncretized with the Roman god Bacchus, resulting in a combined divine figure that incorporated elements of both cultural and religious traditions.

Linguistic syncretism

Linguistic syncretism is the process that occurs when a population that has a certain language incorporates elements from another such as words, expressions and ways of forming sentences.

This procedure occurs as a consequence of contact between two different cultures. Generally, one's language is dominant or has more prestige, but it does not impose itself completely, but rather some of its elements are incorporated into the less prestigious language. In this way, this language does not disappear, but is modified by assimilating terms or variants of the dominant language.

On the one hand, this phenomenon frequently occurs when religious or cultural syncretism occurs, since words are incorporated that name new elements or practices that did not exist in the target language. On the other hand, it also develops in bilingual societies, since one language or another is used depending on the situation and there is one that has greater social prestige.

Another definition of syncretism: From a morphosyntactic perspective, syncretism refers to the process by which one word absorbs another, as part of the process of formation of a new language or historical changes within the same language. Terms that have this origin are known as syncretic forms. For example: some Spanish verb forms, such as jumpedcan refer to the first person (I) or to the third (he either she). These verbal terms presented differentiated morphologies in Latin, but during the formation of Spanish the current forms absorbed the others.

Syncretism today

Nowadays, syncretism It continues to be a relevant and dynamic phenomenon that manifests itself in various forms at a global level. In the cultural sphere, syncretism is evident in music, art, fashion and other cultural manifestations.

In this sense, communication and transportation technologies allow different elements of a society to adapt to new contexts, giving rise to hybrid creations that mix local traditions with global influences.

For example, Contemporary urban music often incorporates elements from different musical genres and regional styles so that a sonic syncretism is generated that resonates with diversified audiences around the world.

Syncretism in Latin America

In Latin America, syncretism has been a fundamental phenomenon due to the history of European imposition on American societies. During the Spanish and Portuguese conquest and colonization, Indigenous religious traditions were incorporated and reinterpreted within the framework of European Catholicism.

This process gave rise to the creation of new religious expressions known as syncretic religions, where Catholic figures and practices were combined with deities, rituals and beliefs of local indigenous cultures. A notable example is the veneration of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico, whose cult has roots in both the Catholic religion and pre-Columbian Aztec beliefs.

In addition to the religious, syncretism in Latin America extends to other aspects of cultural life. In music, for example, cultural mixing has given rise to genres such as Afro-Latin music, which fuses African rhythms (present due to the European trade of African slaves to America) with European and Amerindian elements.

This process of syncretism allowed the preservation of various aspects of the identity of American and African societies oppressed by Europeans and is fundamental to the cultural identity of Latin America.

References

• Castillejos López, W and Santos Cervantes, C. (2018). Syncretism as a strategy for the survival of native languages ​​in Mexico. Journal of Agricultural Geography(61), 179-200.
• Ellwood, RR and Alles, GD (Eds.). (2007). The Encyclopedia of World Religions. Facts on File.
• Francis, J and Leonard, T. (Eds.). (2006). Syncretism. Encyclopedia of Latin America, vol I: Amerindians through Foreign Colonization (Prehistory to 1560). Facts on File.
• The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2019). Religious Syncretism. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/