Holy Week
estimated read time: 4 minutes
This text is relevant to better understand the piece "do lume que pesa"
The Holy Week is one of Braga’s most important tourist products, having an enormous and growing relevance for the city and region’s economy and its prestigious image. Until 2019 (until the start of the pandemic), there was a gradual increase in tourists visiting Braga to attend the Holy Week celebrations. Although this is event-based and organised by Catholic institutions, not all their participants (active or passive) share this religious vision. Many are the atheists, agnostics or devotees of other religions who take part in Braga's Holy Week, some following merely their curiosity to experience the celebrations. Therefore, nowadays, we may say that Braga's Holy Week is not only organised for Christians. These celebrations are based on the foundational narrative of Christianity, referring mainly to the theme of the Passion of Christ, creating a solid link between the city of Braga, and its culture, to this theme.
Although there are more events related to the Lenten celebrations in Braga (for example, the Lausperene, the “Procissão dos Passos” and “Procissão da Burrinha”), for the composition of this piece, I focused mainly on the events that go from Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday.
Procissão do Senhor Ecce Homo
Holy Thursday represents the beginning of the Easter Triduum (the three days preceding Easter), a time of silence and introspection for Catholics. During the day of Holy Thursday, a group of farricocos shake their ratchets while touring the town to symbolically invite its inhabitants to participate as spectators in the events of the Easter triduum.
The "Procissão do Senhor Ecce Homo" (a religious procession) takes place on the evening of Holy Thursday, which recalls the trial of Jesus by Pilate. The name of the procession comes from Pilate's exclamation when presenting Jesus to the people: "Ecce Homo" (“Eis o Homem” (pt), “Behold the man” (en)). The procession, organised since the 16th century, in which scenes from the Passion of Christ are represented, is the most relevant public ceremony coordinated by Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Braga, beginning and ending at Igreja da Misericórdia (Misericórdia Church).
The most characteristic sound of this procession is the sound of the shaking of the ratchets, played by farricocos organised in two rows at the beginning of the procession.
Procissão do Enterro do Senhor
The “Procissão do Enterro do Senhor” (Procession of the Burial of the Lord) is mournful, resembling a funeral. Here, and except for the philharmonic bands that play funeral marches, all its participants move in silence, some with their heads down. The aim is to represent the scenario lived by the characters present by the cross, as well as the transfer of the body of Jesus Christ after his death and the path between the place of the Calvary and the tomb where the body of Jesus Christ was laid to rest.
This procession takes place annually on Good Friday night, starting and ending in Braga Cathedral.
“Visita Pascal”
The “Visita Pascal” (also called “Compasso Pascal”, “beijar a Cruz” or “visita do Senhor”), is an Easter Sunday tradition, held mainly in the northern region of Portugal (Entre-Douro-e-Minho). The "Visita Pascal" can be celebrated, in some areas, on Easter Monday and on “Domingo de Pascoela” (one week after Easter).
After the Eucharistic celebration, the groups that will carry the cross to the homes of the parish meet near the church. Each group is made up of at least five people. Among them is the Parish Priest (or his representative), a person carrying the cross and a bell-carrier (usually a child). This last element has a mission to indicate the approach of the Compasso to the houses. There is no previously defined rhythm for its execution but, normally, it follows the movement of the player.
The "visit" comprises three acts. First the priest - or in his absence, a representative - reads a short prayer, while sprinkling holy water. This is followed by the kissing of the Cross by each person present. In the last act of the Easter visit, the people carrying the Cross greet the people present, hand out a leaflet with the prayer recited at the time of the visit, and, sometimes, receive a donation for the parish.
This is one of the most relevant religious traditions from a social point of view in Portugal because of the gathering of the community and the opening of the houses' doors to their relatives, friends and, of course, to the local parish priest.
Farricocos
The farricocos are one of the most important symbols of Holy Week in Braga. They walk around the city wearing simple, black clothes, with covered faces and barefooted, this clothing being a sign of modesty and detachment from material goods.
These ancient manifestations are associated with the theme of sin, repentance and penitence. The farricocos are present in the Holy Thursday and Good Friday processions, embodying the penitents who used to take part in the main religious ceremonies of Holy Week. Their mission would be to "awaken souls" to integrity, justice and honour.
Nowadays, throughout Holy Thursday, the farricocos walk through the streets of Braga with their ratchets, faithfully following the secular tradition. In the “Procissão do Senhor Ecce Homo”, about thirty farricocos are organised in two lines at the beginning of the procession. Here, the farricocos, besides noisily using the matracas (ratchets), use the fogaréus - high iron containers, with burning pine cones and other flammable materials, to illuminate the procession. In the procession of Good Friday (the day after), the “Procissão do Enterro do Senhor”, instead of using the ratchets, they just carry them by dragging them on the floor. The farricocos go at the beginning of the “Procissão do Senhor Ecce Homo” and the “Procissão do Enterro do Senhor”.
The farricocos, in the past, did their penance either by helping to provide the illumination for the procession or by inviting, using their ratchets, the inhabitants of the town to take part in the events. Nowadays, they are no longer penitents, but they still represent the public penitents of the past, who took part in the Holy Week celebrations by seeking absolution for their sins.
Braga, a city in northern Portugal, in the Cávado River Valley, is one of the oldest Portuguese cities and one of the oldest Christian cities in the world. This city was founded in ancient Rome (c. 16 BC) as “Bracara Augusta” in honour of the emperor Cesar Augustus and has over 2000 years of history.
During the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula by the king of León, Afonso IV, the city was given as a dowry to D. Teresa for her marriage with Count Henry of Burgundy. Braga stood out as the capital of a vast territory between the rivers Ave and Minho[1].
Braga has a vast cultural heritage (such as, for example, the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) that portrays the long and rich history of the city. Braga Cathedral, built by order of the bishop D. Pedro de Braga on the ruins of an ancient Roman temple dedicated to the goddess Isis, presents a variety of architectural styles, from Roman to Baroque. In the 18th century, Braga, through the work of André Soares, became the ex-libris of Baroque in Portugal, exemplified by the Palácio do Raio. From the late 18th century, through the work of Carlos Amarante, we can observe the Neoclassical style in various buildings.
The city's history is also reflected in the informal names by which it is also known, such as “Roman City”, “City of the Archbishops” and “Portuguese Rome”, among others.
Nowadays it is still possible to observe several Roman vestiges in the city in places like the Fonte do Ídolo, in Braga's train station, under the "Frigideiras do Cantinho" (a coffee shop) and in the D. Diogo de Sousa Museum. These are traces of a long Roman presence in the city, as mentioned above.
The designation “City of Archbishops” comes from the importance of its archbishopric in the Iberian Peninsula. Even today, the Archbishop of Braga holds the title of ‘Primaz das Espanhas’. This name is also related to the fact that the Archbishops were administrators of a lordship between 1112 and 1792, with a small interruption in the 15th century[2]. The Archbishops thus accumulated their religious leadership to the administrative management of Braga, over which they collected taxes and imposed laws, which resulted in relevance in the daily lives of the city's inhabitants of the Catholic Church and its religious celebrations[3].
The name “Portuguese Rome” in relation to Braga derives from the fact that there are countless churches per km² in the city and from the influence that Rome had on the city design of the 16th century, idealised by D. Diogo de Sousa. Even nowadays, Braga is considered to be the biggest centre of religious studies in Portugal.
Currently, the municipality of Braga is predominantly urban, mainly around the city. The rural areas that previously predominated, are nowadays confined to the limits of the municipality. Braga is still today a city full of culture and traditions, where history and religion live side by side with technological industry and university life. Braga is therefore a dynamic and energetic city.
Regarding traditional celebrations, there are dozens of annual pilgrimages, which result from the will of the different parishes and brotherhoods to stand out from the others for the quality of their celebrations[4]. In this chapter, I will present some of the characteristics and elements of three traditional events in Braga. These celebrations (which occur in the same physical space), have a distinct sonority, concerning the songbook, and also their sound result. Therefore, I find it necessary to document these events in the field, as a process of self-immersion and closeness into these realities, capturing their contrasting sonic-spatial dimensions (mainly focused on the broader perspective of the sound environment). These celebrations offer broad examples of different sonic material: songs, soundscapes linked to each event, and different social behaviour from the public. This documentation will be a crucial tool for new creations.
Any cell can be repeated several times independently of another. Some “malhões” have only one of the two cells (usually the second). The cells present, sometimes, variations of the main pattern. The characteristic pattern of the “malhão” is usually performed by the bombo, which can be reinforced by other musical instruments. The genre is usually executed by folk groups or recreational groups of traditional music, rusgas or solo instruments accompanying the voice (accordion, for example).
The harmonic structure is open based on the alternation of the tonic and dominant chords. Each chord is played normally during the length of a beat. The main melody integrates structural notes from the basic harmony, ending with a descendent melodic movement. In the melodic section, the presence of “arpejos” is also common. Regarding the textual structure, blocks sung in a syllabic form are common, with verses in “redondilha maior”.
Dança do Rei David
An important tradition of the celebrations of S. João de Braga is the “Dança do Rei David”, or “mourisca”. Although it is not precisely a popular dance, in the sense that it is not performed by the people but by a strict group of performers, this is a popular tradition due to the affluence of the people to watch it.
Nowadays, this performance is presented on a special ornamented car, simulating a palace hall and consists of 13 elements: King David, at the centre, and two rows of six elements each. In each of these rows, a guide initiates the dance, interacting with the “king”. In this dance, the “king” uses a lyre, just as a prop, and the 12 elements with him play the cavaquinho, violin and flute.
The dance is formed by nine acts, always with the same melody repeating. The "guides" open the dance and fetch the king from the back of the stage between the two rows, always dancing facing the audience.
It is thought that this performance derives from another dance, the "mourisca", which was performed by twelve men dressed as Moors, who sang and danced with their king and that was, from the 17th century on, forbidden by the Catholic Church because it was considered that it was not proper to be performed in such a solemn moment as the Procissão de Corpus Christi. For this reason, and to prevent the dance from disappearing, the people tried to modify it, giving it a religious character. Thus, the Moorish costumes were changed to Hebrew ones, with the representation of King David. Despite these changes, the dance continued to be prohibited in Corpus Christi, becoming part of the festivities of St. John, where it is presented annually in June.
The music used in the “Dança do Rei David” is attributed to a monk from the Pópolo Convent (in Braga), called Agostinho. The melody has been changed over the centuries. This tradition has been transmitted from generation to generation in a family in the parish of Palmeira (Braga).
“Queima do Home”
estimated read time: 3 minutes
This text is relevant to better understand this part the piece "home(m)".
The “Queima do home”, or “Queima do entrudo”, is a carnival tradition in Braga, where, as in other places in Portugal and also in other countries, a figure (a doll) is burnt and destroyed. In this celebration, the dummy - (homem, “the man", which is made of wood, straw and dressed with some old clothes, is carried on a wooden structure, sometimes in the shape of a cross[5]) - is burnt, symbolising the Carnival’s end. During the procession, the participants of the event “cry” and scream and play gaitas and bass drums[6], mourning the death of the “man”[7]. The screams that can be heard, a mixture of praises, “ais”, and lamentations, people are mainly shouting: “Olha o home!; - Lá vai o home!; Ai o meu rico home!” (in English: “Look at the man!; There goes the man!; Oh my dear man!”)[8].
Initially, the “queima do home” were running parades that took place in Braga on Tuesday of Carnival, until midnight - when Lent began. There are reports of parades organised from different places (neighbourhoods, parishes) on the outskirts of the city.
In the old days, the “Queima do Home” would finish on the S. João bridge, over the Este river, where, after loud shouts, “cries”, and the sound of buzinas to farewell the “man”, the dummy, would be set on fire and then thrown into the river. The dummy would then flow down the river until its fire was extinguished by the water. The celebrations ended there[9].
This tradition stopped being carried out for a few years in the 1970s. In 1984, the Rusga de S. Vicente started organising this tradition again, having been held until 1994[10]. Already in the 21st century, the Rusga de S. Vicente has taken up the organisation of this event again, and the number of participants has increased from year to year. Contrary to what was initially done, in 1984 the Rusga changed the route of the procession: instead of ending in the Este River, at the S. João bridge, throwing the burning dummy into the river, it was decided that the dummy would be burnt in the Largo do Burgo, in S. Vicente[11]. In the resumption in the 21st century, in the “third version” of this tradition, the man is also taken to S. Vicente, being now burnt in the S. Vicente church square[12].
The parade does not follow the same rules as others. Here, people run in different directions, constantly changing direction and speed (in zig-zag), dance in small groups, play drums and snares. Nowadays, the general direction of the procession is well known: in the latest editions, the procession leaves S. Vicente, from a street near the church, goes to Avenida Central where the "testament" is read and ends in the churchyard of S. Vicente's Church, where the figure is burnt. The text read, the "testament", is written every year for this event, in a jocular tone, criticising Portuguese society and Braga society in particular.
Today, at the end of the carnival parade, the “man” is burnt, representing the end of the carnival excesses and anticipating the period of Lenten purity. At the end of the parade route, and after the "man" is burnt, there is a gathering where the Rusga de S. Vicente offers food - usually pork - and drinks - vinho verde - to the participants.
Initially, this tradition took place on the afternoon of the Tuesday of Carnival but, in order that more people could join the tradition, the organisers decided to change its date to Monday evening. Another reason for changing the date was the final conviviality. As Lent is a period of Christian preparation for Easter, and as there is a tradition of abstinence from meat, if the event were to be held on Tuesday of Carnival, it would not be possible to eat the meat offered by the Rusga de S. Vicente after midnight. This being a very important part of the event from the perspective of shared community, it certainly had a weight in the choice of day for its organisation.
In 2021, due to health restrictions, it was not possible to hold the event.
Gigantones e Cabeçudos
Other Braga's traditions are Gigantones (human figure dolls 3.5 to 4 metres high) and Cabeçudos (smaller dolls, the size of a person, with a huge and disproportionate head ). Both are made of paper pulp. People use them with costumes and ornaments down to the ground. Since 1989, during the festivities of S. João de Braga, the International Festival Gigantones and Cabeçudos have been organised, bringing together groups from the North of Portugal and also from Spain and France.
On the first weekend of the St. John festivities, a procession is organised that crosses the streets of Braga on Sunday afternoon, bringing thousands of people to the streets.
These groups are joined by percussion groups from all over the country (Zés-Pereiras).
Bandas Filarmónicas
The Bandas Filarmónicas (philharmonic bands) are also very important in S. João de Braga. During the 23rd and 24th of June, there are numerous open-air concerts (on Avenida Central) and “despiques” (a kind of philharmonic bands’ battle) with the bands playing against each other (in the Parque de S. João da Ponte).
Traditional songs of St. John’s Festival in Braga
Also worth noting are some distinctive melodies from S. João de Braga. We have already mentioned the "dança do Rei David", an instrumental theme. Besides that, during the S. João de Braga one hears the "Hino do S. João de Braga" (the hymn of this festival). This hymn was commissioned to Souza Marques for the festivities of 1909, the year in which the work was premiered, and is still today one of the most important pieces of music of this celebration, presented by the Philharmonic Bands, by the ethnographic groups and, also, in a spontaneous way by the population.
We also find, in Baixo Minho (region of Braga) many examples of choral music with reference to S. João: “S. João antigo”, “S. João moderno”, “S. João depressa”, “S. João das malhadas”, “S. João das velhas”, among others.
Malhão
Choreographic genre (circular dance) associated with Baixo Minho (District of Braga), although one can also find it in in other regions, particularly in the Douro, Beira Alta and Beira Litoral.72 It is a dance of pairs characterised by a binary or quaternary metre, existing in numerous regional variations. It is characterised by a rhythmic pattern consisting of two cells: the first one consists of three equal beats, followed by a pause; the second one consists of four beats (one long, two short and one long) followed by a pause.
St. John’s Festival
estimated read time: 6 minutes
This text is relevant to better understand the pieces "ensaio para um s. joão" and "braga: à [b]olta do s. joão".
The celebrations in honour of S. João are held worldwide on the eve of 24 June (Midsummer). In Portugal, this festival is celebrated in different cities such as Porto, Vila do Conde and Braga, with distinct characteristics in the different cities. In Braga, we still find an essential link to religious tradition due to the social characteristics of the city, which is strongly influenced by Catholic traditions. Nevertheless, profane celebrations have been acquiring a lot of relevance in the last decades.
During the celebrations, which have been lasting approximately ten days in recent years, we find in the city different activities and events with a long tradition: concerts of different (traditional) groups, wind band concerts, religious processions, a.o.). The highest point of these celebrations is the night of St. John, from 23 to 24 June. Here, there is a tradition of going out into the streets of the town centre, to celebrate with friends, family and, also, strangers.
Currently, this festival is one of the most important moments of celebration in the city, along with the Holy Week celebrations. Braga receives, at this time of the year, people from all over the country and some foreign tourists, who take the opportunity to visit the city and celebrate this date with a "martelo" (plastic hammer) in their hands. The main visitors of this event come from towns close to Braga, such as Vila Verde, Póvoa de Lanhoso, Vila Nova de Famalicão, Amares and Guimarães.
The festival in Braga takes place mainly in two locations, the area of Avenida Central (including Rua do Castelo), connected by Avenida da Liberdade, where market stalls are located, through which the revellers pass, and the park of S. João da Ponte, where there is a chapel in honour of the Saint, dating from 1616.
Although the pinnacle of the festival is the popular festivities on the night of St. John, from 23 to 24 June, I would like to highlight the parade of "Carros das ervas", "Dança do Rei David (King David's Dance"), and the international Gigantones and Cabeçudos festival. Besides these, it is also important to refer to the two religious celebrations of 24 June in the church of S. João do Souto and outside the chapel of S. João da Ponte and the procession that concludes the city's celebrations. There is also the fireworks display in Picoto on the night of S. João, which brings together many people in one of the city's main avenues (Avenida da Liberdade).
Another essential element of the Saint John’s celebrations is the connection to the traditional music, from the Rusgas (groups of people that meet on the 23rd June to dance together) to the philharmonic bands, the groups of Zés-Pereiras (groups of bass drums and snare drums), to folk festivals that are also organized around the same period.
Some of the main elements of S. João de Braga
Plastic hammer (martelo)
The St. John's hammer was created in 1963 by Manuel Boaventura, an entrepreneur from Porto. The initial idea was to create a toy. In May of that year, Boaventura offered it to some university students from Porto who used it in the "Queima das Fitas", a student celebration. The hammer was a great success among the students to the point that they later took it to the celebrations of St. John.
Although there were attempts to ban the hammer in the festivities of S. João do Porto for not being a traditional object of the celebration, as the City Council back then didn’t consider it as a tradition and tried to exclude it from the festival, the hammer is now used in St. John’s celebrations all over the country, becoming one of the brand images of the festivities, and therefore essential on all St. John’s festivals in Portugal, including the St. john’s festival in Braga. The revellers use the hammer mainly on this night, hammering, in a friendly manner, on each other’s heads or shoulders, whether or not they are acquaintances.
