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Thesiglas poveiras (European Portuguese:[ˈsiɡlɐʃpɔˈvɐjɾɐʃ],lit. 'Póvoa signs') ormarcas poveiras (lit. 'Póvoa marks') are aproto-writing system used by the local community ofPóvoa de Varzim, Portugal, for many generations.
The siglas poveiras were primarily used as signatures for family coat of arms to mark family belongings. The symbols were typically carved into wood using a razor, though painting them on boats and beach sheds was also a common practice.
The purpose of the siglas poveiras was to record history, leading them to be described as Póvoa's "writing system." However, since the siglas do not represent sounds or specific words, they are not considered a true writing system.
Lixa Filgueiras argued that there are two types of symbols, distinguished by their use:marcas (marks) andsiglas. Themarcas were primarily used to denote ownership and were therefore more commonly found. Thesiglas, on the other hand, were associated with magical and religious purposes.[1] As symbols of a mythical nature, thesiglas were rarer, both in their ancient and more recent forms.
| Reference box for the types of siglas used in fishermen marks compared to the marks on the doors in the chapels ofBalasar and Santa Tecla | |||
| Type | Póvoa de Varzim | Balasar | Santa Tecla |
|---|---|---|---|
| Religious Siglas | 18 | 11 | 11 |
| Magical Siglas | 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Maritime Siglas (total) | 47 | 23 | 20 |
| Boats or parts | 32 | 12 | 13 |
| Fishing | 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Penas | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Pés de Galinha | 6 | 2 | 2 |
The siglas poveiras have been used as family coat of arms since time immemorial by the community of Póvoa de Varzim. These symbols were used to distinctly mark personal and fishing belongings, serving as a form of property registration. Themarca-brasão ("blazon-mark") of a family was well-known throughout the Póvoa de Varzim community. Children were identified within their family by the number ofpiques (similar to traces) incorporated into their marks.[2]
The usefulness of this system is evident in its use by merchants in their credit books, where thesiglas were read much like we read names written in the Latin alphabet today. Currency values were represented by rings and traces, which were added after an individual’s mark.[2]
However, it was on the tombs of the deceased that the siglas poveiras gained a deeply personal significance. It became a common and accepted practice to have one’s mark carved onto their tombstone.[2]
According to the Count of Vilas Boas, a former port authority ofLeixões, an individual once stole a compass in Póvoa de Varzim and attempted to sell it inMatosinhos. Unaware that the "drawings" on the cover indicated the owner's name, the thief approached a woman from Póvoa de Varzim, who immediately recognized the mark. She alerted other fishermen, who also identified the mark, leading to the thief's apprehension and submission to the port authority.[2]
The siglas poveiras are hereditary emblems, similar totamgas orhouse marks, passed down from fathers to sons. Eachsigla has a unique symbolism, and only the heirs are permitted to use them.
The siglas poveiras were not merely invented but passed down through generations. The base family sigla was traditionally passed from the father to the youngest son, as Póvoa de Varzim's custom designates the youngest son as the family's heir. The other children received the sigla modified with traces, calledpiques. For example, the eldest son would have onepique, the second two, and so on, while the youngest son inherited the original sigla, sharing the same symbol as his father.
Analyses were conducted to determine whether families had consistently used the same symbols across generations, in light of some supposed inconsistencies within certain families. It became clear that these inconsistencies had historical or genealogical reasons, and that the symbols were indeed inherited through generations, preserved as part of Póvoa's local traditions. Hundreds of different marks were studied, leading to the identification of 84 distinct original families.
Important locations for the study of siglas poveiras include churches and religious sites not only in the city and its rural surroundings but also across the entire Northwest Iberian Peninsula, particularly in the Minho region of Portugal and inGalicia.
Over generations, the Poveiros used to inscribe marks on the doors of chapels near beaches or hills, either as journey markers or as "campaign promises" (promessas de campanha). This practice has been observed at Nossa Senhora da Bonança, at Esposende Beach and at Santa Trega on A Guarda Hill in Galicia. The inscription would serve as a marker for future Poveiros, indicating either the passage of the inscriber or an attempt to seek good luck from the local venerated saint.
On 23 September 1991, a sculpture honoring the siglas poveiras was inaugurated at the festival of Santa Trega in Northwestern Spain, commemorating the lost door of the Chapel of Santa Trega, which is known to have been covered with siglas poveiras. Following the inauguration, a fishing expedition aboard theLancha Poveira Fé em Deus (Faith in God) arrived from Póvoa de Varzim. The fishermen aboard then ascended to Santa Trega and prayed at the chapel dedicated to the patron saint of the hill. Hills near the coast, visible from the sea, have always held significance in Poveiros traditions. Long ago, members of the fishing community would climb this hill to pray to the saint, performing a ritual with chants aimed at changing the direction of the winds to ensure a safe return home.
Siglas used in much the same way can be found in the churches of Senhora da Abadia and São Bento da Porta Aberta inTerras de Bouro, São Torcato inGuimarães, Senhora da Guia, andVila do Conde. In the municipality of Póvoa de Varzim, they can also be found in the Chapel of Santa Cruz de Balasar.
The fish caught in a boat's net belonged to its owner, regardless of their position within the Lanchão or Sardinheiro castes. The fish were marked with thesigla and then delivered to the owner of the fishing net. These fish marks typically consist of blows made in the form of asigla in different parts of the fish.
The crew of each boat also had asigla, which was used by all members of the crew. If a worker moved to another boat, he would have to adopt thesigla of the new boat. These boat marks were known asdivisas.
Thedivisas are true "coat of arms" intended for the recognition of the boat. Curiously, however, they were different from the boat owner's mark. It is important to note that all Poveiro belongings were marked with the owner's personalsigla, except for the boat. This suggests that boats were predominantly subject to magical-religious invocations, often adopting a protecting saint, thereby acquiring a mythical character and being surrounded by protective symbols.[1]
A. Santos Graça, Epopeia dos Humildes, pag. 146
| English translation
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The Poveiros wrote theirsigla on the table of the mother church upon marriage as a way of recording the event. This use ofsiglas can still be found in the Igreja Matriz of Póvoa de Varzim (the mother church since 1757) and in theIgreja da Lapa.
A table in the old Church of Misericórdia, which served as the mother church until 1757, contained thousands ofsiglas. The collection of thesesiglas would have greatly contributed to a deeper study of the siglas poveiras, but they were destroyed when the church was demolished.
Thesiglas were first studied by António de Santos Graça in his bookEpopeia dos Humildes ("The Odyssey of the Humble"). Published in 1952, the book features hundreds ofsiglas and explores the history and maritime tragedy of Póvoa. Other works by him includeO Poveiro (The Poveiro, 1932),A Crença do Poveiro nas Almas Penadas (Poveiro Beliefs Regarding Dead Souls, 1933), andInscrições Tumulares por Siglas (Tomb Inscriptions Using Siglas, 1942).
Although there are various opinions regarding their origin, it is generally accepted that thesiglas, also known asmarcas, are of Scandinavian origin. Based on numerous similarities initially found at theNationalmuseet inCopenhagen, Octávio Lixa Filgueiras identified several objects marked with "home-marks" fromFunen (also known asFyn) inDenmark. Further studies revealed that the complex hereditary marking system of Póvoa de Varzim was also present in Fyn. Given the geographical distance, historical Viking incursions along the Portuguese coast, and pagan rituals practiced by people from this particular fishing region, it is believed that there is a partial Norse ancestry and cultural legacy.[3]
The development of thesiglas ormarcas (Bomärken) is at least partly attributed to the Norsemen who settled in the town during the 10th and 11th centuries. This form of primitive writing, which developed within the community of Póvoa de Varzim, was preserved due to the practice of endogamy. Additionally, the similarity between themarcas and theScandinavian tradition of using specificbomärken ("homestead marks") for signatures and marking property is noteworthy.
Each basesigla has a name, typically related to daily objects. However, thissigla-object association occurred at a later date for both Póvoa de Varzim and the system studied in theDanish region of Funen. The hourglass of Funen was drawn in the same way as the chalice of Póvoa de Varzim, indicating that both are remnants of a later era.
Siglas have also been compared torunes, especially in the 1960s when Lixa Filgueiras called for further studies on the matter.
Comparing only identical Nordic runes:
pique -i-runeisaz (ice)
arpão (harpoon) -t-runeTiwaz (Tyr)
meio-arpão (half-harpoon)l-runelaguz (lake)
cálix fechado (closedChalice) -d-runedagaz (day)
cruz (cross)g-runegyfu (gift)
According to Santos Graça, thesiglas were inspired by the daily objects of the residents of Póvoa de Varzim:
lanchinha — Poveiro Boat (port)
lanchinha — Poveiro Boat (nose)
mastro e verga — Barco Poveiro with hoisted sail
coice — Barco Poveiro (an area where women pushed forAla-Arriba)
padrão — Cruzeiro of the Cemetery of Póvoa de Varzim
grades de dois e três piques — Gratings (Agricultural object used in the smoothing of the farm fields after harvest inGiesteira, Póvoa de Varzim)
sarilho andmeio sarilho — Sarilho (object used by women to make hanks of wool or hemp in Póvoa de Varzim)
The use of the Latin alphabet to identify boats occurred only very recently in Póvoa de Varzim, especially when compared to other fishing communities that used various marks. In 1944, of a set of 25 boat marks, only one used the Latin alphabet:F.A. de Francisco Fogateira, which replaced the markslanchinha and the "double of twopiques in cross andcoice." InAver-o-Mar, out of a group of 38 boats, eight vessels already used the alphabet and marks.
Despite the decline in use over the years, thebanheiros of theBairro Norte district still place their family marks on their belongings at the beach. The same practice occurs in their homes, where the marks are written on personal items. TheCasa dos Pescadores da Póvoa de Varzim, the fishermen's association, still recognizes marks as valid forms of signature. Additionally, marks are used to decorate the city, such as in the pavements. Street signs in the city center of Póvoa de Varzim feature these marks to revive their use and reinforce local identity by showcasing the marks of traditional Povoan families.
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