Luanda in the 17th Century: Diversity and Cultural Interaction in the Process of Forming an Afro-Atlantic City

Abstract

This article aims to study the social reality of Luanda (Angola) during the 17th century. While it will seek to profile the main groups in question it focuses especially on the universe of African slaves, the largest social group by far. It will describe these socio-ethnic groups with some of their characteristics (language, everyday habits, beliefs and rituals) revealing a clearly evident cultural diversity. Simultaneously, it also aims to assess how processes of transfers took place in these areas, generating forms of reciprocal adaptation between vast sectors of the African and European population, in a process of miscegenation which was typical of this city.