Caipora of Pesqueira

In the city of Pesqueira, in the interior of Pernambuco, tradition has it that balls of flaming light, like supernatural torches, used to appear among the trees. When the hunters saw these will-o’-the-wisps, they soon knew who was to blame: the Caiporas.

Caiporas guard the forest. In the Northeast they are also notorious pranksters: they change shape, mimic human voices and find any number of ways to fool hunters. A traveller following a caipora’s light could lose all sense of direction and wander aimlessly among the trees.

To calm these beings, residents resorted to the strategy of placing tobacco and cachaça on tree trunks. Deal made, they were able to return to their activities without fear of further punishment.

The presence of these apparitions in such close proximity inspired João Justino, alias Gilete, to create the carnival group “Os Caiporas” in 1962. The group was made up of women, children and men who paraded in elaborate disguises: large burlap bags over their bodies, painted to resemble a gigantic face.

Thus, what was once a source of terror was transformed into immense fun. Just like the mythological caiporas, the participants who dress as Caipora in Pesqueira are recognized for their irreverence, wearing pants, jacket, long-sleeved shirt and tie, crucial elements to compose the outfit. Then, they apply the burlap mask that covers from the head to the waist.

The group began among friends at the old Peixe factory who wanted to try something different for Carnival. But the fear in the stories stayed with the performers. According to the As Máscaras Pernambucanas project, the troupe stopped parading for a few years in the mid-1960s because people believed one of its founders would die each year. Even in costume, the Caiporas could still frighten the people they entertained.

On 21 March 2017, Pernambuco recognized the Carnival troupe as part of the state’s intangible cultural heritage under Law No. 15,993. In 2024 it also received the state’s Living Heritage title.