Plante que vai ter inverno

conhecimentos tradicionais e científicos no I Encontro de Profetas da Chuva do Cariri 2023

Resumen

The objective of this study was to identify the intersection of traditional and scientific knowledge at the I Cariri Rain Prophets Meeting, held on January 20, 2023, in Crato, Ceará, Brazil. Ethnographic research with participant observation and informal conversations with 10 Rain Prophets was employed to explore their experiences derived from nature's signs to predict the rainy season. Additionally, a literature review using Google Scholar was conducted to understand the academic discourse on the subject. It is important to clarify that Rain Prophets refer to individuals, regardless of gender, engaged in interpreting and announcing signs indicating a good rainy season based on nature observation. This includes the observation of pitombeira leaves, the behavior of old ants, bees, termites, and frogs; the use of a guava rod (rhabdomancy), the position of stars and the moon, among other methods. The prophecies arising from the individual and collective experiences of Rain Prophets, along with ancestral knowledge, constitute what is termed traditional knowledge. They do not claim the absolute truth of scientific knowledge but emphasize the identity bonds of local agricultural communities that do not separate the natural environment from cultural heritage.