{"id":2433,"date":"2017-06-06T17:06:22","date_gmt":"2017-06-06T22:06:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.meredithwwatts.com\/MWBrazilBlog\/?p=2433"},"modified":"2022-02-10T10:53:27","modified_gmt":"2022-02-10T16:53:27","slug":"beating-the-drum-for-the-holy-ghost-pentecost-festa-do-divino-sao-luis-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meredithwwatts.com\/MWBrazilBlog\/?p=2433","title":{"rendered":"Beating the Drum for the Holy Ghost: Pentecost (Festa do Divino), S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>It is estimated that during the week or so of the celebration of Pentecost (Espirito Divino Santo\/Holy Ghost), traditionally held 50 days after Easter, some 100 events are held in S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds alone.\n

What is truly remarkable in the eyes of more secular cultures is the importance of these multi-day community events that bring together hundreds of people of all generations.\u00a0 There is of course a \u201cmodern\u201d part of Brazil that observes only the mass on Pentecost Sunday, but these events in Maranhao bring together parts of the community for many days of celebration.\u00a0 The organizers, and the children and parents, will prepare for nearly the entire year.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The female drummers \u2014 caixeiras\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 are a traditional (and obligatory) feature of the celebrations.\u00a0 It is said that some drummers may appear in as many as thirty events across the city.<\/p>\n

A\u00a0 mass for Pentecost is still held in the Catholic Church of course, but in the S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds variation the priest normally leaves the pulpit and the caixeiras<\/em> lead the children and celebrants from the church in a huge din of waving flags and rhythmic drumming.<\/p>\n

Selected children are dressed as imperial royalty Portuguese colonial period and comprise the Tribunal or royal court.\u00a0 The \u201cseating of the Tribunal\u201d of children is done in the spiritual house where in both Christian and Afro-Brazilian entities are displayed and worshiped.<\/p>\n

Spiritual House in Santa In\u00eas (Saint Agnes)<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this celebration in Santa In\u00eas the caixeiras<\/em> themselves opened an early event, without children or a \u201cTribunal.\u201d\u00a0 It is their personal celebration of the Holy Ghost a day or two before the actual day of Pentecost.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Caixeira. The mural behind seems to represent the arrival of the colonial Portuguese.\u00a0 Brazilians are a bit ambivalent about the colonial period \u2014 most have some European heritage but there was the vast slave trade that brought millions of their ancestors from Africa.\u00a0 The European colonizers also enslaved and exterminated many indigenous peoples, languages and cultures.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
One of the traditional \u201cDrummers for the Holy Ghost\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
These spiritual houses tend to be \u201csyncretistic,\u201d in that they juxtapose or merge symbols and veneration of Christian and other entities. Here a cross is decorated for the Holy Ghost.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
At the climax of this celebration night members gather at the altar and light candles for the Espirito Santo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Caixeiras at the altar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
To support the celebration, a large number of people must be fed. By custom the celebrants and any drop-in guests and neighbors come to the table. This is the kitchen crew.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Casa de Mina Santa Maria, S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cSeating the Tribunal\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
After a Catholic Church mass the \u201ctribunal\u201d of royally dressed children, accompanied by the drummers (caixeiras<\/em>) and other celebrants, march to the Casa de Mina Santa Maria<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
The altar at the Casa de Mina Santa Maria<\/em>, with doves and the crown symbolizing the Espirto Santo. In the center is the Virgin Mary (Santa Maria) and below another figure draped with necklaces of the various orix\u00e1s<\/em> worshiped in the house.\u00a0 It is common for Afro-Brazilian spiritual houses to worship entities from the Christian tradition (including many saints) as well as African orix\u00e1s\u00a0<\/em>and other entities adopted in the New World.\u00a0 Each house has a different pantheon of entities they worship and invoke.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Most caixeiras<\/em> are members of long-lasting women\u2019s groups, but they are sometimes joined by male drummers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
The children in the Tribunal are fabulously dressed. This is one of the younger members of the royal court. The \u201cempress\u201d is a teenager who is elected newly every year and has a year to prepare (meaning, usually, that her family has a year to prepare her costumes).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
For a few hours the young people are replicas of adult royalty, apparently invoking the period of Portuguese colonialism.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
There are young caixeiras<\/em>, but most are older women who have been drumming for the Holy Ghost for decades.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
A young member of the \u201cimperial\u201d court, or Tribunal.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
One of the few younger caixeiras.<\/em> She is watching the older drummers to learn the various rhythms (there can be as many as nine, each with a role in the liturgy.
<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Veteran caixeira<\/em> with young members of the court in the background.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tenda de F\u00e9 em Deus, Pindar\u00e9<\/strong><\/p>\n

Procession of the Crown of Espirito Santo (Holy Ghost)<\/em><\/p>\n

This procession preceded the entrance of the elaborately costumed children.\u00a0 These young men are bringing in the crown of the Holy Ghost at a spiritual house in Pindar\u00e9.<\/p>\n

After they enter and the crown is present, there is an elaborate banquet or cakes soft drinks and sometimes chocolate drinks for the children.\u00a0 After the court is fed adults get the remaining cakes.\u00a0 For a proper banquet in the city of S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds there are usually several tables of cakes.\u00a0 For this smaller event in Pindar\u00e9 there were only a dozen or so cakes.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Young men entering the celebration with the symbols of the Holy Ghost.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
There is a slightly romantic, mystical atmosphere that lasts until the lights are turned on and the children\u2019s procession enters.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Catholic Mass, then Procession and Celebration at Casa de Nag\u00f4 (S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
After a formal Pentecost mass, the priest exits and the procession of the caixeiras<\/em> begins. Here a young man of the \u201cimperial court\u201d leads the procession from the church with the flag of the Espirito Santo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Just one of the several tables of cakes decorated with colors and symbols of the Pentecost.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
The \u201cempress\u201d enthroned in an elaborate ritual at the Casa de N\u00e2go.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Being good, and regal, is trying. This is after the formal ceremony and before the cake, chocolate and soft drinks.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Casa das Minas, S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds June 2017<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cBringing Down the Mast\u201d<\/p>\n

In groups that can afford it, the mastro\/mast is raised early in the Pentecost week (levantamento do mastro<\/em>) and torn down at the end (derrabamento do mastro<\/em>).\u00a0 Both are signal events opening and closing important events in the Pentecost celebration.<\/p>\n

The one below at the Casa de Minas is a massive pole that requires several men, intricate coordination, and various rope and tools.<\/p>\n

For contrast, at the very end is a more modest neighborhood mastro<\/em> decorated with treats for children.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The final ceremony is the \u201clowering of the mast\u201d \u2014 a symbol of the Pentecost celebration. This is a huge one \u2014 perhaps thirty feet high and made from a tall tree.\u00a0 It is\u00a0 decorated at the top with a flag and symbols of the Espirito Santo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Caixeiras march around the mast (\u201cmastro\u201d), nearing the climax of the celebration. Members of the celebration symbolically strike the mast with a hatchet to symbolize its being brought down and closing the Pentecost season.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
The \u201cmastro\u201d is raised at the beginning of the several-day Pentecost celebration and lowered at the final ceremony. It is traditionally men\u2019s work and requires a great deal of coordination, strength and skill.\u00a0 Some writers describe this as the \u201cphallic\u201d part of the ceremony.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Members of the court parade around the now-lowered mastro<\/em> for a final closing of Pentecost.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
The caixeiras<\/em> accompany the parade around the mastro<\/em> with constant drumming and singing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
In a final act, the dove and flag of the Holy Ghost are removed from the mastro<\/em> and the formal Pentecost celebration is closed. There are still hours of drumming and eating tables full of cake and other food.\u00a0 The larger spiritual houses bring together hundreds of people for these celebrations.\u00a0 In early days food was taken to a leper colony \u2014 in a remaining element of that custom many disabled and very poor are given gifts outside the house on the previous day.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An Alternative Neighborhood Mastro<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not all mastros<\/em> are formal and massive like the one from the Casa de Minas.\u00a0 This one is in a modest neighborhood and decorated with treats for children.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Some neighborhoods use a simpler mastro<\/em> that is decorated with fruit, soft drinks and other treats for children. When this type of pole is brought down, it is the occasion for a children\u2019s party as they snatch the treats from the pole.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is estimated that during the week or so of the celebration of Pentecost (Espirito Divino Santo\/Holy Ghost), traditionally held 50 days after Easter, some 100 events are held in S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds alone. What is truly remarkable in the eyes of more secular cultures is the importance of these multi-day community events that bring together … Continue reading Beating the Drum for the Holy Ghost: Pentecost (Festa do Divino), S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds 2017<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-folk-culture-and-spiritual-practice-in-maranhao-brazil"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meredithwwatts.com\/MWBrazilBlog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2433","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meredithwwatts.com\/MWBrazilBlog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meredithwwatts.com\/MWBrazilBlog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meredithwwatts.com\/MWBrazilBlog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meredithwwatts.com\/MWBrazilBlog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2433"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.meredithwwatts.com\/MWBrazilBlog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2433\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2932,"href":"https:\/\/www.meredithwwatts.com\/MWBrazilBlog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2433\/revisions\/2932"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meredithwwatts.com\/MWBrazilBlog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2433"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meredithwwatts.com\/MWBrazilBlog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2433"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meredithwwatts.com\/MWBrazilBlog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}