The Death of the Ox
The death of the ox in the culture of Bumba Meu Boi gains two meanings: the real and the folkloric. The real one carries the end of the season, with parties, food, and drinks for everyone involved, and most of the time, the owner sacrifices an ox in the form of gratitude.
In the folkloric sense, we have the Auto do Boi, a story told by most Bumba Meu Boi groups in Maranhão, in which during his pregnancy Catirina has a strong craving for eating the tongue of an ox. Pai Francisco, seeing his wife in tears, steals the most beautiful animal from the farm and kills it to satisfy Catirina's desire.
However, realizing that his favorite ox is no longer present, the Owner of the farm (known as Amo) summons his cowboys to find his precious animal, who go out into the woods asking the Indians for help to carry out such a mission. However, when they find the ox, they discover that the worst had happened: it had been killed. Desolate with what happened, the Amo asks the shaman (Pajé) for help, to save the animal. The shaman invokes the Cazumbá (the protective spirit of the ox) and under the gaze of the saints: Saint Anthony, Saint John, Saint Peter and Saint Marçal, the ox comes back to life, as shown in the artwork.
