The word “exvoto” comes from the Latin verb “voveo” which means “to promise something to a god in exchange for something”. According to the RAE it is a “gift or offering, such as a crutch, a shroud, a wax figure, hair, tablets, pictures, etc., which the faithful dedicate to God, the Virgin or the saints as a sign and memory. of a benefit received, and which are hung on the walls or on the roof of the temples. While it is true that votive offerings are not exclusive to the Galician religious world, it is also true that it is probably here where it reaches its maximum expression and roots. The world of votive offerings is something inherent to Galician popular religiosity, where it is still quite deep-rooted and curiously quite alive today. The votive offerings are a token of appreciation for a “favor” received, therefore they are always made “a posteriori”. If what we have requested is granted to us, then it is when we fulfill “our part” with the offering of the ex-Voto, which would also somehow function as a reminder.
There is a wide typology of votive offerings, for obvious reasons we will focus on those that stand out for their originality, relevance or popularity … such as wax figures, votive paintings, or (in coastal areas) ship models.
As for the “votive paintings” we must clarify that their importance must be definitely framed in the past, these are paintings that represent a miracle that can affect one or more people, or even an entire community. His function, apart from gratitude, is to enlighten a population that is mostly illiterate. As a curiosity, add that votive paintings in Galicia (unlike other areas) present a series of their own characteristics, such as that the painting usually appears divided into two parts. In the lower part the miracle itself is represented (that is, the earthly world) and in the upper part the Saint or Saint who intervenes in the miracle. They stand out for their quality and originality those of the Sanctuary of “Nosa Señora da Esclavitude”, located on the Portuguese Way. It should be noted that, with the spread of photography, these “votive paintings” will be replaced by the so-called “photographic votive offerings”.
Undoubtedly the most popular “votive offerings” linked to the Galician tradition and that can be found in practically all the sanctuaries of the Community are the “wax votive offerings”. We can basically distinguish two types of votive offerings: The candles themselves (They can vary in size and weight, depending on the offering in question) and the figurative ones (they are the most numerous and reach unprecedented levels of creativity … they represent from the entire body of the person, to some specific part (internal or external), we do Here is a brief section to point out that votive offerings in the shape of a penis have even appeared in some shrines (¿?). In this case, the San Andrés de Teixido Shrine stands out in terms of the number and diversity of wax votive offerings offered.
And we cannot finish this post without referring to the ship models, popular votive offerings especially in the Galician coastal churches. Offerings made, normally, by sailors who, suffering some mishap on the high seas, decide to offer themselves to the saint or saint of the town, highlighting among all the devotions, the one dedicated to the Virgen del Carmen (patron par excellence of Galician sailors and fishermen).
It is worth mentioning here the Santuario da Nosa Señora da Barca, where you can see a good number of models, some even several centuries old. If you have been interested in the topic and want to know more, I recommend reading the book by Xosé Fuentes Alende “Os exvotos na relixiosidade popular galega”
