A Village and his wizard in the Captainship of Pernambuco:

Conversion strategies and spiritual disputes in the first years of catechesis

Abstract

This work explores a specific moment of indigenous catechesis in the Captaincy of Pernambuco in the 16th century, aiming to understand how individuals present in this context related to each other and acted. Based on letters by the Jesuit Vicente Rodrigues written in 1552, which describe a village visited by Manuel da Nóbrega and Antônio Pires, we analyze the interactions between Jesuits and indigenous people. Among the figures involved in this context, attention is drawn to a local "sorcerer," who, initially rejected by the converted indigenous people, attempts to regain his influence by strategically using elements of European culture. This episode illustrates forms of cultural mediation in the early stages of indigenous catechesis, as well as the complex spiritual disputes and responses of the indigenous people in the early years of the Jesuit mission.