CRUZ DAS almas: a BRAZILIAN VILLAGE' — PIERSON 



161 



Shortly after daybreak the following morning, 

 the church bells began to ring. AVhen they had 

 ceased ringing, the band played a march in front 

 of one of the village stores, after which the church 

 bells were again rung for several minutes. The 

 band then played three more marches, one at each 

 of the three other principal points in the village, 

 thus completing what is called the alvorada^ or 

 morning music. During the intervals when the 

 band was moving from one point to the other, 

 rockets were set off. Following the playing of the 

 final march, several morteiros, or large firecrackers, 

 were exploded. 



By 10 o'clock the village had filled with farm 

 families coming in on foot and horseback. At the 

 corner of a village street, a man was selling cane 

 juice. A village woman had made pastries for 

 sale at the bakery. In the -proQa, a man from Boa 

 Vista had set up a small stand where he was selling 

 various trinkets and, later, held a raffle at which 

 several small prizes were offered. 



The regular 10 o'clock Mass was immediately 

 preceded and succeeded by the ringing of the 

 church bells, the setting off of rockets and the play- 

 ing of the band. In the afternoon, an auction of 

 prendas was held, with Bicava again officiating."' 

 Among the articles auctioned were an armadillo, 

 chickens, eggs, sugarcane, pastries, fish, water 

 glasses, bibelots, bottled dnnks, and packs of ciga- 

 rettes. Later, a procession formed, whose subse- 

 quent setting out was announced by the firing off 

 of rockets, the ringing of the church bells, and the 

 playing of the band. Behind the several andores, 

 including that of Nossa Senhora da Piedade in a 

 prominent position, the padre, walking under a red 

 canopy, with a yellow fringe, held by six men, car- 

 ried the Host. As the Host passed, nearly every- 

 one who was not in the procession knelt. Behind 

 the 2^adre came the band, its music alternating with 

 hymns sung by members of the procession. After 

 the group had returned to the church, a reza was 

 held. Four acolytes assisted the padre. Six men 

 stood on the steps leading up to the main altar, 

 each holding a staff about 5 feet long, on the end 

 of which was a candle, enclosed in a square glass 

 frame. At the moment when the Host was ele- 

 vated, the six candles were lighted, rockets were 

 set off outside and a clarinet from the band, sta- 



='' See Division ot Labor, p. 58. 



tioned near the door, was played and a drum 

 beaten. 



The festa of Sao Benedito is held annually on, 

 or near, April 27. This year, approximately 40 

 feateiros divided the responsibility of preparing 

 and carrying it out. On the evening preceding 

 the festa, a mastro was raised in honor of the 

 santo. The village band played and, as the mastro 

 was being raised into position, rockets were shot 

 off. A reza was then held in the village church, 

 after which the band again played. 



The next morning, which was Sunday, a Mass, 

 especially dedicated to Sao Benedito, was cele- 

 brated. It was "announced" by the customary 

 ringing of the church bells, followed by the play- 

 ing of the band and the firing off of rockets. The 

 church was crowded to overflowing. Many per- 

 sons stood in groups outside. Two trucks, loaded 

 with visitors, arrived from Sao Jose dos Patos and 

 another from Boa Vista. In the afternoon, an 

 auction of prendas was held, "announced" by the 

 firing off of one lai-ge and two small iaterias of 

 firecrackers. To the usual means of carrying on 

 the auction, there was added a tombola, a game of 

 chance in which women and girls sold, for half a 

 cruzeiro each, pieces of paper on which numbers 

 were marked, after which a crudely made roulette 

 wheel was spun to determine who won the prenda 

 in question. Following the auction, a procession 

 formed and passed slowly through the streets of 

 the village. Approximately 800 persons partici- 

 pated. Numerous banners and standards were 

 carried, in addition to the andor with the image of 

 Sao Benedito, supported by women and girls. 



Almost the entire month of June is taken up 

 with preparations for, and the actual carrying out 

 of, the festas for three santos populares (popular 

 saints), as they are called: Santo Antonio, casa- 

 menteiro (matchmaker), Sao Joao Batista, padro- 

 eiro dos hatizados (patron saint of the baptized), 

 and Sao Pedro, porteiro do ceu (gatekeeper of 

 heaven) . So much is this so that when the month 

 of June is mentioned, it is associated immediately 

 in the minds of local residents with these three 

 santos. Together with the month of May, which 

 is dedicated to Mary, June is of special signifi- 

 cance in the life of the community. 



The festa of Santo Antonio is held each year 

 on the evening preceding June 13; that of Sao 



