Antônio Conselheiro

Antônio Conselheiro (Anthony the Counselor, real name Antônio Vicente Mendes Maciel, b. March 13, 1830, Quixeramobim, state of Ceará, Brazil; d. September 22, 1897, Bello Monte, a.k.a. Canudos, state of Bahia) was a religious man, preacher, and founder of the village of Canudos, the scenario of the War of Canudos (1896-1897), a civil rebellion against the central government which was brutally stamped out with the loss of more than 15,000 lives.

Literature

Besides his written preachings, Antônio Conselheiro was survived by only a religious tract, written in May 1895, titled "Apontamentos dos Preceitos da Divina Lei de Nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo, para a Salvação dos Homens" (Annotations on the Precepts of Our Lord Jesus Christ's Divine Law for the Salvation of Men).

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The story of Antônio Conselheiro and the War of Canudos has been dramatized in Euclides da Cunha's brilliant classic Rebellion in the Backlands (Os Sertões). He is also portrayed in "The War of the End of the World", a novel by Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa.

Related Topics:
Euclides da Cunha - Mario Vargas Llosa

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