Portuguese Mysticism & Galician Exile Culture: A Dual Heritage

Portuguese Mysticism and Folkloric Traditions

This document delves into the rich tapestry of popular magic and spiritual culture, particularly as it manifests in Portugal. It portrays a mysterious and magical Portugal, highlighting three fundamental aspects:

• Parapsychological Experiences: Events beyond conventional scientific explanation.
• Traditional Beliefs: Such as witchcraft and ancient customs.
• Folk Religious Practices: Including various superstitions and saint-related traditions.

Formally, its narrative incorporates structural and stylistic features characteristic of the oral narrative tradition. These include:

Narrative Elements

• Opening Formulas: Traditional phrases that begin a story.
• Narrative Spiral: A storytelling technique that revisits themes.
• Conceptual Didacticism: A complete conceptual lesson provided at the story's end.
• Witness Narrator: The narrator's voice is presented as a witness, fostering belief in the recounted events.

Linguistic Elements

• Popular Sayings: Abundant use of common proverbs and expressions.
• Galician Dialect: Frequent use of Galician, often mixed with barbarisms and dialectalisms, in an attempt to capture authentic speech.

Galician Cultural Work in Exile

The cultural contributions of Galician exiles were profound. Prominent figures included Luis Seoane, Eduardo Blanco Amor, Rafael Dieste, Lorenzo Varela, Arturo Cuadrado, Emilio Pita, and Ramón de Valenzuela. They initiated several endeavors to keep Galician culture alive. Key initiatives included:

Publishing Cultural & Literary Journals

• Rio de Janeiro (edited by the Galician Center)
• Novos Emigrantes (which later continued as a radio program)
• Correo Literario

Creating Channels for Galician Book Publication

This involved establishing collections like Hórreo and Dorna within the Emecé publishing house, and new labels such as Nova, Citânia, and Botella al Mar. This publishing activity was crucial:

• They re-edited important works that had disappeared (e.g., by Cardoso, Rosalía de Castro).
• They published new works created during the years of exile.

Consolidating Galician Theater

Efforts included utilizing companies like María Casares and Varela Buxán (who premiered Os nenos non deben caer - The Children Should Not Fall), founding the Teatro Popular Galego, and fostering the creation of original texts.

Disseminating Galician Culture Among Migrants

While Buenos Aires was a vital center, Mexico also served as a significant hub for cultural life in exile. There, magazines such as Saudade, Loita (Struggle), and especially Vieira (directed by filmmakers Luis Soto and Carlos Velo) were created. Additionally, a very active group in London produced a radio program that was sent to São Paulo via the BBC.