Boitatá

Then the people on the beach when the group traveled by canoe to Paranaguá say that there were a lot of baitatá. Baitatá, they say, came out of the mangrove area, right by the edge of the mangrove, near Paranaguá, they say that a torch of fire would come out and drip fire, you know, and it would pass near the canoeist, throwing that spark of fire, but no… it didn't harm anyone, you know, it just scared them, you had to have a lot of courage to resist. – Record collected by Vanderci Aguilera

From a thing of fire to a fire snake

They say that the Boitatá is one of the oldest myths in the Brazilian imagination. Is it really? The basis for this is the mention in the letter written by Father José de Anchieta in 1560. In it, he writes: "There are also others (ghosts), especially on the beaches, who live most of the time near the sea and rivers, and are called Baetatá, which means 'thing of fire' […]. Nothing else is seen but a shimmering torch running there; it quickly attacks the Indians and kills them, like the curupiras: what this is, is not yet known for sure."

A ghost, a shimmering torch, an undefined form. After all, the recorded name comes from Tupi, Mbae-tatá, and means "thing of fire". Its derivation that appears later is Mboi-tatá, "fire snake". Orality, we remember, is marked by the absence of fixation. There is no right and wrong, there is the way the people hear and appropriate it. That is why the "thing" gives rise to the "snake," offering a serpentine form to the luminous phantom. And that is also why we have records of Boitatás with bovine form, already a result of the colonizing expansion.

In common, all variants have as a striking element the will-o'-the-wisp – a phenomenon that results from the decomposition of organic matter in humid regions, such as swamps, heaths, beaches, and even cemeteries. The gases resulting from the decomposed body generate a fluorescent substance that glows under the moonlight, as if it were a phantom flame. This is the inspiration for myths and legends around the world, such as will-o'-the-wisp, jack-o'-lantern, and countless others.

Names and appearances throughout Brazil

In Brazil, we find the closest varieties. Boitatá ends up being linked to fields and forests, as does Batatão – which teaches the wrong path to those who follow it and also pursues those who flee from it. Biatatá and João Galafuz are related to sea ghosts, more reminiscent of the Baetatá ​​of the 16th century. Some say that boitatás appear near the houses of adulterous women or places where crimes have been committed.

There are also other similar myths, such as the Running Fire or the Fire of Godfather and Godmother, which are two dancing balls of fire – the souls of godparents who had a romantic relationship. Not to mention the Mother of Gold and the countless legends of flames that indicate buried treasures.

The serpent and the flood

One of the few narratives that attempt to explain the origin of the Boitatá was recorded in Rio Grande do Sul. The story tells of a large serpent, the Boiaçu, that survived the biblical flood. When the monster emerged, it appeased its hunger by devouring the eyes of all the animals that had drowned. As the eyes still carried a little of the spark of each creature's soul, this caused the serpent's body to ignite from the inside out, giving strength to the Boitatá.

To avoid being pursued by the Boitatá serpent, it is necessary to throw a rope tied in a noose over your shoulders (but without looking back). Other versions will equate it with the Fire of Godfather and Godmother, being the result of the punishment of penitent souls. To scare it away, the threat is necessary: ​​"So-and-so, go get the bell rope to catch the Boitatá!".