CRUZ DAS ALMA&: A BRAZILIAN VILLAGE' — PIERSON 



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for instance, is said to be quite sensitive and easily 

 offended. "After a reza or Mass, we go to visit 

 Sao Benedito first,'' said a farm woman. "And 

 when we have a procession in wliich he goes out 

 witli other santos, Sao Benedito is always carried 

 in front; for if he isn't, the procession will have 

 to be given up. He will make it rain, or something. 

 He's very sensitive." Sao Gon^alo is thought to be 

 fond of dancing. At a festa, it is said, "he unties 

 the legs." "Sao Gon(;alo is a gay fellow,'' said a 

 farm woman. "Haven't you noticed he always car- 

 ries a little violdof'' 



Certain santos are thought to be especially ef- 

 ficacious with reference to specific requests. Santo 

 Antonio, for example, is called upon to assist 

 young women to marry. He is also thought to 

 be "the santo of lost things," as a grandmother put 

 it. "He helps you find what you lose." Sao 

 Gon^alo is called upon to assist widows and older 

 women to marry. "Santo Antonio fais achd^'' 

 said an older woman in the village, "e Sao Gon- 

 galo fais casd.^^ (Santo Antonio finds things for 

 you and Sao Gon^alo gets you married.) "It does 

 no good for a young girl to ask him though," said 

 an elderly woman, "because he won't listen to her; 

 only to an older woman." Then she added : 



Sao Gongalo do Amaninte 

 Casamentero das veia 

 Fazei casd as moQa 

 Que mar fizero ela?'°° 



Sao Gongalo is considered to be the "protector" 

 of players of the vioJdo, of domestic animals, and 

 of planted crops. He is also thought to be espe- 

 cially efficacious in healing diseased or injured 

 legs. Sao Bento is said to protect especially 

 against snakes. "When you go into the timber," 

 said a villager, "it's good to ask Sao Bento to pro- 

 tect you." Siio Sebastiao and Sao Eoque are 

 thought to protect especially against smallpox, 

 "or any contagious disease in either men or ani- 

 mals." Sao Jeronimo and Santa Barbara "pro- 

 tect against lightning." "But you must not call 

 upon both of them at the same time," said an 

 elderly woman. "People say they are married 

 and don't get along very well. If you call on 

 both of them, the lightning will destroy every- 

 thing." 



" Sao Gongalo of Amarante, 

 Matchmaker for old women. 

 Help the girls get married tool 

 What harm have they done? 



Of great sigiiificance in the community, is the 

 widely held conception that all santos aid in ill- 

 ness. "The curandeiros 'make prayers,' " said a 

 young mother. "But it is the santos who cure. 

 If you have faith, they 'do the miracle.' " 



To the image of Nossa Senhora da Conceigao, 

 which occupies the main altar in the chapel about 

 5 miles to the south of the village, is attributed 

 miraculous power to bring rain in time of drought. 

 Since, to farmers dependent upon moisture for 

 their crops, rain is an absolute necessity, any pro- 

 longed drought is an extremely serious matter. 

 When rain completely fails, the image is taken 

 from the chapel and brought, in procession, to 

 the village and kept thei-e until it rains. Al- 

 though the padre does not hold the idea, it is 

 widely believed that the santa will cause it to 

 rain "since she does not want to be away from her 

 chapel and she knows that only by making it 

 rain will she be returned to it." 



On November 23, 1947. for instance, after many 

 weeks without rain, a number of local inhabi- 

 tants, led by the fodre, went to the chapel and 

 brought the image in procession to the village. 

 Behind the padre and a little to each side, walked 

 an acolyte. Behind each acolyte came a column 

 of children, followed by a column of girls and 

 women. Then came the image, carried by four 

 men and followed by the other men walking in 

 a group. About 200 persons were in the proces- 

 sion. The sun was blazing in a cloudless sky. 



After entering the village, the procession made 

 its way to the church, where the image was placed 

 at the side of the altar. The building was soon 

 filled and many persons stood outside the open 

 doors and windows. Almost all countenances re- 

 vealed attitudes of reverence and respect. In the 

 vendas, later that day, and wherever farmers and 

 villagers gathered, conversation was almost en- 

 tirely given over to accounts of the procession and 

 to voicing the expectation that a miracle was soon 

 to be performed. "This santa really brings rain," 

 remarked a farmer. ''AVhat is needed, though, is 

 faith. If we have enough faith, we will get rain." 

 "Last year, remember?" recalled a villager. "She 

 saved the crops. And she'll do it again this year. 

 I'm sure." 



Villagers and farmers were awakened the next 

 morning by the sound of rain falling. It con- 

 tinued throughout the day and on into the evening. 



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