Who was Besouro Mangangá?

Manuel Henrique Pereira, better known as Besouro Mangangá, is one of the most legendary figures in Capoeira history. Born in Santo Amaro, Bahia, in the late 19th century, he lived during a time when Capoeira was explicitly illegal and heavily persecuted by the police. He earned his nickname, which refers to a type of large beetle, due to his legendary ability to escape capture, as if he could shapeshift or fly away in tight circumstances.

Besouro was not just a fighter but a symbol of resistance against the oppression of the post-abolition era. Police records from 1918 document his arrest for fighting three officers at once after they confiscated his berimbau. Legends assert that he carried a patuá (protective amulet) and had a "closed body" (corpo fechado), a magical protection that made him immune to bullets and conventional weapons.

His death is as legendary as his life. One day, Besouro clashed with the son of the plantation owner, who then conspired to have him killed. Because Besouro could not read, he was tricked into carrying a letter that actually contained instructions for his own execution. He was ambushed by 40 men, and when bullets failed to harm him due to his spiritual protection, a man named Eusébio attacked him with a knife made of tucum (a type of wood associated with rituals), which was the only weapon capable of piercing his closed body. He died young, but his legacy survives in countless Capoeira songs to the modern day

To learn more about the history and impact of Besouro, check out this podcast episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0aRhlUz0iMhagvrVBHnzvI?si=HEnCCZ7WTGK6VTHjUatRXQ