Do You Know the Prophecy of the Heartlands Turning into the Sea?
The Prophecy of Antônio Conselheiro
That famous phrase, "The heartlands will turn into the sea," is more than just a popular saying—it’s a prophecy filled with symbolism and history, spoken by one of Brazil’s most iconic figures of popular resistance: Antônio Conselheiro.
More than just a spiritual and religious leader, Antônio Conselheiro was a powerful symbol of defiance against the established order of Imperial Brazil. For many, he represented the last stronghold of resistance against the injustices of the State and the Church.
What few people know is that in 1833, long before founding the settlement of Canudos, Antônio Conselheiro made a prophecy that would become legendary. He foretold that "the heartlands will turn into the sea," a vision deeply rooted in faith, mysticism, and an acute awareness of the future of his homeland—the arid northeastern heartlands of Brazil.
This prophecy is also closely tied to the War of Canudos.
The War of Canudos (1896–1897) was a brutal conflict between the residents of the settlement of Canudos, led by Antônio Conselheiro, and the military forces of the newly established Brazilian Republic. But to truly understand the depth of this battle, we must first explore the context that led to such a fierce struggle in the heart of the northeastern heartlands.
For centuries, the northeastern heartlands had been marked by drought and the relentless fight for survival, often overlooked and abandoned by Brazil’s central government. Yet, for the people of the region, it was also a land of resilience and self-determination. The settlement of Canudos, founded by Antônio Conselheiro, became a powerful symbol of this resistance—a place where people united under a spiritual leader with a clear purpose: to endure the harsh realities of the backlands and build a new society, free from government and institutional control.
With unwavering faith and charismatic leadership, Antônio Conselheiro made the prophecy that "the heartlands will turn into the sea." But what did he really mean by this phrase?
Some scholars interpret Conselheiro’s prophecy as a reflection of his deep awareness of the suffering of the land and its people. The heartlands were a place of drought, poverty, and neglect, and the idea of them "turning into the sea" could symbolize a radical transformation—one where the harsh, unforgiving landscape would become something vast, life-giving, and capable of sustaining its people.
Others see the phrase as a cosmic shift in the destiny of the heartlands—where the forces of nature would bring justice and balance. In this interpretation, the sea represents abundance and renewal, a kind of spiritual miracle that would reverse the hardships of survival in the region.
In 1897, when Brazilian government troops marched into Canudos to crush Antônio Conselheiro’s resistance, the heartlands seemed desolate and barren. But it was also a place of fierce defiance, where people clung to the words of their leader. The War of Canudos revealed that the heartlands were not just a land of scarcity and despair but also a stronghold of faith, resilience, and rebellion against the imposed order.
The destruction of Canudos by government forces marked a turning point in Brazilian history. As the settlement was wiped out, the heartlands became a powerful symbol of transformation—a nation shedding its imperial past and stepping into the era of the Republic.
The prophecy and the War of Canudos were immortalized in Os Sertões (Rebellion in the Backlands) by Euclides da Cunha. Published in 1902, Euclides’ work not only recounts the conflict and the struggle of the people of Canudos but also provides an in-depth analysis of life in the northeastern backlands, the culture of the sertanejo people, and the underlying causes of the war.
As he describes the war, the author portrays the sertão as a harsh and unforgiving landscape, yet also as a place of resistance. His book sheds light on what many saw as the last great battle of the northeastern people against the imposed order of the Republic.
The Prophecy of the Backlands Before They Were... Backlands
Diving into Brazil’s geological history, we uncover something fascinating! The Araripe region, spanning the states of Pernambuco, Piauí, and Ceará, is renowned for its immense geological and archaeological significance. Scientists have discovered marine fossils there, revealing evidence of an ancient sea that once covered vast parts of what we now know as the northeastern backlands. That’s right! Where we see dry, arid land today, the landscape was entirely different millions of years ago.
Marine fossils found in the Araripe region—such as shells, mollusks, and even fragments of coral—hold the key to this remarkable story. These fossils serve as evidence of an ancient aquatic environment that once dominated the region, long before it became known for its arid landscape. Their discovery suggests that the sertão, before becoming what it is today, was once submerged beneath a vast ocean that existed millions of years ago.
In rock formations dating back to the Jurassic period, fossils of sharks, crocodiles, and even dinosaur teeth have been uncovered. One of the most striking findings is the presence of fossilized tree trunks, some over two meters in diameter, which reveal the scale of the ancient forests that thrived during the Jurassic. These forests gradually shrank in size during the Cretaceous period, marking significant environmental transformations over time.
Suddenly, Antônio Conselheiro’s words take on a more tangible meaning. When he predicted that “the backlands will turn into the sea,” could he have unknowingly been referencing a time when the backlands were, in fact, a great sea?
“Today, we talk about global warming, geological eras, the merging of continents, and past ecological cycles thanks to fossils, especially those from the Araripe Basin, which are a reference point”
said paleontologist Álamo Feitosa in an interview with Diário do Nordeste.
On a symbolic and spiritual level, “the backlands will turn into the sea” represents a deep longing for renewal and change—both in a spiritual sense and a physical one—reflecting the ongoing cycles of transformation that the land and its people have always endured.
The Prophecy of "Sobradinho"
There is another prophecy that echoes through popular imagination, carrying a powerful symbolic twist: the idea that "the sea will turn into the backlands, and the backlands will turn into the sea." This phrase appears in the song "Sobradinho"by Sá & Guarabyra, released in 2001, which speaks about the impact of large-scale hydraulic projects and modernization on the northeastern backlands.
Beyond being a historical record of Brazil’s era of large-scale engineering projects, the song serves as a warning about the long-term consequences of these interventions on both communities and nature. The lyrics specifically reference the construction of the Sobradinho Dam on the São Francisco River, using the metaphor of the backlands "turning into the sea" to illustrate the drastic transformation of the ecosystem and the lives of those displaced by the resulting flood.
The song mentions several towns in Bahia’s backlands—such as Remanso, Casa Nova, Sento-Sé, and Pilão Arcado—that were directly impacted, evoking a melancholic farewell to these places. The recurring chorus, "the backlands will turn into the sea," carries a tone of sorrow and concern, while its reversal—"the fear that one day the sea may also turn into the backlands"—suggests a broader reflection on ecological vulnerability and the potential for desertification. A música, portanto, além de ser um registro histórico de um período de grandes obras de engenharia no Brasil, é também um alerta sobre as consequências dessas intervenções para as comunidades e para a natureza.
"Sobradinho" became a classic of Brazilian popular music—not only for its striking melody but also for its poetic and critical message. It stands as a testament to how music can be a powerful tool for raising awareness and fostering discussions on environmental and social issues, capturing the anxieties of its time while remaining profoundly relevant today.
The Prophecy of "Between the Sea and the Heartlands"
In our latest short film, Between the Sea and the Heartlands, the heartland—long a symbol of resilience and the struggle for survival—is swallowed by water. The same water that was once scarce now becomes a new and overpowering reality. The film explores the consequences of human intervention in the environment. The sea (or dammed water) reshaping the heartlands, while also disrupting lives, serves as a critique of large-scale infrastructure projects and the disregard for the land and culture of the northeastern people..
In Between the Sea and the Heartlands, we seek to connect popular prophecies with the natural and social realities of the region. This short film helps us understand how nature and myths intertwine with the ever-changing landscape of the sertão and northeastern Brazil, and how these transformations impact the identity of its people. The prophecy that "the sea will turn into the heartlands, and the heartlands will turn into the sea" is a profound metaphor for the cycles of the earth and environment, emphasizing humanity's ever-evolving relationship with nature.
Even as time passes, when we hear the phrase "the sea will turn into the heartlands, and the heartlands will turn into the sea," we are still prompted to reflect on how environmental changes and large-scale developments reshape not only physical landscapes but also culture, collective memory, and identity. It is a meditation on the impact of modernization and human intervention on the forces of nature—reminding us that prophecies, whether spoken by a wandering mystic, sung in a popular song, or told through film, continue to teach us about the cycles of the earth.
References
BATE-PAPO COM NETUNO. The Fossils of Araripe and Their Importance in Understanding the Evolution of the South Atlantic. Aug. 12, 2021. Available at: https://www.batepapocomnetuno.com/post/os-f%C3%B3sseis-do-araripe-e-sua-import%C3%A2ncia-para-a-compreens%C3%A3o-da-evolu%C3%A7%C3%A3o-do-atl%C3%A2ntico-sul. Accessed on Feb. 3, 2025.
DIÁRIO DO NORDESTE. How the Fossils of the Araripe Basin Help Retell the Planet's History. Dec. 27, 2021. Available at: https://diariodonordeste.verdesmares.com.br/regiao/como-os-fosseis-da-bacia-do-araripe-ajudam-a-recontar-a-historia-do-planeta-1.3136315. Accessed on Feb. 3, 2025.
LETRAS.MUS.BR. Meaning. Available at: https://www.letras.mus.br/sa-guarabyra/356676/significado.html. Accessed on Feb. 3, 2025.
コメント