CRUZ DAS almas: a BRAZILIAN VILLAGE— PIER SON 



165 



of a vow."" had carried or dragged some 200 miles 

 from southern Minas Gerais, occupy one end of the 

 room. Many persons also washed their arms and 

 legs in the river that flows through the town ; or 

 held children briefly in its waters, either in fulfill- 

 ment of a vow or as a protection against possible 

 harm in the future. A few persons carried away 

 pieces of stone from the riverside to use as talis- 

 mans. 



In the afternoon, a procession set out from the 

 church. Five images were carried. The first was 

 that of Sao Benedito and the second that of Sao 

 Bom Jesus de Pirapora. A group of pilgrims 

 carried a red banner, upon which had been em- 

 broidered an image of the santo being honored and 

 the inscription, Romeiros '" do Bom Jesus de Pira- 

 pora. Under a canopy walked three priests, one 

 of whom carried the Host. A band accompanied 

 the procession and played as the group moved 

 through the streets of the town and eventually 

 made its way back to the church. At the door 

 each andor was turned so that the image, as it en- 

 tered, faced the crowd outside. Subsequently, 

 inside the church, a large number of persons 

 pressed tightly around the andor on which had 

 been carried the image of Sao Bom Jesus de Pira- 

 pora, so as to try to secure a piece of ribbon, 

 flower, or other object from it. A soldado stood 

 nearby and helped distribute portions of these 

 objects. 



About the door were many beggars asking alms. 

 At the sides and back of the church, approximately 

 40 booths had been erected, at each of which drinks 

 or food were sold, as well as images and litho- 

 graphs of the various santos, candles, cloth, cloth- 

 ing, kitchen utensils, perfume, and similar items. 

 Several men displayed, in small suitcases, other 

 articles for sale. One of the men used sleight-of- 

 hand performances and another had two large 

 snakes wrapped around his body, to attract the 

 attention of persons in the crowd. Numerous 

 games of chance had also been set up. The danc- 

 ing of the samia, once a picturesque part of this 

 annual ceremony, has now disappeared, suppressed 

 by the police at the request of the ecclesiastical 

 authorities. A group of persons, some of whom 

 were playing tamborines and a cavaquinho, sing- 

 ing popular songs, and dancing, in a hotequlm. 



-" See Promessas. p. 11 

 '" Pilgrims. 



was broken up by police officers who confiscated 

 the musical instruments. 



Inhabitants of the community under study la- 

 ment the changes that have come in this festa. 

 '■Some years ago," remarked a farmer, "there were 

 no trucks or automobiles at the festa in Pirapora. 

 Everyone went on horseback or on foot. They'd 

 leave home a week or two before the festa was to 

 begin. They'd take along enough food for the 

 journey; or, if they were poor, they'd ask alms 

 along the way. People like that made the festa 

 worth while. The processions in those days were 

 beautiful things. There also were sambas and 

 everyone had a good time." Many local residents 

 are coming to prefer the festa at Sao Koque. 

 "About 7 or 8 years ago," said a villager, "the festa 

 of Sao Roque began to get better. Now it's won- 

 derful! All of us go. It's a beautiful thing! 

 It's much better than the festa at Pirapora. That 

 one has fallen off a lot. There got to be too many 

 thieves and too many fights. Someone even got 

 killed every once in a while." 



By the ^^ festa of Sao Roque" local residents refer 

 to three consecutive celebrations held on August 

 15, IG, and 17 of each year. The first day is given 

 over to honoring the Divino Espirito Santo and 

 commemorating the assumption of Mary; the sec- 

 ond, to honoring Sao Roque, the patron saint of the 

 town. On the third day, a celebration is held in 

 honor of Sao Cristoviio. A week before the festa, 

 or on August 7, a resa is held and, on the following 

 day, a desfde dos carros de lenha, in which oxen 

 and oxcarts, led by a band, parade through the 

 principal streets, after which the animals are 

 blessed. 



This year, on the evening of August 15, a mastro 

 was erected, to the accompaniment of a band and 

 the firing oflf of rockets, in honor of the Divino 

 Espirito Santo. It was about 25 feet high. It 

 had been painted green and had a "flag" upon 

 which the figure of a dove was stamped. At 6 

 o'clock on the following morning, a "salute"' of 21 

 rockets was fired, after which a band paraded 

 through the streets of the town. At 10 o'clock, a 

 Mass was celebrated at the principal church. 

 About 400 pilgrims from Sao Paulo attended, led 

 by the Irmandade de Nossa Senhora do Rosario 

 dos Eomem Pretos de Sao Paulo (Brotherhood of 

 Our Lady of the Rosary of the Blacks of Sao 

 Paulo), founded in 1711. Following the Mass, 



