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Sarronco is a mythical figure from Minho, in northern Portugal, the local name for the bogeyman: a shapeless, frightening being that adults invoked to scare misbehaving children. In Barcelos, the word moved from oral tradition into clay through the hands of ceramicist António Ramalho, who gave shape and colour to the bogeyman of his childhood.
Origin and history
Like the bogeyman, the sarronco belongs to a children’s imagination passed on by word of mouth. It was the whispered threat when mischief went too far: "here comes the sarronco". Nobody really knew what it looked like, and part of its power lies in that mystery.
In Minho, the sarronco also has a place in the festive calendar. In Rubiães, in the municipality of Paredes de Coura, the old-style Carnival (Entrudo) ends with the burning of the sarronco, described as a mythical figure once used to warn children about the consequences of bad behaviour. The festival includes a cozido lunch, a parade of masked revellers, the reading of a satirical will and, finally, the fire.
The sarronco in Barcelos figurado
In Barcelos, we were told, this is what António Ramalho’s mother and other adults called the bogeyman when the children misbehaved. António grew up never knowing what the sarronco looked like and, as an adult, decided to give it a body.
The result is, to date, the ceramicist’s most colourful figure: a bogeyman that might give you a small fright but looks ready to join the children’s games. As in traditional Barcelos figurado, it is modelled by hand in clay, fired and decorated piece by piece.
Where it comes from
The sarronco is a figure of Alto Minho and Minho. The traditional burning takes place in Rubiães, Paredes de Coura, and the clay version is born in the workshop of António Ramalho in Barcelos, great-grandson of Rosa Ramalho and son of Júlia Ramalho.
How to recognise it and care for it
António Ramalho’s Sarronco is a unique, decorative piece. Place it away from busy areas, protect it from falls and damp, and clean it only with a soft brush or a dry cloth. Small irregularities in shape and colour are part of handmade work.
Where to buy
The Sarronco (Bogeyman) by António Ramalho is available at Ra-Ro. If you like creatures of folk imagination, see also the Barcelos Devil, the Medusa and the mafarrico by Andreia Pinho.
Frequently asked questions
What is the sarronco?
It is a mythical figure from Minho, equivalent to the bogeyman, used by adults to frighten children who misbehaved.
Where is the sarronco burned?
In Rubiães, in the municipality of Paredes de Coura, where the burning of the sarronco closes the old-style Carnival, after the parade of masked revellers.
Where can I buy António Ramalho’s Sarronco?
At Ra-Ro, which sells the Sarronco (Bogeyman), a clay figure modelled by hand by the Barcelos ceramicist António Ramalho.
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