A foggy, gloomy night in a remote village of Galicia. A procession of the dead, dressed in long, black robes with hoods and carrying lit candles, goes down the street by your house. They cry out ghastly stories and spread a disturbing energy that sends chills down your spine. You try to escape, but you can’t because their songs are so mesmerizing. As they go by your house, you are not sure if they are real or not, but you wish you could vanish in case they are.
The Santa Compaña (Procession of Souls) visit people’s households to announce the death of a new soul that will join their procession. The procession is lead by a mortal who carries a cross and he won’t remember anything that happened that night. As they pass by they leave behind an unpleasant scent and the air suddenly becomes very cold.
If one night you happen to encounter the Santa Compaña there are some protection rituals you can do:
- Draw a circle around you.
- Lay on the ground and don’t look.
- Cover your ears and start praying.
- Don’t take a candle if they offer you one.
My own advice? Run like your life depends on it because it does!
GaliciaStyle 