Imagens da América: os gigantes e o corpo gigantesco no imaginário dos séculos XVI e XVII
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Data
2021-10-25
Autores
Oliveira, Adriano Rodrigues de
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Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)
Resumo
O presente estudo de doutorado trata dos diferentes mitos de gigantes, da natureza do corpo gigantesco e da repercussão dessas temáticas no âmbito do imaginário colonial, que vigorou no contexto da colonização e exploração europeia na América. Espacialmente, a pesquisa engloba os territórios do mundo ibero-americano e, em menor escala, algumas áreas de ocupação inglesa na América do Norte. Cronologicamente, procura analisar o gigantismo atribuído ao índio, desde os primeiros relatos dos cronistas, no século XVI, até o surgimento e a difusão da Regio Gigantum na cartografia da Era Moderna e sua persistência até meados do XVII. Dessa forma, parte da análise crítica e conjuntural de duas categorias de fontes distintas, confrontadas em suas similitudes e discrepâncias: a literatura de viagem, isto é, cartas, relações, diários de bordo, crônicas e afins, e a iconografia, ou seja, gravuras e mapas. Esses documentos serão analisados, considerando-se o contexto político, social, econômico e religioso no qual foram produzidos, elucidando-se, suas prováveis intenções e motivações. Constatou-se que o tema que repercutiu no imaginário quinhentista e seiscentista resultou da confluência de três fatores distintos: da tradição clássica/medieval, da apropriação e ressignificação de certas lendas indígenas e das circunstâncias próprias da conjuntura colonial. Associado diretamente a diversos grupos étnico-linguísticos pela alteridade europeia do período, o gigantismo e o seu simbolismo denotavam uma gama de estereótipos negativos que seriam característicos do índio – monstruosidade, canibalismo, desmesura, barbarismo e selvageria. Assim, o estudo procura, ainda, distinguir os diferentes tipos de gigantes, compreendendo-se as particularidades das narrativas textuais e visuais que foram originadas em várias regiões do Novo Mundo e em temporalidades específicas e distintas.
This doctoral study deals with different myths of giants, the nature of the giants and the repercussion of these themes in the colonial imagination, which prevailed in the context of European colonization and exploitation in America. Spatially, the research encompasses the territories of the Ibero American world and, to a lesser extent, some areas of British occupation in North America. Chronologically, it seeks to analyze the gigantism attributed to the Native American, from the first narratives of the chroniclers, in the 16th century, to the emergence and spread of the Regio Gigantum in the cartography of the Modern Era and its persistence until the mid-17th century. Thus, it starts from the critical and conjunctural analysis of two categories of different sources, confronted in their similarities and discrepancies: travel literature, that is, letters, stories, logbooks, chronicles and the like, and iconography, which is, illustrations and maps. These documents will be analyzed, considering the political, social, economic, and religious context in which they were produced, elucidating their presumable intentions and motivations. It was found that the theme that reverberated in the 15th and 17th century imaginary resulted from the confluence of three distinct factors: the classical/medieval tradition, the appropriation and re-signification of certain indigenous legends and the circumstances of the colonial conjecture. Directly associated with various ethnic-linguistic groups by the European otherness of the period, gigantism and its symbolism denoted a range of negative stereotypes that would be characteristic of the American Indian – monstrosity, cannibalism, disproportionateness, barbarism, and savagery. Therefore, the study also seeks to distinguish the different types of giants, understanding the particularities of textual and visual narratives that originated in various regions of the New World and in specific and distinct temporalities.
This doctoral study deals with different myths of giants, the nature of the giants and the repercussion of these themes in the colonial imagination, which prevailed in the context of European colonization and exploitation in America. Spatially, the research encompasses the territories of the Ibero American world and, to a lesser extent, some areas of British occupation in North America. Chronologically, it seeks to analyze the gigantism attributed to the Native American, from the first narratives of the chroniclers, in the 16th century, to the emergence and spread of the Regio Gigantum in the cartography of the Modern Era and its persistence until the mid-17th century. Thus, it starts from the critical and conjunctural analysis of two categories of different sources, confronted in their similarities and discrepancies: travel literature, that is, letters, stories, logbooks, chronicles and the like, and iconography, which is, illustrations and maps. These documents will be analyzed, considering the political, social, economic, and religious context in which they were produced, elucidating their presumable intentions and motivations. It was found that the theme that reverberated in the 15th and 17th century imaginary resulted from the confluence of three distinct factors: the classical/medieval tradition, the appropriation and re-signification of certain indigenous legends and the circumstances of the colonial conjecture. Directly associated with various ethnic-linguistic groups by the European otherness of the period, gigantism and its symbolism denoted a range of negative stereotypes that would be characteristic of the American Indian – monstrosity, cannibalism, disproportionateness, barbarism, and savagery. Therefore, the study also seeks to distinguish the different types of giants, understanding the particularities of textual and visual narratives that originated in various regions of the New World and in specific and distinct temporalities.
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Palavras-chave
Mitos, Imaginários, Imagens, Representações, Gigantes, Literatura de Viagem, Cartografia