This text discusses the presence and meaning of mythic processes related to the folguedo do boi (‘the revelry of the ox’), adopting a structuralist-inspired approach. The first part deconstructs the widespread idea that the folguedo do boi corresponds, or orginally corresponded, to the performance of a folk play or auto. I argue that this belief is a clear example of the illusion of archaism typically fostered by folklore studies. Reformulating the ‘problem of the auto,’ I propose comprehending it as a set of origin narratives which emerge in the literature in the middle of the 20th century. The text works to demonstrate the mythic nature of these narratives. The conclusions reached by this analysis enable a fresh perspective on the relation between myth and rite in the folguedo do boi.
Myth; Rite; Bumba-Meu-Boi; Structural Analysis; Origin Narratives
