Um mapeamento dos resíduos culturais e literários formadores da narrativa da Iara na literatura nacional

Abstract

This paper aims to identify and map the cultural residues responsible for the development of the Iara narrative in literature, enabling the extraction and analysis of nuances in the narrative's recreations and transformations over time and cultural space in new character approaches. Drawing on the concepts of Residuality Theory (PONTES, 1999, 2006, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2022), particularly concerning the crystallization process of permanent and metamorphosed elements in various versions of the narrative, we analyze a literary corpus comprising four diverse works, including: A lenda da Iara ou os mistérios da mãe d’água, a cordel by Evaristo Geraldo da Silva; A Iara: Uma lenda indígena em quadrinhos, by Silvino; O mistério das águas do Norte, by Elijah Enes; and Histórias que eu vivi e gosto de contar, by Daniel Munduruku. In our quest for answers, we seek to comprehend the impact of diverse cultures on a narrative, identify the permanent residues in the narrative, and explore the primary contributions of the narrative to Brazilian literature and popular imagination. This exploration leads us to understand the Iara narrative as a clear example of the cultural syncretism process in Brazil, where elements from various traditions intertwine to create a rich, multifaceted, and hybrid narrative. Finally, the analysis in this study primarily draws on the perspectives of Jean Baudrillard (2004), George Bataille (1987), Umberto Eco (2004), and Câmara Cascudo (2006).