Judgement and Expiation
Entrudo or Carnaval in Portugal
Carnaval, or Entrudo, is the period of time begining in Epiphany (Epifania or Dia dos Reis) and ending in Fat Tuesday (Terça-Feira Gorda). The festivities reach their pick on the last three days.
This festivity period, is a combination of Iberian tribes culture and catholic traditions. Catholic because the reason for the celebration is a religious one: enjoying the last days of life without penance, since after Ash Wednesday meat was forbidden and every individual had to do penance. The abstinence of meat is also the reason why entrudo is called Carnaval, which literally means “abstinence of meat” (Carnis Levale). However, the way it’s celebrated, it’s motives and imagery stems from the Iberian Tribes’ culture and worldview.
At first sight it might look like Carnaval is celebrated in a dramatically different fashion from region to region. That, however, is a mere illusion, and a closer look will reveal patterns throughout the country. There is a tendency to burn a figure, whether it’s of an animal, a demon or a person for expiation of the comunity’s sins. This happens in both the North (Trás-os-Montes) and Center (Guarda and Torres Vedras) of Portugal. The use of masks, not beautiful like those of Venice, but of animals or devils, the presence of cabeçudos and gigantones is also common, role swapping between men and women, fertility and coming of age rites and lastly social critic.
North
Caretos of Podence (Caretos de Podence)
Caretos of Podence is a tradition from Podence, in the city of Bragança, Trás-os-Montes. It’s a milenar tradition whose origin goes back to the Callaeci, native tribe of this area, and is one of the “Winter Festivities”, celebrated by “masked men” who go out into the streets scaring the population. These are fertility rites and mark the end of Winter and the begining of Spring. Although these were inherited from the Callaeci, they were later Christianized, and many groups of masked men have Saint Stephen as Patron and have Masses included in their rituals.
In the case of Podence, the masked men go out in Entrudo or Carnaval. Men, in the begining unmarried young men, now old and young, married and unmarried, go into the streets dressed in the colourful Careto suit screaming and jumping around, looking for a young and beautiful woman so they can they “jiggle” (chocalhar) her1 . As this is a fertility rite, only men could perform it since it was their task to awake nature and women’s fertility that had been dormant throughout Winter2, however nowadays the presence of women, dressed in their male family members suit, is tolerated and accepted due to the spontaneity of the event3. Still, Caretos are predominantly male, but both men and women report the same feeling while being dressed in a Careto suit.
There’s some mistery surrounding this figures and even those who are Caretos cannot explain exactly what causes the transformation when dress the suit. These suits are carefully passed down from generation to generation, and by those who wear them it is said to possess supernatural powers, thining the line that separates good from evil4 and giving unnatural strength5 . This belief is not held by the elders alone, but the younger generation also claims the suit gives them powers and a feeling of freedom6. Even though the Facanitos (Careto children) learn how to behave from the adult Careto, all agree that one does not learn to be a Careto, but is born Careto7.
Besides the fertility rituals, they have also have the role of visiting people’s houses, taste the wine and eat the cakes baked and the food cooked for the occasion 8. Like its common in other portuguese regions, a figure is burnt at the end of festivities, in Podence is one called Entrudo, that symbolizes the destruction of evil and the begining of a new cycle.
Old Father (Pai Velho)
Old Father is an expiatory popular tradition from Viana do Castelo, which celebrates the end of Winter and the begining of Spring. It is also a Christianized practice, since the funeral rites are Catholic.
A parade is held on Fat Sunday and the Old Father, a wooden life size man figure, is displayed on a decorated oxcart9. The participants of the parade dress as matrafonas, policemen or other figures.
On Shrove Tuesday the wake of the Old Father is made at 23h30, people pretend to cry and scream “Goodbye Old Father, you were a good father”10 . Then the wooden figure is burnt and the Will of the Old Father is read11.
Once again, the cold Winter is destroyed by the fire to give rise to a hopeful begining.
Center
The Trial of the Rooster (Julgamento do Galo)
This is an expiatory popular tradition12. It consists in a fake trial where a Rooster (not a real one) is accused of every sin the community has comited in the past year. He is then considered guilty and sentenced to be burnt, so that the city can begin again.
Before the trial, there is a satyrical parade, in which social and political criticism is made by the Carnaval floats decoration, gigantones, cabeçudos and matrafonas are also present. There are street market stalls selling food and drinks to the thousands of people who enjoy this event each year.
Carnaval of Torres Vedras
This Carnaval is quite recent, it started being celebrated in 1923, but it is very popular and has greatly influenced other Carnaval parades in the country. The most important characteristic of this Carnaval is social and political criticism.
The main characters are the King and Queen, two men chosen from the community by the organization, the matrafonas, gigantones and cabeçudos. The Carnaval floats were influenced by Lisbon tradition just like the street ornaments13. Every year a theme for the Carnaval is chosen for the floats and parade decoration.
The Matrafonas are truly an icon of this Festival. They are men dressed with women attire, with very short skirts, fishing net socks, but always mantaining masculine traits. It is the most popular character of this festivity and the most popular Carnaval costume among men. They became characteristic of Torres Vedras, but are found quite frequently, even if on lesser numbers, in other Carnaval Festivities around the country.
Cabeçudos (gigantic dolls whose heads are larger than the rest of their bodies) were introduced in the 1930ties by artists Luís Faria and Amilcar Guerreiro made of paper pulp, but now are made of fiberglass14. Another important characters are the Zés Pereiras, men who play the bass drums parking the rhythm for the Carnaval Parade15.
Just like the rest of the country, in Torres Vedras there is also an expiatory tradition: the Judgement and burning, in the past it was of the Entrudo, a doll made of straw16. This is the old tradition, but now it the King the one judged, condemned and his Will read17. It is an opportunity for, once again, social criticism18. The doll burnt symbolizes the King and puts and end to the Festivity19.
I hope you enjoyed to known more about this important and fun festival!
https://www.caretosdepodence.pt/ritual
Youtube Video: The Skin of the Devil (A Pele do Diabo): Caretos de Podence
https://www.caretosdepodence.pt/ritual
Youtube video: Caretos de Podence - Candidatura a Património Cultural Imaterial da Humanidade - UNESCO
Youtube video: The Skin of the Devil (APele do Diabo): Caretos de Podence
https://www.jn.pt/6348264242/caretos-de-podence-com-futuro-garantido-com-os-jovens/
Youtube video: Caretos de Podence - Candidatura a Património Cultural Imaterial da Humanidade - UNESCO
https://www.caretosdepodence.pt/ritual
https://ovilaverdense.pt/pai-velho-ai-esta-o-entrudo-tradicional-do-lindoso/
https://www.cmpb.pt/ver.php?cod=0D0A0A1A0E
https://ovilaverdense.pt/pai-velho-ai-esta-o-entrudo-tradicional-do-lindoso/
https://7maravilhas.pt/portfolio/julgamento-e-morte-do-galo/
https://www.carnavaldetorresvedras.pt/carros-alegoricos-monumentos
https://www.carnavaldetorresvedras.pt/cabecudos-zes-pereiras
https://www.carnavaldetorresvedras.pt/cabecudos-zes-pereiras