Círio de Nazaré: a corda como símbolo de ligação na religiosidade popular paraense

Abstract

Seeking to better understand the religious phenomenon existing in the context of popular religiosity, specifically in the Círio de Nazaré, we will investigate an element belonging to the context of that religious manifestation that has been held for more than two centuries in Belém do Pará, Brazil. We will look at the rope as a binding symbol in northern folk Catholicism, briefly describing the socio-economic, historical-religious aspects of the Círio de Nazaré. Despite the existence of a vast previous contribution on the theme “The Círio de Nazaré in the context of popular religiosity”, a better understanding and new thematic analysis of the rope as a characteristic symbol of the Círio, and popular Catholicism, will bring a social and cultural contribution rich in symbolisms, through this element, which was introduced in the religious context of the people paraense at a specific historical moment.