The “dançass, bailhinhos and comédias” of the Carnaval on the island of Terceira, Azores, were distinguished as Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Directorate General for Cultural Heritage at a ceremony held last weekend in Lisbon.
“This is a moment to celebrate the Azores, our idiosyncratic identity, our experiences, festivities and the journey of valorization of the Carnival of Terceira Island,” said the Regional Secretary for Education and Cultural Affairs.
For Sofia Ribeiro, this distinction “recognizes an identity” passed down “from generation to generation” and the work of “defending and safeguarding” carried out by the inhabitants of Terceira.
“Today we celebrate the real protagonists, who ensure the transmission and preservation of Terceira’s Carnival dances and balls,” she said.
The ceremony to distinguish the events included in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage took place last Sunday at the National Costume Museum in Lisbon as part of the celebrations for the 20th anniversary of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
From a news story in Diário Insular-José Lourenço, director
These unique cultural traditions have also been part of the California Portuguese-American community. Each year, various groups from different localities in California put forth this tradition. At PBBI-Fresno State, we are working on a program to archive this rich history of the Terceira-style Carnaval tradition that has been an intricate part of Central California. We hope the community will support such an endeavor.
Meanwhile, and as a response to the news from the current government of the Azores, the PS political party issued a statement saying that it views with “astonishment and incredulity” the announcement by the Regional Secretariat for Education and Cultural Affairs that the Terceira Carnival has now been distinguished as Intangible Cultural Heritage, given that this traditional event has held this distinction since 2020.
e PS press release that Terceira’s Carnival saw its inscription as Intangible Cultural Heritage published in August 2020, the culmination of a long process that included a dedicated and exhaustive collection of the “danças, bailhinhos and comédias.”
The following piece is from the Enciclopédia Açoriana, a bit of history written by Carlos Enes and translated by Diniz Borges.
Danças do Carnaval (Entrudo)
The Entrudo (danças, bailinhos, and Comédias) that we know in the Azores are the result of the contribution brought by the settlers from the mainland and the influences of contacts with other peoples and cultures, such as France, Spain, Brazil, etc.
In earlier times, the dances were linked to religious festivals, but the ecclesiastical authorities persecuted them several times, considering them a severe sin in the 13th century. Outlawed from the sanctuary, the dancers moved to the street, to the churchyard, and continued to accompany the processions.
It’s not easy to determine when these events became a fundamental part of the Entrudo festivities. They took place at various times of the year and, in the case of Terceira, during the intervals between bullfights. In the Azores, it seems inevitable that in the 19th century, they were predominantly held during the carnival season.
On the various islands of the archipelago, we find the following varieties of dances: a) the “pau das fitas” dance (the name used on Terceira) or the “cadarços” dance (the name used on S. Miguel and Faial); b) the “dança dos arcos” dance; c) the “entrudo” dances. They all have some common elements. The dance is structured around two wings of dancers, varying between twelve and sixteen pairs, a master or lead, and an ending figure ( a kind of medieval jester). It is accompanied by players of musical instruments. The master, armed with a sword or tambourine and a whistle, is responsible for directing the choreography and is dressed more sumptuously than the other elements. In Terceira, he was called ratão and cleared the ground for the following scene, carried out the begging (in medieval times), and intervened with more light-hearted jokes.
The costumes have varied over the years, with a tendency to become more and more colorful. In the first half of the 20th century, white was the predominant color. Colored stripes are often worn on shirts, pants have colored lines, and hats of various shapes are worn on the head. The masters wore epaulets on their shoulders and feathered hats. The musical accompaniment was also enriched with the use of new string and wind instruments. These dances essentially revolved around a choreography. Although some verses were sung, there was no developed plot telling a story.
a) Dança dos cadarços or pau das fitas. According to Carreiro da Costa, these dances originated in Provence, with roots in the remote pagan festivals of spring, summer, or autumn, and were linked to various agricultural activities. According to Luís Bernardo *Ataíde, they were only introduced to São Miguel in the 19th century. In 1825, a theater company came to the island and performed a dance of this type, which eventually became famous. The dance is based on a sequence of choreographies that end with the stringing together of laces or masts of various colors on a large pole placed in the middle of the dance. This dance, with some variations, was prevalent on other islands.
b) Dance of the bows (fitas). This was the best-known dance on Faial. In addition to the participants typical to the others, it also features two commanders dressed in white tuxedos with fluted sleeves and gold stripes on their shorts. The dancers carry a semi-bow with showy, polychrome sheets of paper wrapped around it. They hold it by the end with each hand, performing the choreography, accompanied by the singing of various quatrains, with a certain amount of interplay.
c) Entrudo Dances. Like the others, they were essentially based on a choreography accompanied by a few quatrains. They were often linked to arts or crafts: dances of the nets (fishermen), of the picón, of the mallets, of the blacksmiths, carpenters, etc. Towards the end of the 19th century, the plot began to assert itself and later became the central element of the dance, transforming it into popular theater. This introduction of the enredo seems to coincide with the same opening of the enredo in the Brazilian samba. They existed on all the islands and, after suffering a period of decline, have recently reappeared. They only maintained their continuity on the island of Terceira, becoming the most prominent cultural manifestation. Practically every parish has one or more dances for Carnaval, which involves several hundred people.
There are a few variants of the so-called entrudo dances. The sword dance, also known as the day dance, seems to be the oldest: the tambourine or night dance and, more recently, the bailhinho. There are many common characteristics among them, but also some specific ones. The sword dance was the most theatrical, with a more significant number of players and a more serious subject. They represented historical, religious or dramatic themes. In recent years, this variant has tended to disappear. In the evening dances and bailhinhos, the plots are more humorous and satirical.
All of them are made up of three distinct parts: an initial choreography followed by the greeting, in which the people are greeted; the subject, in which the plot is presented and which unfolds immediately; and the farewell, in which the spectators are thanked for their attention. Each of these parts is begun and concluded by the master, who also directs the marks. In recent years, there have been dances with two masters (puxadores); in the pandeiro dances, there used to be a ratão (jester) who would comment on the plot with spicy, flirtatious sayings, taking on the role of intriguer and more perceptive critic. Lately, this character has stopped being used. In some dances, some characters and players don’t participate in the choreography with the other dancers. They are placed at the tail of the dance. Until a few decades ago, only men entered a dance, playing the female roles. Towards the end of the 20th century, girls joined the dances, including as masters (mestres).
The costs of organizing a dance – clothing and transportation – are borne by the participants. During the exhibition, there were sometimes appeals to alleviate the costs. Recently, the Regional Secretariat for Culture has granted subsidies, which still don’t cover all the costs.
The dances were mainly performed in the yard or in private homes. But as recreational societies were built, the dances began to be performed on stages and almost only at night. Whole families would fill the halls to watch continuous dancing sessions throughout the three (now four) nights of Carnival.
Carlos Enes (Mar.2003)
Bibliography. Açoriano Oriental (1944), Ponta Delgada, February 12. Andrade, J. (1960), Bailhos rodas e cantorias. Ed. by the author. Athayde, Luís B. (1918), Etnografia artística. Ponta Delgada, Artes Gráficas: 82 ff. Avelar, J. S. (1902), A ilha de S. Jorge. Horta, Tip. Minerva Insulana: 70-71. Bretão, J. (1998-2001), As Danças do Entrudo-Uma festa do Povo. Angra do Heroísmo, Direcção Regional da Cultura, 2 vols. Dionísio, M. (1937), Costumes Açorianos. 2.ª ed., Angra do Heroísmo, Tip Insular-João Vieira: 39-47. Enes, C. (1980), As Danças do Entrudo. Lisbon, Ed. Ilhas. Id. (1989), O Carnaval Angrense no 1.º terço do século XX. Boletim do Instituo Histórico da Ilha Terceira, XLVII. Id. (1998), O Carnaval na Vila Nova. Lisbon, Ed. Salamandra. Gomes, A. (1999), Danças do Entrudo nos Açores. Angra do Heroísmo, BLU Ed. Lima, M. (1943), Anais do Município da Horta. Famalicão: Oficinas Gráficas-Minerva: 478. Macedo, C. and Leite, P. (1983), A dança dos arcos e dos cadarços. Canto da Maia Preparatory School (S. Miguel). Monteiro, J. (1982), Memórias da minha ilha. Santa Maria, ed. by the author. Ribeiro, L. S. (1955), A dança do pau das fitas. Bulletin of the Historical Institute of Terceira Island, XIII.
Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Cultures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno.
Two of the master writers of Carnaval from Terceira island–Hélia Costa (left) and João Mendonça (right)
Museum in Lajes, Terceira, dedicated to the Carnaval
For further reading, here is an academic article on the Carnaval from Terceira Island
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/20/13250
Filamentos (artes e letras) 