Between Fact and Fiction: Narratives of Monsters in Eighteenth-Century Portugal
2004; Modern Humanities Research Association; Volume: 20; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1353/port.2004.0019
ISSN2222-4270
Autores Tópico(s)Historical and Literary Analyses
ResumoBetween Factand Fiction:Narratives ofMonsters in Eighteenth-Century Portugal P. FONTES DA COSTA Reports of monstrousbeings were publishedregularlyin Portugal throughout thefirst halfoftheeighteenth century.1 Theywereso popular that, ina spoofreport from thisperiod,a poorandstarving student from theUniversity ofCoimbraisadvisedbyan old mantomakehisliving out ofwriting them.2 The publications wereusuallypresented in theformof cheap pamphlets ofbetween fourandtwenty-four pagesandwereoften enlivened by theinclusion ofcrudewoodcutillustrations. Theyweresoldinthestreets by members of the 'The Brotherhood of the BlindMen of the Infant Jesus',whosince1707had had theexclusive privilege ofmaking a living inthisway.3 Incommon withother printed material published inPortugal from thebeginning ofthesixteenth century, they hadto be sanctioned by thePortuguese Inquisition.4 The titlesoftheaccounts,whichwerelongerthanwas usual at that time, aimedtocapture theattention ofreaders bypointing tothenovelty of a narrative thathad neverbeforebeenread and bytrying to assure readersof the authenticity of an eventthatwas out of the ordinary. Expressions suchas 'a newandtruenarrative' and'a curiousreport' were oftenused. These strangeoccurrences had allegedlybeen witnessed in Portugal, Spain,or evensuch distantlands as theTurkishEmpire, Paraguayor Persia. Thispaperanalysesrhetorical andotherliterary devicesusedto confer authenticity on narratives ofextraordinary occurrences. It also considers thesuccessof thiskindof literature in termsof itsmoraland political purpose, and valueas entertainment. 1See O Corpoinsòlito: Dissertações sobremonstros no Portugal do séculoXVIII,ed. by P. Fontes da Costa(Lisbon: Porto, 2004). 2Monstruoso partoda famosagiganta de Coimbra, chamadaGoliaciaTrumba(Coimbra: Officina de Antonio SimõesFerreyra, 1741). 3ManuelaDomingos, Livreiros de Setecentos (Lisbon: Biblioteca Nacional,2000),p. 65,and Diogo RamadaCurto,'Littératures de largecirculation au Portugal (XVIe-XVIIIe siècles', in Colportage etlecture populaire: Imprimés de largecirculation enEuropeXVIeXVIIIesi ècles, éd.byR. Chartier andH.-H. Lusebrink (Paris:IMEC, 1996),pp.299-329. 4TheInquisition wasestablished inPortugal in1536andhadcontrol overpublication until 1768.See JoséLoureiro Mendonçaand António JoaquimMoreira, Históriados Principais Actose Procedimentos da Inquisição emPortugal (Lisbon:Circulo de Leitores, 1980). 64 p. fontes da costa The Monstrous Other The pamphlet'Livingemblemor reportof a prodigiousmonster sent to theTurkishsultanfromAnatolia' arrivedon the streets of Lisbon in 1727.5It concerned theappearanceof 'um dos mais raros,que têm vistoos séculos',a composite halfhuman-half animalcreature whichthe authorassuredhisreaders 'parecervos -áfábula?Pois asseguro-vos que é tão certa,como muitasdas que temospor verdadeiras nas histórias'. It was illustrated in a woodcutengraving said to be 'uma cópia fieldo retrato original [. . .] feita porumpintor italiano'.Aswithother accounts, an extensive and detaileddescription was also provided: A todoscausouadmiração a sua forma horrível, e semexemplo[. . .] Era a sua estrutura dehomem, masdehomem monstruoso. Tinhamaisdedezpalmosde alto comgrossura proporcionada. Aspernas comumcôvadode altura, grossas, roliças, semfeitio de barriga, curva,nemartelho, e cobertas de umapelecorde cinza,e escamosa. Asunhasdospésfendidas comoalguns animais quadrúpedes, e da mesma matéria, masformando comelasemcada umameialua [...]. Não descobria sexo; porquesó tinha umaviadeprovimento da Natureza. A cabeçacomfeiçãohumana, masdisforme, os olhosgrandes, redondos, e comocoralambre. O narizcomprido, e pendente comobicodeáguia.A bocamuirasgada[...]. Asfaces, e barbapovoadas porumpêlomuisubtil, comoas avescostumam teremalgumas partes [...]. Sendo notáveis todosos membros desteanimal, eramaindamaisnotáveis os ombros. De cadaumnasciaumacabeçadeáguiacomolhos, e bicosperfeitos comumpescoçotão comprido, que se punham quasena alturada cabeçaprincipal. Amboscobertos de penasobreo negro.Os braçoshumanos, e sempenano lugar,que vós chamais sangradouro parabaixo.As mãoscomos dedoscurtos, masas unhasfortes, e mui compridas comode pássaro.O peito,e ventre liso,e lúcido,que de noite, ou nos lugares escuros lançavade si umresplendor, sobreo qual se divisava perfeitamente umacruz,quetinha nospeitos, e dilatava o pé atéao ventre. Observando-se porém queestaluznãoerasempre permanente, porquesó luziaquandorespirava.6 The pamphlet associates the occurrenceof this singularcreaturewith prophecyand portent.7The monsteris presentedas a livingemblem of theimpending falloftheTurkishEmpire, symbolized bythehalf-moon, and ofthetriumph oftheChristian overtheMuslimfaith - theformer represented bya crosson thecreature's chest.The eaglesaboveeach of themonster's armsstoodfortheGermanand RussianEmpires, alliesin thedestruction oftheOttomanEmpire. Duringthe firsthalf of the eighteenth century at least fiveother pamphlets wereprinted inPortugal inwhichtheappearanceofmonsters 5 J.F. M. M. [José Freire Monterroio deMascarenhas], Emblema vivente, ou noticia dehum portentoso monstro, que da provincia da Anatoliafoyenviadoao Sultãodos Turcos. . . (Lisbon: Officina de PedroFerreira, 1727).Mascarenhas wasalsotheeditor oftheperiodical Gazetta deLisboa(1715-60) andthepresumed author ofnumerous pamphlets. Ontheinterpretation ofthis pamphlet, seealsoYaraFrateschi Vieira,Emblematic Monsters inPortuguese Pamphlets oftheEighteenth Century', Portuguese Studies, 4 (1988),84-99. 7 ]. F. M. M., p. 6. NARRATIVES OF MONSTERS IN 18TH-CENTURY PORTUGAL 6$ was takenas an omenforthedestruction of theempire.8 In one, the authorremarks on...
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