Os poemas populares em José Calasans Brandão da Silva e suas memórias para a história : os tesouros da poesia popular

Abstract

The change of the capital of Sergipe, from São Cristóvão to the town of Santo Antônio do Aracaju, took place on March 17, 1855, through Resolution nº 413, under the leadership of the then president of the Province, Inácio Joaquim Barbosa. This event represented a significant milestone in the history of Sergipe, not only from a political and economic point of view, but also in the collective memory of the population. The transfer redefined the territorial organization of the province, changing the centrality that, until then, belonged to the Vaza Barris region. Therefore, there were direct impacts on the economy and the local administrative structure. The objective, therefore, was to analyze, based on the work “Aracaju e Outros Temas Sergipanos”, by writer and historian José Calasans, the change in the capital of Sergipe. Methodologically, the research adopted a qualitative and interpretative approach, based on cultural history, micro-history and oral sources, to analyze the popular poems of São Cristóvão present in the work of José Calasans, investigating their relationship with the local collective memory. As a result, it was found that the popular poems of São Cristóvão preserve the memory of the capital's change, highlighting the cultural and social impact of the event on local identity. Furthermore, the verses reflect the population's perceptions about the transfer, revealing feelings of loss, resistance and adaptation to the new political scenario. It was also concluded that popular literature works as an instrument of resistance and preservation of collective memory, perpetuating the residents' vision of this milestone in Sergipe's history.