The Kimbundu Diaspora to Brazil: Records from the Slave Ship Brilhante, 1838

Abstract

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was a major slave trading port in the nineteenth century, with most of the slaves coming from Angola, in West Central Africa. The inland origins of these captives, however, are still largely ignored. This article traces the linguistic origins of slaves transported from Angola to Rio de Janeiro based on the names of Africans liberated from the slave ship Brilhante in 1838. It shows that a significant proportion of these Africans had Kimbundu names, indicating that they were originally captured in regions close to the coast through warfare, judicial proceedings, and self- enslavement. The names further indicate that these Africans came from rural societies divided by social class and who had a profound belief in god, the power of spirits, and in the afterlife.