MEMORY, FAITH AND IDENTITY

THE CATEGORIZATION OF THE GROUPS OF CULTURAL TRADITION AT THE FEAST OF SAINT ANTHONY OF BARBALHA – CEARÁ

Abstract

This work proposes a reflection on the importance of the concepts of memory, tradition and identity, from the transmissions of oral traditions passed on from generation to generation, by the traditional culture groups of the city of Barbalha, in the State of Ceará. In a historical and contextual exhibition, this work addresses the participation of traditional groups in the opening of the parade of the Feast of Saint Anthony of Barbalha, highlighting its origin and representativeness in the Cariri Region. This work aims to categorize the groups of cultural traditions inserted in the celebrations of the Feast of Saint Anthony of Barbalha, aiming at the preservation and safeguarding of the cultural heritage of the city. The research mapped forty-two cultural groups using the ethnographic method, through face-to-face visits, semi-structured interviews and field observation. As a support for historical contextualization, in addition to oral reports, a literature review and documentary survey was carried out through specific dossiers and legislation related to national cultural policies. Content Analysis, carried out from the interviews, made it possible to extract the registration units and the context units that identified the defining elements of the groups for categorization. The groups, according to their identity elements, were categorized into: Cabaçais Bands, Reisados, Penitentes, Scenic-Performing Groups, Dances and Quadrilhas Juninas, giving rise to the making of a digital memorial catalog that presents the description of each group together with photographs that reflect the elements of your identity. It is concluded that products like the Memorial Catalog of Tradition Groups of the Feast of Saint Anthony of Barbalha are essential for the register of cultural traditions that are based on oral transmission, as they are manifestations of memory and identity that, even without great resources, contribute to the preservation and maintenance of collective memory.