Ritual

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PeterH P
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!

M morfe
morfe Jan 12, 2006 22:11:41
Replying to PeterH

"the one real remaning element - people still throw coins into wells for luck."

When I was really sick with arthritis, I tied a strip of my handkerchief in a tree near a wellspring after dipping it in the water. Alongside this rag were many other fragments, some really old, some recent, some with written wishes that their loved ones would heal or recover from ailments.

Is this proof of your one 'real remaining element' being only coins?

I would imagine that your very true statement takes some leap of faith to deduce that throwing a coin in after the others is very real, whilst making a painful journey to an out-of-the-way place to conduct a cleansing and well-wishing ritual with an item of clothing is about as fake as can be.

Well done (boom-boom)