Sebastianism

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Sebastianism is part of the Portuguese mythology and culture. It means waiting for a hero that will save Portugal and lead it to the Fifth Empire, and known as Eu nacional (national Self). There are possible mentions of this hero in The Prophecies of Nostradamus when it mentions the "great one of Portugal". Fernando Pessoa also wrote about this hero-to-come in his epic Mensagem (The Message) supporting his ideas on predictions and myths.

The Prophecies: Century VI (6) - Quatrain LXXXV (85)

The great city of Tarsus by the Gauls

Will be destroyed, all of the Turban captives:

Help by sea from the great one of Portugal,

First day of summer Urban's consecration.

1 Sebastian, the Child King
2 The birth of a hero and a myth
3 Late Sebastianism
4 See also

[edit] Sebastian, the Child King

The mythical Portuguese king, with whose death the house of Aviz lost its throne. Sebastianists hold that he will return to rule Portugal's Fifth Empire.

The name 'Sebastianism' derives from King Sebastian of Portugal (January 20, 1554 - August 4, 1578), grandson of John III, who became heir to the throne due to the death of his father, João, Crown Prince of Portugal in 1554 two weeks before his birth, and who succeeded to the throne three years later. This period saw continued Portuguese colonial expansion in Africa, Asia and Brazil. Luís de Camões wrote the Lusiads in his honour. The young King grew up under the guidance of the Jesuits. He also convinced himself that he was to be Christ's captain in a crusade against Muslims in Africa.

[edit] The birth of a hero and a myth

Almost immediately upon coming of age, Sebastian began plans for a great crusade against the Moroccans of Fez. The Portuguese crusaders crossed into Morocco in 1578 and, against the advice of his commanders, Sebastian marched deep inland. At Alcazarquivir (Field of the Three Kings) the Portuguese were routed by Ahmed Mohammed of Fez, and Sebastian was almost certainly killed in battle or subsequently executed. But for the Portuguese people, he had just disappeared and would return home one day, to such an extent that, in 1640, King John IV of Portugal had to swear to yield his throne to Sebastian, in case Sebastian (who would have been 86 years old) were to return. (See also Muhammad al-Mahdi, the so-called twelfth imam, whose disappearance prompted similar hopes among certain Shi'a Muslims.)

After his death (or disappearance), Portuguese nobility saw its independence gone (1580). In the time of Habsburg rule (1580-1640), impostors claimed to be King Sebastian in 1584, 1585, 1595 and 1598. Because of these events, Sebastian passed into legend as a great Portuguese patriot and hero - the "sleeping King" who would return to help Portugal in her darkest hour, on a misty day.

[edit] Late Sebastianism

Even as late as the 19th century, Sebastianist peasants in the Brazilian backcountry believed that the king would return to help them against the "godless" Brazilian Republic, especially in the Canudos rebellion. Earlier, in 1565, the city of Rio de Janeiro was founded during his reign and in his honour, as City of Saint Sebastian of Rio de Janeiro (Cidade de São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro), a living saint.

In that same century, in Portugal, people still strongly believed that the king would return and his legend is still told by some mothers to their children today.^{[citation needed]}

In the present day, Sebastianism is used by some intellectuals and politicians in Portugal to criticize the Portuguese society in general and in particular fields such as the economy, saying it is Sebastianist, that is, the whole country is waiting for King Sebastian to return and solve all their problems.