Bumba Meu Boi: how and When the Ritual Manifests

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5965/2595034702322025087

Keywords:

bumba meu boi, community, Maranhão, ritual, transmission

Abstract

This work analyzes the diverse ritualistic dimensions of the Bumba Meu Boi cultural practices from Maranhão, recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. The study distinguishes the various ritual instances that compose the Boi's annual cycle, from the Festa Junina period until its "death" and closing in August. The research demonstrates that the ritualization of the Boi extrapolate strictly religious relations, manifesting complex syncretism and sociocultural negotiations in dialogue with the present time. To critically analyze the processes of continuity and transmission of these practices, the framework of Taylor (2003) regarding archive and repertoire is revisited, grounded in experiences of participant observation.

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Author Biographies

Liliana Pérez Recio, Universidade Federal do Maranhão

Effective professor in the Department of Performing Arts at UFMA,
she was a collaborating professor at CEART-UDESC, in the years 2023 and 2024.
She received a doctorate in Theater from the Postgraduate Program at the State University of Santa Catarina. 
With a Bachelor's degree in Theater from the Instituto Superior de Arte (Cuba, 2000)
and a Degree in Theater from the Instituto Ítalo Brasileiro (São Paulo, 2022):
she is a theater director and puppet actress.
She was part of the cast of the Teatro Nacional de Guiñol for nine years;
as well as several cinema, radio and television collectives in Cuba. 
Founded and directed El Arca Teatro Museo de Títeres in Havana, (2009 – 2022).

Tácito Freire Borralho, Universidade Federal do Maranhão

Cursou teologia em Recife - PE. Graduado em Filosofia pela UFMA e pós-graduado pela ECA-USP. Em 2000 obteve o grau de professor mestre em artes e, mais tarde, o grau de professor doutor em artes em 2012. Hoje é professor Associado do Departamento de Artes Cênicas (DEARTC) da UFMA, ministrando aulas na graduação e nos programas de mestrado: “PPGAC” e “PROFARTES”. Também é Diretor Artístico da COTEATRO. 

References

BORRALHO, Tácito Freire. O Teatro do Boi do Maranhão – brincadeira, ritual, enredos, gestos e movimentos. 2012. 227 f. Tese (Doutorado) – Escola de Comunicação e Artes, Departamento de Artes Cênicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 2012.

BISPO, Antônio. COLONIZAÇÃO, QUILOMBOS: modos e significados. Brasília: INCTI, 2015.

CASCUDO, Luis da Câmara. Diccionário do Floclore Brasileiro. Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Nacional do Livro-MEC, 1962.

CARNEIRO, Edison. Religiões negras: notas de etnografia religiosa; Negros bantos: notas de etnografia religiosa e de folclore. 2. ed. Rio de Janeiro; Brasília: Civilização Brasileira, 1981.

MOURA, Carlos Francisco. Teatro a bordo das naus portuguesas sec. XV a XVIII. Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Luso-Brasileiro de História, Liceu Literário Português, 2000, 2.ª edição.

NASCIMENTO, Getulio Silva do. A Farra do Boi Bumbá: um brinquedo popular na formação múltipla d’um artista-brincador d’Os Ciclomáticos Companhia de Teatro-RJ. 2025. 188 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Artes) – Instituto de Artes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 2025.

TAYLOR, Diana. O arquivo e o repertório. Performance e memória cultural nas Américas. Belo Horizonte: Editora UFMG, 2013. Disponível em: https://edisciplinas.usp.br/pluginfile.php/7933896/mod_resource/content/1/TAYLOR%2C%20Diana.%20O%20Arquivo%20e%20o%20Repert%C3%B3rio_recorte.pdf Acesso em: 13 set. 2024.

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Published

2026-01-12

How to Cite

RECIO, Liliana Pérez; BORRALHO, Tácito Freire. Bumba Meu Boi: how and When the Ritual Manifests. Móin-Móin Magazine - Studies in the Art of Puppetry, Florianópolis, v. 2, n. 32, p. 87–105, 2026. DOI: 10.5965/2595034702322025087. Disponível em: https://revistas.udesc.br/index.php/moin/article/view/28324. Acesso em: 13 jan. 2026.

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 32 (2025): The Stage of Celebration: Rituals, Festivities, and Community

Section

Dossiê Temático

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