Pique-Bandeira
The game that arrived on the streets of Rio in the 1930s – and became popular in the decades between 1960 and 1980 – gradually lost importance with the city's urbanization process and the increase in vehicle traffic. A Cultural Heritage of Humanity, "pique-bandeira" is part of Brazil's children's and youth cultural heritage.
Pique-bandeira – Engraving by Alcides Oliveira
Image description: The image is a painting depicting a game of capture the flag on a street. On the left side, there is a house with two windows and a green tree behind it. On the right, there is another tree and a lamppost. In the center, the players are in action, running and moving through the street. The text "PIQUE BANDEIRA" is written in black letters at the bottom center of the image. It is by Alcides Oliveira, dated 2020.The origin of the game is lost in time. Many believe it was invented by American boy scouts, called Capture the Flag. In Brazil, the practice dates back to the first decades of the 19th century and comes from the Portuguese tradition, which, in turn, has its roots in Renaissance Italy, when cities in Tuscany fought over the flags of other regions of the Italian peninsula.
Capture the flag begins with the participants divided into two teams, each on one side of the field. On the end lines, each group's 'flags' are planted, which can be sticks or flip-flops. The goal is to steal the opposing object, while still protecting your own, by quickly crossing into the opposing team's field. If a participant is caught by one of their opponents, they get 'stuck' on that same spot until freed by a teammate's touch. While part of the team focuses on capturing the opposing flag, the rest are responsible for defending their own and keeping an eye on the stuck participants. The team that manages to bring the other team's flag over to its own field wins.
It is said that the game was a way of preparing to escape from rival street gangs. Capture the flag helped participants become better prepared to run from gangs and from the police. It was one of the few street games in the city in which men and women could play together.
Burned
Queimado – Engraving by Alcides Oliveira
Image description: The image is a black-and-white print depicting a volleyball game. From left to right, we see five people in different poses of motion. In the bottom left, there is a signature and the date "2020". At the top of the image, it reads "QUEIMADO". The spatial arrangement shows the players distributed in parallel lines, suggesting the volleyball service line.Queimado is a collective game played by two teams, the objective of which is to eliminate opponents by 'burning' them with the ball anywhere on the body. A player is also eliminated if they catch the ball and drop it. In both cases, the 'burned' player can return to the match if they hit an opponent. The team that manages to burn the greatest number of opponents wins.
The field is divided by a center line, and behind each team's area is the space reserved for players who are out. In some parts of Brazil, this area is called prison, heaven, cemetery, punishment, or base. Although there is no official tournament in the country, the sport is often present in school olympics and during recess.
In the city of Rio de Janeiro, the game began in girls' schools during physical education classes. Later, when it hit the streets, it transformed and opened up space for the inclusion of male participants.
