The Brazilianist Magazine - Simpatias - Prayers and Supertitions, by Frank Cherry

Column: Sampa Street Scenes
Simpatias - Prayers and Supertitions
By Frank Cherry

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St. Expedite and Mary the Untier of Knots
Images Source: O site dos Santos

In a country like Brazil where people who are down are usually out, where arbitrary government decisions can accelerate one's misfortune, where in the recent past rampant inflation was able to make one's debt unpayable in a just a few days of wicked work, simple folk have few devices to get them over the speed bumps of life. They have a genuine need for a comfort ritual, be it religious, spiritual, or just mechanical.

We will look at two of these phenomena, which you can experience by walking around São Paulo: prayer cards and "simpatias," which we'll call superstitions.

A graffito, which you see scribbled on walls all over the city, goes like this: Agradeço a Sto Expedito por Graças alcançadas. (Thanks to Saint Expedite for Favors Granted).

And, at the cash register in many bakeries, you will find a pile of prayer cards (image in color on one side and prayer on the reverse). Just pick one up as you get your change.

Saint Expedite would appear to be more of a folkloric saint than a canonized one. The story goes that his cadaver was delivered to a convent and the word "spedito" was written on it.

A society in distress needs a Saint who can act quickly and effectively; one who can apply First Aid without delay. Saint Expedite is the Patron of Urgent Causes — and who doesn't have an urgent cause? Here is a translation of a prayer card which I picked up:

PRAYER TO THE POWERFUL SAINT EXPEDITE

My Saint Expedite of urgent and just causes, please intercede for me with Our Lord Jesus Christ. Succor me in this hour of affliction and despair, my Saint Expedite. You who are a Holy warrior, You who are the Saint of the afflicted, You who are the Saint of the desperate, you who are the Saint of urgent causes, Protect me, Help me, Give me Strength, Courage and Serenity. Hear my plea. (Make your plea here). My Saint Expedite. Help me to prevail through these difficult hours, protect me from all those who want to harm me, respond to my plea with urgency. Bring me back to the state of peace and tranquillity, my Saint Expedite. I will be grateful to you for the rest of my life and will speak your name to all those who have faith. Many thanks. (Say one Our Father, one Holy Mary, and make the sign of the cross.)

Another prayer card which you see often is for devotees to Mary the Untier of Knots, which is actually one of the 2,000 honorifics which Mary has. But this one originated in Germany in 1700 as Maria Knotenloserin. At that time the priest in the city of Augsburg commissioned the painter Johann Schmittdner to make a painting of the Virgin Mary. Schmittdner took inspiration for his work in the words of St Irineu, Bishop of Lyon in the third century: “Eve, because of her disobedience, tied the knot of disgrace for the human race; and Mary, out of obedience, untied it.” Here is the standard prayer:

PRAYER TO MARY THE UNTIER OF KNOTS

“You know well the extent of my despair and my pain and how bound up I am because of these knots. Mary, Mother whom God charged with the untying of the knots in the lives of us, his children, I entrust to your hands today the ribbon of my life".

Since untying of knots is a universal metaphor which can be used for almost any situation, this supplication has become a very popular oration. It also reflects the sustained popularity in Brazil of Marianism (cult devoted to Mary) which has an ally in Pope John, who has used many times the prayer, Totus Totus, Maria — You, Mary, are everything.

Another graffito, also praising Mary is this one:

"Todo por Jesus…Nada sem Maria. (Everything for Jesus…Nothing without Mary)."

Simpatias/superstitions also help folks ride over the bumpy patches of life. There are many books, pamphlets and web sites full of these handy solutions for whatever your problem is. Just put a head of garlic on your table for 5 days, then…, then…, and your wish will be granted, your problem will be solved.

One morning in São Paulo I woke up too early and flipped on the radio to see if it would help me to doze off. I was tuned into a call-in program which was polling listeners about their most effective simpatias. The first few callers were unoriginal — black cat/bad luck stories. Then, a married woman in her 40’s called in, and offered this simpatia: to ensure that your man will be faithful to you and will never leave you. If you think that he is starting to roam, the lady said, serve him coffee filtered through your panties.

Note: The traditional way to brew coffee in Brazil is to place the coffee, ground fine as powder, in a cloth bag which is like a sock with a handle on it, and to pour hot water through the sock.

The radio announcer was not at all comfortable with this simpatia. He began suggesting that surely, you would use clean panties taken from the drawer. No, no, said the lady. Clean panties would not get the job done. Still incredulous, he asked, in vain, still hoping for a different answer, do you mean that you just take off the panties you have been wearing all day, with “that” special odor, place the coffee grounds in them, and pour the hot water through to make the coffee??? Yes, yes, that’s the only way it works…..

Frank Cherry is a Brazil-focused business consultant who has lived many years in Sao Paulo. He writes about aspects of Brazilian popular culture which are often under-appreciated at home and unknown abroad. Frank lives in New York City and his email is francischerry@earthlink.net

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