The War of the End of the World

The bells of the Temple of the Blessed Jesus ring throughout the army’s two massive attacks on Canudos, only silenced in the final few hours, when the towers are brought down by artillery. Like the famous photograph of St. Paul’s cathedral standing tall amid the rubble after the Blitz, they become a symbol of the rebels’ indomitable determination and The Radical Power of Religious Fanaticism. The nearsighted journalist describes how the bells “answer the bugles of the regiment” (284). A bugle is associated with the military, but here is deafened by the religious instrument of church bells. This foreshadows the victory that will be won the next day against Moreira César’s forces, a victory which, as the jagunços see it, is a result of their faith.

The importance placed on protecting the bell tower and keeping the bells ringing emphasizes that for the rebels, their status as a symbol is not metaphorical but literal. They believe that the bells glorify God, who bestows grace on them. They function as a direct route of communication with heaven. From this point of view, they have a defensive military purpose. Indeed, as long as they stand, Canudos endures.