Re: Ramatis
in reply to a message by Cicely Jožefa Lundquist
Ramatis would seem to be a name from Brazilian spiritualism. It is the name of a spirit who has reportedly spoken through several different mediums in Brazil since around 1955. From the following discussion, it would seem that the first medium to "channel" Ramatis was Hercilio Maes. The medium Wagner Borges has explained Ramatis as a name combining sounds from Rama and Sita, two characters in the Hindu epic the Ramayana. Whether one accepts that explanation would depend on what one thinks of mediums, I suppose. It does seem likely that the name is based on Rama, since the spiritualists who channel the spirit seem to be heavily influenced by their understanding of Hinduism, though I think the connection with Sita may be an after the fact explanation and the -tis ending was probably a suffix Maes's mind came up with on its own.
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