Spiritistic Mythology and Conviviality in Brazilian Epic Poetry : Goyania (1896) by Manuel de Lopes Carvalho Ramos

This article examines the neglected epic poem Goyania (1896), by Manuel Lopes de Carvalho Ramos, arguing that its distinctive spiritist mythology offers a productive lens for exploring literary conviviality under conditions of inequality in 19th-century Brazil. While recounting the violent conquest of the Caiapós by the bandeirantes led by Bartolomeu Bueno, the poem intertwines an Indianist love plot with a bandeirante narrative, staging parallel yet interdependent worlds. Central to this dynamic is a heterogeneous pantheon—ranging from the Indigenous giant Yêdra to the spirit of Columbus, a divine being of light, and the “Mãe da terra brasilea”—whose appearances structure the poem’s vision of history, identity, and civilizing mission. Drawing on spiritist thought, Goyania imagines a hierarchy of communicating spirits that transcends cultural traditions and challenges classical epic models. The article argues that this spiritual and aesthetic coexistence constitutes a form of conviviality that counterbalances the poem’s non-convivial historical plot.