A stream with a date to keep
Water also held beliefs and gatherings.
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In Faia’s 1758 account, the abbot describes a stream beside the church where many people gathered on Saint James’s Day. They sought the creatures called bichas, which they associated with cures for illnesses. According to the tradition he recorded, they appeared there only on that day. This is testimony to old beliefs and practices, not confirmation of their effectiveness or advice to repeat them. The small watercourse thus becomes part of the history of local devotion.
Source and context
Municipality — Memory of Faia, 23/05/1758; transcript of José Viriato Chapel (2003)
Accessed: . Editorial summary; the date of consultation is not the date of the facts.