MotherofWatersoftheCariocas

Mother of the waters, queen of the waves, mermaid of the sea. Mother of the waters, your song is beautiful when there is moonlight.

Image description: This is a black-and-white engraving. The image shows a natural setting with three people observing a waterfall. On the left side, there is a large tree with a curved trunk and sparse foliage. In the center, a waterfall flows over rocks. On the right, there is an area densely covered with vegetation. The people are near the waterfall, two of them dressed in light-colored clothing and the third wearing a hat. At the top of the image, it reads "RIO DE JANEIRO" and at the bottom, "Mãe d'água".

Daughter of the ocean, the city of Rio also has a mother. The mãe-d'água of the Carioca River, a spring located in the Floresta da Tijuca, fed the city, and around its presence and its history a whole reverence and many legends were created. This mythical and real site, where the river's water-collection reservoir was built, became a landmark in the history of the city's own survival. As historian Lorelai Kury states, the place stood at the center of some of the symbolic constructions of nationality, at a time when the land's natural riches underpinned a vision of the Brazilian homeland.

Image description: This is a photograph of a place called "Mãe d'água dos cariocas." The image shows a historic structure surrounded by vegetation. On the left side, there is a large tree with green leaves. In the center, there is a circular fountain with water, surrounded by palm trees. On the right, there is a stone structure with an arched entrance. The background is covered with many plants and trees.

The name mãe-d'água ("mother of the water") given to it not only indicates that the site was the source of the river that supplied the city, but also relates directly to an Indigenous imaginary of legendary creatures that inhabit freshwater springs. African ways of understanding nature as sacred joined this cultural tradition, and the mothers of the salt and fresh waters met, came together, and blended. After all, mãe-d'água is also a mermaid.

The Carioca River was, for a long time, the city's main source of drinking water, and besides also being used to irrigate crops and raise animals, its springs, fountains, and streams were spaces used by washerwomen — places of work, gathering, and sociability. Nineteenth-century travelers depicted many scenes of these women at work.

Image description: This is a black-and-white engraving. The image shows an urban scene with several historic buildings. On the left side, there is a building with the word "CARAÇO" prominently written on it. In the center, there is a staircase leading up to another, taller building, where some domes and towers stand out. On the right, there is a building with many windows and a balcony. In the foreground, people are walking and a handcart is stopped. The sky is clear and the horizon is slightly blurred.

There were other important rivers in the early history of the city, such as the Maracanã, the Comprido, and the Trapicheiros, all vital for Rio de Janeiro to exist, survive, and grow. These rivers, their tributaries, and their springs shaped patterns of occupation in the city, especially until the end of the 19th century. At the turn of the 20th century, other waters were called upon to serve the city. The Covanca, Mendanha, and Piraquara rivers had their courses altered to supply Rio.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph showing a construction or renovation site. On the left, there is an area with brick and wood structures, possibly part of ongoing work. In the center, a large pit dug into the ground can be seen, with wooden structures inside it. On the right, there is a partially completed brick building with a sloped roof. In the background, there is a white house with a sloped roof and a large tree to the right. There is also a large tree on the left, along with shrubs and vegetation along the background of the image. In the lower left corner, it reads "Av. Maracanã" and "1938."

Today, almost forgotten, Rio's rivers still endure and continue, in spite of everything, emptying their long-suffering waters into the bay and thus remaining connected to the Atlantic. It is possible to see their presence and their signs.

Image description: This is a photograph of a coastal landscape with a clear blue sky and a few scattered clouds. On the left side, there is an island covered with green vegetation. In the center, there is a large craggy rock, known as Pão de Açúcar, with buildings constructed at its base. On the right, there is an area with dense vegetation and rocks along the coast. The foreground features green plants close to the water.