Water spirits within the fishers’ worldview: implications for fishing management in Northeast Brazil

Abstract

BackgroundHistorically, aquatic environments are linked to the worldview of many local people, where there is an interconnection between the natural world, the supernatural, and the social organization. In this study, we provided a discussion on how the supernatural beings that inhabit the freshwater systems interact with artisanal fishers and fishing resources in the riverine community of Parnaíba River middle course, in Mid North of Northeast Brazil. We also provided the implications of these interactions on the fisher’s behaviors and how the acculturation process (e.g., introduction of new religions) can affect the fishers’ worldview.MethodThe selection of participants was done through intentional sampling. The content qualitative analysis was carried out to interpret the data from semi-structured interviews with 29 artisanal fishers.ResultsThe mythical representations that inhabit the aquatic environments in the surveyed area were as follows: Mãe d’ água, Cabeça de cuia, Muleque d’água, Visage, Piratinga, Sucuiuiu, and Luz e Arco-íris. These beings have distinctions regarding the form and attributions and can be associated with seasonality (temporal markers) and specific habitats (spatial markers). The respect and fear feeling of the mythical beings were striking among the fishers interviewed. For instance, we have record offering practices in order to obtain protection and success during the fisheries. These practices suggest that there may be local conservationist habits in fisheries management. However, the advancement of urbanization and the introduction of new religions that deny the existence of mythical entities are factors that can generate the acculturation process among the fishers.ConclusionsIt is therefore necessary to carry out more studies in the surveyed area in order to evaluate the existence of possible patterns in the relationship between fisher and mythical beings. This information could confirm the role of mythical beings as environmental regulators. Consequently, it could be considered in the conservationist policies of fishery resources, reinforcing the importance of local knowledge and cultural factors for fishing management approaches.

Between Tales, Myths And Mysteries: Beliefs and Superstitions of A Quilombola Community From The Countryside of Northeastern Brazil

“…This fear brings consequently less visitation and exploitation, inducing protection, and, leading us to consent that beliefs in imaginary beings often function as instruments for the conservation of local resources. This dynamic in which the cosmology of traditional communities is constituted consists of relationships established between cultural manifestations and local ecosystems, through which residents guarantee their survival and the spiritual entities act as guardians [53,54,55,9].…”

“…This eld of representations, creations, mores, symbologies and beliefs constitutes the folklore of a community, which is covered by the speci cities of the culture of that social group, its worldview, its ancestry, its memories and of the relations established with the environment. Revealing an interconnection between social organization and the natural and supernatural world [7,8,9]. These relationships are expressed through "symbolic transpositions" and there are no ontological distinctions between humans and other beings, but rather a strong connection between the different species, whether living or dead humans, plants, animals or spirits, connected by principles of collectivity and sociability [10,6,11,12,13,14].…”

Curupira e Caipora: o papel dos seres elementais como guardiões da natureza

“…Em várias localidades, 'Caipora' e 'Curupira' seriam equivalentes, sendo que a diferença da primeira para o segundo é o sentido dos pés: enquanto a Caipora tem os pés voltados para frente, o Curupira os tem voltados para trás. No mais, são entidades caracterizadas por fazerem as mesmas artimanhas, terem as mesmas preferências e se movimentarem de maneiras parecidas (Vegini et al, 2014;A. B. Silva et al, 2019).…”

“…Tal fenômeno fornece a possibilidade de refletir que as relações de reciprocidade entre seres humanos e entidades mais-que-humanas, decorrentes de uma visão animista e vitalista da natureza, retratam uma barreira ideológica, resistindo ao desmatamento e à desigualdade social provocados pela agricultura moderna (Hoefle, 2009). No entanto, é sabido que a modernização socioeconômica e a introdução (imposição) de novas instituições e cultos religiosos dogmáticos (cristãos e neopentecostais) têm causado o descrédito e aversão dos mesmos habitantes locais pelos espíritos da floresta, ocasionados por mudanças em sua cosmovisão e nos modos de vida tradicionais (Sponsel, 2012;Bortolamiol et al, 2018;A. B. Silva et al, 2019), consequentemente interferindo nos sistemas autóctones de crenças e práticas relacionadas à regulação do acesso e do uso de recursos, comprometendo, assim, a conservação da natureza (Hoefle, 2009;Jacka, 2010).…”

“…Tais relações ocorrem por meio de pactos, quando, por exemplo, aos caçadores lhes são dadas 'armas infalíveis' e caça farta. Em troca, esses seres aceitam fumo, bebida e comida (sem alho e pimenta), punindo severamente quem não cumpre o pacto (Ribeiro, 2002;A. B. Silva et al, 2019) (Figura 3).…”