User:RodRabelo7/Guaixará



Guaixará was a Tamoio chief from Cabo Frio who fought in the Guanabara Bay, being an ally of the French in the struggle against the Portuguese. He was defeated by Arariboia and the soldiers of Mem de Sá in 1567.

Battle of the Canoes
^ criar primeiro ^ <- scholar (testar as duas combinações, é claro…)

In July 1566, in the Guanabara Bay, an army of 180 canoes, 100 of which were led by Guaixará, set up an ambush that involved five Portuguese barges, one of which was carrying Estácio de Sá, the governor of Rio de Janeiro. Their goal was to retaliate against the Portuguese attempt to dominate the Guanabara region. Initially, four or five canoes went towards a man named Francisco Velho, luring Estácio de Sá. The numerical advantage of the natives caused panic among the Portuguese, to the extent that one of them accidentally set fire to all the available gunpowder, resulting in a massive explosion. The victory of the group was only prevented because the wife of Guaixará warned the fire would consume them all and, therefore, they should flee the area.

This event is known as the “Battle of the Canoes” (Batalha das Canoas) or the “Battle of Guaixará” (Batalha de Guaixará).

In popular culture
Joseph of Anchieta portrays Guaixará as a demon in his Play of Saint Lawrence (Auto de São Lourenço), in which three devils are seen wanting to destroy a village with their wickedness.