Tuesday, May 11, 2010

The Legend of The Golden Lagoon

by Ligia Cabus


At the community of Pontinha (Minas Gerais state) exists a great lagoon which has more than 3 km of extension. The place is surrounded in legends. The local people tells that where is located the lagoon today, in the past, there was a city named The Blue Land, a city which sunk for its sins. According tradition all happened when a procession was passing. Arriving in front of a tavern, there were many people dancing. The priest requested them to interrupt the party during the passage of the holy image.


But the people refused and continued with the dance. One woman even made fun of the event and sang grotesque verses to face the priest. Without having anything else to do, the procession went ahead. In the church when the priest raised the Blessed, the waters invaded the city that submerged. Since that time, the lagoon received the name of Golden Lagoon of the enchanted waters.




The Golden Lagoon


At the center of the lagoon nobody dares to pass. People say that owners of the boats do not go there because they could run the risk that the hulls of their boats shock with the top of tower the old church. Fishermen disappear victims of a mysterious phenomena. Eddies that appear from the nothing in those seemingly calm waters.

In another occasion, two old men died entangled in their fishing net. When they were found, was found that the cause of the death wasn't drowning. They had not swallowed a single drop of water. At the edge of the lagoon, the washerwomen occupy themselves with their work. Suddenly, a pretty young appeared that offered herself take to care of the girl. When the mother finished her work, sought the woman with the girl but she was gone. The washerwoman stood desesperate. However, with the same magic which woman disappeared she appeared again in a strange situation. She emerged of the waters bringing the child in his arms safely.

About The Lagoon, also exist ocurrences of mirages, like a red calf that appears daily at the midday hour. He enters in the waters and goes ahead slowly to disappear from sight. Often, ghostly figures appear to terrorize people that wash objects such as pots, plates, glasses in the Golden Lagoon. They could use this things in their life at underwater tomb.

reference
ANORMINO, Luciana. A lenda da Lagoa Dourada.
IN Escritório de Histórias
[http://www.escritoriodehistorias.com.br/Portals/1/Pontinha.pdf]


Monday, May 10, 2010

The Lost City of Bahia



In the Livraria Pública da Corte, actual Biblioteca Nacional, at the city of Rio de Janeiro [Public Library of the Real Court, actual National Library], in 1839, an ancient and manuscript was found by the naturalist Manuel Ferreira Lagos. The title of the document was Relação historica de uma occulta, e grande povoação antiquissima sem moradores (Historic relations of a hidden much ancient, great city and without residents). In the catalogo, it is the 512 number document.

The story begins when the expeditionaries found a very brilliant montain. Glow of cristals. The men were admired with the landscape, but they could not climb the rock formation. A man, trying to reach a white deer (albino, perhaps), found a trail, a road built at the inner of the mountain. Through there, the expedition followed its way. From the top of the mountain they saw a great village, it was a city, in true. It was empty, without residents. Apparently, there was nobody there.

The stone way was the unique access to the city. At the entrance there were three big arcs. In the middle stood the largest arch flanked by two other, smaller. On the largest arc there was a inscription. However, the signs, were being illegible and for this, they could not be copied or identified. The houses were well made and symmetric. Seeming like a only one construction, were, in true numerous individual buildings.

Exploring the interior of the housings, the expedition found no furniture or any other object. At the end of the street, there was a square. There, existed a huge black coluna on whose top there was the statue of a man. The man had his left hand on the hip while his right arm stood pointed to the North Pole. In each corner of the square had an obelisc in ancient roman style. On the main portic of the street also there was a figure made of the same stone naked from the waist up wearing a crown of laurels and a shield with inscriptions. READ MORE

Friday, December 11, 2009

The Man of The Hole



This is the guard post of FUNAI. Possibly, the the holes of the native man are better off. Let's Meditate ...

AMAZONAS ─ The support organization for indigenous people, Survival Intrenational, reported in this wednesday, december 8, that an indian has been suffered repeated attacks by armed men.

According the Survival International, this indian is known like ''The Man of The Hole'', cause he digs holes to capture animals and for hide himself. His tribe, wich name is unknown was massacred in the decades of 1970 and 1980. The director of the Survival international, Stepen Corry: His tribe was massacred in the past. Now, The Man of The Hole is facing the same problem.

The post of the florestal guard was looted, informed functionaries of the Funai - [National Indian Fundation ─ Fundação Nacional do Índio]. Shotgun cartridges were found at the local. Police suspect that the criminals are in the service of local ranchers who covet the lands of the Man of The Hole.

Source: Último sobrevivente de tribo é atacado na Amazônia, diz ONG
IN O Globo ─ published in 12/10/2009
[http://oglobo.globo.com/mundo/mat/2009/12/10/ultimo-sobrevivente-de-tribo-atacado-na-amazonia-diz-ong-915135239.asp]




Thursday, November 26, 2009

Saints, from sacred to profane


The Saint Patience, by Marta Oliveira

SÃO PAULO ─ In this november, 26 [2009] ─ at São Paulo state, in the cultural space House of Portugal was inagurated the Itinerate art exposition Todos os Santos, do Sagrado ao Profano [All of the saints, from sacred to profane].

The exhibition gathers paintings by 28 artists were commissioned to create figures of the saints that inhabit the popular imagination. This exhibition shows the most popular between canonic saints, Some of these canonic saints, despite they recognized by the Catholic Church are saint that belong much more to the realm of the legend than to the History, as St. Expedit, Saint George, for example.

However, beyond these "official saints" the exposition includes images of very special saints. They are the saints who inhabit the language of the people in metaphors of good-humor and, also, the very personals saints that some of the artists.

Feelings, situations that are personified as thought figures that were conceived in the context of their own lives. Among these saints that don't exist can be found: The Saint Patience, The Ignorance Saint, The Saint of the Hollow Dick, Saint Never! At São Paulo, the exposition ends in january, day 6. After this, the exhibition will go to Cintra city, Portugal. SEE MORE HERE


Source: São Paulo recebe exposição de santos do imaginário popular
In Destak publicado em 11/26/2009
[http://www.destakjornal.com.br/readContent.aspx?id=17,48969]










The ghost of Ana Jansen




MARANHÃO ─ Ana Joaquina Jansen Pereira [1787-1889], or Mrs. Donana Jansen born and died at Sao Luis city, capital of the state of Maranhão. She was married for twice and twice stood widow. Had twelve daughters and sons, some, fruit of adulteries. Of many ways Mrs. Jansen scandalized the society of her epoch.


She was rich, a enough powerful trader to write her own law. However, she became famous because of another aspect of her biography. Lady of many slaves, she treated her servants with extreme cruelty, subjecting them to the most tortures painful. Many of his victims died during punishment. Some bones of these unfortunates were found in a pit located on the lands of the great Lady.

When she died, with 82 years, in their mansion, located at the Praia Grande [Great beach], her soul didn't found rest. On Friday nights, at midnight, she haunts the streets of São Luis, on board of a chariot pulled by a team of horses ghost, headless. The animals have the necks in flame. The charioteer is also a ghost, a slave beheaded. The chariot is "cursed". It leaves the cemetery of the Gavião to make its macabre tour followed by the sound of laments and screams of the slaves tortured and murdered.

The ghost of Ana Jansen wants prayers to save her soul that, of course, is at Hell. Who is on the streets after midnight can be approached by the lady of the cursed chariot. With her espectral voice she asks prayers. Who refuses to answer the request or try to flee certainly will receive the visit of her, at home, in his own bed. The horrible specter appears and delivers a candle to the person. Then, disappears. The next day, the candle has transformed into a human bone.



Reproduction of the chariot of Ana Jansen. Source: Perfil de Ana Jansen [book]




Monday, November 23, 2009

Anthropology and Sociology of the Spiritism in Brazil



Brazil is the largest nation in the world Spiritist. Is the country of the world with the major number of adepts of this religion.Imported from France, the spiritist school of Alan Kardec grew quickly at brazilian lands and in the brazilian minds incorporating elements of the local culture. Just as there is the Human Geography, exists a Spiritist Geography, too. The Spiritual World also have its archetypes. These archetypes are configured, according its cultural enviroment. They represent human types which are inspired in the real life. READ MORE