Pardos’ Triumph

On September 13, 1745, the pardo (mixed-race Afro-Brazilian) brotherhood (lay Catholic association) of Nossa Senhora do Livramento (Our Lady Emancipation) Recife, Pernambuco, in collaboration with de Guadalupe Guadalupe) neighboring Olinda, enthralled Pernambuco’s largest city a great festival honor Blessed Gonçalo Garcia (1556–97). Like many colonial festivals, festivities included fireworks, artillery salvos, five triumphal carts, seventeen allegorical floats, different dance performances, and jousting. Yet never before had such an extravagant display material wealth been made by Afro-Brazilian brotherhood. The irmãos (brotherhood members) two important issues they wanted to settle once for all this festival. One was question Gonçalo’s pardoness, since would-be-saint son Portuguese man East Indian woman, pardoness Brazil defined as result white–black miscegenation. other issue popular notion that mixed-race Afro-Brazilians constituted Brazil’s most deviant unruly socioracial group. In article, I analyze how used culture early modern festivals publicly articulate claims about their sacro-social prestige socio-symbolic status. contend played central role irmãos’ articulation devotion belonging, challenge notions ethnic