Entre a cura e o pecado: práticas femininas de magia e medicina nos casoso inquisitoriais da América portuguesa

Abstract

ABSTRACT:This article analyzes the role of women in the field of healing practices in Portuguese America, focusing on the relations between magic and medicine in the colonial period. Initially, it discusses the historiographical construction of the history of women and their insertion in the Brazilian context. Next, it addresses women’s popular knowledge related to folk healing, frequently associated with witchcraft. The research is based on the analysis of inquisitorial cases, evidencing the forms of repression and control exercised over these practices. Through bibliographic review and document analysis, the study seeks to understand how the activities of these women were interpreted and, often, criminalized, revealing tensions between healing practices, social norms, and institutions of power.