“Ayas”, governesses and preceptors: women whose task was educating

women whose task was educating

Abstract

The present study aims to analyze in a broad perspective, the attributions of “Ayas”, governesses and preceptors, as these women who oversaw the aristocracy children’s education were called in the 19th century. In a more specific frame, it is intended to establish a distinction of nomenclatures in their translations into Portuguese, when comparing the use of these words according to each of their functions. Concerning the methodological aspects, the study goes back to a historical-documentary research that has as main source, the manuscripts drawn up by the emperors D. Pedro I and D. Pedro II, on the duties of their daughters' “Ayas”. The original documents are found at the Imperial Museum archives in Petropolis (RJ – Brazil). The analysis of these documents highlights the assignments given to “Ayas”, Governesses, and Tutors, as these were regarded as one of the few crafts which women were allowed to have at that time and in that context, thus drawing a fine line between simple servants and courtesans who were close to the aristocracy's power spaces.

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