Ritual

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FourWinds F
FourWinds Jan 12, 2006 20:54:05
Replying to morfe

>> For instance, if the Cherokee believe all water to be sacred, they are teaching their
>> children and their children's children that their life depends on water, and the quality of it.

Indeed. If the forum search were available I'd hunt out the several occasions in discussions about the antiquity of holy wells where I've said something like ...

When you find a good water source you want to stop people pissing in it! What better way than to make it 'sacred'? Also, by erecting a monument/shrine whatever near to it you mark it. This serves several purposes depending upon the society you live in. It could be so that you can find it again if you're nomadic. It could be so that others know it's safe. It could be to say 'this is ours'. It could be just to remind people not to piss in it. It could be any combination of the abovve.

P PeterH
PeterH Jan 12, 2006 21:53:58
Replying to FourWinds

Yes that makes sense. My point is that modern well visitors simply don't believe that the wells are holy. In Ireland it is different as the Christianisation was very early and thorough and belief seems genuine. Lourdes is another place where people go who really believe in the healing powers. Elswhere there is litter hung in the trees, fake paganism and the one real remaning element - people still throw coins into wells for luck. That belief is so strong that you will see coins thrown into plastic wells at motorway service stations!