A folk play such as bumba-meu-boi, belonging to the Christmas cycle snd extending to the Feast of the Holy Kings. It is part of the folklore of the Northern Forest region of Pernambuco.
It consists of dialogues, dances and plays, and includes the participation of the public.
The seahorse characters are humans and animals: Matthew, Bastion, Captain, Catirina, the six gallant ones, two ladies, the Soldier, the Caboclo Uruba, the Ox. The captain, whose name is Marinho (Marine), is the one who makes the whole presentation of the show, using a whistle and mounted on his horse.
The instruments used to accompany the songs are fiddle, güiro (reco-reco), tambourine and ganza.
The clothes and hats are adorned with ribbons and mirrors.
The play has the following plot: Matthew and Bastion are two black friends who share the same woman, Catirina.
Both are looking for a job and are hired to oversee the party. The party is a dance in honor of the Holy Kings, so there is the participation of the ladies and the gallant ones. They sing and dance in praise to the saints. In the end, an ox is divided among the participants and thus the show is closed.
Recife, 21 July 2003.
sources consulted
BENJAMIM, Roberto. Folguedos e danças de Pernambuco. Recife: Fundação de Cultura da Cidade do Recife, 1989.
CÂMARA CASCUDO, Luís da. Dicionário do folclore brasileiro. Rio de Janeiro: Tecnoprint, 1954.
CICLO natalino. Brincantes [Encarte cultural do Jornal do Commercio], Recife, n.8, p.7, 1998.
how to quote this text
PONTES, Gicélia Lira Araújo de. Cavalo Marinho. In: Pesquisa Escolar. Recife: Joaquim Nabuco Foudation, 2003. Available at:https://pesquisaescolar.fundaj.gov.br/en/artigo/seahorse-cavalo-marinho/. Accessed :. day month year. (Exemple.: 18 August. 2009.)