Entre o Sertão e o Cangaço: uma imersão no Museu do Cangaço e nas Memórias dos 'Cabras de Lampião' em Serra Talhada - Pernambuco

Abstract

We seek to propose a reflection on our guided visit to the Cangaço Museum, in Serra Talhada, Pernambuco, in May 2023. We consider it an immersive experience in Cangaço, one of the most remarkable episodes in the history of the Northeast, which occurred in the 1920s and 1930s. The Museum, with its collection and narratives, offers a unique perspective on figures and events of this turbulent period, being based in the center of events, which still strongly influences regional culture. Our reflection covers several aspects. First, we will address the importance of museology in the preservation and transmission of collective memory, highlighting how museums help to immortalize the culture of the society in which we live, to do so, we will use qualitative and bibliographic analysis methodologies. The Cangaço Museum, therefore, is not just an exhibition space, but a meeting point between past and present, between history and experience, connecting the memories of the sertão and the Northeastern identity. Next, we will focus on the central figure of Virgulino Ferreira, Lampião, whose rise as the "King of Cangaço" was the result of diverse circumstances and other skills that transformed him into a symbol of resistance, sometimes violent and cultural. By addressing the role of women in Cangaço, with emphasis on Maria Bonita, Lampião's companion, we intend to conclude this reflection. This singular female figure challenged social norms and built a myth of resistance, strength and fragility, which surpassed its time and continues to resonate for some as a strong symbol of female empowerment, while at the same time the complexity of her figure in contemporary culture instigates researchers. Thus, we hope to delve into some layers of memory and identity generated by Cangaço, highlighting personalities, cultural representations and their impact on the formation of sertanejo culture.