Mountain climbers w/ rocks in mouth?
Hi, I didn't see the movie but my elderly Italian mother did. She described the climbers who each had one (?) smooth stone in their mouth. She wondered why they did this. Anybody know?
thanks,
Toni
I think it was a local belief to offer a stone from down the hill to God on the top of the mountain (the mouth thing is for suffering, wich is very important in ancient christians beliefs) in order to have a sign from God for going in America or remaining in Sicily.
The rural world is full of these kind of beliefs (just as sorcery from the mother).
I saw a lovely little documentary 'student' film (made by a film student) in which his Mexican (or Puerto Rican, don't remember which) mother 'walks' on her bended knees to church to pay God for what he gave her. Don't remember what the gift was - people do this for penance, too - but in the Catholic religion, in a country like Italy or a South American country, perhaps, the person can be very physical displaying faith.
Even when I was growing up, educated by nuns, we were encouraged to suffer for something. Something small - like putting a pebble in your shoe - and walking all the time with that discomfort. The pain would be offered to God for something or someone. World peace or a relative in crisis, didn't matter!
Like confession, what you do has consequences - and what you do brings consequences.