# Iracema > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Iracema > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Iracema.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iracema > Source revision: 1318253951 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1865 indigenous novel by José de Alencar For other uses, see [Iracema (disambiguation)](/source/Iracema_(disambiguation)). Iracema: The Legend of Ceará Title page of the 1886 English-language translation Author José de Alencar Original title Iracema Iracema - A Lenda do Ceará Translator Lady Isabel Burton Language Portuguese Series Alencar's indigenist novels Genre Romance novel Publisher B. L. Garnier Publication date 1865 Publication place Brazil Published in English 1886 ISBN 978-0-85051-500-8 ISBN 978-0-85051-524-4 (English) Preceded by O Guarany Followed by Ubirajara Original text Iracema Iracema - A Lenda do Ceará at Portuguese Wikisource Translation Iracema: The Legend of Ceará at Wikisource ***Iracema*** (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [\[i.raˈse.mɐ\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Portuguese), in [Portuguese](/source/Portuguese_language): *Iracema - A Lenda do Ceará*) is one of the three indigenous novels by [José de Alencar](/source/Jos%C3%A9_de_Alencar). It was first published in 1865. The novel has been adapted into several films. ## Plot introduction The story revolves around the relationship between the [Tabajara](/source/Tabajara) [indigenous woman](/source/Indigenous_peoples_in_Brazil) Iracema and the [Portuguese](/source/Portugal) [colonist](/source/Colonialism) [Martim](/source/Martim_Soares_Moreno), who was allied with the Tabajara nation's enemies, the [Pitiguaras](/source/Pitiguaras). Through the novel, Alencar tries to remake the history of the Brazilian colonial state of [Ceará](/source/Cear%C3%A1), with Moacir, the son of Iracema and Martim, as the first true [Brazilian](/source/Brazil) in Ceará. This pure Brazilian is born from the love of the natural, innocence (Iracema), culture and knowledge (Martim), and also represents the mixture ([miscegenation](/source/Miscegenation)) of the native race with the European race to produce a new [caboclo](/source/Caboclo) race. ### Explanation of the novel's title *Iracema* is [Guarani language](/source/Guarani_language) for *honey-lips*, from *ira* - honey, and *tembe* - lips. *Tembe* changed to *ceme*, as in the word *ceme iba*, according to the author. "Iracema" is also an [anagram](/source/Anagram) of "America", noted by critics as befitting the allegorization of colonization of [America](/source/Americas), the novel's main theme. ## Characters in Iracema Statue in honor of Iracema in [Fortaleza](/source/Fortaleza) at [Messejana](https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messejana_(Fortaleza)) lagoon. - Andira: Araquém's brother. Old warrior and hero of his people. - Araquém: Iracema's father. Spiritual leader of the Tabajara's nation. - Batuireté: Poti's grandfather - Caubi: Iracema's brother - Iracema: Araquém's daughter. She is the beautiful Tabajara woman with *honey-lips* and dark hair. - Irapuã: The warrior leader of the Tabajara nation. - Jacaúna: Poti's brother. - Jatobá: Poti's father. He is an important veteran warrior of the Pitiguara's nation. - Martim: Portuguese colonist. Named in honor of [Mars](/source/Mars_(mythology)), the Roman god of war. - Moacir: The child of Martim and Iracema. - Poti: Martim's friend and the Pitiguara warrior who is brother of the Pitiguara leader. ## Iracema and the Indianist novels *Iracema*, along with the novels *[O Guarani](/source/The_Guarani)* and *[Ubirajara](/source/Ubirajara_(novel))*, portrays one of the stages of the formation of the Brazilian ethnic and cultural heritage. Iracema symbolizes the initial meeting between the white man (Europeans) and the natives. "Moacir" means "Son of Pain", which is related to his birth, alone with his mother, who was abandoned by Martim for some time when he had to go and help the Potiguaras in a tribal war against the Tabajaras. ## Awards and nominations "Iracema", painting by [Antônio Parreiras](/source/Ant%C3%B4nio_Parreiras) 1965 stamp commemorating the centenary of the book - There is a Brazilian stamp in honor of *Iracema'*s centennial (1865/1965) and its author. - There is a Brazilian painting by [Antônio Parreiras](/source/Ant%C3%B4nio_Parreiras). - *Iracema* is cited in *Manifesto Antropófago* (*[Cannibal Manifesto](/source/Cannibal_Manifesto)*), which is published in 1928 by [Oswald de Andrade](/source/Oswald_de_Andrade) ## Adaptations The novel was adapted in 1917 as [a Brazilian silent film](/source/Iracema_(1917_film)) directed by [Vittorio Capellaro](/source/Vittorio_Capellaro) and starring [Iracema de Alencar](/source/Iracema_de_Alencar), and in 1949 as [a Brazilian film](/source/Iracema_(1949_film)) directed by Vittorio Cardineli and [Gino Talamo](/source/Gino_Talamo), starring [Ilka Soares](/source/Ilka_Soares). In 1956, [Adoniran Barbosa](/source/Adoniran_Barbosa) composed the popular samba song "Iracema". The 1975 film *[Iracema: Uma Transa Amazônica](/source/Iracema%3A_Uma_Transa_Amaz%C3%B4nica)* directed by Jorge Bodansky and Orlando Senna, which was screened at the [International Critics' Week](/source/International_Critics'_Week) of the [1976 Cannes Film Festival](/source/1976_Cannes_Film_Festival). ## Statues There are two statues representing Iracema at the [Avenida Beira Mar](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Avenida_Beira_Mar_(Fortaleza)&action=edit&redlink=1) [[pt](https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avenida_Beira_Mar_(Fortaleza))] in [Fortaleza](/source/Fortaleza). One is at Coordinates 3°43'22.99"S, 38°29'3.60"W and the other is at [Iracema Beach](/source/Iracema_Beach) at Coordinates 3°43'14.04"S, 38°30'34.43"W. This second statue was made by [Zenon Barreto](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zenon_Barreto&action=edit&redlink=1) [[pt](https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zenon_Barreto)] and was idealized in 1960. It was constructed on 1996 for the 100th anniversary of the publication, but fell down on 3 May 2022 for unknown reasons.[1] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Estátua da Iracema Guardiã cai na Praia de Iracema - Ceará"](https://diariodonordeste.verdesmares.com.br/ceara/estatua-da-iracema-guardia-cai-na-praia-de-iracema-1.3225802). *Diário do Nordeste* (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2022-05-03. Retrieved 2023-09-05. ## Bibliography - Alencar, José de. *Iracema* (1865) Rio de Janeiro: B. L. Garnier. (in Portuguese) [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-85051-500-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85051-500-9) - Alencar, José de. *Iracema, the honey lips: a legend of Brasil* (1886) translated by Lady Isabel Burton. London: Bickers & Son. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-85051-524-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85051-524-6) - Alencar, José de. *Iracema* (2000) translated by Clifford Landers. New York: Oxford University Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-19-511547-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-19-511547-3) - Burns, E. Bradford. *A Working Bibliography for the Study of Brazilian History* *The Americas*, Vol. 22, No. 1 (Jul., 1965), pp. 54–88 ## External links Portuguese [Wikisource](/source/Wikisource) has original text related to this article: **[Iracema](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/pt:Iracema)** Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Iracema](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Iracema). - (in Portuguese) [Academia Brasileira de Letras](http://www.academia.org.br/) - (in Portuguese) [Brazilian literature](http://educaterra.terra.com.br/literatura/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20050517003702/http://educaterra.terra.com.br/literatura/) 2005-05-17 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) - (in English) [Iracema, The Honey-lips - A legend of Brazil](http://burtoniana.org/books/1886-Iracema/index.htm). (translated by Richard F. and Isabel Burton.) - [*Iracema*](https://librivox.org/search?title=Iracema&author=Alencar&reader=&keywords=&genre_id=0&status=all&project_type=either&recorded_language=&sort_order=catalog_date&search_page=1&search_form=advanced) public domain audiobook at [LibriVox](/source/LibriVox) v t e Novels by José de Alencar Cinco Minutos (1856) A Viuvinha (1857) O Guarani (1857) Lucíola (1862) Diva (1864) Iracema (1865) As minas de prata (1865–1866) O gaúcho (1870) A pata da gazela (1870) O Tronco do Ipê (1871) A guerra dos mascates (1871–1873) Sonhos d'ouro (1872) Alfarrábios (1873) Ubirajara (1874) O sertanejo (1875) Senhora (1875) Encarnação (1893) Authority control databases International VIAF GND Other Open Library --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Iracema](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iracema) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iracema?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.