Olga de Alaketu, priestess of Candomble temple; at 80

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Olga de Alaketu, the high priestess of one the oldest temples of the Afro-Brazilian religion Candomble, died of complications from diabetes, hospital officials said. She was 80.

Ms. Alaketu presided over the Ile Maroia Laji terreiro, as Candomble temples are known. The temple was established in 1636, making it one of the oldest in the coastal city of Salvador da Bahia, where the religion is based. She was buried Friday.

Ms. Alaketu's terreiro was frequented by prominent figures, including Brazilian writer Jorge Amado and French anthropologist Pierre Verger. Earlier this year, the terreiro was declared a national heritage site by Brazil's Culture Ministry.

Candomble is an animist religion brought over with the African slaves, mostly from Nigeria and Benin. Followers incorporate spirits in ceremonies filled with music and dancing that often last throughout the night. The ceremonies can also involve animal sacrifices.

''In the last 40 years, we can consider Mother Olga as the greatest proponent of the religion of the Orixas in all Brazil," said singer and Culture Minister Gilberto Gil at the ceremony declaring the terreiro a national heritage site.

Historians said Ms. Alaketu was a fifth-generation descendent of the royal family of Aro, from present-day Benin. Her ancestors were brought to Brazil as slaves and were instrumental in establishing Candomble in Brazil.