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Sylvhia
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The Legend of Holy Company
The Holy Company is in the Galician popular mythology, and with other names or the same in the Asturian, in the region of León (provinces of Zamora, Leon and Salamanca) as Huéspeda and Extremadura and Castilla as Estantigua. It is a dead or lost souls procession and it takes place at night (after midnight). The souls go wandering the paths of a parish. Its mission is to visit all those houses where soon there will be a death.
The myth is present with different variations throughout the Asturian and Galician culture continuum, where it receives other denominations as Güestia, Güéspeda, Estadea, Hoste, Genti of Muerti, procession of ghosts or just Compaña.
Despite all this, on writers John R. Cuba, José Antonio Reigosa and Miranda opinions, "the name of the Holy Company is erroneous, despite his literary success. The Company can be many things, but holy, certainly not ".
Although the appearance of the Holy Company varies according to the tradition of different areas, the most widespread is formed by a wandering overnight procession of souls wearing white hooded tunics .
This ghostly procession form two rows, ghosts are wrapped in shrouds and barefoot. Each ghost carrying a lit candle and passing leaves a wax smell in the air. In front of this ghostly company there is a broader spectrum called Estadea.
The procession is led by a living (mortal) carrying a cross and a cauldron of holy water followed by souls with burning candles. The souls are not always visible, but it is possible to notice their presence because of the smell of wax and the wind that rises in their path.
This living person that precedes the procession can be male or female, depending on whether the gender of the patron of the parish. It is also believed that whoever takes this "function" does not remember during the day what happened during the night. It is possible recognize that people ,punished with the punishment, for their extreme thinness and pallor. Every night their light becomes stronger and every day their pallor will increase. All that do not allow them to rest any night, so that their health is weakened and they fell sick without anyone knowing the causes of this mysterious disease. They are condemned to wander night after night until they die or until another unwary, to which the procession head must pass the cross slide, is found.
They walk emitting prayers (almost always a rosary) funeral songs and playing a small bell.
The animal of the forest fall silent when they hear the bells, dogs howling announce the arrival of the Holy Company and cats run scared.
It is said that not all mortals have the ability to see "The Company" with their eyes. Elisardo Becoña Iglesias, in his book "The Holy Company, The Urco and Los Muertos" explains that according to tradition, only certain "gifted" persons have the power to see: the children the priest mistakenly baptized using the oil of the dead, possess, as adults, the ability to see the apparition. Other, even persons that believe the legend, must comply with feel, intuit, etc.
To get rid of this obligation, the person viewing spend the Holy Company must draw a circle on the floor and enter it or lie face down. To get rid of the Holy Company must carry a cross over, pray without listening to the songs of the Holy Company, or, ultimately run.Appearance of the Company
The many legends about this company of departed in pain report that they appear on nearby roads to the cemeteries in search of something or someone, and always appear with a reason that is a symbol of disaster or curse. The reasons for this company wandering souls may occur:
To claim the soul of someone who will die soon. Legend has it that whoever receives the visit of the Compaña die within a year.
To reproach the living, faults or mistakes. If the fault is particularly serious, the mortal who has committed could be visited by the Company and put on the head of it and condemned to wander until another mortal replace him.
To announce the death of an acquaintance of that presence procession.
To serve a sentence imposed by any authority beyondProtection against the Holy Company
Counting this legend also involves counting mode protecting against this procession of undead; in the unlikely event that the company was presented in the presence of someone should be conducted a series of rituals for protection that would consist of:
Open arms crossed and say Jesus Christ when you get hit the cross.
Reply "I have the cross" when the living attempt to give the cross "It's your turn" or "Take it".
Keep arms like crossed.
Bring both hands busy with a stone, a stick ...
Legend has it that the Holy Company will not have the power to capture the soul of mortal who crosses it if it is on the steps of a cruiser located at the crossroads or if it carry a cross with him or her and manages to wield a time.
Draw a circle with chalk on the floor and get inside as the Holy Company passes.
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Compa%C3%B1a
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The Legend of Holy Company |
