Pasquins, libelos e panfletos: a cultura do manuscrito na América portuguesa

Abstract

This article discusses the tradition and cir-culation of rags, lampoons and pamphlets in the Luso-Brazilian context in the 17th-18th centuries, focusing on the role they played in the political culture of this period. Privileged forms for expressing political be-liefs and values, these manuscripts are one among many possible political actions in the Iberian world, holding an outstanding place in rebellions and uprisings. Coming from a medieval tradition, these manifes-tations combined elements of popular and erudite cultures, exploring humor and parody as their most common stylistic features. Usually presenting themselves as heralds of the so-called “common voice,” these are valuable sources for the study of political ideas and practices in the Early Modern period.