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A observação de sinais da natureza para previsão do tempo é bastante difundida entre os sertanejos do nordeste brasileiro. Aqueles que se notabilizaram nesta prática, comumente conhecida como 'experiências de inverno', são denominados de 'profetas da chuva'. Na região do Seridó, Rio Grande do Norte, assim como acontece em outros locais do Nordeste, estes prognósticos têm tanta relevância que são, inclusive, divulgados nas rádios locais, independentemente de convergirem ou não com as previsões das instituições oficiais. Este artigo identifica, a partir do discurso dos 'profetas da chuva' do Seridó potiguar, quais fatores os estimulam a realizar estas experiências. Observou-se que esta habilidade cumpre uma função social, prática e simbólica, importante em um ambiente marcado pelas adversidades sociais e climáticas. Poder antecipar-se na organização das atividades produtivas, frente às possibilidades de seca, está entre os principais fatores que influenciam na reprodução das 'experiências de inverno', embora elas não se limitem a isso. O desejo de reproduzir a cultura sertaneja, demarcar uma identidade, manter uma relação específica com a natureza e ajudar o próximo, bem como a rivalidade e/ou a não aceitação das previsões dos meteorologistas também constituem elementos importantes para a continuidade das 'experiências de inverno' por parte dos profetas. The observation of signs from nature for weather prediction is a very common practice among the country people (sertanejos) from the Brazilian Northeast. Those who distinguished themselves on the development of this practice, commonly known as 'winter experiences', are called 'rain prophets'. In a region called Seridó, in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, like other places of the Northeast, these prognostics have so much relevance that they are even reported on local radios, whether or not they converge with the predictions from official institutions. This article identifies, through the discourse of the 'rain prophets' from Seridó, the factors that stimulate them to perform these experiments. It was observed that this ability fulfills an important social, practical and symbolic function in an environment known for its social and climatic adversities. To be able to anticipate the organization of the productive activities, facing the possibilities of drought, is one of the main factors that influences the reproduction of 'winter experiences', even though that is not the only reason. The desire to reproduce the sertanejo's culture, to mark an identity, maintain a specific relationship with nature and help others, as well as the rivalry and/or non-acceptance of forecasts from meteorologists also were important elements for the continuity of 'winter experiences' by the prophets.

No Nordeste brasileiro, é recorrente entre os sertanejos a prática de “experiências de inverno”. Estas consistem na observação de elementos da paisagem, como: a fauna, a flora, o movimento dos astros, entre outros aspectos, com a finalidade de prever chuvas ou secas. As “experiências de inverno” compõem um repertório de estratégias historicamente construídas que medeiam a relação entre os sertanejos nordestinos de regiões semiáridas e a seca. Neste artigo, analisou-se até que ponto estas experiências de inverno orientam as práticas produtivas dos agricultores familiares que habitam as regiões do sertão no Seridó Potiguar. A área de estudo compreendeu comunidades rurais dos municípios de Caicó, Acari, Parelhas e Lagoa Nova. Foram entrevistados 241 agricultores em 29 comunidades destes municípios. O estudo identificou que, apesar do alto grau de difusão de previsões meteorológicas científicas, estas não chegam a suplantar o conhecimento tradicional das experiências de inverno. Observou-se que tais experiências encontram-se bastante disseminadas entre os agricultores, exercendo funções diversas em seus modos de vida que extrapolam, e muito, a organização do sistema produtivo. Além da prevenção das intempéries ambientais e das previsões de seca ou chuvas, estas experiências desempenham um papel simbólico como intermediadoras da fé em Deus e como alimentadoras da esperança sertaneja. Portanto, as experiências de inverno praticadas por agricultores no sertão do Seridó figuram como estratégias de reprodução social de um modo de vida específico, reatualizando a esperança destes de um ano “bom de inverno”, mais do que organizando suas atividades produtivas.Observação dos Editores: O artigo foi publicado em 28 de junho de 2013. Em 13 de julho de 2013, o arquivo foi substituído devido à uma correção na Nota de Rodapé 2 na página 88.

In France, meteorological and agricultural dictons are well known and have been the subject of a number of publications. Those that relate to the weather and diet have received less attention and have not been inventoried as such, no doubt because they are less common. In Corrèze, from the late 18th to the early 20th century, dictons and also certain names of seasons and of difficult years indicate (in Limousin language) the conditions of life of the peasants and their food practices, still largely dependant on the climate. We can distinguish "seasonal" dictons, which act as markers and as reminders of behavioural standards, and "forecast" dictons, which associate calendars, popular meteorology and expected harvests. Among the latter, some directly link atmospheric phenomena with diet practices through shortcuts that are often striking. In order to locate these dictons and other formalised expressions in a historical context, we can cross-reference them with precisely dated written sources. This will enable us to understand material and cultural aspects of a social environment that has generally not left any written information. Faced with changes in the rural world, or with some permanent features, these dictons and other expressions constitute indicators or traces of links between climate and food., En France, les dictons météorologiques et agricoles sont bien connus et ont fait l’objet de nombreuses publications. Ceux qui mettent en perspective le temps qu’il fait et l’alimentation ont moins retenu l’attention et n’ont pas été répertoriés comme tels, sans doute parce que plus rares. En Corrèze, de la fin du XVIIIe au début du XXe siècle, des dictons mais aussi certains noms de saisons et d’années difficiles témoignent (en langue limousine) des conditions de vie des paysans et de leurs pratiques alimentaires, encore largement dépendantes du climat. On peut distinguer des dictons « saisonniers », qui constituent des repères et rappellent des normes de comportement, et des dictons « prévisionnels », qui associent calendriers, météorologie populaire et récoltes attendues. Parmi ces derniers, certains relient directement des phénomènes atmosphériques à des pratiques alimentaires, à travers des raccourcis souvent saisissants. Afin de resituer ces dictons et autres expressions formalisées dans un contexte historique, on peut les croiser avec des écrits précisément datés. Ce qui permet d’appréhender certains aspects matériels et culturels d’un milieu social qui n’a généralement pas laissé d’écrits. Face aux changements du monde rural, ou à certaines permanences, ces dictons et autres expressions constituent des témoins ou des traces, selon les cas, des liens entre climat et alimentation.

Straipsnyje, pasiremiant lietuvių tikėjimais ir papročiais, siekiama atskleisti keletą varlės mitinio įvaizdžio prasmių. Tradiciniame pasaulėvaizdyje ryškėja varls kaip vandens kaupėjos, gydomųjų galių turinčio gyvio, žmogaus zoomorfinio pavidalo kūno dalies ar svetimkūnio, vienos iš žmogaus fizinės ir socialinės raidos fazių, grėsmę keliančios vandens mitinės būtybės įsivaizdavimas. Tokiam varlės mitiniam įprasminimui didelę reikšmę turi jos biologinės ir ekologinės savybės, jų įtaka jutiminei žmonių patirčiai. The article is based on the traditional Lithuanian beliefs and customs recorded in the end of the 19th – first half of the 20th century. It aims at proving that frog in Lithuanian culture has its own unique realm of mythical meanings, which only partly correspond to those of the toad’s. In this realm, several groups of meanings associated with frog can be discerned. Firstly, frog is considered to be an accumulator of water in the popular meteorology. Its enhanced activity, its enlarged body or darkened color may indicate the approach of the rain. People used to believe that killing of a frog resulted in downpour, since such an act symbolically released the atmospheric water that had been accumulated in its body. A second group of mythical meanings associated with frog present it as a creature endowed with healing powers. Here, its cold-bloodedness is most important. Illness or physical malfunction represent the hot pole of the opposition hot vs. cold, while frog represents the cold one, thus being able to neutralize the heat resulting from illness. In the third group, frog is regarded as a zoomorphic part of the human body or as a foreign body embedded in it. A creature in frog’s shape is believed to live in the human belly. As result of physical malfunction, it may move and leave its place, finding itself close to the heart or in the throat. Having lost this part of the body, the person dies. So whenever this frog-like creature, commonly also called macica (womb) or gumbas (lump) moves, it is attempted to restore it back to its former place. Frog, regarded as a foreign body, is believed also to sit on the human brain, thus causing psychic diseases. In such case, the person is treated by attempting to lure the frog out of the body. In the fourth group of mythical meanings, tight connections between frogs and children are displayed. Both frogs and children are related to water and humidity. This idea is reflected in the notion of people being born from a water body. Little children, just like frogs, are characterized by poorly coordinated movements and inarticulate sounds. The smaller the child, the closer it seems to the frog. This association is best reflected by calling little kids frogs in Lithuanian. From such folk identification of children and frogs there also stems the traditional explanation typically given to children by grown-ups, of the children being brought by the stork. In the fifth group of mythical meanings, frog is presented as a threatening aquatic creature, which is used to scare the kids away from water. Frog is therefore considered as possible prototype of all the other scary beings residing in water.