FOLIA DE REIS COMO PATRIMÔNIO CULTURAL IMATERIAL - Tradição e Identidade em Porangatu (1960-2018)

Abstract

This research is a study of the manifestation of “Folia de Reis” in Brazil, focusing on the group of revelers “Os Três Reis Santos”, of the municipality of Porangatu, Goiás state. The investigation sought to identify the origins, reinventions and adaptations of this cultural tradition, its influence in the construction of the identities of revelers and devotees, as well as recognize it as an immaterial cultural heritage that must be preserved by Porangatu community. The temporal cut of the research encompassed the years from 1960 to 2018, allowing an analysis of the changes that occurred in the practices and representations of tradition in the municipality, due to the social and economic changes that marked the transition from rural to urban celebrations. It is a research that appreciates the common historical subjects, so it was extremely important to use the methodology of the Oral History, the use of images, bibliographic sources referring to the subject, and the field research to carry out the study. Due to the importance and cultural expression of popular celebrations especially that of “Santo Reis”, some theoretical discussions about the festive phenomenon in Brazil were analyzed, seeking to perceive its meaning and its space, recognizing it as a mediator between individual and collective aspirations. The “Festa de Santo Reis” is a place of memory demarcated from the practices and representations of the social subjects involved (the revelers and devotees). Thus, because it was a cultural good of community value, it was necessary to investigate the existing legislation on the protection and preservation of cultural goods, as well as to analyze the attributions of official bodies (national and international) that establish mechanisms for identification and registration of intangible goods, recognizing their meanings and values. The research obtained its results from the bibliographical surveys, the oral testimonies of the revelers during the interviews and from the field research. The investigation of the data revealed that although the celebrations of “Folia de Reis” originated in the colonial period, they still maintain their original missionary characteristics, with some changes and incorporations, in a process of preservation for future generations.