Food taboos at Buzios Island (Brazil): Their significance and relation to folk medicine

23 Pages·1992·12.2 MB·English

by  Alpina Begossi

Summer
1992
117-139
Ethnobiol.
12(1):
/.
FOOD TABOOS
AT
BUZIOS ISLAND
(BRAZIL):
AND
THEIR SIGNIFICANCE RELATION TO FOLK MEDICINE
ALPINA BEGOSSI
Nucleo de Estudos Pesquisas Ambientais
e
CP
Universidade Estadual de Campinas, 1170
Campinas, 13081, SP, Brazil
ABSTRACT.—
community
Buzios Island a fishing of about 44 families located
is
off the coast of Sao Paulo State, Brazil. This study focuses on the food taboos
on consumption
of the islanders from Buzios, specifically prohibitions in the of
and Interviews and observations on food habits were
certain species of fish lizard.
when
made from November 1986 to December 1987. Some fish are avoided only
Among
recommended
persons are and others are for these cases. the generally
ill
avoided moray and ray receive special attention. The reasons for these
fish,
more
avoidances were investigated and was observed that carnivorous fish,
it
The might
than other are avoided during illnesses. toxicity of fishes also
fish,
some
some medicinal uses of species, such as rays
explain avoidances. Finally,
some medicinal animals
and seem important dietary taboos:
explain
lizards, to
may
be saved as a source of drugs.
RESUMO.— A no do Estado de Sao Paulo, e
Ilha dos Buzios, situada litoral
44
alimentares
consumo do
ao de certos peixes e
de Buzios, especialmente aqueles referentes
foram de
alimentares realizadas
sobre habitos
observances
lagarto. Entrevistas e
enquanto
novembro de 1986 dezembro de 1987. Alguns peixes sao evitados,
a
no
recomendados em caso de doencas. Dentre os peixes evitados con-
outros sao
As
sumo alimentar merecem atencao a moreia e a raia. razoes dessas proibicoes
carnivoros
o uso medicinal de alguns
almente,
alguns tabus alimentares
como do parece explicar
animais, da e lagarto,
raia
Animais
importantes.
usa<
como
fonte de remedios.
une
peuplee par
RESUME. au de Sao Paulo, est
-L'ile de Buzios, situee litoral
de etude
approximativement 44 families. L'objectif cette
communite* de pecheurs,
de
des habitants
alimentaires
("taboos")
de comprendre prohibitions
est les
consomation de certains poissons
rapportent a
en qui se la
Buzios, particulier celles
habitudes alimentaires
du Des entrevues des observations sur les
et lezard. et
decembre Certains poissons sont evites
ont de novembre 1986 a 1987.
ete realisees
dans
Parmi poissons
en de maladie. les evite's, la
d'autres sont indiques cas
et
consomation
en
poissons carnivores sont,
Les
sont analises.
ces prohibitions alimentaires
peuvent expliquer d'autres
par malades. Les poissons toxiques
ge'ne'ral, evite's les
comme
medicinal de certains animaux, la raie
Finalement, l'usage
prohibitions.
animaux
Les
alimentaires.
prohibitions
semble expliquer certaines
et le le'zard,
que
entant source
menagere pourraient etre epargne's,
dans medicine
utilises la
de
medicine.
No.
BEGOSSI Vol.
12, 1
118
INTRODUCTION
have been an area of debate in ecological-cultural
and
Food taboos preferences
Vayda
and (1987)
symbolists/ structuralists.
between
materialists/utilitarians
studies
cultural
Harris's
through the analysis of (1985)
debate
reviewed part of this
materialist
ecological
and
and observed Buzios Island, to
main animal avoidances reported at
the
to
medicinal
avoidances protection of
the patterns of to
the relationships of
verify
animals.
and schools of
food taboos the
concerning
questions
There
are different
have studied the
Symbolists
approaches.
mentioned above these
thought reflect
and and have focused on their emic aspects.
relationship of taboos to religion rituals
aspects of certain
psycho-sociological
analyzed the
For example, Barthes (1961)
Douglas in the classical
contemporary American and French feeding habits. (1969),
were
laws liturgical
"Abominations concluded that dietary
study of Leviticus,"
reason" to
importance of "cultural
the
Sahlins stressing
signs of purity. (1976),
//
'humanity
human inversely related to
explain food habits, states that edibility is '
because they
and dog explained
For example, American avoidances of horse are
Dogs and horses
American
(and not in society.
participate as subjects objects)
On
hand,
named and commonly converse with them. the other this
people
are
Another emic
and
behavior does not occur with edible animals, such as pig cattle.
and
approach was taken by Basso in her study of food classification linguistic
(1972)
among Upper Xingu
the Kalapalo Indians of the (Brazil).
categories
environ-
The questions which interest materialists are essentially related to
and an approach dietary practices.
mental aspects of the issue represent to
etic
may
comprehension indigenous ideologies
of
For example, Harris
material circumstances.
(
1987b) attempt
human
cow
India
taboos and preferences. Harris's analysis of the taboo of the sacred of
They were animals that
cows were
indicated that too important to be eliminated.
who
farmers
1977
Other studies have included both emic and analyses, such as Ferro-Luzzi
etic
among
on and towards food India
r study the positive negative attitudes
5)
may
The
McDonald and by
Reichel-Dolmatoff
(1976).
(1977)
mentioned by perspec-
important point, as Basso that these different
(1978), is
and complementary.
on food taboos preferences not incompatible but
are
tives
The approach taken in this study both and emic. The strong etic basis
is etic
reflected in reference to aspects of the environment, such as fish diet, fish
is
and medicinal use, that might explain some food taboos. Emic aspects
toxicity,
include the perceptions islanders have about fish, such as their behavior or smell.
could
The aim of this study the search for possible environmental reasons that
is
be behind the food taboos observed Buzios Island.
at
.
Summer
1992 JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY
119
There
Amazonian
by Ross He Amazon
in particular (1978). stressed that food prohibitions can be
explained by the costs and benefits of resource procurement strategies. Most data
Amazon
on game
food taboos concern animals (Ayres and Ayres Chagnon
1979;
Hames
and Moran
Smith Food
1980; Kiltie 1980; 1977; 1976). taboos related to
game and
fish species are reported by Basso Moran and
(1972, 1973), (1974), Pereira
(1974).
There
Amazon.
Gouldine observed
(1981)
fishes (gymnotoids) are the third most abundant group in the Amazon, they have
no importance in the fisheries because most are small and stay hidden, and there
are cultural taboos against eating them. Smith pointed out that certain
(1981) fish
Amazon
by Camayura and
species are avoided Tapirape Indians, as well as other
Among
inhabitants. Indians from the Upper Xingu, fish avoidances related to
the physical state of a person and to the diet of fish were observed (Basso 1972).
and and
Recently, Begossi Braga analyzed the relationship of food taboos
(1992)
on
fish diet the Tocantins River.
COMMUNITY
THE
community
Buzios Island a fishing of about 220 individuals (44 families)
is
on Sao Paulo The population of Buzios
located the coast of State (Fig. is
1).
distributed among eight small harbors, each of which has a dock and canoe
The most copulated harbor Porto do Meio which included 23 families
shelters.
is
time
from
They
Tupinambas
main
manioc
(Mussolini 1980). In Brazil, slavery
found
century and African features are in the
nineteenth
m
Sao
such the of
beliefs of the caigaras, as in festival
igical
Benedito, a black saint (Correa 1981). In the beginning of this century, Japanese
the
Sao Paulo type of fishing trap, cerco
migrants introduced the coast of a
to
Von
which made chambers of net (Japanese: kaku-ami,
of floating
flutuante,
is
used Buzios
Brandt (Mussolini This fishing technique is also at Island.
1984) 1980).
During
was Buzios (Willems the
important 1952).
In the past agriculture at
most
work months 1986-1987), islanders spent of their
field reported here (14 in
home
some
by usually for
Manioc families,
time cultivated
in fishine
activities. is
from The meal
comes typical
consumption especially fish.
tein
and spaghetti
manioc beans, sporadically,
squid with flour, rice,
(Begossi 1989a)
BEGOSSI Vol. No.
12, 1
120
Map
FIG. 1.— showing
of Brazil
Paulo
State.
METHODS
The work
field at Buzios Island included observations and interviews
formed during monthly week November
visits of about a each from 191
A
December
was
1987. total of 88 days spent Buzios Island as the guesl
at
sampled
fishing family. the from do Meio
diet of 10 families Porto duri
I
months
12 period (5 davs/month): a detailed studv on fish nrpfprpnrps at Bi
in
were
interviews carried out as part
hshing at Buzios Island (Begossi 1989a). Interviews were made of the eight
at six
small harbors of the island: Porto do Meio houses), Guanxuma houses),
(23
(7
Mae
Pitangueira houses), Costeira house), Porto do and
(4 (1 Cais houses),
(2
The two
Joana houses). other harbors were due
(2 not included the study to
in
when
difficulty of access. Interviews included questionnaires and were conducted
women
made
was
interview with 88%
73 islanders (about This
of the adult residents).
"Que
interview included the questions peixes voce nao come?, Porque? (What
kind of don't you Why?). Another
fish eat? interview, with 57 people, included
"Que
questions such as peixes voce nao come quando (What kind
doente?"
esta
Summer
JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY U
1992
l
you when
ish don't eat you are sick?) and "Que peixes voce come quando
doente?" (What
kind do you when
of you
fish eat are Questions
sick?).
i
cerning medicinal animals were asked
another which
in interview,
in 32
riders described animals used cure wounds.
to diseases or heal Informal
and
versations direct observations on food taboos and medicine were made
folk
do Meio
'orto harbor. These included on
observations foods avoided by
and on
nders home-made
the preparation
of medicines.
Analyses
of the lipid contents of fish species were based on samples
of
made
by
E.S. Contreras and
J
Guimaraes
of the Laboratory
Campinas, Sao
Paulo.
Details
Fish collected at Buzios Island were identified using the keys of Figueiredo
Figueiredo and Menezes and Menezes and
7), (1978, 1980), Figueiredo
(1980,
Identifications of molluscs were based on Rios Specimens
(1985). collected
>).
Museu
e deposited the de Zoologia, Universidade de Sao Paulo (MZUSP).
at
TABOOS
FISH
The
fish most strongly avoided as food by islanders from Buzios are camburu
(moray, Gymnothorax mackerel and
spp.), (species of ray), bonito (bullet
raia
tunny, Auxis and Euthynnus and tinhuna (sargeant major,
little sp. alletteratus)
,
used
Abudefduf (Table Begossi (1989a) regression analysis to investigate
saxatilis)
1).
among
and
the
variables boniness, others)
(calories, fish price, availability,
involved in the choice of animal protein, consisting mostly of fish, by islanders
from by any
Buzios. Fish avoidances or taboos could not be explained of these
variables.
among
The
reasons interviewees offered for avoiding fish varied fish species
by
(Table For example, the avoidance of camburu (moray) explained
is its
2).
and
"snake-shape," bad aggressive behavior, ugly appearance, con-
smell,
spicuous teeth Ray avoidance had similar explanations, except that rays
(Fig.
2).
may
are not "snake-shaped" nor do they have In aggressive behavior
teeth. fact,
A
who
help prey fisherman Buzios
explain the avoidance of certain types. at
caught three camburu (moray) had leave two sea due to the difficulty he had
to at
removing the hooks from these aggressive prey. Lenko (1965) reported that
inhabitants from Buzios avoid eating camburu because they believe climbs out
it
common
on
snake
very
the sea to fight the poisonous jararaca (Bothrops sp.), a
due
avoided
the island. Bonito (bullet mackerel and little tunny) (Fig. 2) is to
hemoglobin) (Moyle and Cech
presence "blood" high concentration of
of a
(i.e.,
bad
1982). Tinhuna said to have a strong or smell.
is
Some and shark (Table are
avoided by such as bonito, ray,
fish islanders, 2),
an
termed supposed attributes of animal,
of
carregado. Carregado includes a set
and
such "strong flesh," fattiness (graxa)
as teeth, blood, aggressive behavior,
,
who wounded
by someone or
factors that could cause inflammation eaten is
if
A was "se comer peixe carregado
unhealthy. answer during interviews
frequent
wounds).
you inflammation of
get
a ferida inflama" you eat a carregado fish, will
(if
Women
during menstruation or after child-
are not supposed to eat these fish
birth.
BEGOSSI No.
Vol. 1
12,
122
3% number: from
TABLE 1.— avoided by of interviewees (total 73)
Fish at least
Buzios Island.
Percentage
Names
interviewees
of
avoidance
practicing
English Scientific
Local
moray Gymnothorax spp 25
camburu
ray Raja cyclophora, Myliobates sp.,
raia
21
Dasyatis sp.
(?)
Euthynnus 18
mackerel, tunny Auxis sp., alleteratus
bonito ..
16
tinhuna sargeant Abudefduf saxatilis
shark Rhizoprionondon lalandei,
cagao
among spp 15
other
H
drum
sand Umbrina
corvina coroides
10
spp
garoupa grouper Epinephelus
yellow chub Kyphosus 8
incisor
piragica
7
bagre catfish Notarius grandicassis
budiao hogfish, parrotfish Bodianus spp., Scarus vetula,
7
wrasse Sparisoma spp., Halichoeres spp.
...
Pomatomus 7
enchova bluefish
saltator
7
salema porkfish Anisotremus
virginicus
guachanche 6
bicuda Sphyraena guachancho
weakfish spp 6
goete Cynoscion
betara kingfish Menticirrhus americanus 4
espada cutlass 4
fish Trichiurus lepturus
angelfish Pomacanthus 4
frade paru
4
tainha mullet Mugil anus
plat
baiacu pufferfish Sphoeroides spengleri 3
corcoroca tomtate Haemulon aurolineatum 3
matnangaba scorpionfish
Pontinus rathbuni 3
3
olhete yellowtail
Seriola lalandi
pargo spadef 3
ish
Chaetodipterus
faber
sargo black margate Anisotremus surinamensis 3
bluerunner 3
xalerete Caranx
crysos
and
small rocky
fishes 3
10% 4%
Observations: of interviewees mentioned they any kind
eat of fish; r
4%
they usually avoid eating turtle (Chelonia mydas); another avoid eating dolphin
Summer JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY
1992
123
Moran Amazon
(1974) observed that caboclos (people of mixed European and
Indian background) have some food during pregnancy,
restrictions
illness, lacta-
and The
tion, menstruation. foods prohibited are called hot (quente or reimoso).
Smith (1976, 1981) studied food habits of transamazon settlers and of caboclos from
Amazonas
Itacoatiara in State. In these cases, the fish avoided, referred to as
fisherman
a
FIG. 2.-Some Buzios Island: (a)
animals avoided at
Scombridae
some
catnbu moray, Gymnothorax funebris); (b)
and bonito-pintado
mackerel, Auxis sp.) (top) (
ullet
(bottom)
s)
BEGOSSI No.
124 Vol. 12, 1
TABLE
2.— Explanations given by Buzios islanders about fish avoidances.
Explanation Fish
disease
In case of
Avoided (n = Avoided (n = Eaten (n =
65) 32) 8)
Never
ate camburu,
baiacu, boto,
it
tainha, turtle.
raia,
Snake-shape
camburu
Bad
smell camburu,
frade,
garoupa,
piragica,
tinhuna, cagao
raia,
Dangerous,
camburu,
caqao
raia,
aggressive
Carregado
1 bonito, caqao All cited in Table 3
raia,
Blood
bonito
bonito
body
Illness, bonito, bicuda, cavala, All cited in Table 3
wounds,
enchova, espada, goete
toothaches,
raia, tainha, sororoca,
after child- cagao
birth*
Ugly, nasty
camburu,
raia
Fatty
garoupa,
goete
olhete
Scaleless
caqao
Many
bones
budiao,
corcoroca,
jaguaricd, small
rocky
fish, sardinha,
tinhuna
mud
eats
It corvina, timbali
or dirty
things
Hard
flesh corvina
Soft flesh namorado
Toxic
baiacu
Sting mamangaba
presence
Difficult to
raia
capture
Bad
for
raia
women:
it is
believed
woman
Summer
JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY
1992
125
Explanation
Fish
In case of disease
Avoided =
(n Avoided = =
65) (n 32) Eaten (n
8)
explodes,
visceral
organs
are
exposed
Conspicuous
camburu
bicuda,
teeth
enchova, espada,
marimba,
piragica,
paru, cagdo
Weak
flesh3
par
go, piragica
With
scales garoupa, marimba,
panaguaiu
piragica,
Docile, not
garoupa,
jaguariga,
aggressive
marimba,
olhete,
salema
piragica,
sargo.
blood
Little garoupa,
badejo,
marimba,
olhete
cagao
Tooth
absence
ca$ao
^Carregado means with conspicuous with blood, aggressive, with
teeth, fatty (graxa),
strong any
flesh, or that exacerbates illness.
it
2
Body wounds consumption
are the most cited health problem associated with the of
some
fishes.
^Opposed
to strong flesh or carregado.
names from (mentioned by only one interviewee):
Scientific of fishes absent other tables
cavala (Scomberomorus namorado sardinha (Sardinella brasiliensis),
(Paranthiasfurcifer),
cavalla),
timbali
(Fistularia petimba).
showed 63%
of
Observations: Another only about ray avoidance, that inter-
interview,
viewees (n = 30) do not eat ray, for the reasons listed above. In the interview reported here,
names found
are in
explanations such as "I do not like it" are not included; scientific
Tables and
1, 3, 4.
wound,
from
by anyone suffering a
reimoso, are those cannot be eaten
that
exacerbate health
believed to
measles, tumors, and skin rash; these fish are
observed that scaleless
problems and have "strong meat." Pereira (1974)
to a
Amazon and some
River that
fish avoided in the
(peixes de couro) are usually
and Braga observed
by Begossi (1992)
illnesses are believed be caused these fish.
to
These
along the Tocantins River.
similar avoidances bv fishermen living
fish
No.
BEGOSSI Vol. 1
12,
126
names
The
of
fishermen also called the avoided fish reimoso or carregado. similarities
environmentally as the
and meanings avoided in regions so distinctive
of fish
Amazon and Buzios Island are worthy of investigation.
Wilson
food taboos have been reported in other regions of the world.
Similar
among by Malay
and mackerel, others,
reported avoidances of ray, bonito,
(198(ft
women
(same
same genus and Scomberomorus
asbicuda), g
women
from Talminad
pregnant and puerperal
mi
communities
avoidances from such diverse
similar fish
CASE OF DISEASE
RESTRICTIONS IN
DIET
some
Among emphasized
the avoided, interviewees that
fish
wounds
mainly by people suffering from disease or
interviews
The most important
Pomatomus
mackerel and enchova (bluefish, saltator)
)
The
recommended
pted or even in case of illness.
most important of these are marimba (spottail pinfish, Diplodus argent
m
was
garouva (grouper, Evinephelus spp.) (Table Caqao (small shark)
4).
recommended
ar
among
Some such asthma and well as heart
diseases, as bronchial psoriasis, as
such the
attacks, are not as frequent in populations with a fish-based diet, as
have
Eskimo (Lands The consumption might also
1986). of different species of fish
on
the health of consumers.
effects
many
Table 2 shows that fish avoidances are explained by Buzios islanders
by the fact that the fish are carregado. According to Smith reimoso fish are
(1981),
many
considered be example, have abundant reserves.
to oily; catfishes, for fat
High concentration was cited by interviewees from Buzios as the reason to
fat
men-
avoid a few types of fish (Table Data on lipid contents of fish species
2).
tioned by more than 10% of interviewees are shown in Table There no signifi-
5. is
mean and
cant difference between the fat content of fish which are avoided those
>
(ANOVA why
which
are eaten F, p 0.77). Thus, fat content cannot explain
I,
some avoided and Begossi
fish are others are preferred as food in case of illness.
by
)ided fishermen living along the
consumed them
and bv
preferred
high
in
calories.
dur
comm
The
fish
by
are considered docile (Table As shown in Table which are avoided
2). fish
6,
On
hand,
unhealthy persons
are usually predators of other the other
fish species.
most accepted during on Thus, the
fish sickness feed invertebrates or plankton.
diet of the fish seems to determine which species islanders avoid and accept as