Case file · Folklore / legend
Carrancas of the São Francisco river
From the late 19th century, boats on the São Francisco river carried carved figureheads, carrancas, with fierce faces that boatmen said frightened off the river's spirits, such as the Caboclo d'Água and the Mãe-d'Água.
1880 CE · -17.34, -44.94 · status: legend
The account
The tradition flourished from about 1880 to the 1940s on boats between Pirapora and Juazeiro, and the carving survives as folk art. The date is approximate.