'Death to the Cemetery'. Funerary Reform and Rebellion in Brazil, 1836*

Abstract

On 25 October 1836 a remarkable revolt took place in Salvador, capital of the then province of Bahia, in north-eastern Brazil: an uprising against a cemetery. It occurred one day before a law proscribing burials inside local churches was to take effect. The same law granted a private company the monopoly of interments for thirty years. The revolt started with a rally organized by Catholic lay brotherhoods in front of the provincial government palace. The brotherhoods were associations dedicated to the festive devotion to specific saints, and membership in them followed class, national and ethnic lines; they functioned as mutual-aid societies which, among other things, provided funerals for their members. In the morning of 25 October, the bells of brotherhood churches all over town sounded continuously inviting brothers and others to protest against the new law. Brothers and sisters went to the palace square wearing the attire of religious galas, and carrying crosses, flags and other insignia identifying each association. The number of people was calculated by the police at between two and four thousand. It was no doubt the biggest street demonstration Salvador had ever seen, despite the fact that those were not peaceful days. Faced with such a crowd outside his door, the president of the province agreed to discuss the matter with representatives of the brotherhoods, but a good number of other demonstrators also forced their way into the palace. Under pressure, the president promised that within two weeks he would call for an extraordinary meeting of the Provincial Legislature to review the law, a move that appeared to calm feelings down. In the meantime burials could continue as before. Peace, however, lasted but a few minutes. A group approached the town office of the cemetery company just two steps from the palace shouting 'Long live the brotherhoods, death to the freemasons'. Stones were thrown against a placard on which bright letters announced: 'The Cemetery