Holy and Healing Wells and Votive Offerings

Votive offerings at holy wells and sacred springs

This survey is an attempt to survey the custom of leaving votive offerings at holy wells, sacred springs, healing springs and other ancient water sources. A votive offering can be defined as: "A votive deposit or votive offering is one or more objects displayed or deposited, without the intention of recovery or use, in a sacred place for broadly religious purposes." Please be honest in your answers to the best of your understanding. Some questions will only be applicable to those who regularly attend the same site. The contributions are completely anonymous and no judgement should be inferred from the questions. Thank you for contributing. Results on insearchofholywellsandhealingsprings.wordpress.com/

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* 1. If you have seen votive offerings at a well or spring within the last 10 years please name the well or wells below with their location i.e nearby village:

Well/Location 1

Well/Location 2

Well/Location 3

Well/Location 4

Well/Location 5

Well/Location 6

Well/Location 7

Well/Location 8

Well/Location 9

Well/Location 10

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* 2. If you have visited an active rag well i.e that is a site where rags, clothes or what are commonly called clooties are attached to the site or nearby object, please name it/them below. If you are aware of the site being traditional i.e older than 20th century please type traditional by the name

Rag well/location 1

Rag well/location 2

Rag well/location 3

Rag well/location 4

Rag well/location 5

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* 3. At the rag well or spring. The number of rags was

below 10

between 11-50

between 50-100

over 101

difficult to count!

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* 4. Referring to the site in question 1. If you have memory of this site i.e you have visited before ten years or regularly over the last ten years. Would you say the number of votive offerings has

Decreased

Stayed the same

Increased

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* 5. Referring to the site in question 1. If you have memory of this site i.e you have visited before ten years or regularly over the last ten years. Would you say the type or variety of votive offerings has

Less diverse

Stayed the same

More diverse

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* 6. Please record the type of votive offering – tick as many as applicable - full details can be placed in the comment box below

Rags/ribbons

Articles of clothing

Candles

Figures of saints

Figures of deities

Other figures

Photos

Crosses

Mandalas

Notes or prayer requests

Flowers natural

Flowers plastic

Other (please specify)

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* 7. Were the votive offerings to be found

attached to a tree - in the comment box below if you know the species please note

attached to the well structure

left in the well basin or inside the well

in front of the well

Other please specify below

Other (please specify)

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* 8. Please be honest in the following answer. Do you feel that the giving of votive offerings

Has a negative effect on the site.

Has neither a negative nor positive effect on the site.

Has a positive effect on the site.

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* 9. Please be honest in the following answer. Do you feel that the giving of votive offerings at the site(s) noted in question 1

Are too little

Just about the right amount

Are too much

Other (please specify)

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* 10. Please be honest in your answers. If you have left a votive offering please answer the following. Answer as many as applicable and please note it is anonymous

Why did you leave a votive offering?

What did you leave?

Were there votive offerings already at the site?

If it is a regular custom you do upon visiting the site. How often have you done it?

If you had left a votive offerings before if so was it the same item?

Did you feel compelled to do it as others had done it

Please add any further relevent details