"O aire" and how to cure "o aire" (full post)

Are you listless? Have you lost the desire of eating? If so, read carefully this post about the sickness we talk about today. We decided to continue with our section on mystery and mythology in Galician society, we have chosen to deal with the case of aire. “O aire” includes different types of ailments with similar symptoms, but different intensity and difficulty in curing them. Different names with which it is known are aires, enganido, asombramento, arangaño or tangaraño et cetera. This strange sickness has affected many children and it can only be cured with the help of some very special women. If you have questions such as: What is “o aire“? Does it only affect children? Is there only one way to heal from this evil? We will try to answer these and other questions in this post. As always, you can see the references of our research and collaborate with us to increase the information or correct what you think is incorrect. The sections into which we divide the article are:

1. WHAT IS “O AIRE”?

2. WHERE IS “O AIRE” GOT?

3. WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF “O AIRE” BELIEF?

4. HOW TO PREVENT GETTING “O AIRE”

5. HOW IS “O AIRE” CURED?

6. MAP OF “O AIRE”

7. “O AIRE” AND HOW TO REMOVE “O AIRE” ( FULL ARTICLE)

So we got to know “o aire” without further ado in this post.

WHAT IS “O AIRE”?

First of all, it must be know the meaning of “o aire“. I means literally “the air“. “O aire“ (or sombra (shadow) is a sickness that can affect all kinds of people, even that children are often the most affected ones. Many of you may have heard your grandmothers saying: “This child is very thin and looks very small, let’s see if he’s going to have o aire“. This illness goes beyond mere thinness or height. O aire affects both physically and mentally. To the physical symptoms already mentioned, they should be added the lack of color in the skin and physical fatigue. They only way to have our grandmothers relax is being a little fatty and never missing our desire of eating. Maybe that’s where the expression used for Mazaricos lands comes from: If he/she is fatty and red face, he/she is pretty/handsome. Mental symptoms are lethargy and mental fatigue and, in some cases, lack of speech. If a sick person or a child has all these symptoms, it could be that they have o aire . But what is it really? Where does it come from? To properly define aire, it must be defined it based on where it comes from, the kind of aire. As a short introduction to the different types of o aire, a general definition will be made:

O aire is the possession of the body by a spirit that affects the individual in a psychic and somatic way. We will see in the following  part what are the causes of this type of body possession and with it the origin.

WHERE IS “O AIRE” GOT?

Just for you to remember, the literally translation of “o aire” is “the air”, but it can be understood sometimes as “the spirit”. When it is said that someone has “o aire“, it can be referred to a sickness from different origins. “O aire” can come from females in rutting season, from woman that has given birth recently or with menstruation, from dead animals or from a deceased. We extend a little more for each of these origins of ar das meigas (witches’ air) or mal cativo (small evil), as it is also known.

“O aire” of female animals in rutting season

This type of “o aire” is mainly taken by children and the sick when they are close to the females of any animal when during the mating period. It may be, for example, during the January of the cats.

“O aire” of woman just giving birth or menstruating

“O aire” would affect people with some condition and young boys when they are near a woman who is in the menstrual period or during the puerperium, which is the period that body needs to recover from pregnancy. Postpartum is also included in the puerperium period.

“O aire” of a dead animal

“O aire” of animals can be got by being close to the dead body of an animal.

“O aire” of deceased

“O aire” of the deceased is the most dangerous of all. When a person goes to a funeral or a vigil of a deceased, this person can come with “o aire” of the dead. As if it were a virus, it is possible that “o aire” does not affect it directly but it can be a vector for someone else. It is mainly transmitted to any child, or sick person. It could even be the case that the child himself, or an older patient, had gone to the house of the deceased (funeral or vigil), and passed it in that environment. It is also thought that the aire of the dead may be a revenge of the dead person or the fear of the dead to face the way to the other world.

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF “O AIRE” BELIEF?

The origin of the belief in “o aire” seems to be closely related to the particular way in which Galician culture treats death. Every day we move the death of loved ones away from our daily lives, but until recently it was common to watch over the dead in the deceased’s own home. It is possible that collective thought gave rise to the belief from this proximity that the spirit of dead people could interfere with the body of the alive people, knowing it as “o aire”. There are stories in which it is told noises have heard coming from the rooms of the deceased. It is even told body of the deceased have been seen after the burial, strange noises have been heard in the deceased’s room and, worst of all, a child or a sick person in the family got sick with “o aire“. Collective thought created this belief that souls coexist with us after death.

HOW TO PREVENT GETTING “O AIRE”

To prevent “o aire“, as in any risk prevention, the main thing is to avoid the places where these spirits are. For this reason, children and sick people should avoid the wake of the dead and burials. If they are lying down and burial pass close, the sick person must stand up so as not to get “o aire“, with the windows closed. If it is not possible to avoid these places, taking the risks of going, there is still a way to prevent “o aire“. All you have to do is setting a fire in front of you home door and smoke yourself. One way to smoke yourself well is passing over it or be close for a while and stretching your feet, your legs, arms, and your whole body above the smoke. To conclude the rite, you should pass over the bonfire, from side to side. In some cases it is established that to prevent “o aire” of the deceased it is necessary to pass over it up nine times. The plants used to make the bonfire and the smoke can be some with a certain mystical plant with power such as dried St. John’s wort or dried bay leaves, or just a few pickaxes or anything else that makes smoke. By this smokestack, it is tried to remove “o aire” of the deceased that may come with the people who have been at the wake or in the burial. If still the boy or the sick person got “o aire“, we have to start the rite to cure “o aire“.

HOW IS “O AIRE” CURED? RITUALS TO CURE “O AIRE!

To cure or remove “o aire” or “small evil“, as it is also called in The Muros Times, you need to reach out to people who know how to do it. As curandeiras (the healers are in charge of diagnosing and removing the air. This wisdom is inherited from woman to woman. It is also said that this wisdom is not learned in writing, but only orally. In fact, only those who have the ability to memorize it after the first listen, also called the gift, are the ones who have that ability. That cannot be told to anyone or written so that the virtue of the word, its power, is not lost. We hope that we do not make them lose their power with this post. The first thing these sages have to do is  assure the patient has “o aire” and know what type of “o aire” is. For this, in some of the rituals they use a sieve. The healer places the sieve in a way that allows it to rotate and begins with the “psalm.” There are different ways to recite it. On the Facebook account of the documentary Terra de Meigas, they reproduce the words that a curandeira (healer) uses to know if it has o aire and what type is it:

Peneiriña de peneirar / Sieve for sifting dime si nome do doente ten o aire / Tell me if pacient name has “o aire” se e de vivo, vírame a cara / if it’s from alive, turn the face to me e se é de morto, vírame o cu / and if it’s from deceased, turn the ass to me

The song Peneira (Sieve) by Terbutaline includes the following version:

Peneiriña de peneirar / Sieve for sifting Dime que ten o aire / Tell me what has got “o aire” Se é de home, vírame a cara / If it’s from man, turn the face to me Se é de muller, vírame a espalda / If it’s from woman, turn the back to me

However, in The Walls Times they use a version that seems a mixture of two ones above to know if you have the air:

Peneira, peneiriña, / Sieve, little sieve, Dime si nome do doente ten o aire / Tell me if name of the patient has “o aire” Se o ten, vírame a cara, / If she/he has it, turn the face to me, E se non, vírame a espalda / And if not, turn the back to me

If so, it’s necessary to move to cure “o aire” ritual. In some cases, the first that must be done is sanctifying or consecrating the place where the ritual is going to be performed. Depending on the healers is the ritual used, the sanctification will have to be done or not. Some plants are also very important; the most common for this ritual to cure “aire” is the laurel, although others such as the St. John herbs are also used. A bonfire should be made with these plants while different litanies, psalms and prayers were recited. The work of the healer takes on special importance when ‘o aire” is a soul of deceased that does not find the Way to the Other World, so healer can help the soul to find it. All the rites we will discuss are mainly to cure the most dangerous out of “o aire“: “o aire“ of the deceased. We make a division of the rites taking into account where they are performed.

Healer’s House

In Transparencias the blog of Thirthe it is told that the rite happens turning around a fig tree. In this case it was a little girl. While the little girl is doing this, the healer recited the psalm. It is not told if they sanctified somehow the place or  healer’s house is already sanctified. The following psalm appears in The Walls Times magazine, which is recited aside a blessed laurel smoke bonfire.

Loureiro nascido / Borned laurel Non trasplantado / Not transplanted Quítalle o aire do morto / Take away “o aire“ of the deceased A este home/muller coitado/a / To this poor man / woman Fume santo do loureiro / Holy laurel smoke Limpa o aire deste corpo / Clean “o aire” of this body Vaite demo co teu cheiro / Go devil with your smell A enchere un home morto / To fill a dead man

The blog of Suso de Basilio includes another different ritual. It brings together two or three local women of formal life dressed in black. The healer recites various Our Father and Hail Mary. Blessed laurel and olive branches from Palm Sunday are used to make the bonfire.

Cemetery

It is commented in the interview to Mrs. Juana and Manola from Noia at Comenius Regio channel that to quitar o aire (remove “o aire“), tirar o aire (throw out “o aire“) or sacar o aire (take out “o aire”) to the patient, he has to go with the company of Three Marys to the grave of the deceased to which belonged the spirit that tormented the patient, normally they go to the grave of the person who had recently died in the parish. Once there, they bury him in the grave saying the name of the deceased three times and then say the following words:

Dame o aire do vivo / Give me the air of life Que é confirmativo / Which is confirmatory Toma o aire do morte / Take the air of deceased Que é conforto / That is comfort

In the blog of the 25 aniversario do IES Praia de Barraña they expose another similar rite that takes place in the cemetery. In this case, to take out (quitar) or take off (sacar) “o aire“, one or two people are needed regardless of their sex and healer. One must go at night, as the rite is performed at midnight in the tomb of the deceased which affects the patient with “o aire“. One of the people grabs the patient by the lap, mainly if she/he is a child, next to the tombstone, without stepping on it. In front, next to the tombstone and without stepping on it, it is the other person. At midnight, the person who has the boy on his lap, passes him or her to the person in front and while reciting:

Name of the dead, take “o aire” of the deceased, and give me “o aire” of the alive one.

The other person receiving the patient by air has to repeat the operation and reciting the same prayer. This should be done a third time. After that, everyone goes back to their homes. In the same blog of the 25th anniversary of IES Praia de Barraña, it is also commented if another rite is commented with two small modifications: the two people who are going to be women and the part of passing to the patient is repeated nine times while reciting the psalm. As for the people who should go, in Celtíbera they say they should be a man and a single woman. In the latter case different magical herbs are used. The patient is taken on his lap to an olive tree in the cemetery, and they made the drawing of the outline of the person’s foot in an olive tree, which they later take out. They enter the cemetery, go to the tombstone of the deceased who they believe is the air, and burn the grass, the boy’s clothes, and the bark of the olive tree in the shape of his foot. Then recite the following:

Señor/a nombre do difunto, / Sir name of the deceased, Sáqueme o aire de morto deste meniño e déme o de vivo. / Take “o aire” of deceased out of this child and give me “o aire“ of the alive one. Que o do morto no me conforto, / The one of the deceased does not comfort me,  Que o do vivo dáme suspiro. / The one of the alive one gives me a sigh.

Church

Churches are per se purified places. There are some that, in addition to their own sacredness, have some specific power thanks to the saints who rest in it. In this section we will look at some of these examples. The Parish Church of San Cristovo de Arzón is the place where we can find the Virgin of Peace (Virxe da Paz). It is said in the Negreira Tourist Guide of the Negreira City Council that this virgin, carved between the 15th and 16th centuries, is used to remove “o aire“. Juana and Manola from Noia also comment in the interview at Comenius Regio channel that Campa Santa, the place where a parish priest has been buried for hundreds of years, has the power to heal “o aire“. The tomb is located inside the temple of San Xoán de Roo in Concello de Outes. People go there and lie on top of the grave until they fall half asleep. In this way the miraculous parish priest buried there takes “o aire” out of them.

Another remedy that is told in Celtíbera is to set fire to a laurel branch that was previously picked in the atrium of the church. The rite doesn’t have to be exactly in the church, but it does have to come from the laurel of the church atrium. Once the smoke begins, the following psalm should be said:

Loureiro que fostes nado / Laurel you were born e non fostes trasplantado / and you were not transplanted quita o aire de morto / Remove “o aire” of deceased e o de excomungado / and the one from excommunicated one

It is also said in Celtíbera that there are the three olive trees inside the atrium of the Church of San Xurxo de Saiáns that cure the enganido and the tangaraño . In the Saiáns ritual, two men and women known to the patient’s family must go to the churchyard on a Thursday or Saturday with the full moon. You should take one of the women to the patient all the way without making any noise. The ritual begins at midnight leaving the patient in a horizontal position and resting his foot on an olive branch. The men outline the contour of the foot with a razor, and then take off that piece. While the women exchange the patient while they pray a prayer to Our Lady in silence so that the deceived or tangaraño will be taken away from him. In the Church of Santa Xusta, the shape of the foot is marked on the ground next to the olive tree and the earth is taken to dry. The Church of San Estevo de Couso also healed the olive tree, although it was cut down by the parish priest because it was considered a pagan custom. In many of these rites they agree that, on returning home, they must return by a different path than on the way out, and enter by a different door from which they left. If they have no other door, they must enter through the window. Once in the house, hang the piece of bark, or earth, in the fireplace that dries with the smoke, and as it dries the evil goes away.

A bramble fastened on both sides (at the root and at the tip) acting as a bridge.

It seems that the best place to perform this rite is on a bridge of bramble next to a river, but it is not essential. To complete this rite, as in the previous case, two people are needed to go to the place at night, although better at midnight. These two people change depending on the version of the rite; in some they must be two women whose name is Mary, but in others they remove any kind of restrictions. Without entering into the debate on the gender of people, they must stand in front of each other leaving the forest in the middle. The patient must pass from one side of the bramble to the other three or nine times depending on the version of the ritual. Both numbers are sacred. When they return, they return home in different ways.

Crossroads

The symbolism and power of the cruises in Galician mythology is very extensive. These sites have as much protection as they can against people’s wolf , as healing, as the case we are dealing with today. The religious nature of these places is mixed with magic and witchcraft, being strategic places to recite spells and recite rites. The blog Our history briefly mentions the Ritual of removing the air from the Xallas region . As well indicated in this section, the ritual must be performed at a crossroads. In Galicia in these places there are usually cruises that, for society, are places of protection against the things of the afterlife, such as the Santa Compaña . A schedule should be chosen when there are no people, for that reason it is preferable at night. In the blog of the 25 aniversario do IES Praia de Barraña, as you can see it is one of our bibles in this aspect, we talk about the rite on the cruises in a similar way to the previous case. Everything is the same, go at midnight and recite the corresponding psalms, except for a new term: the mooring. This consists of tying the patient to the cruise and awaiting for a person to come ready to help him. If an animal passed, it would have to come back another night. The conversation that should take place is as follows:

– What is done to prisoners?

– Prisoners are released.

The pedestrian is then given a pair of scissors and asked to release the child (we assume that if he were an older person he would be male or female). By cutting the cord of his hands and feet, he “pulls” or removes “o aire” and the invisible mooring that kept him in that state, thus being “untied” from evil. When they return, they return to their homes on different paths than they did.

Fountains

The fountains have a great importance in the Galician mysticism. They are meeting places for meigas (witches) and perhaps healers. For this type we find no specific rite, but they are sacred and mystical places.

Bridge

Bridges are other points of sacredness to get the air out where different rites are celebrated. Still, we didn’t find any concrete for the bridges either.

Apparently unholy places

In our references there are some rites that seem not to need to sanctify the place previously. As already mentioned, the blog A nosa historia  briefly mentions the Ritual of removing the air from the Xallas region. We bring this ritual to this section because it can also be performed at home in addition to doing it at a crossroads. To make the place pure, we must make a circle with a stick (as is done to protect us from the Santa Compaña (Holy Company) and in the middle of it is drawn a cross with the arms to the four winds, called Cruz de Bran (Bran’s Cross), according to is told in A nosa historia. In Rubén Rial‘s comic called Monte (forest/hill) we are also told about the ritual of “o aire” where the Marys are needed to be completed successfully. In this case the patient has to be placed on the ground face up and a line is made to mark the shape of the patient’s body. After lifting the patient, a den is made inside the lines keeping the shape of the body. Next to the den a fire must be set up where the Marys (the number is not specified, although they are usually three) must throw the lumps. Then the following words are said:

Sácame o aire do morte / Get “o aire” of deceased out of me e dáme o aire do vivo / and gives me “o aire” of the alive one O aire do morto non ten conforto / “O aire” of deceased has no comfort  O aire do vivo é confirmativo / “O aire” of alive one is confirmatory

The blog A nosa historia talks about the Cee Rtual of taking “o aire”. To perform this ritual of removing “o aire” a circle must be made on the ground (like the one to protect yourself from the Santa Compaña (Holy Company)) and in the middle of the circle the Cross of Bran. In the place where the cross was made, a tile with herbs of St. John and the Blessed Sacrament (from the Corpus Christi procession), laurel branches and drops of holy water are placed. Once everything is in place, go over the tile making the cross, stopping and saying the prayer at the four points, and so on up to nine times: Defuntiños todos, / All my little dead, de todo este contorno, / from all this place, do mar e da terra, / from the sea and the land, sacádelle o aire do morto / take “o aire” of deceased out  a esta criatura / to this creature e darllo do vivo, / and give it to the alive one, que o do vivo dá respiro / that the alive one gives breath e o do morto non dá conforto / and the one from the deceased gives no comfort Afterwards, we must pray three nosopais and throw nine laurel kisses on the tile that had been collected on Sunday before sunrise. And the sick man will once again pass over the tile nine times, and while he takes out the air another psalm is prayed:

Loureiro que non fostes plantado, / Laurel that you were not planted, quítalle o aire a este meniño, / take “o aire” out from this child, de vivos e de mortos e de condenados / of the alive and the deceased and the damned ones

Posteriormente, débese rezar tres nosopais e botarlle na tella nove bicos de loureiro que foran recollidos en domingo antes de saír o sol. E o doente voltará a pasar nove veces por riba da tella, e mentres a que saca o aire rézase outro salmo:

O último deses ritos, que aparentemente non ten necesidade de sacrilizar o lugar, é o que se expón no libro . Nel numéranse as plantas precisas para o rito: loureiro e nove pallas de trigo mollado. Quéimanse estas enriba dun balde con auga fervida, que se usará para lavar ó neno. Unha vez usada, tírase a auga. Pódese saber de que é o aire se se cola a auga cunha servilleta ou pano. Se o pano queda con pelos, o aire é de gatos. Se queda encarnado, o aire é de muller. Finalmente, se o pano queda negro, o aire é de morto. Para quitar o aire do morto, hai que facer nove cruces dicindo nove veces a seguite oración:

The last of these rites, which apparently has no need to sacrilege the place, is what is set out in the book Contribución al Diccionario Gallego. It lists the plants needed for the rite: laurel and nine straws of wet wheat. These are burned on top of a bucket of boiled water, which will be used to wash the child. Once used, the water is thrown away. You can tell what “o aire” is like by straining the water with a napkin or cloth. If the cloth has hair, the “o aire” comes from cats. If she is incarnate, the “o aire” is from woman. Finally, if the cloth turns black, “o aire” is from deceased. To remove “o aire” from the dead, make nine crosses by saying the following sentence nine times:

Loureiro que fuches nado / Laurel you were born e non fuches enxertado / and you were not grafted quítalle o aire do morto / take away “o aire” of the deceased e mais do excomulgado / and more of the excommunicated e dalle o do santo, santo / and give him the one of the saint, saint Pola gracia de Dios e da Virgen María / By the grace of God and the Virgin Mary un Padrenuestro i un Ave María / a Our Father and a Hail Mary

In Celtíbera there is talk of a rite to get “o aire” of alive ones (enganido) that needs three Marys. In it, the patient must be taken to another person’s house where there is a trough in the kitchen. The three Marys form a triangle and recite the following spell nine times:

– Toma María / Take Maria – Que me das aí? / What are you giving me? – O enganido / The “enganido”  -O enganido non cho quero que quero a nome do doente / I don’t want to be “enganido”, I want the patient’s name

Afterwards, the patient must change his clothes and each Mary nods to the patient and trough three times and three times the patient must also go under the trough. Finally, they burn the old clothes, give the dog a piece of bread and eat the rest and the wine. When leaving the house they must do so through a different door. Finally, we tell the case of the  folla do aire (leave of “o aire”) through which the boy had to spend nine days with the leave without even washing.

MAP OF “O AIRE”

This map collects all known cases of healers or miracle places where the air can be cured that we have been able to collect from different blogs and our personal knowledge, as well as other things from Galician mythology and mysticism that we will expand as we publish on these topics.

YOUR COLLABORATION

If there is any extra and documented information you can give us, it will be welcome. Also, if you have information that doesn’t match what we have here, let us know. We try to have accurate information and so we always leave our references.

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REFERENCES

Blogs, Magazines and Newspapers El Correo Gallego: Nemiña atrae surfistas de toda Europa 25 aniversario do IES Praia de Barraña Thirthe: Transparencia Suso de Basilio – Dende Corme ao mundo: Aqueles tempo de quitar o aire O Roque de Cerponzóns: Día de Santos Historia de Galicia: Buscando á Raiña Lupa no Sagrado Monte Pindo Tralas pegadas da vella: Na procura da Raíña Lupa no sagrado Monte Pindo The Muros Times – Como sacar el aire Contribución al Diccionario Gallego – Aníbal Otero Álvarez Correo del Camino: Testimonios de peregrinos Celtíbera: O aire do difunto Galicia encantada: Os curandeiros Artists Rockisome: Entrevista a Terbutalina

Youtube: Terbutalina – Broncodilatador – Peneira

CANKENTE: Monte (1)

Monte (1)

PDFs for downloading El poder de la palabra y la fe en la curación dentro del contexto cultural gallego Concello de Cabana: O Santuario do Briño Fichas de Investigación Etnográfica e de Restos Históricos Cadernos de Fraseoloxía Galega 18 Hacia el encuentro de mi anthropos: la muerte, dinamo estructural de la vida Centro Ramón Piñeiro para a Investigación en Humanidades: Fraseoloxía e paremioloxía de Sebil Memoria Educación Secundaria (2002-2003) Asociación de Escritores Galegos en Lingua Galega: Remedios, prácticas e ritos curativos da medicina popular tradicional UN MEIGHALLO – Ana Fernández Fernández Routes Correo del camino: Testimonios peregrinos Geocaching: Camino Sacramental Senda das estrelas: Etapa Recomendado. DÍA 5: Muros-Outes Concello de Negreira: Guía Turística de Negreira Documentals and interviews Comenius Regio: Quitar o aire Documental Terra de Meigas (Non tivemos oportunidade de velo) Others Traballos antropoloxía 2008-2009