Happy Portugal Day everyone! Before you get too into reciting the poetry of Luís de Camões while sipping on Medronho–as we all do every year–I hope you’ll take this opportunity to read about one of the oldest and most feared happenings in Portuguese lore, if for no other reason than to protect yourself. For if you don’t heed the signs and take precautions, you may find yourself an unwitting member of Santa Compaña: the company of the unquiet dead.
All joking aside: Portugal Day does sound really cool.
Powers and Abilities
Santa Compaña (also known as Holy Company, Güestia, Estadea, and Genti of Muerti) is a gathering of tormented souls that visit the homes and domiciles of those about to perish. Each soul in the procession carries a candle, and though they cannot be seen by most, their presence is accompanied by the smell of candle wax and the shuddering sensation of intense danger.
All of this may be fine on its own. However, Santa Compaña doesn’t travel alone. The elect a living steward to guide them on their nightly walks. This person is typically a parishioner of the local church, and are compelled to serve this role through circumstance or curse. Not only do they not chose to participate, they are entirely unaware of their connection to Santa Compaña. In fact, the only indication that something is amiss is that they wake up more tired than when they went to sleep, a condition that will only get worse the longer the procession lasts.
Origins of Santa Compaña
As with so, so many ancient myths, the exact origins of Santa Compaña are nebulous. Accounts of the procession date back as far as the eleventh and twelfth centuries, tapping into a more generalized fear of the death and afterlife shared across cultures. Multiple sources link Santa Compaña to Odin’s Wild Hunt in Norse mythology, as well as similar concepts in Welsh and Celtic traditions. In each one, a collection of souls travels the land at night, and while their goals may vary slightly, it’s usually along the lines of looking for others to join their ranks.
Related Reading: The Dark Watchers
Defeating Santa Compaña
When it comes to falling in with Santa Compaña , the barrier to entry is quite high. Not everyone can see Santa Compaña , and only those that can are at risk. The reasons why someone may have this power range from an innate ability to being mistakenly baptized with oil for the sick and dying instead of the one for absolution (who knew they were different?). Almost always they are a person of faith, and the chosen on often is related in some way to the patron saint of their church or diocese (especially when determining the gender of the afflicted). Some people may not be able to see the spirits themselves, but may see the light of their candles.
Fun Fact: A ghost with a candle also plays a role in the origin of the jack o’ lantern.
So, as a TL;DR: Unless you are a baptized Catholic who is attached to a specific church and/or you already have the gift of otherworldly sight, you probably don’t have anything to worry about.
For everyone else, read on.
Step #1: Determine Your Vulnerability
Confirm with the priest who baptized you that he didn’t eff up the baptism (assuming he is still alive and still remembers). You may still be vulnerable no matter what the answer, but be honest–now that you know it’s possible, don’t you kind of want to double-check?
Do some research into the patron saint of your church. If you don’t share a gender and/or you don’t see abundant common ground between you, you have a better chance of avoiding service with Santa Compaña. BONUS: I think we may have found the one and only time you benefit from being a woman in the Catholic church–out of approximately 10,000 total Catholic saints, only 468 are women. So…yay?
Step #2: Take Precautions
Even if you think you’re in the clear, you may consider carrying chalk with you from now on. That way, if you do happen to see ghost lights, smell candle wax, or (worst case) encounter the full visual of Santa Compaña, you can quickly draw yourself a Seal of Solomon and step or lay down inside. If you happen to have a black cat handy, you can tie or toss it in their path and quickly run away. There are a few other possible protective measure you can take that are available in the Source section below. Whatever happens, if any of the procession offers you something–especially if it’s a cross–DO NOT ACCEPT IT.
Step #3: Escaping Santa Compaña
If you already find yourself in the grip of a fatigue that only seems to get worse with every passing night, I’ve got good news and bad news.
The good news: There’s a way out.
The bad news: There’s exactly one way out, and that’s to find someone else to take your place. If you don’t, you will walk with Santa Compaña every night until, after a few weeks, you waste away and die, and the curse will pass onto another unwitting soul.
As for you: Pick up a candle and head to the back of the line. You’ve got some walking to do.
Happy Monday, monsters!
