Lampião ... an associate of the Brazilian faca de ponta

[fernando]

Much has been said about the Brazilian knife typology, with emphasis on the large faca de ponta, a weapon used by outlaws, the so called cangaceiros, from whose class the more famous one was Lampião. It has been established in previous threads that theirs was the size of a real sword, its purpose not being that of fencing but for bleeding their enemies and victims, by means of penetrating the clavicle zone, the so called saboneteira (soap dish).

However this 'romantic' topic is about the man and not the knife.
In a national handicraft fair taking place in next town, the foreign invited stand is that of Brazilian Northeastern Ceará.
When i saw a panel with local cordel literature, my eyes immediately foccused in one dedicated to the famous Lampião. It is written in verse, some 150 seven line stanzas and, for empirical as we realize cordel literature is, the work appears rather well built and, as the author claims, it is not fictional but rather biographical; reason why i would like to share a couple parts of it, as apparently not yet known by our forum folks .
His AKA name lampião, a title that always made me wonder; we all know the term means lantern, but we may ignore that he was given such nickname due to an event in that, one of his gang lost something (a cigarrete) in the dark and Virgulino (Lampião real first name ) told him: you can search, my rifle makes a flash; and as he kept firing his Mauser to illuminate the ground for the objet search, he kept shouting: light up, light up, lampião.
Also it is not often mentioned that he became blind of an eye when a stray bullet threw a thorn at his right eye; but he, making it a joke, said: i will not need the eye, i still have the left sight, the right one is no loss that prevents me from shooting.
Amazingly in the drawing featuring him (with companion Maria Bonita) in the brochure cover, he has his right eye closed.

Such was this bandit, once promoted to the rank of Captain by the government, who designed and even made his own attire and those of his men like, for one, the typical hat inspired by that of Napoleon, after a book offered by his uncle.


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[Sajen]

Very interesting, thank you very much for posting this!

Regards,
Detlef

[fernando]

Thank you Detlef.
Indeed this not a topic directed to this mythic figure's weapons but, the 'miscellania' surrounding him is somehow interesting.
In any case, we can see in the attached pictures that, although their rifles (mainly Mausers) played the main role, ‘facas de ponta’ were an obliging accessory, some of them being extremely long, considering their ironical name (faca = knife).
Lampião was surely a man of skills ... in either way. An outlaw able to write and read, even wearing glasses, both cases exceptional in the area where he lived; played the accordion, wrote poetry, used Freench perfume, could sew and was skilled with leather works. He used to make his hats and espadrilles (according to period writer). Decorating clothes, hats and even weapons, with mirrors, gold coins, and medals was his invention, as well as wearing rings, gloves and 'leggings'. Weapon belts, water canteens and other accessories were all hung by those outlaws across their chest/neck, hence the name 'cangaço', a term derived from 'canga' (oxen yoke). Therefore those in the cangaço life were called 'cangaceiros'.
According to a statement made Zabelê, accordion player and the gang's official improviser, was Lampião himself who wrote the music and lyrics of Mulher Rendeira, said to be the music the gang sang when entering the villages for the looting. It is further said that he wrote the music in dedication to his grandmother, a skilled lace maker (rendeira).
So ... not bad for a feroceus bandit; a very vain one, always willing to be photographed and enterviewed. It is said that it was rather easy for everyone to locate him, except for the police.
We can see him in the pictures first in a portrait with such an inoffensive face, then sitting at his sweing machine, as together with Maria Bonita his beloved companion, and with his gang, all in ‘fashionable’ attire designed by him. And last a published reward for his capture.


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[Sajen]

Hello Fernando,

great topic and great pictures! And very well researched. Well done!

Best regards,
Detlef