220px|thumb|Siglas poveiras base symbols in the [[Ethnography and History Museum of Póvoa de Varzim|Ethnography Museum of Póvoa de Varzim.]]

The (, ) or () are a proto-writing system used by the local community of Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal, for many generations.

The siglas poveiras were primarily used as signatures for family coat of arms to mark family belongings. The symbols were typically carved into wood using a razor, though painting them on boats and beach sheds was also a common practice.

The purpose of the siglas poveiras was to record history, leading them to be described as Póvoa's "writing system." However, since the siglas do not represent sounds or specific words, they are not considered a true writing system.

Types

Lixa Filgueiras argued that there are two types of symbols, distinguished by their use: marcas (marks) and siglas. The marcas were primarily used to denote ownership and were therefore more commonly found. The siglas, on the other hand, were associated with magical and religious purposes. As symbols of a mythical nature, the siglas were rarer, both in their ancient and more recent forms.

{| align="center" cellspacing=1 valign="top" style="border:1px solid #aaaaaa;padding:0.1em;"

|- bgcolor=#bbbbbb

| colspan=4 align="center" | Reference box for the types of siglas used in fishermen marks compared to the marks on the doors in the chapels of Balasar and Santa Tecla

|- align="center"

! Type

! Póvoa de Varzim

! Balasar

! Santa Tecla

|- bgcolor=#eeeeee align="center"

! Religious Siglas

| 18

| 11

| 11

|- align="center"

! Magical Siglas

| 5

| 6

| 4

|- bgcolor=#eeeeee align="center"

! Maritime Siglas (total)

| 47

| 23

| 20

|- bgcolor=#eeeeee align="center"

| Boats or parts

| 32

| 12

| 13

|- bgcolor=#eeeeee align="center"

| Fishing

| 5

| 8

| 4

|- bgcolor=#eeeeee align="center"

| Penas

| 4

| 1

| 1

|- bgcolor=#eeeeee align="center"

| Pés de Galinha

| 6

| 2

| 2

|}

Family marks

thumb|Family mark describing ownership of a private garage in Rua Cândido Landolt in Póvoa city center.

thumb|Siglas Poveiras that serve as a base to most used symbols.

The siglas poveiras have been used as family coat of arms since time immemorial by the community of Póvoa de Varzim. These symbols were used to distinctly mark personal and fishing belongings, serving as a form of property registration. The marca-brasão ("blazon-mark") of a family was well-known throughout the Póvoa de Varzim community. Children were identified within their family by the number of piques (similar to traces) incorporated into their marks.

The usefulness of this system is evident in its use by merchants in their credit books, where the siglas were read much like we read names written in the Latin alphabet today. Currency values were represented by rings and traces, which were added after an individual’s mark.

The development of the siglas or marcas (Bomärken) is at least partly attributed to the Norsemen who settled in the town during the 10th and 11th centuries. This form of primitive writing, which developed within the community of Póvoa de Varzim, was preserved due to the practice of endogamy. Additionally, the similarity between the marcas and the Scandinavian tradition of using specific bomärken ("homestead marks") for signatures and marking property is noteworthy.

Each base sigla has a name, typically related to daily objects. However, this sigla-object association occurred at a later date for both Póvoa de Varzim and the system studied in the Danish region of Funen. The hourglass of Funen was drawn in the same way as the chalice of Póvoa de Varzim, indicating that both are remnants of a later era.

Siglas have also been compared to runes, especially in the 1960s when Lixa Filgueiras called for further studies on the matter.

Comparing only identical Nordic runes:

:3px|i pique - i-rune isaz (ice)

:15px|t arpão (harpoon) - t-rune Tiwaz (Tyr)

:15px|l meio-arpão (half-harpoon) l-rune laguz (lake)

:15px|d cálix fechado (closed Chalice) - d-rune dagaz (day)

:15px|g cruz (cross) g-rune gyfu (gift)

thumb|220px|According to Santos Graça, the Cruzeiro of the Cemetery of Póvoa de Varzim (a cross in a stone column) was the origin of the sigla poveira known as Padrão (standard).

According to Santos Graça, the siglas were inspired by the daily objects of the residents of Póvoa de Varzim:

:15px|Lanchina lanchinha — Poveiro Boat (port)

:15px|Lanchina lanchinha — Poveiro Boat (nose)

:15px|Mastro e verga mastro e verga — Barco Poveiro with hoisted sail

:15px|Coice coice — Barco Poveiro (an area where women pushed for Ala-Arriba)

:15px|Padrao padrão — Cruzeiro of the Cemetery of Póvoa de Varzim

:15px|Grade de 2 piques 15px|Grade de 3 piques grades de dois e três piques — Gratings (Agricultural object used in the smoothing of the farm fields after harvest in Giesteira, Póvoa de Varzim)

:15px|Sarilho 15px|Meio sarilho 15px|Meio sarilho sarilho and meio sarilho — Sarilho (object used by women to make hanks of wool or hemp in Póvoa de Varzim)

Current use of Siglas

thumb|200px|right|Traditional Portuguese pavement in Póvoa de Varzim city center with family marks.

thumb|200px|right|Street plate in Póvoa de Varzim city center with Povoan family marks.

The use of the Latin alphabet to identify boats occurred only very recently in Póvoa de Varzim, especially when compared to other fishing communities that used various marks. In 1944, of a set of 25 boat marks, only one used the Latin alphabet: F.A. de Francisco Fogateira, which replaced the marks lanchinha and the "double of two piques in cross and coice." In Aver-o-Mar, out of a group of 38 boats, eight vessels already used the alphabet and marks.

Despite the decline in use over the years, the banheiros of the Bairro Norte district still place their family marks on their belongings at the beach. The same practice occurs in their homes, where the marks are written on personal items. The Casa dos Pescadores da Póvoa de Varzim, the fishermen's association, still recognizes marks as valid forms of signature. Additionally, marks are used to decorate the city, such as in the pavements. Street signs in the city center of Póvoa de Varzim feature these marks to revive their use and reinforce local identity by showcasing the marks of traditional Povoan families.

See also

  • Pseudo-runes

References

  • Families (part one)
  • Families (part two)
  • Abreviaturas, Acrónimos & Siglas
  • Siglas Poveiras - Câmara Municipal da Póvoa de Varzim
  • [http://www.vikingdenmark.com/glavendrup-stone-ship-runic-stone-funen-denmark.html] - Glavendrup stone de Funen