Palmeirona

Palmeirona was one of four famous female capoeiristas of early 20th century Bahia, named by Mestre Pastinha in a 1969 interview with the newspaper A Tarde. Between 1902 and 1911, Salvador witnessed what Pastinha described as "a never-seen spectacle" of female capoeira mestras "as agile and able as the men." Pastinha listed Palmeirona among the famous women practitioners of this era, alongside Maria Homem, Júlia Fogareira, and Maria Pernambucana.

These women learned capoeira from multiple masters available during that period, including a young Pastinha himself, who was 13-22 years old during these years. The era was reportedly "a tough time for the Don Juans and for the police," suggesting these women were formidable fighters who commanded respect in Salvador's streets.

When asked about how women practiced in their restrictive clothing, Pastinha explained their practical solution: "At that time dresses reached the ground. The women tore their skirts on the sides. They connected the rear part with the front one, putting them on their waist with a string, making a sort of pants." This adaptation was, as Pastinha noted, "enough to play capoeira with any guy."

Like most women capoeiristas of her era, almost no concrete biographical information survives beyond Pastinha's testimony. The apelido "Palmeirona" is an augmentative form of "palmeira" (palm tree), suggesting either a tall stature or a connection to palm trees—common in Bahia where palm oil (dendê) played a central role in Afro-Brazilian culture.

Academic researchers note that "it is still impossible to be certain of their existence and there are confusions regarding names, due to lack of written documentation." What is certain is that Pastinha consistently remembered these women among the greatest capoeiristas of his youth, and that their presence challenges the common assumption that early capoeira was an exclusively male practice.