Figurations of the Distinct

Narrating the “Other” from the Perspective of Inquisitorial Studies in Portugal and Brazil

Abstract

This text analyzes how inquisitorial studies in Portugal and Brazil allow us to understand the historical construction of the figure of the “other” in Iberian and colonial societies. Based on the interpretations of authors such as Martius, Herculano, Quental, Abreu, and Freyre, the author demonstrates how Inquisition documentation reveals a colonial society marked by conflicts, miscegenation, religious tensions, and cultural diversity. Inquisitorial sources expose practices associated with New Christians, African and Indigenous religious beliefs, dissident sexualities, blasphemies, and the circulation of forbidden books, allowing access to experiences made invisible by traditional narratives of national formation. The text argues that this documentation challenges idealized views of Brazilian identity, highlighting the historical persistence of prejudices and social exclusions. Finally, it argues that understanding Luso-Brazilian formation depends on recognizing its profound cultural and ethnic plurality.