“A inscription of the ‘Ritual Dances of the Pauliteiros at the Traditional Festivals of Miranda do Douro’ in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage reflects the criteria specified in Article 10 of the said decree, highlighting the significance of this intangible cultural heritage as a reflection of the identity of the surrounding community, its historical depth, and its evident connection with other practices inherent to the community,” reads a statement in the official records.
In a statement to Lusa, Helena Barril, the Mayor of Miranda do Douro, expressed her satisfaction with this recognition and noted that “the people of Miranda are full of pride” in seeing “the inscription of the Ritual Dances of the Pauliteiros at the Traditional Festivals of Miranda do Douro in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.”
“This was an arduous task lasting almost four years. It was initially started by the previous administration, but when we took office in this first term at the Miranda do Douro Council, we realized the application was lacking and did not have the value it should have,” emphasized the social-democratic mayor from this district of Bragança.
Helena Barril further stated that the concept of these festivities would remain unchanged, but there would be greater recognition and projection outside the Miranda do Douro municipality, extending to the rest of Portugal and the Iberian Peninsula.
According to a note from the Cultural Heritage Institute sent to Lusa, the dances or ‘lhaços’—a term in the Mirandese language encompassing choreography, text, and melody performed by the dancers—proceed in an order starting with an entrance performed by the bagpiper.
“There are eight festivals where the Mirandese ritual dances of the pauliteiros have a significant presence, namely São Brás and Santa Bárbara (Cércio), Feast of the Young Men or St. John the Evangelist (Constantim), Our Lady of the Rosary (Palaçoulo, Póvoa, and S. Martinho), Santa Bárbara (Prado Gatão), Saint Isidore the Laborer (Quinta do Cordeiro), Feast of the Baby Jesus and Our Lady of the Rosary (Póvoa),” describes the document.
The groups of Pauliteiros include the bagpiper, a snare drum player, and a bass drum player. In the village of Constantim, they are joined by a Tamborileiro or “Tamboriteiro,” as referred to in the lands of Miranda. The ritual dances of the pauliteiros at these festivals are distinct from others.
“The origin of the dances of the pauliteiros or paulitos cannot be precisely determined, but they may represent a survival of the so-called ‘sword dance,’ possibly derived from Pyrrhic dances of Hellenic origin introduced by the Romans in the Iberian Peninsula,” describe the researchers in the application document.
According to the Cultural Heritage organization, the registration request for the Ritual Dances of the Pauliteiros at the Traditional Festivals of Miranda do Douro in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage was submitted by the Miranda do Douro Council. This was backed by research related to this religious practice, spanning the field of history and the application of research methods and techniques in anthropology. The aim was to obtain relevant knowledge about the modes of their expressions and cultural representations, annually recreated by the communities and individuals who build forms of social belonging and collective identity within them.
