Catu

Antônia de Tal, known by her apelido Cattú (also spelled Catu), was one of the legendary valentonas of early 20th century Salvador, Bahia. Her story survives through a remarkable newspaper account from February 10, 1914, published in the Jornal de Notícias, which documented an extraordinary confrontation with police forces.

The newspaper described her as "Mulher Perigosa" (Dangerous Woman), noting that Antônia, "muito conhecida por Cattú" (well known as Cattú), resided on Rua do Polytheama in Salvador. The account characterized her as "uma mulher de cabelinho na venta" - a colloquial expression meaning a woman not to be trifled with.

The 1914 incident began when Cattú was called to the police station and failed to appear. When civil guard #119 was sent to bring her in, she attacked him, ripping the buttons from his tunic and tearing his shirt to shreds. A fierce struggle ensued. The guard called for reinforcements, and an extraordinary response followed: guards numbered 64, 04, 14, and 203 arrived, along with a police regiment musician, two soldiers, and a sergeant.

What happened next became legendary: "a perigosa mulher lutou com todos" - the dangerous woman fought them all. Eight law enforcement personnel could not easily subdue one woman. She was only brought to the police station "com muita dificuldade" - with great difficulty. In the struggle, several guards were injured, including guard #119, who was bitten on the hand and had a finger hurt.

This documented incident exemplifies the skills and ferocity of the valentonas who inhabited Salvador's streets during the era of capoeira criminalization. The handling of her own body as a weapon - the tearing, biting, and sustained combat against multiple opponents - points to capoeira training. Such women were companions of the navalha (straight razor), canivete (pocket knife), and punhal (dagger), weapons that marked the old practitioners of capoeiragem after slavery.

Cattú stands alongside other legendary valentonas of Bahia: Rosa Palmeirão, Massú, Salomé, Chicão, Maria Doze Homens, Angélica Endiabrada, Almerinda, and Menininha. Their stories involved confrontations with police, razor fights, and even the deaths of famous male valentões. These women carved out their reputations through undeniable skill, refusing to accept the constraints society placed upon them.