#ovar

Mulheres a acartar | Women Head-Carrying - II (Lisbon, Portugal)

In the Portuguese vocabulary, the idiomatic expression acartar (a popular variant of acarretar) has the meaning of carrying or transporting something from one place to another, traditionally, in the case of men, on their backs, and for women, on their heads. Nowadays there are quite a few people in Portugal (mostly elderly women) who still continue and know about this forgotten art of Head-Carrying.

i) “Varinas lisboetas sobre a prancha da falua Joaquim Francisco, na descarga do carvão” (Lisbon’s fishwives on the plank of the Joaquim Francisco falua, unloading coal), c.1940 - Source: Atlaslisboa.com

ii) “Saloias nos arredores de Lisboa” (Countrywomen on the outskirts of Lisbon), 1954 - Photographer: Jean Dieuzaide. From the photobook «Portugal 1950», by Jean Dieuzaide and Eduardo Lourenço.

iii) “Varina de Lisboa” (Fishwife from Lisbon), c.1930/1980 - From Horácio Novais studio. Exhibition: Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

*Saloio, a word with arabic origin, refers to a non-urban person, i.e., a person living outside a large city in the countryside. Originally, it was a term applied to those who lived in the rural areas surrounding the Portuguese capital Lisbon. It can also refer to a type of bread originally produced in or near Lisbon. As well as, a derogatory term referring to the stereotype of unsophisticated country people (sort of like the terms yokel or bumpkin)

*Varina, was the wife of a fisherman and/or travelling fish vendor, who became a emblematic figure of Lisbon, and an integral part of the city's imagination. The Varinas date back to the 19th century, originally called Ovarinas because most of them were from the areas of Ovar and other towns in the Aveiro district, whose husbands migrated with them to Lisbon, in search of work. Only later on, the letter “O” was dropped from their name and they became simply known as Varinas. In Lisbon, they soon began to be recognised by their popular pregões (street sellers' chants and street cries), and by their characteristic costumes, especially the canastras in which they carried the fish (canastras were wide and flat wicker baskets used by women on their heads, resting on a head ring. Just like in the third photo). They were also famous for their assertive attitude and resourceful character with a sharp wit.

Ovar, Portugal 10‎ de ‎agosto‎ de 2023

'Casa Albino Matos', single family house Torrão do Lameiro, Ovar, Aveiro, Portugal; 1971

Domingos Tavares

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