CRUZ DAS almas: a BRAZILIAN VILLAGE — PIERSON 



149 



found in certain other communities of Brazil. 

 Tlie anjo da gxiarda (guardian angel) , wliich each 

 person is presumed to have "to protect him from 

 all harm," is also considered a sa7ito by at least 

 some of the local inhabitants. "He's just like all 

 the other santos"' remarked a woman in the village. 

 "Like Sao Benedito and Santo Antonio." "Every 

 night," said a joung motlier, "I pray to the guard- 

 ian angel and all the other santos.^' The guard- 

 ian is represented as an angel, with wings spread, 

 hovering near a child which is sometimes pictured 

 as in danger of falling over a precipice. Occa- 

 sionally, an image, made of metal, is employed. 

 "It's a good thing to hang up in a truck," said a 

 woman in the village. "It px'otects you from all 

 harm." 



One of the more popular santos in the com- 

 munity is Sao Benedito. "All the santos work 

 miracles," said a young farm woman, "but in 

 these parts people make many promessas to Sao 

 Benedito." The image is black and the santo is 

 referred to as a preto (black). ^^° 



Several persons indicated their preference 

 among the santos as follows : 



I pray to all the santos, but especially to Sao Benedito 

 and Santo Antonio. 



I like best Sao Bom Jesus de Pirapora. He's a great 

 miracle worker. 



I pray to all the santos; but here in our house we 

 especially like Nossa Senhora da Aparecida, Nossa 

 Senhora do Bom Parto, Nossa Senhora do Monte 

 Serrat, and Nossa Senhora da Guia. 



We in our family like Nossa Senhora da Aparecida 

 very much. She is the best worker of miracles. 



I have faith in all the santos; but I go especially to 

 Sao Benedito for help. 



Santo Antonio is my favorite ; you ask him for some- 

 thing and he gives it to you. 



I pray to all the santos, but for me Sao Bom Jesus de 

 Pirapora is the best miracle worker. 



My advocate is Nossa Senhora do Monte Serrat ; I 

 also am devoted to Sao Braz and Santo Antonio 

 and I pray to tlie Guardian Angel, too. 



I prefer S.ao Bom Jesus de Pirapora and Sao Benedito. 



I was named for Santo Antonio. If you ask him for 

 something, he takes care of you right away. 



I pray more to "Santo" Antoninho Marmo. 



Reference has already been made to the images 

 in the village church (see Churches and Chapels, 

 p. 144). In the large chapel to the north of the 

 village, an image of Nossa Senhora da Apareci- 

 dinha, enclosed in a glass case, occupies the central 



^0 The image of Nossa Senhora da Aparecida is also black. 



place on the only altar. In front and a little to 

 one side, is an image of Sao Geraldo and, opposite, 

 on the other side, one of Santa Terezinlia. On 

 wooden supports, located at intervals around the 

 walls, are images of Sao Benedito, Sao Roque, 

 Mary with the infant Jesus in her arms, and Santa 

 Rita. At the feet of the latter are a number of 

 photographs taken in the Casa dos Milagres 

 (House of Miracles) at the shrine of Sao Bom 

 Jesus de Pirapora, in the town of Pirapora. In a 

 small room to the left of the altar, is another image 

 of Sao Benedito. 



At the chapel several miles to the east of the 

 village, an image of Nossa Senhora da Conceigao, 

 about 30 inches high, occupies the niche on the only 

 altar, with a smaller image of Sao Jose on one side. 

 Resting on the floor, one at each end of the altar, 

 are figures identified locally as representations of 

 Adam and Eve, which apparently once served as 

 altar supports (pi. 16, e). On a small table in 

 front of the altar are images of Jesus, Nossa 

 Senhora da Aparecida, Sao Benedito, Santo 

 Antonio, Santa Cecilia, Santa Rosa, Santa Tere- 

 zinha, and Sao Bento. On one wall are litho- 

 graphs of Nossa Senhora da Concei^ao and Santo 

 Antonio; on another wall is a lithograph with the 

 inscription, "the true and only picture of the 

 Virgin of the Highway of Leon." On a small 

 table nearby is another lithograph with the in- 

 scription, "the true and only picture of Sao Bom 

 Jesus de Pirapora." On the main altar in the 

 chapel about 5 miles to the south of the village is 

 another and larger image of Nossa Senhora da 

 Conceigao. 



Each image in the church in the village and in 

 the various chapels of the community belongs to 

 the respective sanctuary. No image is the per- 

 sonal property of a local resident who has placed 

 it in the church, or one of the chapels, while retain- 

 ing actual ownership of it. 



Of special significance are the household images 

 referred to locally as "the santos here in the house." 

 All have been acquired by some member of the 

 family, living or deceased, either by purchase or 

 as a gift. The act of acquiring an image, however, 

 is never referred to as a "purchase;" to employ 

 this term is considered "disrespectful." Troca (ex- 

 change) is used instead. 



Shortly after being acquired, the household 

 image is taken to the village church to be blessed by 



