Published : 12/9/2021

Lampião and Maria Bonita

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Virgulino Ferreira da Silva, popularly known as Lampião (1898-1938) was a cangaceiro born in the region of Vila Bela / PE, now Serra Talhada. He was one of the most iconic and influential figures in the country's history.

Called "Rei do Cangaço", he acted in gangs committing crimes motivated by revenge, revolt and land conflicts.

Cangaço:

Cangaço was a phenomenon of crime and violence present in most of the interior of northeastern Brazil, between the 18th and 20th centuries. Its members roamed in groups, crossing states and attacking towns, where they looted, murdered and raped.

This way of life attracted Lampião in 1915, after his family was accused of stealing farm animals from their neighbors, the Saturnino family, linked to the dominant oligarchy.

Performance:

With a formed group, the cangaceiros of Lampião invade the farms, plunder the merchants and distribute part of what they collect to the poorest.

Due to the organization and discipline he imposed on his "Cabras" or "henchmen", Lampião rarely suffered defeat.

Five states were part of his peregrinations. Wherever he went, he tortured and killed, leaving a trail of destruction and cruelty, but he was seen as an instrument of social justice by the inhabitants of the northeastern hinterland region.

During his years as "Cangaço", Lampião made fun of the police, the government and influential people. Easily escaped ambushes, shootings and traps.

He managed to outwit the police, whom he called monkeys, using a variety of strategies. One of them was to have the gang wear the sneakers (a kind of leather sandal) backwards to leave the trail in the opposite direction.

The beautiful Maria (Maria Bonita):

In 1929, during his wanderings in the rural North-East region, Lampião arrived in the village of Malhado da Caiçara when he met 19-year-old Maria Gomes de Oliveira who lived with her parents, after having separated from her husband.

Soon, Maria joins the bandit and becomes Lampião's famous companion. Under the name "Maria Bonita", she became the first woman to join the bandit. In 1932, Maria Expedita de Oliveira Ferreira Nunes, the couple's daughter, was born.

Ambush and death:

At dawn on July 28, 1938, in Grota de Angico, in the village of Poço Redondo, in Sergipe, Lampião and his band were surprised by bursts of machine guns.

A few minutes later, Lampião, Maria Bonita and 9 other "cangaceiros" were dead. The attack commanded by Lieutenant João Bezerra worked, which the Northeast Police had wanted for a long time.

The heads of the group were beheaded, mummified and exhibited in Santana do Ipanema, in Alagoas state. Then they were taken to the Nina Rodrigues Museum, Bahia, until they were buried in 1968.

Lampião died in Grota de Angico, in Poço Redondo, Sergipe, on July 28, 1938.

Curiosities:

Lampião created clothes for himself and the gang, worked on details, wore medals, many rings, gold chains, a leather hat, embroidered saddlebags and silver daggers.

His first photograph is dated 1926. His nickname, it is said, comes from the color of the barrel of his rifle, which glowed red after several shots, resembling a lantern (Lampião).

Lampião wore glasses because he lost his sight in one eye. During a confrontation, a cactus thorn sank into the latter. He was oscillated by a doctor who removed the thorn but was unable to preserve his sight. As for the fatality, Lampião joked, saying that "there is no point in having two eyes, because you have to close one of them to shoot". Glasses were a way to hide the deficiency in your eye.