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INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 1 2 



was the village band. Immediately behind the 

 image of Nossa Senhora da ConceiQao, came the 

 padre, followed by two parallel lines of older girls 

 and women. The other men walked behind, in 

 a gi'oup. Descending the hill on which the chapel 

 is located, the members of the procession took a 

 road which passes partially around the hill and, 

 after traversing some 600 yards, returned to the 

 chapel from the other side. Meanwhile, rockets 

 were set off and haterias of firecrackers were ex- 

 ploded by John-the-Letter-Carrier. After the 

 image had again been returned to the altar, the 

 padre spoke to the assembled people, exhorting 

 them "to love Our Lady as much as, or more than, 

 Jesus Christ, for she is His mother and He loved 

 her dearly and His respect for her was very great." 

 The crowd then dispersed, with the exception of 

 three men who were unable to walk by reason of 

 the pinga and beer which they had consumed and 

 who lay in different parts of the grounds. Among 

 the topics of conversation which were heard being 

 discussed as the men left the chapel were the onion 

 crop, the extreme heat, the way "some men drink 

 too much" and the "fights that used to occur" at 

 this festa, "for this neighborhood, which is now a 

 peaceful one," remarked a farmer, "once was fa- 

 mous for its fighting." 



The festa of Nossa Senhora da Aparecidinha 

 is held on September 8 at the chapel near the river 

 to the north of the village. This year, stalls were 

 erected near the chapel, at which games of chance 

 were played and pinga, qxientao, cafe, cane juice 

 and other drinks offered for sale, as well as food, 

 including fish, pork, beans, rice, bread, pastries, 

 oranges, and peanuts. After an auction of 

 prendas, the image of Nossa Senhora da Apare- 

 cidinha was carried in procession. Approximately 

 500 persons were present. 



On the preceding day, a festa in honor of Sao 

 Benedito had been celebrated, at the same chapel. 

 An auction and a procession were held and the 

 village band played during the day. That night, 

 a bonfire was lighted and a samha held in front of 

 the church. The latter is a favorite folk dance 

 occasionally seen in the community. Two drums 

 of different sizes beat out the samha rhythm while 

 the people present formed in a circle and danced 

 forward and backward to the music. As they 

 danced, sentences improvised by the leader, as well 

 as by others, were sung. 



Once a year, many local residents travel out of 

 the community to the festa of Sao Bom Jesus de 

 Pirapora,^''^^ which is famous all over the region 

 (Vieira da Cunha, 1937) . It is held on August 5, 

 G, and 7. This year, on the final day, approxi- 

 mately 20,000 people visited the small town some- 

 time during the day, and probably 2,000 persons 

 participated in the procession held that afternoon. 

 About half of the persons present were blacks or 

 dark mulattoes. The sexes were rather equally 

 represented. Perhaps only 10 percent of those 

 present were under 12 years of age. Many persons 

 came on foot or horseback ; others came by truck, 

 automobile, or bus. At midday, 56 trucks, 2C5 

 automobiles, and 13 busses were parked in the 

 town. License plates indicated that these vehicles 

 had come from the towns of Parnaiba, Sao Roque, 

 Barueri, Itu, Pinhal, Piracicaba, Botucatu, Cam- 

 pinas, Itapecerica da Serra, Guarulhos and the 

 city of Sao Paulo. The church was filled through- 

 out the day. Himdreds of persons pushed theii 

 way into the church to pray, to light a candle or tc 

 form in line to pass by the main altar and kiss tht 

 feet of the image of Sao Bom Jesus de Pirapora 

 or the hem of the garment, and deposit an offering 

 in the coffer nearby. A few persons left at the altai 

 gifts of unlighted candles, some of which were as 

 much as 41/2 feet high. A few persons came into 

 the church carrying a piece of ribbon, or cord, wit! 

 which to take the measurement of some part oi 

 the image so that, upon returning home, the 

 ribbon (or cord) might be placed about tlu 

 affected part of the body of someone in the family 

 as a means of applying sympathetic magic foi 

 healing purposes. To facilitate the taking of thest 

 measurements, pieces of wood, each with a cross- 

 piece marked "head,"' "chest," or "waist," had 

 been provided. 



Many persons subsequently visited the Casa doi 

 Milagres (House of Miracles) across the street. 

 The walls are covered with photographs of per- 

 sons, or of parts of their bodies, which are thought 

 to have been cured by the miraculous power ol 

 Sao Bom Jesus de Pirapora. In the center of the 

 room are racks supporting approximately 400 

 crutches and canes, discarded by persons who had 

 once used them. Several crosses, including an 

 especially heavy one which a man, in fulfillmenlj 



^^ It Is customary in the community under study to add "Silo' 

 {Santo) to Born Jesus. 



