Browse:Blessed Mother (Volume 1, entries 3025–3027)
Blessed Mother
Volume 1, entries 3025–3027. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → (3) SAINTS. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 3025
The Blessed Mother. Now, she is a motherly saint - she loves children. But anything you promise her, you have to give her, such as flowers you know, them lights - that's what you have to give. But she is a bless- ed saint. Anything that you want, you can go to church and put a light, if you want to. If not, you can put a light at your home, but be sure and have a Blessed Mother picture there, but the priest have to bless it before you bring it in your house and set those lights. And if you promise her a light for nine days, she have to give it to you, and in three days she have to give it. Now after you get your promise, if you promise her a bou- quet of flowers, you better be sure and carry them, too, because if you don't, it'll be just too bad and such bad luck will fall on you that you wish you did.
Entry 3026
(You burn a green candle?)
And make dem bring it back. Dey can't keep it - dey bring it back, if dey steal something.
(Well, just how do you burn that candle?)
You burn dat candle in a saucer. You sprinkles a little sugar in de saucer, see. And you call and tell dem please tuh bring the things back, or you don't want to stand no trouble or nuthin like dat. And ast de Blessed Mother for to he'p chuh for to bring it back. An' dey bring it back - dey has to sneak it back in yore home.
Entry 3027
You burns a pink candle to her on Wednesdays and Thursdays and Mondays.
(You mean to the Virgin Mary?) [See comment later.]
Yes, sir.
(What do you do that for?)
For help.
(For help. Do you do anything else? I mean besides burning the candle?)
No more than that and repeat the Lord's Prayer. That's all you do to her.
(Each time you burn the candle?)
Yes, sir. Every time you light the candle, you say the Lord's Prayer.
(I see. Just once?)
Just once. [It is evident I wanted to be certain that informant was talking about the Virgin Mary. Here is a woman listed '35' and "good' in Nzonbers Book 647-822, and advanced to the mark "excellent on the transcription. A final reading of the complete interview caused me to label every page "woman spiritualist" - the latter word also meaning a spiritual. I have discussed this perpetual problem of religious syncretism in the Introduction.]