tatarrinho: The war at the end of the world

I had some idea about what the war at Canudos was, but Varga Lhosa's description about the backland has such a great account that feels like he was there at that time, he has definitely study a lot about Brazil before writing this book.

Fiction mixed with reality the book talks about the lives of many characters whom we never have the chance to know the name, the Little Blesses One, the Lion of Natuba, the Scottish Galileo Gall, the near-sighted journalist, the Dwarf, Jurema, Rufino, Father Joaquim of Cumbe, Abbot Joao, Pajeu, Pedrao, Taramela, Big Joao, among other "jaguncos", Maria Quadrado, Alexandrinha Correa, the baron de Canabrava and Estela the baroness, Antonio the Pyrotechnist, Antonio Vilanova. The militarists being the Throat-Slitter, the Bandit-Chaser, among others Captains, Lieutenant, and soldiers from the Republic.

Searching about the Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa I read that even though the novel has been acclaimed in Brazil, it was initially poorly received because a foreigner was writing about a Brazilian theme.The book was also criticized as revolutionary and anti-socialist. Vargas Llosa says that this book is his favourite and was his most difficult accomplishment! He used the Euclides da Cunha book Os Sertoes as a plataform for his writings.

For something that at first was so powerless, and insignificant, strangely got out of hand and ended with the life of some 20,000 people, Canudo's war was the deadliest Brazilian civil war. It is hard to believe that those people in 1896 believed that the dead would rise from its ash and come back to rescue the poor and end their misery. Don Sebastian I was his name, the 24 years old Portuguese king supposedly killed at the Battle of Alcacer-Quibir, Morroco in 1578 was the salvation people sought.

On April 22, 1822 Brazil has declared independence from Portugal, and in November 15, 1889 the republic was declared after a military coup against the ruling Emperor, Don Pedro II. It was in this scenario that Antonio Conselheiro (the Counselor) appeared. He claimed to be a prophet and predicted the return of the legendary Portuguese king. After wandering through the provinces of Ceara, Pernambuco, Sergipe, and Bahia he decided in 1893 to settle permanently with his followers in the farm of Canudos, near the city of Monte Santo, Bahia, by the Vaza-Barris River. Soon his preaching and the promises of a better world attracted almost 8,000 new residents, by 1895 its population had grown to more than 30,000 and more than 5,000 dwellings. The Counselor established a communist-like social system, with division of labour and produce, common property, abolition of civil marriage, tax, and of the official currency, prohibition of taverns, liquor, and prostitution, rigid control over crimes and mandatory religious activities. He provided comfort to those who where before disregarded for having some abnormality.

After the struggle to survive, on the forth attempts with the help of the Brazilian army and the Republic which at that time was centred in Rio de Janeiro, in October 2, 1897 it was finally the end of what was once called Canudos, the city and surrounding was completely destroyed. Antônio Conselheiro died in September 22, supposedly of a dysentery. After the promises that the republic would guarantee their lives, part of the survivals surrendered with a white flag, whilst the last fights happened in the public square. Despite the promises, not only all the men made prisoners, but also woman and children ended up being beheaded, an execution called the red tie (gravata vermelha). The Canudo war has been considered one of the biggest crime committed in the Brazilian territories. Antônio Conselheiro body was exhumed and his head cut off by a knife and taken to Salvador, Bahia, both as a proof and as a war spoil. It was examined by the noted forensic medicine expert, Dr. Nina Rodrigues, and placed in permanent exhibition in the museum of the Medical School of Bahia, where it was destroyed in a fire in 1905. They made sure the whole city was destroyed as never to be a pilgrim destination.

The book has great parts and one of my favourite is the dialog between the near-sighted and the baron, when the former says that the Canudo war was in fact a big misunderstanding. Antonio Conselheiro was not trying to reinstall the monarchy as the republicans thoughts, he was an idealist that had seen to much suffering and poverty, and believed faith could change things. He introduced God to those that thought were born to serve the Devil, such as the ex-cangaceiros Abbot Joao, Pajeu, Pedrao, Taramela, Big Joao. Hadn't the war happen, they wouldn't have to touch weapons again.

Praised be Blessed Jesus the Counselor...

Antonio Vicente Mendes Maciel (the Councelor) wrote a book in 1895 called: Apontamentos dos preceitos da Divina Lei do Nosso Senhor Jesus Christo para a salvação dos homens.

"Se o teu inimigo tiver fome, dá-lhe de comer e se tiver sede, dá-lhe de beber, porque se isto fizeres, amontoarás brasas vivas sobre a sua cabeça. Não te deixes vencer do mal, mas vence o mal com o bem". Antonio Conselheiro