Os Sentidos da Festa: (Re)Significações Simbólicas dos brincantes do Reisado de Congo em Barbalha CE (1960-1970)

Abstract

Linked to the research line Teaching of History and Historical Knowledge of the Post-Graduate in History of the Federal University of Paraíba - UFPB, with a major in History and Historical Culture, this paper aims to understand how happened the changes in the symbolic significance of the Reisado de Congo of Barbalha Municipality, located in Cariri (south) cearense during the 1960 and 1970. Respectively, periods in which the practice of merriment occurred more or less autonomous in rural areas and when began to perform at the Feast of St. Anthony, patron of the city through the municipal power. For the development of research, I employed the oral histories of former masters and revelers of Reisado. They helped me understand how they gave the symbolic constructions, historical, social and cultural rights around the merriment as well as its structure and especially the changes brought about in practice and revelers in order to fit the new landscape of the tourist attraction celebration and affirmation of the holy tradition, because as it is known by many, the incentive to maintain knowledge and practices of the people was part of the political-military construction of national identity. It was in this context that shaped the intense changes in the way of expression from popular culture Barbalha.