[Spanish influenza in the Bahia de Todos os Santos: between science rituals and faith rituals]

This article aims to analyze responses of the population to the influenza epidemic that struck Salvador, capital of Bahia state, Brazil, in early September 1918. From this perspective, we discuss the measures taken by health authorities, the defensive actions of ordinary people, and the adoption of religion-based practices to confront a disease hitherto considered benign and seasonal, which appeared with a surprising virulence at an unusual time of year. We used newspapers published in Salvador during the influenza epidemic as a privileged source for this research.