The Myth of Xica da Silva
Xica da Silva, or as some claim, correctly spelled Chica da Silva, was the mulata daughter of Maria da Costa, a black slave, and a Portuguese man, António Caetano de Sá. She was born between 1731 and 1735 in the diamond mining region of Tejuco, Brazil. In the 1750s, she ended up as a slave in the household of João Fernandes de Oliveira, the head of a diamond mining estate. It is said that although he was engaged, he was so enamored with Xica that he renounced his engagement to another woman and actually married Xica. This is significant because he publicly and officially acknowledged their relationship, instead of just taking her as a concubine. Between 1755 and 1770 they had 13 children. The story becomes mixed up with possibly mythical elements here; it is said that because she wasn't allowed to enter the normal church, Joao built her a private cathedral to worship in. Whether anecdotes such as the previous one hold any truth, today in Brazil the myth of Xica da Silva permeates many aspects of the culture; she has grown into a hero (for many causes) as a slave that used her sexual charm, good looks, and personal fortitude to climb the ranks of rich society.
Some claim her story represents the beginning of the racial democratization of Brazil. Certain groups such as feminists and tradtionally oppressed minorities, view her as a hero for their cause. How the myth of Xica da Silva is invoked in certain contexts will be examined below, but first we will look at distinct manifestations of it in Brazilian contemporary culture.
Xica on the Big Screen
In 1976, Carlos Diegues made a film, "Xica da Silva", based on her life as a slave but set in the mid-19th century. Although referring to a serious era and situation, the movie is a comedy of sorts:
"... a carnivalesque romp and satirical commentary on slavery in Latin American that mocks Brazil's image as a utopian melting pot"
*for more information on the director or film here are two links:
The exaggerated and almost surreal images from the film are indeed "carnivalesque", mirroring the themes of sexual freedom and social excess that commonly accompany the myth of Xica da Silva. Diegues had practically no sources to work with; and took free reign to produce a film that touches on themes of gender, race, and pre and post-colonial politics.
Here is how the film utilizes and tweaks the myth of Xica da Silva:
Carlos Diegues' comedy concerns Xica (Zeze Motta), a beautiful black slave who uses her sexual charm and savvy to benefit from Brazil's economic emergence. The film is set in the 18th century, when the fantastic wealth produced from the diamond trade transformed Brazil into a decadent hothouse. Xica ascends to the role of unofficial Empress, gleefully mocking her former masters while stockpiling newly found assets and power.
Xica on TV
1996 saw the premiere of a soap opera or telenovela called Xica da Silva. These soap operas are the highest rated shows on television in Brazil and command the primetime spots. As can be imagined, they are ubiquitous in Brazilian popular culture:
"The increase in the number of Brazilian novelas from the early 1970s on brought a renewed concern on the part of novela writers and producers to create a national interpretation of the genre. Brazilian novelas began to comment on contemporary social and political issues, and distinguish themselves from their Latin American and U.S. counterparts. By the early 1980s, the genre had became Brazilian(ized), however ambiguous this term can be, showing itself capable of changing and adapting itself in myriad styles in order to find new viewers and new markets". For an extensive evaluation of the history and effects of these telenovelas visit: <http://lass.calumet.purdue.edu/cca/gmj/SubmittedDocuments/archivedpapers/Spring2003/rego.htm>
*Tip: If you find yourself traveling to Brazil and fear that you might be impeded from meeting people from such a distinct culture, brush up on your "Xica" savvy; a good way to start a conversation with most anyone is to chat about the latest scandal on the infamous telenovela. A link to a forum site about the show is found below.
How this myth is used in these telenovelas and for what purpose is also addressed below.
Xica in Music
The myth of Xica has, not surprisingly, inspired many musicians. Jorge Ben, a very famous Brazilian artist, recounts the story of Xica's allegedly lavish life and the hardships she faced. He says she is "very rich and envied/ feared and despised" and that "she was obligated to be received/ as a lady of the court". These are of course speculations about her feelings toward her situation, but they fit in very well with the idea that Xica's actions were similar to those of La Malinche in Mexico, just doing whatever she could to get by and build the best life for herself. The story of Xica da Silva draws similar responses as that of La Malinche (the indigenous woman who rose to fame in Mexico by becoming the concubine and interpreter for Hernán Cortés during the conquest of the continent). Some indigenous or Afro-Brazilians see Xica's actions as a betrayal of her people and their dire situation. Others (such as feminists, possibly) view her actions as smart and heroic; doing the best she could with the situation she found herself in and beginning to break down the racial divide. However, the idea that Brazil is a racial democracy is also contested, as seen in a following section.
"Xica da Silva" by Jorge Ben
http://www.benjor.com.br Check out this artist or
jorge.mp3 Listen to the song!
Xica da
Xica da
Xica da
Xica da Silva
A negra
De escrava a amante
Mulher
Mulher do fidalgo contratador João Fernandes
Xica da
Xica da
Xica da
Xica da Silva
A negra
|
Xica da
Xica da
Xica da
Xica da Silva
Black woman
From slave to lover
Wife of the aristocrat João Fernandes
Xica da
Xica da
Xica da
Xica da Silva
Black woman
|
A dona de Diamantina
Morava com a sua cçrte
Cercada de belas mucamas
Num castelo da Chácara da Palha
De arquitetura sólida e requintada
Onde tinha até um lago artifical
E uma luxuosa galera
Que seu amor, João Fernandes, o tratador
Mandou fazer
Só para ela
Xica da
Xica da
Xica da Silva
A negra
Muito rica e invejada
Temida e odiada
Pois com as suas perucas
Cada uma de uma cor,
Jóias, roupas exóticas
Das Índias, Lisboa e Paris
A negra era obrigada a ser recebida
Como uma grande senhora da corte
Do Reis Luís
Da corte do rei Luís
Xica da
Xica da
Xica da Silva
A negra
|
The empress of Tijuco
A lady of a Diamantina
She lived in her court
Amidst fine mucamas
In a castle in the Country land of Straw
Built solidly and refined
Where she even had a man-made lake
And a luxurious galley
That her lover, João Fernandes
Ordered done
Simply for her
Xica da
Xica da
Xica da Silva
Black woman
Very rich and envied
Feared and despised
Well with her wigs
Each of a different color
Jewels, exotic clothing
From the Indies, Lisbon, and Paris
She was obliged to be received
As a grand woman of the court
Of King Luis
In the court of King Luis
Xica da
Xica da
Xica da Silva
The black woman
|
Another song inspired by Xica's life is by Boney M and elaborates a different interpretation of the myth:
On the first day of spring
They heard the news
The word spread like fire
That she had fallen
The fields of that day
Were watered with tears
Tears that were cried
For chica da silva
Chica da, chica da, chica da, chica da silva
Chica da, chica da, chica da, chica da silva
Chica da, chica da, chica da, chica da silva
Chica da, chica da, chica da, chica da silva
She was young and brave
The prime of her life
Fought for her country
Became a spy
And men told the secrets
Once looked in her eyes
They laid in the arms
Of chica da silva
The game that she played
Couldn∫t last very long
Luck she relied on
When they had all gone
Her hands tied together
Back on the wall
They shot the life
From chica da silva
Chica da, chica da, chica da, chica da silva
Chica da, chica da, chica da, chica da silva
Chica da, chica da, chica da, chica da silva
Chica da, chica da, chica da, chica da silva
Xica is described here as a heroine for her people; brave and smart. Her actions are interpreted as "fighting for her country". This is the opposite of the implications of Jorge Ben's song, here she is in no way viewed as a traitor to her people.
Contemporary Manifestations of the Myth of Xica da Silva
The Xica myth is an essential part of commercialistic tourism in the town of Diamantina in Minas Gerais. Here is where Xica lived with João and their thirteen children.
One can also go and see her gravesite. The directions to it are as follows:
Local e data da Morte: Na tumba de número 16, da Igreja da Irmandade Ordem 3a de São Francisco de Assis - Arraial do Tijuco - MG - (atual Cidade de Diamantina) a 15 de fevereiro de 1792.
Locations and date of death: In tomb number 16, in the Irmandade Church 3rd Order... 15th of February 1792
The official website of this historical marker offers more detail about the area and travel plans: http://www.bairrodocatete.com.br/chicadasilva1.html
Commercialism: "Xica" the telenovela
While there is money in the tourism industry and this house sees regular tours, another main way the myth of Xica da Silva is used is for commercialistic goals is far more widespread in Brazil: On the screen. How does the myth change in this arena? Well all one has to do is think about what sells: Sex.
"Until the day when the fire of desire occupies it all and makes everything clear..."
- The ex-nun, Xica (telenovela)
Sex, and also drama and intrigue, transform the myth in Diegues' movie in 1975, and more so in the telenovela that airs every night at ten o'clock in Brazil. Although it is part of the original myth that Xica was extremely beautiful and possessed an inexplicable sexual allure and charm, on the screen (specifically in the telenovela) this aspect is elaborated upon considerably.
Examples of the sexual intrigues that occur in the telenovela:
- María Dolores: the sergeant's daughter who is imprisoned, tortured, and condemned to death for having sex out of wedlock
- Elvira: alienated by the elite, forced to become the only white prostitute in the town, but surprisingly finds true happiness later with her gay husband and their faithful slave, whom they both share and who will father half of their children
- The Countess: who, despite being the highest-ranked woman in the telenovela, complains about her lack of freedom and authority, engaging in orgiastic sex with male slaves as her only form of empowerment
- Ursula: who seduces one of the wealthiest young bachelors in town, only to have him accused of rape, force him to marry her, and still be viewed as a living saint by the conservative residents of the town
- Mikaela: forced into marriage to the leading army commander but fleeing with her stepson, kills her husband, his father, in the process
As one might imagine, these scenes coupled with characters that look like Thaís Araújo (below) make for must-see TV.
The sexy spin of the myth on television serves to entice viewers, but also, and more profoundly, addresses notions of gender and the role of women in past and, still to a degree, present times. The manner in which the Xica myth is commonly told appeals certain feministic ideals. Xica is a strong woman who, instead of submitting to the desires of men, has control of her desires and emotions. Moreover, she utilizes her realized strength and sexuality to succeed in the social structure she is forced to deal with. There is a sense here that Xica is somehow enlightened and is able to embrace sexual freedoms in an unabashed way to her own benefit. Xica is displayed like this in the film but also is the telenovelaas "a fierce, undominated woman". For elaboration upon this theme, see an essay by O. Hugo Benavides, http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/social_text/v021/21.3benavides.html.
*If you are intrigued by the premise of this telenovela or are among its many regular viewers, a forum to talk and catch up on the latest segments is found at this site:
Xica da Silva as a Symbol of Brazil's Racial Democracy
The term 'racial democracy', based on the notion of harmony between Brazil's different races and that unlike South Africa and the American South there have never been any tensions between them, has traditionally been used to describe Brazil. In recent years this idea has been contested, but it entails that the different races that comprise the country, namely indigenous, African, and Portuguese, have over the years merged nicely in a sort of 'melting pot' fashion. Xica da Silva, then, being a mulata and herself marrying and having children with a man from Portugal would seem to epitomize this way of viewing the racial composition of Brazil.
Unpacking the Xica Myth: False Notions of Gender and Racial Democracy
There are some that claim that this version of the myth is extremely altered in order to convey the ideals discussed above. A professor from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais named Júnia Furtado objects to the ways in which the myth is invoked regarding claims of racial democracy and gender/sexual freedoms.
"O seu caso náo é único, mas é um exemplo forte da estratégia de se apagar a origem escrava, ou seja, se podia casar com uma negra, desde que ela fosse 'branqueada'", diz Júnia. "Chica foi usada como o modelo de democracia racial (de como os brancos se uniam a negras), quando, na verdade, ela reforca a hipocrisia desse conceito e mostra como se davam - e ainda se dão - as relacões raciais no Brasil: ter relacões com negras não é mau, desde que náo oficial.Ê
"Her case [Xica's] is not unique, but is a strong example of the strategy of erasing slave origins, in other words, one could marry a black woman until she was made to be white", says Júnia, "Chica was used as a model of racial democracy (of white men uniting with black women), when in truth, she reinforces the hypocrisy of this notion and reveals how racial relations were, and still are, in Brazil: having a relationship with black women isn't bad, as long as it's not officialÊ
Júnia Furtado, and numerous others, seek to expose the myth of racial democracy in Brazil as false and actually damaging to truly understanding the social politics and patterns of poverty, racism, and social mobility. Moreover, Furtado claims that many of the more grandiose elements of the myth of Xica are false. To learn more about Furtado's research and claims see these essays:
Xica's Legacy Endures
Undoubtedly the myth of Xica da Silva will continue to change with the shifting social and political environment of Brazil. What does endure, however, is the ubiquitous nature of the myth and its amazing adaptable nature; Xica's story is and will continue to be invoked to illustrate various ideas and historical threads. The popular representations of the myth help remind us that much of Brazil's identity was and is being shaped by the period of colonization, especially in terms of racial and gender equality.
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