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It is one of
the first fantastic entities that both the
Portuguese and The French learned about it as
they first arrive in Southern Brazil in the
beginning of the 16th century. It is also known
as Anhangüera. In some places in the Amazon, it
assumes the form of a dear with fire in the eyes
that protects the animals in the forest and the
Indian children when they get lost in the
jungle. On the other hand, the story is another
one for the historians in the Southeast. The
Jesuits, Hans Staden (a mercenary who worked for
the Portuguese Crown and shipwrecked in
Itanhaém), and for the French writers as Jean de
Léry (Voyage to the Land of Brazil) and André
Thevet (The Singularities of the Antarctic
France) who went to the Guanabara Bay (Rio de
Janeiro) in the 16th century, all describe the
same story about what was happening with the
Indians. |
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Initially, Jean de Léry:
"(...) the souls of the
cowards will be taken by Ainhãn, name of the devil, that
torment the Indians at all times. It is necessary to
make clear that the spirits of this poor people is
bothered throughout their lives by a evil spirit whom
they also call Kaagerre (note: it must be the Kaaguára
or more exactly the Kaaiguâra, the one that lives in the
bush, already known as caapóra
(our note: caipora). Many times as I could see by myself
in person, the tormented Indians screamed out full of
anger: "Defend us from Ainhan that beats us".
And they stated they really saw him disguised as a four
legged animal, a deformed and strange bird or any other
strange being. The Indians were admired when we told
them we were not bothered by the evil spirit and that
this happened thanks to God, that we so many times told
them about Him, because God being so much more powerful
than Ainhan, forbade the evil spirit to do us any harm (...)
I
saw them more than once apprehensive, concerned, beating
their hands on their thighs, trembling and
transpiring. During these possessions they used to say: "Mair
atu-assap, acequeei Ainhan atupané" (the restaured
statement is "Maim mbosaká, esekyjé, anã katú pabé"),
that means in our language: "French, my friend, I
am afraidn of the devil more than everything". And if we
answered: Nacequeiei
ainhan (it must be Nasekyjéi aña), that means, "we
are not afraid of it; they deplored their destiny
replying: "We would be so happy if we were spared
from this badness as you are'" .
Then we replied: "You must trust as we do,
in The One that Is stronger and more powerful than Ainhan" (...)
André Thevet:
"(...) these poor Americans
run into a certain spirit that sometimes assumes a
certain figure and some other times other shapes. It is
called Anhã (note: originally Agnan). This demon
persecutes them day and night, not only tormenting the
souls, but also - and particularly - the bodies. Anhã
punishes and injures the Indians excessively, making
them scream out loud horribly, begging for a Christian
who can be near by chance: "Can't you see Anhã
beats me? Defend me if you want me to serve you and cut
many trees for you" (sometimes they worked for us
cutting the Brazilwood, for which we gave them any
insignificance). For this reason they are horrified to
go out of their ocas (tends), and if they do so,
they always carry a torch, a sovereign remedy and safe
defense against the enemy. For the first time I heard
these cases, I thought they were nothing but fabulous
stories, legends, until I saw in person a Christian
exorcise the bad spirit just invoking and pronouncing
the name JESUS CHRIST. (...)"
Hans Staden,
also describes the same phenomenon: "(...)
They sleep in nets that are hung, which they call ini
(...) During the night , a fire is kept burning next to
the net. And, even to make their necessities, the
savages do not go out of their houses without a
torch, so much is the horror they feel about the demon
that they call Anhangá, whom they believe to see
frequently.
(...)"
At the same time, the
famous Jesuit, Joseph of Anchieta reports the
same history, even though he describes the Curupira that
in fact would be different from the Caipora, named here
as caapóra:
"(...) many times they trap
the Indians in the bush, wiping, wounding and killing
them. Our brothers are eyewitnesses of these events as
sometimes they found out in the bush the Indians who
were killed by those (...)".
The
Anhangabaú Valley (Valley of the Devil or the Bad
Spirit) in downtown São Paulo was named after an entity
that lived in the thick tropical forest that once
covered the Valley in the 16th century. The Indians were
very afraid to cross the valley and even nowadays many
people report chills and feeling bad as they walk around
there. Truth or legend, the valley was urbanized and
fountains and squares took the place of the avenues that
were once located there, that had previously replaced
the small farms that once had replaced the thick forest
with high trees that must have covered the valley in the
16th century. Down there, during the summer, under the
shade of the tall trees, one could only hear the murmurs
of the waters of the Anhangabaú river and the cicadas
singing. Indian chasers who ran into the Anhangá, could
get crazy and even die. Strangely, nowadays the people
who wants to cross the valley on foot, avoid to pass
through the valley (the gardens and fountains are always
empty). The people prefer to cross it on bridges such as
Viaduto do Chá and Viaduto Santa Ifigênia.
Maybe the Anhangá or the Curupira or even both still
live there.
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