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A traditional practice of pledges in a Catholic church in Brazil.
B
*Igreja Nossa Senhor do Bonfim, Salvador, Brasil a* In this small room the walls, ceilings, and even parts of the floor are covered in ex-voto. **Ex-voto are tokens left by people praying for recovery from illness, safe return of loved ones from wars, healthy delivery of a longed for child or people giving thanks for a kidney transplant, miraculous survival of a car accident, the good fortune for buying their first house or opening a business. And the ex-voto are bold and clear statements**: Photographs of children before and after tumor removal, wax or wooden effigy’s of breasts and kidneys, legs and arms, a football shirt, or photo of the epaulettes someone received on promotion in the military police, and a letter imploring for success in exams. [https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-strange-and-moving-gifts-left-at-a-brazilian-church](https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-strange-and-moving-gifts-left-at-a-brazilian-church)
S
Visited in the early 80s. Looks the same as I remember it.
V
Wait fr? Thats so cool, did you go to Brazil only to see this specific church?
S
No- Salvador was pretty off the beaten path back then. My father helped set up a manufacturing plant, and we lived there for a few months. Many fascinating things to see that were very different from our rural home, but the churches were consistently amazing- such poverty all around, and so much gold to see on the inside.
G
Wonder what the sq footage of that place is
N
I don’t see any that are square.
T
I bet they stuck them up there using toenails.
S
Hammered the nails with club feet.
S
If you put in the legwork and measure the perimeter of the walls and divide by the heel to toe ratio you’ll get a rough estimate
P
This venue really has a leg up on the competition
G
😂😂😂
[
It seems a good place to pray for ones sole.
F
This is a misleading title. I see a bunch of mannequin legs hanging from a ceiling and nothing regarding vows at all.
G
People ask for a cure in the affected member, and offer one of those in return, its really creepy and fascinating, you can also see those at Igreja da Penha in Rio de Janeiro.
M
What if they have ED?
F
Nobody’s gonna admit that by leaving a wooden one behind.
E
Seems like if they’ve got a wooden one, there’s no problem to solve.
N
Where can I get a wooden prostrate made?
V
It’s not misleading, that’s exactly what it is. I live in Brazil, this is an old practice here, people make casts of their body parts as “proof” that their prayers were answered.
O
No, a “vow” is a promise. What you have there are “offerings”. Words matter.
S
Oxford describes it as “dedicate to someone or something, especially a deity.” And I’m pretty sure they know a thing or two about words and how much they matter. Words don’t mean much without context. Quit trying to trample on things you don’t understand. Your way of life is just one of many.
F
Vows are promises. These are not. The might be the byproduct of vows, but they are themselves not the vows.
S
Looks can be misleading. Just because their vows don’t look like yours doesn’t mean they’re not there.
F
Vows are words, though. Promises. These aren’t.
T
This must be the worst pedantic take ever…are you arguing that OP wrongly used “vows” instead of “ex-voto”? If so, just say it instead of trying to be a smartass. Ex-voto (suscepto) -> from (a made) promise.
A
Saint Tarantino
E
Promessas de cera is a well known Portuguese tradition, this is not some weird syncretic practice of one isolated Brazilian church.
D
It is no less weird simply by virtue of being practiced throughout an entire sect
E
All of organized religion is weird. The entirety of the Catholic faith is supposed to believe that they are literally consuming the blood and flesh of their prophet every Sunday. This is pretty small potatoes. 🤷♂️
N
Consuming the blood of Jesus, he wasn’t a prophet, he’s God
V
Facts. God bless you.
E
¿Por qué no los do…. por que não todos os três?
N
Jesus is God on earth, the Father, we can’t see him, and the spirit is in our souls, but it’s the same god, just in 3 forms
U
Not to Muslims – Jesus IS a prophet, not God. Let everyone believe what they want to believe and call it a day.
M
And they believe in virgin birth. Riiiiight. Like, if you believe that, I got a bridge in Brooklyn I’d like to sell you.
D
Right, it’s all weird regardless of how many engage in it. Be it one backwoods church that handles snakes or the totality of Jews, Muslims, and Hindus who are prohibited from eating certain livestock, there is no threshold past which it becomes rational
M
It’s Monoco’s House
T
We visited this church several years ago. It was a bit creepy at first, but then you realize these items were left there effectively as a physical token of a prayer for their loved one’s recovery from serious illness or injury. Given the timeframe for when this was common, I suspect this was their only course of action and only hope. Sweet and sad at the same time, especially the tokens left for children.
Z
In ancient Greece (and later in the Hellenistic and Roman periods), people would dedicate small clay, bronze, or marble models of human body parts like eyes, hands, legs, breasts, or entire figures at temples or healing sanctuaries. Just shows that most of Christian beliefs and practices come from earlier faith systems.
C
Superstitions are so nuts.
T
Owowow
N
My what lovely feet
A
Is this the set for the new Tarantino movie?
G
That’s a room straight out of Fatal Frame or Silent Hill.
K
When the Father has a foot fetish
N
New elden ring dlc? 😯
C
Godrick the grafted vibes going on here
0
More like grifted.
M
The Catholic Church will save your sole
R
When you say “ancient”… what exactly do you mean to say?
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