The metamorphosis of the giant Nicteroy in Brazilian conservatism since 1822

Abstract

In 1821-1822, Pedro I, then Prince Regent of Brazil, faced a crisis that culminated in the proclamation of independence on September 7, 1822. During this period, Januário da Cunha Barbosa (1780-1846) published the poem Nicteroy: Metamorphose do Rio de Janeiro (1822). The poem could be described as an Indianist epic poem, based on the topos of metamorphosis and on an ancient mythical background that included Claudianus’s Gigantomachia. The poem tells the story of Nicteroy, son of the Greek giant Mimas. Nicteroy is a colossal Brazilian indigenous whose body is metamorphosed into Guanabara Bay, including Sugar Loaf Mountain. Over time, this classical topos of a giant has come to represent the natural and national greatness of Brazil, being extrapolated in literature. This paper analyzes the reception of classical tradition in this poem. I will show how the classical models used by Barbosa reflect a moral and political phenomenon in Brazil in the early nineteenth century. I will also explain how classical topoi helped the author reframe some images and how they are connected to the conservative thought of intellectuals and elites in the early 19th century and beyond. The methodology is based on classical reception studies, which help describe processes of artistic-cultural reception, not merely as mechanical imitation, but as active and productive adaptations of these models to suit the creative needs of the time. I will argue that there is nothing about this image or the myth of giants that is intrinsically linked to conservative thought, nor there is anything about it that necessarily lends itself to an allegory of national grandeur. Regarding Brazilian literature and its social and political environment, I contend that the image of a Brazilian giant is derived from the creation of a collective and popular imaginarium by conservatives.