(IN)TANGIBLE HERITAGE(S)

Abstract

Velho do Restelo is a character from the Portuguese epic novel “Os Lusíadas” by Luís Vaz de Camões, who expressed a critical opinion about Vasco da Gama’s expedition to discover the way to India, glorified in Portugal in the 15th century. The article argues that his cultural role could be elevated from the symbol of pessimism to a wise prophet with words of reason, a figure which can represent many who disagree with the ideas of colonialism, and expresses a need for his new image.
After investigating the character’s origins and meaning, Velho do Restelo’s visual representations are being analyzed, focusing on characteristics and attributes associated with him throughout the centuries. The Jungian concept of archetypes and Campbell’s idea of the monomyth is then explored to identify the archetype Camões’ character may embody. The article also researches other revisitations of historical references and decolonisation initiatives.
The modest number of identified visual representations testified Velho do Restelo’s marginal status in the narrative, thus emphasizing the need for his new, updated iconography. To symbolize the new meaning we believe he can embody, it is being proposed that the character’s representation should adopt aesthetics that transmit the spirit of contemporaneity, thus ensuring that the figure speaks nowadays to a wide range of people, including the younger generation.
The research demonstrates that it is possible to reread the meaning of the figure of Velho do Restelo and events described in the Renaissance novel from a different perspective, e.g. in accordance with the current decolonization movement. We believe that Velho de Restelo with his contemporary image can be a figure that adds another narrative to the historical events, this way revealing a broader range of viewpoints about the 15th-century discoveries, and serving as a stimulus for dialogue in times when many matters in history and past attitudes are being questioned.