Quem vigia o casarão?: uma análise sobre a convivência entre vigilantes e seres intangíveis no Centro Histórico de São Luís

Abstract

This dissertation is about coexistence between security guards and intangible beings in manors from Centro Histórico in São Luís, Maranhão. The buildings have marks from the Portuguese colonization, which inscribed the city the title of World Heritage of Humanity in 1997. Considering that manors have many uses and forms of occupations this analysis concerns in watchmen from three public buildings – emphasizing experiences and narratives with intangible beings that reside in the houses – visions, haunts, spirits, entities. The research analyzes the different forms of manifestations (visual / sonor / olfactory / sensory) and their impacts on people. Therefore, security guard’s houses and intangible beings gets involved in a relationship that demonstrate estrangement and familiarity. From ethnographic methods, this research has three parts – i. circulation of narratives about intangible beings in Centro Histórico; ii. watchmen’s experiences and strategies; iii. situations that refers to vulnerability conditions from people and historic buildings. Finally, it considers different interactions between humans and immateriality, by showing their effects on social life.