GOAN NAMES by Valmiki Faleiro.

Goan names

By Valmiki Faleiro

Heard of a famous contemporary Goan named Filipe Antonio Sebastiao do Rosario
Ferrao? Or Shivaji da Silveira Faleiro? Or Ubaldo Antonio Delton Arquimedes Alemao?
(I’ve omitted one giveaway name in each case.) Do I hear you ask, “Filipe, Shivaji,
Ubaldo, who?”

Suffix ‘Neri’ to ‘Filipe’ and you have Goa’s Archbishop. Prefix ‘Shivaji’ with ‘Eduardo’ –
he’s the first Goan in history to serve as minister in India’s Union government. Add a first
name in the third example and you have Goa’s current best money machine: Churchill
Alemao!

Long, litany like, names, were common with Goan Catholics in bygone times. Perhaps
inspired, in the case of women, by Mother Mary: her Loreto Litany runs into 51 names.
‘Maria’ is arguably the most common name. In the case of men, inspiration must have
come from the galaxy of saints – from Antonio, the Portuguese national saint, to Xavier,
Goa’s patron saint.

I didn’t have to look afar to understand this marvel of long names…

I am a great-grandson of Maria Lucia Prisca Eulalia Estefania Mesquita e Noronha.
Hailing from Consua of Cortalim, she was married to Cosme Damiao de Noronha of
Carona, Aldona. Their daughter, my grandmother, was Maximiana Romelina Quiteria
Clotildes Isabel Filomena Santana Salvacao dos Martires Noronha e Sa. Her daughter
(my mother) is Maria Olga Augusta Joaquina Teresa de Jesus da Sa e Faleiro. It doesn’t
end there.

Estefania and Cosme Damiao had eight girls. The first was Epifania Paula Claudiana de
Noronha. Then came Maria Henriqueta Purificacao Auta Hedviges de Noronha. Next
was my grandmother, with the longest name in the brood. After her came Exiquiela
Leovegilda Agripinia Conceicao das Dores Alleluia de Noronha, then Ursula Maria
Aninha Rita Robertina Deodita de Noronha, followed by Ida Isabel Veronica Ana Paula
do Rosario Santa Rita Basta de Noronha.

Note that Santa Rita is the patroness of Carona and ‘Basta’ in Portuguese is “enough.”
Despite the appeal to the patroness, two more girls were born. These were named Maria
Jesuina Joaosita Paulina Bernadete de Noronha, and the last, Quiteria Carmela da
Piedade de Noronha. The last had the shortest name. The parents by then must have
been exhausted of ferreting out names! Yet…

Forty-five names, not counting the prepositions … an average of six names per child,
covering almost the entire alphabet from A to Z. It must have been difficult to keep track
of the names already given, so we find ‘Isabel,’ ‘Paula’ and ‘Quiteria’ featuring twice –
and ‘Maria’ occurring thrice. There’s another angle.

The second oldest, Henriqueta, married Francisco Xavier Santana Joaquim Roque
Necessidade do Rosario Rego of Verna, had seven children, named in alphabetical
order … Alvito, Berta, Cosme, Diogenes, Elvira, Francisco and Genoveva.

The second youngest, Joaosita, married Manuel Joaquim Roque Valladares of Margao,
also had seven children, the “7Rs”: Raul, Rui, Rita, Ruth, Remo, Rolanda and Rene.

Goan Catholics generally took the surname from the priest who baptized the first family
ancestor. Given names were conventionally after saints. The phenomenon of long
names, I think, owed its roots to a harsh reality of the times.

Childbirth was perilous those days – both for the mother and the new born, often still
born. There was no surgery or anesthesia, no Caesarians or blood banks, no antibiotics,
and not a shadow of today’s quick-fix allopathic medicines. Gynaecology, as a medical
speciality, did not exist. Deliveries were conducted by the village midwifes, trained only
by experience.

Hardly surprising that to-be-parents armed themselves with all kinds of vows, to several
forms of divine intercession through an assortment of saints. For a safe passage from
womb to world, each successive saint was assured that his or her name would also be
given to the newborn.

There evidently was an abundance of free counsel floating in the village. Of people who
testified to the efficacy of prayer to a particular saint. Perplexed would-be parents played
safe, made multiple vows, regardless of the length of the litany of names every vow
would contribute to, when the child was baptized.

Times were different. There also were enough government clerks with insufficient work,
to write in longhand such long names, with plumes dipped in ink every few words. There
also were no pro-formats with just three spaces for name, father’s name and surname.
But then, we change with the times, don’t we?

PS: Goa has six ‘Valmikis’ per the local phone directory. Reader response, however,
indicates many more Valmikis, most – again – Catholics. Like Valmiki and Rishi
Mascarenhas, both engineers, from Sarzora-Salcete. And Valmiki Xavier, uncle of
Constantino, of the Department of Political Studies, Portuguese Institute of International
Relations, Lisbon. Great going, Valmikis! (ENDS.)

The Valmiki Faleiro weekly column.

SALAZAR'S RAJ RE-EMERGED IN GOA?

Human Rights Lawyer John Fernandes criminally charged‏.

From:Sebastian Rodrigues (sebydesiolim@hotmail.com)

Sent:Saturday, December 20, 2008 7:49:00 AM

To: averonicaf806@hotmail.com

Dear Anthony Veronica, Please circulate this widely and support Adv. John Fernandes who is targetted by Goa Police for standing up against mining industry in Goa.

Warmly,
Seby.

According to the information received today morning Goa Police has criminally charged human rights lawyer and Journalist Adv. John Fernandes working in defense of communities affected with Goa’s powerful open cast iron ore mining industry. Adv. John Fernandes has been charged with section 307 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) for Attempt to murder on 17th December 2008 at Quepem Police Station, Quepem, Goa. He has not yet been arrested.

Please call up Quepem Police station to inquire more about the case involving Adv. John Fernandes at Quepem Police Station Phone number 0832-2662253. You may cite cr. No. 87/08 and 86/08. His wife Paulina Fernandes too is charged with rioting, unlawful assembly etc along with him on the same day. It clear indication that police at the instruction of mining industry are involved in targeting human rights defenders as well as their families with criminal cases. Adv. John Fernandes writes for Goa’s well known English daily Herald as Quepem correspondent.

According to the message received today morning at around 11 am police appeared in Ambaulim with the spade and clicked photos. Police Inspector Santosh Dessai has alledeged in local marathi daily - Tarun Bharat issue of December 18, 2008 that Adv. John attempted to murder policemen while lathi charging the protestors against transportation of Iron Ore from the road in their village causing enormous dust pollution and traffick congestions.

You may also support Adv. John Fernandes directly at his mobile number 09822169547 or at his e-mail: joao_ferns@yahoo.com.

Sebastian Rodrigues http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/2008/12/human-rights-lawyer-john-fernandes.html

OBITUARY - BOAVIDA CORREIA

OBITUARY - BOAVIDA CORREIA

Mother/Mother-in-Law of:
Francis Correia/Carmin Correia (Bahrain)
Julieta /Joseph Fernandes (Bahrain)

Grandmother of:
Clevin, Charlaine, Aislyn, Cranston and Donella

Expired on 20 December 2008 in Goa.
Funeral services will be held on 26 December 2008 at St. Thomas Church, Cansaulim at 3 pm.