Public health was a rather complicated subject a century ago, especially in the post-war era, when hunger and resource scarcity plagued much of society. Not surprisingly, popular beliefs and home remedies to combat ailments were the order of the day.
The Municipal Archive of DéniaIn "Archive Gaze No. 71," the article shares a curious fact about the chants young people chanted after newborn baptisms at the time. At that time, the fear of the baby dying too early led families to perform the Christian rite within the first two weeks of the newborn's life. However, "infant mortality decreased in the late 50s and 60s," the Archive notes.
This fear was "internalized" in society and was evident in the popular song "padrí pollos." The goal of the youngest members of the family was to convince the godparents of the newborn to celebrate the goodness that would accompany the child by throwing candy and money at the church exit. Those children who sang along quickly could access the offerings thrown into the air, which eventually fell to the ground.
According to the Dénia Municipal Archive, "the figure of the godparents, beyond the sacrament, was seen as a future support for the baby" and specifies that, "the godparents, to be good, had to have "possibilities", symbolized by the sweets and money they threw to the young people."
The curious thing the Dénia organization highlights is that the formula used in this chant could vary in each municipality of the Marina Alta. Regarding the one heard in Dénia, they claim it's barely remembered, although they have found a reference to it. It says: "Rich father-pollo, throw confits/poor father-pollo, throw garrofes..."
However, the Archive includes more variants that are distinguished by localities:
- In Pego: «Padrí pollós / neither one nor two / the padrí picolí / the godmother picolina / if they don't throw jam / the creature will die».
- En Xàbia: "Padrí pollós / cames de gos / tireu confits / bons i bonics / tireu confitura / if not, the creature is very bad."
- In Ondara: "Padrí pollós / with the tail of the gos / the godmother picotina / the padrí picotí / if they don't throw jam / the creature will die."
Followers of the Dénia Municipal Archive have collected two more versions:
- In Beniarbeig: "I pardrí pollós / the tail of the gos / the padrí picotí / and the godmother picotina / if they don't throw jam / the creature is muiga."
- Or again in Pego: "Padrí pollós / neither one nor two / the padrí pegolí / the godmother pegolina / if you don't throw jam / the creature will die."
What the entire compilation shares across the region's geography is the "threat if there was no jam," the Archive emphasizes, which "sentencing the death of the child." It sounds macabre, but it took advantage of the fear of the death of the newborn by casting a kind of spell to obtain a reward. If not, evil would fall upon the new person born into the world. Those were different times, of course.
*You can help expand this popular repertoire by leaving the version and the municipality where it was heard in the comments.
