A MENINA DO CACO : IMAGEM, IMAGINÁRIO E RELIGIOSIDADE NO CEMITÉRIO SÃO MIGUEL DA CIDADE DE GOIÁS - GO.

Abstract

This work has as object of research a statue standing on Cidade de Goiás Cemetery which is known as "menina do caco" Some popular narratives say the statue is the girl who died by the punishment imposed on her. As they say she would have broken a piece of porcelain and was given to her the exemplary punishment that subjected her to wear a necklace of broken porcelain. This story is also told by Cora Coralina through her poems, however, vilaboense society does not recognize that the tales of the poetess would be the source of the story. The statuette in the San Miguel Cemetery, as well as theft and place changing, has helped to the social imaginary of the "menina do caco" Through the intersection of folk and Cora Coralina‟s fairy tail, I sought to understand some aspects of the social construction of the imaginary process, and through it realize important social changes, such as those imposed by the laws of the Empire, which forbade the burial in churches so the dead became to be buried in the cemetery, or other social behavior, which would be the end of exemplary punishment. This research used the photography to record the images of the cemetery and "menina do caco" statue. Through the images of the statuette made at different times can be seen, that silently, there was an act of religiosity being expressed about "menina do caco". This would be a devotion under construction. The tragic about the character story told and retold still stir emotion until today Therefore this research shows that the social imaginary in direct contact with the material culture becomes a major boost for the whole phenomenon created by faith. Material culture and photography were sources of research in this work.