The animer is a person who has the mission or power to intercede or mediate for the souls (souls from purgatory) so that they may receive prayers for their eternal rest.
This curious character has been linked to culture Catholic Christian and due to the ceremonial and mystical nature of its ritual, it has become an object of Myths and legends, today it is not as popular as it was in the past, where in every town there was an animator, there are few towns around the world where this tradition still persists, which is full of legends and mysticism.
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In Colombia there are different stories linked to the figure of the anime fan, one of the most recognized legends about this character is that of mompox, Bolívar.
legend of the animer by mompox
During one night in the month of November, the animator went out to make his traditional tour through the streets of Mompox, he did so at midnight and as always accompanied by his entourage of souls, who accompanied him in his prayers and requests to the people for prayers for the eternal rest of those souls in purgatory.
The animator on each corner stopped, knelt down and asked out loud “An Our Father for the souls in purgatory, for the love of God” and so he continued along each street and corner, asking for prayers in favor of the souls, the entire town. In those times they respected this tradition and they avoided going out into the streets to interrupt the work of the animator, they went to bed early and if for some reason they were awake when the animator passed by, they would pray an Our Father or a rosary.
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However, a neighbor of this town stayed sewing all night, when she heard the animator and the procession pass by, either out of curiosity or carelessness, she opened the window and found herself face to face with that procession, one of the souls moved away from the procession and gave a lit candle to the woman, she quickly extinguished it and went to sleep. The next day when she went to check that candle, in its place she found a dead man's shin (bone), which scared the woman. and it became a warning that the animator's work cannot be interrupted.
Origin of the anime tradition
Although the figure of the animator has always been linked to the Christian-Catholic tradition, its origins in Latin America are also related to indigenous traditions, since the cult of the dead is a tradition typical of the indigenous customs, who paid tribute to them through rituals and events typical of their culture, these traditions predate colonization.
After the colonization processes, many traditions were intermingled, giving rise to celebrations such as the Day of the Dead which has its main popularity in Mexico, but is celebrated in other Latin American countries, such as Colombia, Ecuador, Bolívar, among others.
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En la religión católica el animero nació como una figura que intercedía o que servía como una especie interlocutor entre las ánimas del purgatorio y el mundo terrenal, en tiempos anteriores el cult of souls It was very popular and they used to be asked for favors. Even today, in a part of the Catholic community, the cult of the “blessed souls” persists, although to a lesser extent, such as the animaros, who little by little have been transformed into characters of legends, tourist attractions or cultural traditions linked to the identity of the territory. This is how in Latin America there is a mix of traditions between customs from Spain such as the cult of souls and the animaros who intercede for them and the days of the dead that have their origin in indigenous culture.
In Spain, in addition to the animeros, there were groups of animators who toured the towns with music. Also in the Canary Islands of Spain there is a character known as an animero, who was considered a kind of healer or medium who exorcised.“close spirits”, these characters disappeared from this region in the mid-1950s and were always linked to the aboriginal traditions of the island's culture, rather than to the Catholic religion.
Other legends and superstitions linked to the anime fan
In each town there are stories about this character, in addition to mompox, in several municipalities of Bolívar the legend of the anime fan is also often told with its different versions. A version that is also very popular is that of the municipality of Margarita, Bolivar.
Legend of the Animero de Margarita, Bolívar
Legend has it that, in Margarita, Bolívar and its surroundings, the animator usually leaves the cemetery on Good Friday, followed by a retinue of souls who carry canillas (bones) in their hands as if they were candles, if they find someone in the middle of On their way they give them this candle that transforms into a tap and leaves them petrified.
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The only solution to break the curse is for a newborn to hold the faucet. It is said that Margarita's animator is seen praying for the souls in purgatory in the streets of this town followed by his entourage of souls that look like transparent figures.
Other superstitions about the animer
It is said that the animer is the only one who can see the souls, that is why he uses the hood to avoid looking back and seeing all the souls that follow him. It is also said that the rite should be performed only before 3 a.m. early morning if it goes past that time there is a risk that the souls will remain in the earthly world causing damage, they have also been attributed the ability to perform miracles at the end of the tours and it has even been said that touching their clothes ensures a favor divine.
In which places does the anime still exist?
In Colombia, the animero tradition persists in municipalities such as Mompox, Sincé, Copacabana, Marinilla, San Roque and Puerto Berrio. In countries like Ecuador, the animero tradition also persists in towns like Penipe, Cahuasqui, among others. In Mexico it persists in towns like Patate and in this way in several towns in other Latin American countries this tradition still persists, but it disappears more and more.
What does the animer look like?
Depending on the country and city where the tradition is carried out or stories about this character are told, some elements will change. In Latin America, the animator is a man who wears a white tunic, a hood that covers a large part of his face, and a bell on his head. hand and a cross in the other.
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In other places the animer usually carries a skull in his hand, also a rosary, in other places he usually wears a leather cape and in other versions he usually carries a flashlight in his hand or wears colored tunics.
Since each country, region and city has its own traditions, it is normal that each animer would adopt elements specific to the culture of each territory, as well as the idiosyncrasy of the people who act as animers.
How to protect yourself from the anime guy?
As such, the animer is not an evil being, however, tradition dictates that you should avoid interrupting the animer's rituals or curses may fall on you. Likewise, legends say that you should avoid going out at night when the animer is in his rituals. to avoid attracting souls. If you come across him during your journey, you should pray the Our Father prayers.
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