Catarina Paraguaçu
Encyclopedia
Catarina Álvares Paraguaçu, also known as Catarina do Brasil (baptized June 1528 — 1586), was a Brazil
ian Tupinambá Indian. She was born in what is today the State of Bahia
(dates unknown), and was married to Portuguese
sailor Diogo Álvares Correia
, known as "Caramuru". She and Caramuru would become the first Brazilian Christian
family.
Her father, the cacique
of the Tupinambás, offered her as a wife to Correia, since he was a proeminent figure to the Indians. Correia travelled to France
in 1526, taking his wife with her, and, in 1528, in the city of Saint-Malo
, Catarina was baptized
, receiving the name Catarina do Brasil ' onMouseout='HidePop("9029")' href="/topics/Brazil">Brazil
). She and Caramuru would have three children: Gaspar, Gabriel and Jorge, all named knight
s by Tomé de Sousa
.
. She is buried at the Igreja da Graça, in Salvador
, Bahia
.
s, dying of cold and hunger. In one of those dreams, she saw a woman with a baby in her arms. Trusting in the mystic qualities of her dreams, Caramuru told the people to search everywhere around the shores. Many castaways were found, but no woman among them.
Days later, Catarina would dream again with the same woman, who told her to build a house for her in her village. Soon after, a statue of the Virgin Mary carrying Child Jesus
was found.
The statue can now be found at the altar of the Igreja da Graça, in Salvador.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian Tupinambá Indian. She was born in what is today the State of Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
(dates unknown), and was married to Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
sailor Diogo Álvares Correia
Caramuru
Diogo Álvares Correia , called Caramuru by the Tupinambá, was a Portuguese settler born in Viana do Castelo. He departed for Brazil in 1509, and his ship wrecked in the coast of Bahia, Diogo Álvares found himself among the Tupinamba Indians...
, known as "Caramuru". She and Caramuru would become the first Brazilian Christian
Christianism
Christianism had various definitions over the years. It was originally defined as "the Christian religion" or "the Christian world". In recent years, Christianism has also been used as a descriptive term of Christian fundamentalists, mostly in the United States, for the ideology of the Christian...
family.
Her father, the cacique
Cacique
Cacique is a title derived from the Taíno word for the pre-Columbian chiefs or leaders of tribes in the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles...
of the Tupinambás, offered her as a wife to Correia, since he was a proeminent figure to the Indians. Correia travelled to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1526, taking his wife with her, and, in 1528, in the city of Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern France on the English Channel. It is a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine.-Demographics:The population can increase to up to 200,000 in the summer tourist season...
, Catarina was baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
, receiving the name Catarina do Brasil ' onMouseout='HidePop("9029")' href="/topics/Brazil">Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
). She and Caramuru would have three children: Gaspar, Gabriel and Jorge, all named knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s by Tomé de Sousa
Tomé de Sousa
Tomé de Sousa was the first governor-general of Brazil from 1549 to 1553, when it was a Portuguese colony. He was a nobleman and soldier born in Rates, Póvoa de Varzim...
.
Death and legacy
Paraguaçu died circa 1586, and, according to her last will, her possessions were given to the Benedictine monksOrder of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
. She is buried at the Igreja da Graça, in Salvador
Salvador, Bahia
Salvador is the largest city on the northeast coast of Brazil and the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. Salvador is also known as Brazil's capital of happiness due to its easygoing population and countless popular outdoor parties, including its street carnival. The first...
, Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
.
Dreams
A legend says that Catarina would dream constantly about castawayCastaway
A castaway is a person who is cast adrift or ashore. While the situation usually happens after a shipwreck, some people voluntarily stay behind on a deserted island, either to evade their captors or the world in general. Alternatively, a person or item can be cast away, meaning rejected or discarded...
s, dying of cold and hunger. In one of those dreams, she saw a woman with a baby in her arms. Trusting in the mystic qualities of her dreams, Caramuru told the people to search everywhere around the shores. Many castaways were found, but no woman among them.
Days later, Catarina would dream again with the same woman, who told her to build a house for her in her village. Soon after, a statue of the Virgin Mary carrying Child Jesus
Child Jesus
The Child Jesus represents Jesus from his Nativity to age 12. At 13 he was considered to be adult, in accordance with the Jewish custom of his time, and that of most Christian cultures until recent centuries.The Child Jesus is frequently depicted in art, from around the third or fourth century...
was found.
The statue can now be found at the altar of the Igreja da Graça, in Salvador.