A FRENCH CYCLOPS IN THE TROPICS

Abstract

The study starts from two analogous works, a book and a pamphlet, produced in the 16th century, which portray Nicolas Durand de Villegagnon as the Cyclops Polyphemus, a figure established by classical texts such as the Odyssey by Homer and Cyclops by Euripides. Through this unusual comparison between a mythological monster and the Knight of Malta, both the poem and the etching represent Villegagnon and vilify him through certain discursive strategies. Such an invective project is grounded in religious, political, and economic quarrels which have taken place in the context of the enterprise known as ‘France Antarctique’ in Guanabara Bay. The Frenchman Durand is transformed into a barbarian and uncivilized figure, becoming as threatening as the Brazilian cannibal tribes.