Novenário de São Miguel Arcanjo na aldeia São Francisco: Interações, sociabilidade e simbolismo.

Abstract

This work addresses the religious cultural context that involves the novena of São Miguel Arcanjo among the Potiguara of the São Francisco village in Baía da Traição - PB. It highlights the ritual preparations, the forms of sociability and the symbolism of the Catholic festival in the indigenous context. Specifically, it is proposed to clarify the interactions of those involved during the festive period, what the Saint means to them (in general and individually) and what are the forms of leisure for the group during the novenas. The latter and their prayers are interpreted as a central element of the celebrations. To carry out this research, it was necessary to carry out bibliographic surveys and studies of the work of authors such as Émile Durkheim, Estevão Martins Palitot, Almir Batista da Silva, Emanuel Oliveira Braga and Luiz Octávio de Lima. The field research made use of the techniques of participant observation and interviews, being the natural researcher of Aldeia São Francisco. The conclusions seek to demonstrate the specificities of the spirituality of the Potiguara people, seen as part of a process of resistance to the colonial invasions that marked their history. In this sense, devotion to the Saint is thought of as a result of a process of aggregation of religious influences brought by the old missions, which coexist with other manifestations of indigenous spirituality, such as the Toré ritual.