Votive Offerings

Votive offerings are most commonly dedicated to a religious figure to give thanks and to receive the social benefits derived from the public display of such offerings.

Such votive acts date back to the earliest beginnings of human society. Many cultures have made a habit of surrounding the buried dead with valued objects or sacrifices. In the Roman culture Cicero mentions the adornment of shrines with objects of gratitude. Henry III of England dedicated a statue of his queen at the shrine of St. Edward in Westminster. In Boulogne the old Hanseatic League ports and other maritime cities of Europe often there were model ships given as Ex-Votos after deliverance from shipwreck or drowning. They were commonly given in the form of wax tapers with length determined by the sufferer who dedicated them.

At the shrine of Fatima in Portugal a common votive gift was a wax cast of the afflicted body part for which healing was requested. In the temple of Lourdes in France one can find large quantities of canes and crutches. In the port city of Santos, Brazil, a place well known for the large-scale shipping of coffee, was a church placed atop a small hill near the dock area, dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Penha (O.L. of the Mountain). This church was a favorite place of worship for the local stevedores. It contained numerous carved wood or wax images of limbs and backs representing the body parts often hurt while loading ships.

From its beginnings the process of making ritualistic offerings was an integral part of Mexico's culture. The various civilizations, which in turn occupied the land, all had intricate belief systems and a rich panoply of observances. The connections between man and the other world was a multi-layered spiritual universe. The Catholic Church added to these dimension, and its rituals and colors have found true resonance in the emotional needs of the people of Mexico. We see the Mexican individual as one with special spiritual connections in matters of faith.