The Legend of David Against Goliath

WHY THIS ARTICLE

The capoeiras' heroism in the Paraguay War is cited as fact. The thesis traces the slide from a plausible account to a David-and-Goliath legend, and marks its low degree of plausibility.

From plausible to legendary

The idea was maintained that the capoeiras played a crucial role during the Paraguay War: without arms to fight, faced with armed soldiers — engaged, therefore, in an unfair combat — the capoeiras, thanks to their dexterity, vanquished their enemies. From a plausible history, such as the one told by Luiz Murat, there was a tipping toward the legendary tale: a David against Goliath, in which the weak, through courage and skill, finally prevails over the strong.

A doubt not lost on all

The low degree of plausibility of this new account did not escape Waldeloir Rego, who in the 1960s registered the doubt. The legend was seductive precisely because it inverted the balance of force — the very paradox these games stage.

Why it matters

A cherished patriotic story can be a legend with a datable slide from fact. To honour the capoeiras is not to repeat the David-and-Goliath tale uncritically, but to see how and why it hardened.

SOURCES

La capoeira et les arts de combat noirs : histoire effacée, techniques invisibles (1905–1984), thèse de doctorat, Université des Antilles, 2020 (Part I: the Paraguay War legend; Luiz Murat, and Waldeloir Rego's doubt)

IN THE CORPUS

→ When Capoeira Meant Gangs, Not Grace

→ The Legend of Moleque Cirillo and the Japanese

HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE

MALO, Olivier. The Legend of David Against Goliath. In: Black Combat Arts Institute — Articles [online]. No. 102. 2026 [accessed date]. Available from: https://www.blackcombatarts.com/articles/the-legend-of-david-against-goliath. Adapted from the author's doctoral thesis, Université des Antilles, 2020.