Galicia, Spain (folk belief)
Santa Compaña: The Night Procession of Souls
Folklore — not a documented case
On the country lanes of Galicia, a silent procession of hooded souls carrying candles is believed to walk after midnight. Where it passes, people say they smell melting wax.
The Santa Compaña is one of the best-known and most unsettling folk beliefs of Galicia, in north-western Spain. Its name means “holy company”, but in the tales it refers not to anything holy but to a night procession of restless souls. Similar beliefs are found in Asturias and northern Portugal.
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Read in the appThe stories in this section are folk tales and legends; they are not verified, real events and should not be confused with the rest of the archive.