If you've seen the back of the Ala-Arriba t-shirt, you've noticed a name between the 4490 and "Que dizes": Cego do Maio. If you're from Póvoa, he needs no introduction. If you're not, you'll want to know who he was.
A fisherman who became a hero
Cego do Maio's real name was José Rodrigues Maio. He was born on 8 October 1817 on Rua dos Ferreiros, in Póvoa de Varzim. He was the son of fishermen and a sardine fisherman himself, and the poveiros (the people of Póvoa) also called him "Ti Maio".
What made him legendary was what he did when the sea turned dangerous. He risked his life dozens of times to save fellow fishermen and other shipwreck victims. According to the Municipality, by the time he was appointed lifeguard captain in 1881, he already had more than 80 rescues to his name in his small boat, with his two sons, Francisco and Manuel, as crew. Some say he saved around a hundred lives.
Why is he called "Cego"?
Curiously, he seems never to have been blind. One explanation is that he had a mark on one eye, and the nickname stuck. Another version, told in town, links the name to the courage of someone who threw himself into the sea without looking at the danger. As with so many Poveiro stories, there is more than one version.
The family sigla
Like many Poveiro fishing families, Cego do Maio had his own mark. His was the meio-sarilho. If you want to understand what siglas poveiras are and how they work, read our article on siglas poveiras.
The king's decoration
His deeds earned him the highest honour of the Portuguese State, the Collar of the Order of the Tower and Sword, placed on him personally by King Luís I.
Poveiro tradition says that, on receiving the honour, he gave the king a handful of little shells in return, saying: "Here you go, Ti' Rei, some little kisses for your children to play with!" As with all good oral stories, this is a version told in town rather than an official record, but it says a lot about the character the poveiros see in him.
The monument facing the sea
The bust is by the sculptor Romão Júnior and was made on the initiative of Poveiros who had emigrated to Brazil, in 1909. It stands in Passeio Alegre, facing the sea, a few steps from Avenida dos Banhos, and is considered the most emblematic monument among the town's Poveiro heroes. His name is still alive today: it is carried by a school group and by the local branch of the Corpo Nacional de Escutas (the Portuguese Catholic scouts).
Why he's on the Ala-Arriba t-shirt
080AYA's Ala-Arriba collection is not a beach souvenir. The text on the back of the t-shirt is an emotional map of Póvoa: faith, accent, food, the sea, and the people who make up Poveiro identity. Cego do Maio is there because he represents what the collection stands for: courage, community and belonging.
Whoever wears the t-shirt carries a story they can tell, and whoever sees it and asks "who is Cego do Maio?" ends up getting to know Póvoa a little better.