Santa Compaña

Common card · No. 401485

The Santa Compaña (Spanish for "Holy Company") or Güestia is a deep-rooted mythical belief in rural northwest of Iberia: Galicia, Asturias (Spain), border zones of Castile and León (El Bierzo) and Northern Portugal. It is the Iberian version of the pan-European mythical motif known as the Wild Hunt. It is also known under the names of "Estadea", "Estantiga'" (estantigua in Spanish, from Latin hostis antiquus, meaning "ancient host"), "Rolda", "As da noite" (The Night Ones), "Pantalla", "Avisóns", "Pantaruxada"; all of which are terms that denote the presence of the dead in the world of the living. In Asturias it's prominently well-known as Güestia, which is related to the Asturian word "güeste" (host in English language).

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