Carranca (Portuguese, literally "scowl"--pronunciation is with English "h" in place of "r" as in "cah-han-ka"): A figurehead once commonly found on river craft of the Rio São Francisco in the river's Northeast region of Brasil. The carranca is most commonly a human/animal figure that was attributed with power to both protect boatmen from the river's evil spirits and warn of other danger.

Such belief has largely died and few "real" carrancas are left outside museums. Modern, more stylized versions are sometimes seen as decorations in restaurants or homes and commonly seen in tourist shops. These range from key chain figures up to very large ones a meter or more in height and made from large tree trunks.

Classic versions were painted, frequently with black hair, gaping red mouths and white fangs. The most common tourist versions follow similar schemes. A more modern, decorative unpainted version is often in natural wood and even polished.

While most of the modern tourist versions are produced quickly in quantity using one of several patterns a few are made by more artistic wood workers and show unique design or interpretations of "functional" carrancas from history. A few of these are "museum quality" art.

External links

• Embassy of Brazil in London : Carrancas (Scowls)
• Arte e História
• Carrancas do Rio São Francisco
• A Carranca do "ESTRELA" (a modern boat application)