''Caramuru'' is an

epic poem In poetry, an epic is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. With regard to ...

written by colonial Brazilian Augustinian friar

Santa Rita Durão José de Santa Rita Durão (1722–1784), known simply as Santa Rita Durão, was a Colonial Brazilian Neoclassic poet, orator and Augustinian friar. He is considered a forerunner of " Indianism" in Brazilian literature, with his epic poem '' C ...

. It was published in 1781 and is one of the most famous Indianist works of Brazilian Neoclassicism – the other being Basílio da Gama's '' O Uraguai''.

Theme

Stamp_of_Brazil_-_1981_-_Colnect_215156_-_Poem_Caramuru

Inspired by

Luís de Camões Luís Vaz de Camões (; or 1525 – 10 June 1580), sometimes rendered in English as Camoens or Camoëns ( ), is considered Portugal's and the Portuguese language's greatest poet. His mastery of verse has been compared to that of William Shakes ...

' ''

The Lusiads ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

'', it is divided in ten

canto The canto () is a principal form of division in medieval and modern long poetry. Etymology and equivalent terms The word ''canto'' is derived from the Italian word for "song" or "singing", which comes from the Latin ''cantus'', "song", from th ...

s. The poem tells the story of the famous Portuguese sailor

Diogo Álvares Correia Caramuru (-1557) was the Tupi language, Tupi name of the Portuguese people, Portuguese colonization of the Americas, colonist Diogo Álvares Correia, who is notable for being the first European to establish contact with the native Tupinambá pop ...

, known as "Caramuru" (

Old Tupi Old Tupi, Ancient Tupi or Classical Tupi () is a classical Tupian language which was spoken by the indigenous Tupi people of Brazil, mostly those who inhabited coastal regions in South and Southeast Brazil. In the words of Brazilian tupinol ...

for "Son of the Thunder"), who shipwrecked on the shores of present-day

Bahia Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...

and had to live among the local

indigenous peoples There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...

. The poem also alludes to Correia's wife,

Catarina Paraguaçu Catarina Álvares Paraguaçu,According to Catarina's baptism certificate, her original name was Guaibimpará, and not Paraguaçu. also known as Catarina do Brasil (baptized June 1528 – 1586), was a Tupinambá Indian. She was born in what is to ...

, as a seer, being able to foresee the

Dutch invasions of Brazil The Dutch invasions in Brazil, ordered by the Dutch West India Company (WIC), occurred during the 17th century. Considered the biggest political-military conflict in the Colonial Brazil, colony, the invasions were centered on the control of sugar ...

Form

The poem is written in

ottava rima Ottava rima is a rhyming stanza form of Italian origin. Originally used for long poems on heroic themes, it later came to be popular in the writing of mock-heroic works. Its earliest known use is in the writings of Giovanni Boccaccio. The ottav ...

(''oitava rima'' in Portuguese).Oitava rima at dicionarioinformal.com.br.
/ref> The lines consist of ten syllables and the strophe rhymes according to the abababcc pattern. Here is the first stanza of the poem. The hero "Filho do Trovão" is introduced in it. :''De um varão em mil casos agitados,'' :''Que as praias discorrendo do Ocidente,'' :''Descobriu recôncavo afamado'' :''Da capital brasílica potente;'' :''Do Filho do Trovão denominado,'' :''Que o peito domar soube à fera gente,'' :''O valor cantarei na adversa sorte,'' :''Pois só conheço herói quem nela é forte.''

Adaptations

* '' Caramuru: A Invenção do Brasil'', a

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

Brazilian film directed by

Guel Arraes Miguel Arraes de Alencar Filho, known as Guel Arraes (born 12 December 1953) is a Brazilian filmmaker and TV director. Until 2018, he was the director of weekly dramas at TV Globo, Rede Globo, being mainly responsible for the series and miniser ...

, is a loose, comedic adaptation of Durão's poem.

References

Criticism

“The ancient Portugal reborn in the Brazil”: The myth of Portuguese - Brazilian Empire in the epic poem Caramuru by Santa Rita Durão.

Belinda Mora García, The Aeneid of Brazil : Caramuru (1781).
1781 books Brazilian books Brazilian poems Epic poems in Portuguese 1781 poems 18th-century Brazilian literature Indianism (arts) {{Poem-stub

Theme

Form

Adaptations

See also

References

Criticism