 Conforming the Afro-Brazilian roots of capoeira, the grades in our group follow the tradition of the Candomblé (Afro-Brazilian religion) and the color of the cordãos (ropes) is that which matches that of the corresponding Orixá. During over 350 years black slaves were transported by boat from their native Africa to the transatlantic new world to work in the mines and on the plantations. The tradesmen from Bahia justified the cruel institute of slave commerce by converting the black souls, that were till then submurged in the darkness idolatry, to (mainly) catholissism. As such, all slave boats were baptised with the name of a christian saint, having the task to protect the slave merchant, his boats and the transported merchandise. Those saints, protectors of the slave merchants, allowed the slaves to mislead their masters regarding the signification of the danses they were allowed to perform on sundays during their reunions by originating country (in 1758 the count dos Arcos, 7th vice-king of Brazil, showed himself in favor of this kind of occupations, not by filanthropy, but because he thaught it was useful ''that the slaves kept the memory of their origin alive, and that they wouldn't forget their mutual aversion that brought them to make war against each other in Africa''. Divided as such, they wouldn't be able to organise a common rebellion against their master (as they would do 50 years later)). They supposed that de danses their slaves performed, and the songs each chanted in his own language, were but an innocent and nostalgic passtime. They couldn't know that what they sang during those gatherings were actually prayers in honor of their Orixas, Voduns or Inkissis. When asked for explanations regarding their chants, the slaves stated that they were hymns for the saints of the paradise (of the catholic church of course). With time, the Africans began to create similarities between their Orixas ans the saints of the catholic church. This religious synchretism came into being gradually, and it is therefore very difficult to say when this mixing of religions and religious convictions precisely took place. Sometimes there is some concordance between the characteristics of an Orixa and those of the corresponding saint, by their proprieties or their image. Every Orixa has a corresponding saint, even when we don't know very well what relations there might exist between the two of them. | 