O almanaque Lunário Perpétuo e sua permanência na cultura popular

Abstract

“Lunário Perpétuo” is an almanac widely circulated in Brazilian Northeast that has inspired scholars, folklorists, artists and, above all, popular culture for centuries. Created by the Spaniard Jerónimo Cortés (1555-1615), it is part of the tradition of popular almanacs, containing knowledge and wisdom related to various topics, such as astrology, astronomy, calendars, health, religion, agriculture, veterinary, in addition to typical elements of popular almanacs, such as proverbs and well-being advice. The objective is to understand the ways in which Lunário achieved documentary and informational permanence in Brazilian culture through its reinterpretations and appropriations by different actors. Conceptually, almanacs are studied as documents, cultural objects and infocommunicational devices of written popular culture. Methodologically, two procedures are carried out: a) analysis of a corpus of Lunário copies, in order to identify its structure and recurring themes; b) analysis of its reinterpretation by the Unidos do Porto da Pedra Samba School at the Rio de Janeiro Carnival, which in 2024 had as its plot “Lunário Perpétuo: the prophetic of popular knowledge”. The results present elements that point to a way of being of Lunário, which supported its reinterpretation by writers and artists such as Ariano Suassuna and Antonio Nóbrega and its inspiration for popular artists through the sense of celebration, a symbol of strength and resistance of popular culture, as theorized by historian Luiz Antônio Simas. Concludes that Lunário is a document and infocommunicational device that continues to be present in memory and culture, and highlights the lasting relevance of written popular communication.