P-ISSN: 1980-4504 | Revista do Portal de Poéticas Orais
ERIH+ Indexed
Archives • Volume 3 (2018)
Boitatá Journal Archives: Volume 3, Issues 1 & 2
Explore peer-reviewed scholarly contributions focusing on Oral Poetics, Literature, Folklore, Cultural Studies, Language, Performance Studies, Humanities, and Oral Traditions. Click on any issue below to browse articles, read detailed abstracts, and review author affiliations.
Subjects: Oral Poetics, Folklore, Cultural Studies, Performance Studies, HumanitiesISSN: 1980-4504
V3I1
Volume 3, Issue 1 (2018)
Published: June 2018 | 8 Peer-Reviewed Articles
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Oral Poetics & Performancepp. 1–18
Echoes of the Ancestral Voice: Rhythmic Improvisation and Orality in Contemporary Northeastern Brazilian Bumba-meu-boi
Dr. Marcela Alencastro (Department of Comparative Literature, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil) &
Prof. Tiago Montenegro (Institute of Folklore & Cultural Anthropology, University of Coimbra, Portugal)
Abstract
This study investigates the intricate dynamic between oral improvisation and ancestral memory within the traditional Northeastern Brazilian performance genre of Bumba-meu-boi. Through detailed ethnographic fieldwork conducted across rural and peri-urban communities in Maranhão and Bahia, we analyze how veteran chant-leaders (amo-de-boi) negotiate collective identity, socio-political critique, and mythic narrative through structured rhythmic poetics. The research demonstrates that oral delivery is not merely a vehicle for pre-composed folklore, but an active, real-time compositional process wherein language, musical cadence, and corporal gesture converge to sustain cultural resilience. By examining transcriptions of spontaneous lyrical duels and formulaic invocations, we uncover the cognitive scaffolding that permits oral poets to improvise hundreds of octosyllabic verses without textual mediation. Furthermore, the paper addresses the commodification and institutionalization of this oral tradition in contemporary festival circuits, evaluating how digitization and tourism impact the sacred-profane boundaries of the performance. Ultimately, this article posits that Bumba-meu-boi functions as a living archive of subaltern history, where oral poetics serves as both an aesthetic medium and a potent instrument of decolonial self-assertion.
Keywords: Bumba-meu-boi, Oral Poetics, Folklore, Improvisation, Cultural Memory
DOI: 10.1590/1980-4504.2018v3i1a1
Literary Folklorepp. 19–35
Mythologies of the Sertão: Orality, Magic Realism, and the Tragic Hero in Cordel Literature
Dr. Beatriz de Souza Vasconcelos (Faculty of Letters, University of São Paulo, Brazil)
Abstract
Cordel literature (literatura de cordel) represents one of the most distinctive intersections of oral poetry, popular print culture, and folkloric mythology in Latin America. This article examines the thematic architecture of classic 20th-century cordel folheto pamphlets, focusing specifically on how regional mythologies of the Brazilian Sertão construct archetypal tragic heroes who mediate between divine providence, banditry (cangaço), and existential destiny. Through close textual analysis of representative works by Leandro Gomes de Barros and João Melchior Ferreira da Silva, we dissect the metric regularities (sextilha and septilha stanzas) and mnemonic formulas that facilitated both oral recitation in bustling marketplaces and private reading in remote agrarian households. The investigation demonstrates how cordel poets assimilated European chivalric romances, indigenous animism, and Afro-Brazilian religious syncretism into a cohesive vernacular aesthetic. Furthermore, we explore the epistemological tension between official historiography and oral folklore, arguing that cordel functions as a counter-hegemonic historiographical practice. The paper concludes by evaluating the contemporary survival of cordel in digital ecosystems and university syllabi, highlighting its enduring significance as a pillar of Brazilian cultural heritage and interdisciplinary literary studies.
Keywords: Cordel Literature, Sertão Folklore, Orality, Magic Realism, Brazilian Literature
DOI: 10.1590/1980-4504.2018v3i1a2
Cultural Studiespp. 36–52
Sonic Landscapes of Resistance: Afro-Indigenous Chant Traditions in the Amazonian Riverine Communities
Dr. Jonathan K. O'Connor (Center for Ethnomusicology & Cultural Studies, University of Edinburgh, UK) &
Prof. Luiza Helena Maciel (Department of Anthropology, Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil)
Abstract
This article examines the complex acoustic ecology and traditional chant practices of ribeirinho (riverine) communities along the Amazon and Tapajós rivers. Blending methodologies from cultural studies, ethnomusicology, and environmental humanities, we analyze how indigenous cosmological beliefs and Afro-descendant spiritualities coalesce in ritual vocalizations known locally as rezas cantadas and carimbó chants. Based on field recordings and qualitative interviews gathered across four isolated villages, this study explores how these oral performances serve as vital acoustic archives of ecological knowledge, spiritual navigation, and historical resistance against land displacement. We demonstrate that vocal timbre, micro-tonal inflection, and call-and-response structures function not merely as artistic expressions, but as sophisticated epistemological frameworks through which local populations comprehend biodiversity, weather patterns, and territorial sovereignty. Furthermore, the paper addresses contemporary socio-environmental crises, investigating how younger generations are adapting traditional chant repertoires to voice ecological activism against deforestation and mining encroachment. Ultimately, the research emphasizes the urgency of preserving Amazonian oral traditions as indispensable reservoirs of biocultural diversity and human resilience.
Syntax of the Spoken Word: Evidentiality and Narrative Authority in Andean Quechua Oral Epics
Prof. Dr. Mateo Quispe Condori (Department of Linguistics & Andean Languages, National University of San Marcos, Lima, Peru)
Abstract
Grammatical encoding of evidentiality in Andean Quechua plays a profound role in shaping narrative authority, truth-value attribution, and historical consciousness within oral epic performances. This paper presents a detailed linguistic and stylistic analysis of recorded oral narratives (hark'ay and mythological legends) collected from bilingual storytellers in the Peruvian highlands of Cuzco and Ayacucho. By examining suffixal morphemes such as -mi (direct/firsthand knowledge), -chá (conjectural), and -si (reported/hearsay), we demonstrate how master oral narrators manipulate grammatical evidentials not merely for factual accuracy, but as rhetorical devices to establish emotional resonance, establish communal trust, and validate mythical time (ñaupa pacha). The study combines discourse analysis with anthropological linguistics to reveal how grammatical structures reflect indigenous epistemologies regarding memory, witnessing, and intergenerational transmission. Additionally, the paper discusses the methodological challenges of translating orally improvised Quechua epics into written Portuguese and English without flattening the subtle pragmatic nuances encoded in verbal suffixes. The findings contribute to broader theoretical discussions in linguistic anthropology concerning the grammar of oral poetics and the preservation of endangered indigenous languages.
The Body as Archive: Somatic Memory, Capoeira Angola, and the Poetics of Kinetic Resistance
Dr. Simone de Paula Prado (School of Performing Arts & Dance, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) &
Prof. Dr. Marcus Vance Sterling (Department of Performance Studies, New York University, USA)
Abstract
In traditions where literacy was historically suppressed or denied by colonial regimes, the human body emerges as the primary archival repository of historical memory and aesthetic philosophy. This article investigates Capoeira Angola as a corporeal oral tradition where philosophical tenets, ancestral struggle, and poetic expression are transmitted kinetically within the sacred circle (roda). Drawing upon performance theory and somatic anthropology, we analyze how the interaction between berimbau rhythms, call-and-response singing (ladainha and chula), and physical movement (ginga and golpes) constitutes a sophisticated somatic language. We argue that master practitioners (mestres) encode centuries of Afro-Brazilian resistance, survival strategies, and spiritual cosmologies into muscular memory, spatial negotiation, and ritualized combat play. Through micro-ethnographic observation of rodas in Salvador, Bahia, we examine how the oral-kinetic feedback loop trains practitioners to decode subtle shifts in opponent intention, musical tempo, and spatial energy. The paper concludes by evaluating how Capoeira Angola challenges Eurocentric hierarchies of knowledge by demonstrating that physical performance is an intellectually rigorous academic and cultural discipline capable of preserving and transmitting profound philosophical systems across generations.
Mythological Landscapes and Sacred Geography: Oral Cartographies of the Guaraní Shamanic Tradition
Dr. Eliane Benitez-Rojas (Institute of Indigenous Studies, National University of Asunción, Paraguay)
Abstract
Indigenous spatial consciousness is frequently anchored in oral cartographies where geography, mythology, and spiritual geography are inextricably linked. This study explores the sacred geography embedded in the oral narratives, prayer-songs (ñembo'e), and cosmological accounts of Guaraní Mbyá communities residing in the borderlands of Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil. Through collaborative oral history methodologies, we map how Guaraní shamans (karai and ñanderu) transmit topographical knowledge and spiritual orientation through sacred chants that describe paths to the Land-Without-Evil (Yvy Marane'y). The investigation reveals that landscape features such as rivers, mountain crests, ancient forests, and rock formations are perceived not as inanimate physical objects, but as active participants in a moral and sacred universe maintained through oral utterance. We examine how contemporary territorial loss and deforestation disrupt these traditional oral cartographies, threatening both ecological sustainability and cosmological coherence. By juxtaposing Western cartographic frameworks with Guaraní oral geography, this paper advocates for a pluralistic understanding of spatial humanities that recognizes indigenous oral traditions as legitimate environmental and geographical blueprints.
Riddles, Proverbs, and Vernacular Wit: The Rhetorical Strategy of Folklore in Portuguese Rural Communities
Prof. Dr. Henrik Lindqvist (Department of European Ethnology, University of Uppsala, Sweden) &
Dr. Catarina Silveira Pires (Center for Portuguese Folklore Studies, University of Lisbon, Portugal)
Abstract
Small-form folklore genres—specifically riddles (adivinhas) and traditional proverbs (ditados populares)—constitute powerful rhetorical instruments for social regulation, pedagogy, and community bonding in rural Portuguese villages. This paper presents an exhaustive folkloristic analysis of archival and newly collected oral data from the Alentejo and Beira Interior regions. We investigate how elders employ proverbial wisdom to negotiate interpersonal conflicts, impart moral lessons, and reinforce community norms without direct confrontation. The study explores the structural poetic devices underlying these genres, such as binary opposition, metaphorical condensation, and parallelism. Furthermore, we examine the performance contexts of riddling sessions during communal agricultural labor and winter evening gatherings (vespradas), highlighting how playful verbal competition tests cognitive agility and cultural literacy among participants. The research addresses the erosion of these minor oral forms under the pressure of mass media and rural depopulation, emphasizing the urgent need for comprehensive digital archiving of European minor genre folklore.
Improvised Countersong: The Atlantic Roots and Poetic Metrics of Repente in Northeast Brazil
Dr. Gustavo Henrique Nogueira (Department of Musicology, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil)
Abstract
Repente, the traditional improvised singing duels of Northeastern Brazilian poet-singers (repentistas), stands as one of the most intellectually demanding oral poetic arts in the Americas. This article traces the historical trans-Atlantic lineages connecting Iberian medieval troubadour traditions, Moorish poetic contests (zajal and muwashshah), and the socio-cultural crucible of colonial and post-colonial Northeast Brazil. Through rigorous metric and musical analysis of typical poetic stanzas (such as the sextilha, dezena, and martelo agalopado), we examine how repentistas instantly compose rhymed verses governed by strict metrical and thematic constraints under intense public scrutiny. The study explores the psychology of oral improvisation, demonstrating how mnemonic formulas, rhythmic breathing patterns, and acoustic feedback loops allow poets to generate complex metaphorical arguments in real time. Furthermore, we analyze the sociological role of the violeiro duel as a public arena for political satire, philosophical debate, and community entertainment. The findings highlight how repentistas preserve archaic Iberian verse forms while continuously innovating a vibrant, living oral tradition deeply rooted in contemporary Brazilian reality.
Published: December 2018 | 8 Peer-Reviewed Articles
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Oral Traditions & Memorypp. 1–19
Voices from the Quilombo: Oral Historiography, Resistance Narratives, and Ancestral Land Rights in Minas Gerais
Dr. Kátia Regina Silveira (Department of History & Afro-Brazilian Studies, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil) &
Prof. Dr. Jean-Luc Moreau (Institute of Cultural Anthropology, Sorbonne Nouvelle University, Paris, France)
Abstract
This article examines the critical function of oral historiography within traditional Afro-descendant quilombo communities in the mountainous interior of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Drawing upon multi-sited oral history fieldwork and collaborative archiving projects, we investigate how community elders (mais velhos) transmit accounts of enslavement, clandestine flight, territorial establishment, and spiritual resilience to younger generations. In contexts where official state archives historically marginalized or erased subaltern experiences, oral narratives function as authoritative legal and cultural titles validating ancestral land occupancy under Article 68 of the Brazilian Federal Constitution. The study analyzes the rhetorical tropes, mythic motifs, and genealogical structures embedded in these oral testimonies, demonstrating how storytelling acts as an act of sovereignty and historical reclamation. Furthermore, the paper addresses contemporary land conflicts and legal battles against corporate mining incursions, highlighting how oral traditions provide the epistemological bedrock for community mobilization and environmental justice. The research underscores the vital necessity of respecting oral evidence within legal anthropology and cultural heritage preservation.
Keywords: Quilombo, Oral Historiography, Afro-Brazilian Folklore, Land Rights, Collective Memory
DOI: 10.1590/1980-4504.2018v3i2a1
Literature & Folklorepp. 20–38
Mythic Beasts and Moral Fables: The Transformation of Amazonian Folktales in Contemporary Fiction
Dr. Rodrigo Mendonça Valente (Department of Comparative Literature, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil)
Abstract
Amazonian folklore is populated by potent mythological entities—such as the Boto (pink river dolphin), Curupira, and Iara—that traditionally served ecological warning functions and moral pedagogies within riverine societies. This paper explores how contemporary Latin American fiction writers rework these oral folktales into sophisticated post-colonial narratives that address environmental degradation, gender dynamics, and indigenous marginalization. Through close reading of novels and short story collections published between 2010 and 2018, we examine the literary metamorphosis of oral folklore into magical realist and eco-critical frameworks. The investigation demonstrates that while traditional oral versions emphasized supernatural retribution against ecological excess, modern adaptations interrogate human culpability, capitalist exploitation, and the psychological haunting of the rainforest. The study contributes to discussions on the intersection of oral tradition and written literature, proving that folklore remains an infinitely malleable and vital resource for contemporary aesthetic expression and ecological reflection.
Poetics of Lament: Ritual Mourning, Improvisation, and Vocal Performance in Southern European Wake Traditions
Dr. Elena Vancea-Popescu (Department of Ethnology & Folklore, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania) &
Prof. Dr. Nikos Karamanlis (Institute of Modern Greek Studies, University of Athens, Greece)
Abstract
Ritual lamentations (plânsuri, moirologia) performed during funeral wakes represent one of the most intense and emotionally charged genres of oral poetry in rural Southeastern Europe. This comparative study analyzes the metrical patterns, vocal timbre, and formulaic structures of improvised funeral dirges collected across rural communities in northern Romania and the Mani Peninsula of Greece. Drawing upon linguistic anthropology and performance studies, we explore how designated female mourners (plăvărese / moiroloyístries) balance rigid traditional formulas with spontaneous autobiographical improvisation to negotiate grief, mediate community solidarity, and guide the deceased soul's transition into the afterlife. The research reveals striking structural and thematic parallels between these geographically distant Mediterranean and Balkan traditions, pointing toward shared ancient Indo-European oral poetic roots. Furthermore, the paper discusses the rapid disappearance of ritual weeping practices due to secularization and institutionalized mortuary rituals, emphasizing the critical importance of audiovisual archival preservation for future folkloristic research.
Carnival, Satire, and Subversion: The Oral Poetics of Street Theater in Northeastern Brazilian Festivities
Dr. Flávio Antunes de Morais (Department of Cultural Studies, Federal University of Pernambuco, Olinda, Brazil)
Abstract
Carnival celebrations in historic Brazilian cities such as Olinda and Recife operate as massive public theaters of oral satire, political parody, and folk performance. This article investigates the verbal and musical repertoires of traditional street troupes (blocos carnavalescos and maracatus) during the 2018 festival cycle. Utilizing Bakhtinian theories of carnivalization combined with performance ethnography, we examine how satirical rhymed verses (marchinhas and emboladas) delivered by street performers temporarily invert social hierarchies, lampoon corrupt political elites, and articulate popular discontent. The study demonstrates that oral poetics during carnival serves as a democratic safety valve and an aggressive medium of counter-hegemonic commentary. Furthermore, we analyze how spontaneous crowd participation in call-and-response choruses transforms passive spectators into active co-creators of the satirical narrative. The findings underscore the enduring potency of festive oral culture as a barometer of civic consciousness and democratic resilience in contemporary Latin America.
Keywords: Carnival Satire, Street Performance, Oral Poetics, Popular Culture, Political Parody
DOI: 10.1590/1980-4504.2018v3i2a4
Humanities & Folklorepp. 75–92
Healing Words: Shamanic Chants, Ethnomedicine, and Psycholinguistic Rituals in Mesoamerican Communities
Prof. Dr. Ximena Morales-Huerta (Department of Anthropology & Indigenous Health, National Autonomous University of Mexico, UNAM) &
Dr. Liam O'Sullivan (Center for Ethnolinguistic Research, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland)
Abstract
Among indigenous Nahua and Mazatec communities in rural Mexico, healing is fundamentally conceived as a linguistic and sonic art. Traditional healers (curanderos and graniceros) utilize complex oral incantations and sacred chants (costumbres) to diagnose and treat physical and spiritual ailments. This interdisciplinary study investigates the psycholinguistic and therapeutic dimensions of shamanic oral chants. Through audio recording analysis and phenomenological interviews, we examine how rhythmic repetition, metaphorical parallelism, and archaic lexical vocabulary induce altered states of consciousness that facilitate psychological healing and social reintegration. The research reveals that these healing chants operate as sophisticated verbal technologies capable of restructuring emotional trauma and reinforcing community solidarity. By bridging medical anthropology, folklore studies, and linguistics, this paper advocates for integrative health paradigms that recognize the profound efficacy of oral poetic rituals in indigenous healthcare systems.
Proverbs in Diaspora: The Preservation and Adaptation of African Proverbial Wisdom in Afro-Lusophone Orality
Dr. Amílcar Cabral da Fonseca (Department of African Literatures & Cultures, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique)
Abstract
Proverbial wisdom transported across the Atlantic during the slave trade underwent fascinating transculturation processes, merging with Portuguese vernacular traditions to form new syncretic folklore expressions in Brazil and São Tomé and Príncipe. This paper analyzes the survival, linguistic mutation, and rhetorical functions of Bantu and Yoruba proverbial phrases within Afro-Lusophone oral literature. Comparing oral collections from rural Angola with traditional sayings documented in Bahia and Minas Gerais, we demonstrate how proverbs served as clandestine codes of solidarity, ethical pedagogy, and philosophical reflection under oppressive colonial conditions. The study highlights the structural resilience of proverbial micro-genres, proving how oral traditions withstand centuries of forced displacement while maintaining deep ancestral resonance.
Puppetry, Folklore, and Satirical Social Commentary: The Tradition of Mamulengo in Northeast Brazil
Dr. Teresa Cristina Albuquerque (School of Arts, Federal University of Pernambuco, Caruaru, Brazil) &
Prof. Dr. Hans-Dieter Weber (Department of Puppetry & Folk Performance, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany)
Abstract
Mamulengo, the traditional hand-puppet theater of Northeast Brazil, represents a vibrant synthesis of folk humor, improvised oral dialogue, and acute social critique. Operating in public marketplaces and rural fairgrounds, puppet masters (bonequeiros) manipulate carved wooden figures to skewer corrupt politicians, greedy landowners, and rigid social conventions. This article explores the performance dynamics, stock character archetypes (such as João Redondo and Benedito), and improvisational dialogue strategies that characterize traditional Mamulengo shows. Drawing upon folklore studies and performance theory, we analyze how puppet theater functions as an empowering medium of subaltern expression, allowing marginalized populations to articulate political dissent through laughter and satire. Furthermore, the study examines contemporary efforts to safeguard Mamulengo as intangible cultural heritage against the homogenizing pressures of mass media and urbanization.
Keywords: Mamulengo, Puppetry, Folk Satire, Performance Studies, Brazilian Folklore
DOI: 10.1590/1980-4504.2018v3i2a7
Interdisciplinary Humanitiespp. 129–147
Orality in the Digital Age: Archiving, Revitalizing, and Digitizing Endangered Oral Poetics in Latin America
Prof. Dr. Bernardo Guimarães Ribeiro (Department of Digital Humanities, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil) &
Dr. Naomi Takahashi (Center for Digital Folklore & Cultural Heritage, Kyoto University, Japan)
Abstract
The advent of digital archiving technologies and open-access repositories has fundamentally transformed the preservation, study, and dissemination of endangered oral poetics and folklore in Latin America. This article evaluates methodological frameworks for digitizing oral traditions, focusing specifically on collaborative digital repositories that return recorded materials to indigenous and traditional communities. We analyze ethical protocols concerning intellectual property rights, cultural consent, and digital repatriation of oral literature. Furthermore, the study explores how younger generations are utilizing digital media, podcasts, and social platforms to revitalize traditional storytelling, cordel poetry, and regional music forms. The paper concludes by proposing a comprehensive digital curation model that balances academic rigor with community governance, ensuring that oral traditions continue to thrive in hyper-connected global environments without losing their authentic cultural grounding.
Keywords: Digital Humanities, Oral Archiving, Endangered Traditions, Folklore Preservation, Open Access