Christian Cravo
Christian Cravo: Mysticism, redemption, water and pilgrimages - A Northeastern Brazilian Drama. "...The religious fanaticism of the Brazilian Northeast is strictly related to the lack of support given to poor and needy populations by the central power.
When the minimum resources necessary to survival are denied to mankind, even in precarious conditions, when isolated over great territorial areas, desertlike or suffering little influence from urban centers or a more modern administrative power which would bring order to the context as a whole, these populations take on, due to abandonment which is very often secular, a form of resistance with characteristics of mysticism, religiosity, and unshakeable fervor. The cyclical pilgrimages are the heartbeat of the coming together again of these lost populations in the immense vastness of Brazil's Northeast.
The Brazilian backlands (sertão) crystallized their hope in religious piety, which had in Christianism its most powerful directional force since the colonization of Brazil in the 16th century." More Works by Christian Cravo at his personal site.
When the minimum resources necessary to survival are denied to mankind, even in precarious conditions, when isolated over great territorial areas, desertlike or suffering little influence from urban centers or a more modern administrative power which would bring order to the context as a whole, these populations take on, due to abandonment which is very often secular, a form of resistance with characteristics of mysticism, religiosity, and unshakeable fervor. The cyclical pilgrimages are the heartbeat of the coming together again of these lost populations in the immense vastness of Brazil's Northeast.
The Brazilian backlands (sertão) crystallized their hope in religious piety, which had in Christianism its most powerful directional force since the colonization of Brazil in the 16th century." More Works by Christian Cravo at his personal site.
posted by Andrew at 11:09 AM
1 Comments:
The quote by Euclides da Cunha is from his great book, Os Sertoes (Rebellion In The Backlands). In 1896 the Sertanejos were roused by Antonhio the Counselor, who claimed to be Jesus' younger brother. They were put down with great violence. A hundred years later, in the 1990s, the Sertoes was again visited by drought and starving people raided urban supermarkets and school cafeterias for food. That time the government answered with restraint.
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