May-2015
Doll baptism
According to its citizens, Abadia is a land of medicine women, midwives and herbs that work better than any pill. A land where pilgrims come from afar to worship the image of Our Lady of Abadia, and where the dolls are baptized like every child. “Everyone deserves to be baptized,” said one of the girls.
If that was the case, we wanted to see how a doll baptism was done. We followed them up a hill because they had to find tufts of a certain type of grass. Grass? That’s right, it’s with this grass that they make the dolls.
Aparecida, the educator from Casinha de Cultura, led the group and carried a basket in her arms with the accessories for the ritual: strips of cloth, a bottle of water, a bed sheet, a white robe.
The sun was baking our equipment but it didn’t keep the children from telling stories, laughing and having fun at every step of the path as they went up the hill. Every path through which we arrive at a game is a game in itself, a necessary and enjoyable warmup.
We spent some time admiring the shapes of grass, trying to picture the face of the doll in its bulk. “This one is chubby, with braids,” said one girl looking at a tuft. “How sad, this one won’t work, look how messy her hair is.”
This way of making dolls starts with the hair, then comes the body tied with rags and bows in the hair.
Once the dolls were ready, then came the time to organize the altar, prepare the priest, godparents, parents, and the baptismal water.
“I renounce to Christ,” said the “priest” as he sprayed water on the head of a doll held by its godparents.
One by one, each doll was “renounced to Christ” and sprayed with baptismal water. Even the Barbie brought by one of the girls was taken into Christian life.
Text and photos: Renata Meirelles
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