CRUZ DAS almas: a BRAZILIAN VILLAGE' — ^PIERSON 



207 



leader, particularly in comparison with his prede- 

 cessor. 



As has been indicated, no fazendeiro lives at 

 present in the community. Quite vivid in the 

 memories of the local inhabitants, however, is 

 the leadership of a fazendeiro^ now deceased. 

 In a prominent position on the wall of the build- 

 ing where village oflicials discharge their obliga- 

 tions, is a photograph of this former leader. It 

 shows an eldei'ly man, with a white beard and a 

 bearing which suggests self-confidence and au- 

 thority. He is spoken of with admiration. "He 

 was absohitely fearless," said a village official. 

 "A man of great courage ! He thought nothing of 

 setting out on the road, no matter what the hour, 

 day or night, and alone at that. He was a great 

 man and a powerful leader here in the village." 



A few women exercise some degree of leader- 

 ship in the community, their influence extending 

 at times not only among their own sex but, to 

 some extent at least, among the men as well. One 

 is the school teacher who first came to the village 

 15 years ago as a young girl and some years later 

 married a local man. As has been indicated, she 

 is now completely assimilated and is an integral 

 part of the community. She is affable and com- 

 petent and regularly assumes a certain degree of 

 initiative in the direction of the village school, 

 as well as at religious festas. Young girls, espe- 

 cially from the less advantaged families, often 

 come to her at the time of their weddings, to be 

 dressed for the occasion and to receive advice on 

 procedure. She is probably the most mobile 

 woman in the village. Once a month she attends 

 a meeting of teachers in the nearby town of Boa 

 Vista and occasionally she visits her family in 

 Sao Paulo. Although she has more schooling 

 than any other local person, she is modest and 

 unassuming. Her opinions, which are usually ex- 

 pressed with claritj^ are listened to with consid- 

 erable respect. The principal midwife in the com- 

 munity is 63 years old. She is energetic and force- 

 ful in speech and action. Called in at crises of 

 childbirth, she assumes initiative, often giving in- 

 structions even to the man and head of the house- 

 hold. Especially if the life of either mother or 

 child is imperiled, her advice is eagerly sought 

 and attended to. She is famed for her success in 

 effectively meeting several serious crises. She is 

 also admired for her willingness to set out alone 



on the road at any time, day or night, and in spite 

 of rain and flood. 



The wife of the f,scal who at present acts as 

 sub-prefeito, is the daughter of a prominent 

 farmer. She visits about the village as much as, 

 if not more than, any other woman. Her contri- 

 bution to the formation of opinion, especially 

 among the women, is effective and continuous. 

 She is well-liked for her modesty, sincerity, and 

 pleasant manner. At the same time, she is 

 straight-forward and forceful in expressing 

 opinions. The wife of the administrator of the 

 fazenda which lies at the edge of the village as- 

 sumes initiative at religious ceremonies, especially 

 at the rezas and in preparations for the proces- 

 sions. She is vigorous in thought, speech, and 

 action. She is noted for her advice and other aid 

 at time of illness. In association with her hus- 

 band, she seeks to play a role in political activities 

 which is not in keeping with local patterns of 

 behavior and is severely censured on this point 

 by a number of persons in the community. A 

 somewhat overbearing manner in exercising ini- 

 tiative is also resented by many local residents, and 

 consequently her influence on public opinion is 

 limited. An elderly mulatto woman gets about 

 the village a good deal and knows everyone and 

 his affairs intimately. Her mind is alert and her 

 speech forceful. She is frank, but also tactful, in 

 stating opinions. She is admired and listened 

 to by reason of her extensive fund of practical 

 knowledge and "common sense." She definitely 

 contributes to the formation and maintenance of 

 public opinion, especially among the women. 

 Among all those so far mentioned, both men and 

 women, she alone is not literate. 



A few other women exercise leadership in a 

 more restricted way. One is a widow, 70 years 

 of age, who annually arranges to have a mastro 

 set up at her house, where she subsequently gives 

 a festa for Sao Joao.^=^ An elderly Negro woman 

 who lives on a farm about a mile from the village 

 is often asked to assume initiative in "blessing," 

 upon the occasion of illness, a person or domestic 

 animal, employing prayers and certain gestures 

 presumed to have magical power. She also acts 

 at times as a midwife. Her competence, depend- 

 ability, cahn demeanor, and sage advice have 

 earned her considerable respect and admiration. 



>=3 See Religious Festas, p. 162. 



