The Holy Company

The Holy Company is in the Galician popular mythology (and by other names, or the same, in the Asturias and Leon). It is a procession of dead or lost souls that night (after 12 at night) go wandering the paths of a parish. Its mission is to visit all those homes that soon there will be a death.

This consists of a procession of souls, dressed in white robe and hood, wandering at night.

This ghostly procession form two rows, wrapped in shrouds and go barefoot. Each ghost carries a candle and step wax leaves a smell in the air. Leading the ghostly company is a larger spectrum called Estadea.

The procession is led by a living (mortal) carrying a cross and a cauldron of holy water, followed by candlelight souls, not always visible, noticing its presence in the smell of wax and wind up in their wake.

This person alive that precedes the procession can be male or female. Who performs this function does not remember anything during the day, only you can recognize people punished with the punishment for its extreme thinness and paleness.

Each night the light will be more intense and every day her pallor will increase. Do not allow them to rest any night, so their health is weakened even sick. Condemned to wander every night until they die or another sucker is caught (which leads the procession which gives a cross).

Walk issuing prayers, funeral songs and playing a small bell.

In its wake, previously cease all animal noises in the woods and hear some bells. Dogs announce the arrival of the Holy Company howling sprees cats really are running scared and frightened.

To get rid of this obligation, the person you see pass the Holy Company must draw a circle on the floor and get into it or lie face down. To get rid of the Holy Company must carry a cross on top, pray without hearing the chanting of the Holy Company, or ultimately run.

Protection against Holy Company:

- Pull off the road to the Holy Company, and do not look at them that they are not seen.

- Make a circle with the Star of Solomon or a cross and enter into it.

- Eat something.

- When we go to give the cross, responding "I have cross" for the bearer of the cross does not make us surrender.

- Pray and do not hear their voices or the sound of the bell.

- Tearing upside down and wait without moving, although the company will pass over.

- Never touch a candle that gives us a decedent of the procession.

- Ultimately, to run very fast.

- The Holy Company does not have the power to capture the soul of the mortal who crosses her, if he is in the steps of some cruise than those at the crossroads or if carrying a cross and manages to wield them in time.