SEBASTIANISMO

Sebastianism is a mystical idea that is almost 450 years old. It began in Portugal and came to Brazil, originating many stories! It arises from the belief that King Sebastian of Portugal would reappear to save the Portuguese who were under Spanish rule after Portugal lost a major battle to the Muslims in African territory. Sebastião was the Boy-King because he was crowned at the age of 3! He was born in Lisbon in 1557 and died or disappeared in 1578. He was the grandson and successor of King John III and was under the tutelage of Cardinal Henry, his paternal great-uncle, and his grandmother, Catherine. The boy received a strict education from the Jesuits and demonstrated from an early age an interest in the arts of war and ambition for victory over the Muslims to spread Christianity. This belief that the King, who disappeared on the battlefield, would return and save his people can also be considered a kind of Messianism. From then until now, many stories have unfolded based on the hope of King Sebastian's return. It was in the year 1576, when the ruler of Morocco, Emir Mulei Mohamed, was deposed and ended up going to Portugal to ask King Sebastian for help in regaining the throne. In exchange, according to records, he would give the entire coastline plus six leagues inland, including the cities and towns there, among them Arzila, Larache, and Alcácer-Quibir. And to make the offer truly irresistible, he promised King Sebastian that he would let him preach the Christian faith throughout the region and that he would consent to being crowned Emperor of Morocco. King Sebastian was still very young and it is said that he was very authoritarian and power-hungry. Besides being obsessed with conquering Morocco, he wanted to expand the Christian faith in Muslim lands. King Sebastian was still very young and it is said that he was very authoritarian and power-hungry. Besides being obsessed with conquering Morocco, he wanted to expand the Christian faith in Muslim lands. The great confrontation took place at Alcácer-Quibir and is often referred to as the Battle of the Three Kings because King Sebastian of Portugal, his ally Emir Mulei Mohammed, and Sultan Abu Marwan Abdal Malik were involved. Given the gravity of the situation, the Moroccans proclaimed jihad against the Portuguese. Jihad is a "holy war" waged against the enemies of the Muslim religion. This brought heavily armed fighters from various regions, bringing cannons acquired from the Turks and the English. But it was on August 4, 1578, that the battle took place. Besides the Moroccan forces being much more numerous, another factor that must also be taken into account was that they were Europeans fighting in the desert against peoples accustomed to the scorching desert climate. This alone shows the great disadvantage the Portuguese faced in this battle. And the Portuguese army was crushed. The Battle of Alcácer-Quibir was a major event in world history. It is considered the last crusade and marked the end of Christian ambitions in North Africa. The fact is that this story reached Brazil and generated some social movements as well as influencing some cultural manifestations, as we will see in future videos.