When a misfortune happens, words and expressions that express our despondency appear without major difficulties. However, why do some unfortunates say that they “went on the donkeys in the water”? To answer this mystery of our vernacular, it is enough to investigate the time when mules and donkeys became the main means of transport in Brazil.
In the 18th century, the development of the gold economy was responsible for the appearance of several urban centers within the colony. At that time, the gold rush ended up leaving behind the development of means and resources that could meet the demands of each of these cities. In this way, localities with a more diversified economy ended up providing much of the food needed for the survival of the inhabitants of such localities.
To cross the Brazilian hinterland with these goods, the drovers used the backs of donkeys and mules that resisted long periods of walking through the woods. Despite being quite profitable, this activity was full of challenges that turned the tripeirismo into an uncertain adventure and taken by some risks. In some of these situations, the poor pack animals were forced to cross flooded land and many ended up drowning.
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In addition to losing the useful animal, often obtained from smugglers in the southern region, travelers could lose the goods that would give them a considerable financial return. Thus, as the expression grew, every time someone got worse, the incident with the donkeys (or mules!) ended up symbolizing the unfortunate person's bad luck.
By Rainer Sousa
Graduated in History
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUSA, Rainer Gonçalves. "Hit the donkeys in the water"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/curiosidades/dar-com-os-burros-nagua.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.