Catholic folk magic, also known as "Catholic folk religion" or "Folk Catholicism," refers to a collection of folk practices and traditions within the Catholic Church. These practices often combine elements of local culture and pre-Christian beliefs with Catholicism, creating a unique blend of spirituality. In many regions around the world, Catholicism has been influenced by indigenous religions and folk traditions, resulting in the development of localized practices. This has allowed individuals to express their faith in a way that aligns with their cultural heritage and personal beliefs. Catholic folk magic encompasses a wide range of practices, including the use of charms, spells, prayers, and rituals to seek divine intervention or protection. Many of these rituals involve the use of symbolic objects, such as candles, medals, and holy water, which are believed to hold spiritual power.
The Curse at Alton Manor is the park’s most immersive dark ride to date.
As she speaks the line it s time to play , a sinister silhouette on the wall behind her grows exponentially, as the vehicle speeds towards and then quickly away from the scene. Moving between scenes, the ride contains notably longer sections of pitch-darkness which, combined with the new soundtrack serve to give the attraction a more intimidating atmosphere.
Many of these rituals involve the use of symbolic objects, such as candles, medals, and holy water, which are believed to hold spiritual power. These objects are often blessed by a priest or other religious figure before being used in rituals or carried for personal protection. One example of Catholic folk magic is the use of the "saint candle.
The Curse at Alton Manor
The project looked at redeveloping the attraction’s old ‘Duel’ haunted house ride into a new story and experience using modern techniques. MMM's creative team conjured up a brand-new storyline, taking inspiration from a character in the queue line of the original 1992 version of the attraction 'Haunted House'. Framestore, led by Creative Director Gavin Fox, were then tasked with developing the ride story narrative into tangible scenes and special effects.
Framestore worked with Merlin’s MMM to provide the additional creative concept which included: set designs, ride narrative, storyboarding, lighting concepts, music concepts, animatronic placements, special effect concepts, illusion design, facade design, concept art and projection effect concepts.
The original ‘Haunted House’ opened at Alton Towers in 1992, featuring a bespoke ride system. In 2003 it was revamped as “Duel - The Haunted House Strikes Back” with the addition of an interactive laser gun game and a more fashionable zombie theme. After 20 years the ride was once again closed for 6 months to be almost completely redesigned as the now award-winning ‘The Curse at Alton Manor’, removing the laser guns in favour of a chilling narrative driven through a Victorian themed haunted house with a whole new storyline, set design and special effects.
The Storyline
The new storyline centres around a young girl named Emily Alton, who lived with her cruel parents in the opulent Alton Manor. In 1892, her parents hosted a lavish New Year’s Eve party in the grand hall, but as usual Emily was banished to her small playroom in the attic with only her cherished dolls house to amuse her. On the stroke of midnight Emily cursed the house, causing the party guests to instantly perish, as Emily and her parents mysteriously disappeared. Today, the house is up for sale and guests are invited inside for a viewing of the dilapidated property. The spirit of Emily joins them on their tour, revealing what happened on that night in 1892. After trying to play some creepy games with the guests she grows angry and shrinks them down to be dolls in her doll house for a terrifying and surreal finale. Weaving through giant demonic toys inside the doll house they eventually confront a huge screaming Emily reaching down from the ceiling.
This story has been carefully crafted to create something uniquely tied to Alton Towers, creating a compelling character in Emily that can carry the attraction’s brand who features heavily in marketing and merchandise.
Within the ride, every scene was reworked with most completely replaced. New lighting and sound design were updated throughout, and many new special effects were added such as projection mapping, media embedded pepper’s ghosts, directional audio, an infinity corridor effect, and a unique mirror illusion (the first of its kind in Europe) that makes the guests appear to disappear and turn into Emily.
The building facade, external queue area, surrounding land area, gift shop and F&B offering were all redesigned to reflect the new storyline and theme including a new musical score.
The ride opened to a tremendous reaction, from lifelong fans of the park through to new guests.
Gavin said: “I grew up with the haunted house at Alton Towers, so this was an amazing opportunity to really deep dive into its inner workings and then be given complete freedom to re-imagine the narrative and complete experience. Waiting for the guest reactions as it opened was completely nerve racking, but as they emerged glowing with praise (and some even in tears of joy), I could not have been prouder, it was a real passion project”.
Show credits- Client Merlin Magic Making from Merlin Entertainments
- Creative Lead, MMM John Burton
- Creative Director, MMM Carl Hackett
- Creative Director, Framestore Immersive Gavin Fox
- Executive Producer, Framestore Immersive Lauren Anderson
- Concept Artist Jonathan Ward
Around the entrance sign, multiple lights and smoke machines have been placed and I already knew that this would look phenomenal at night.
" These candles feature images of various saints and are often burned in prayer or petition. The belief is that the saint will intercede on behalf of the petitioner, bringing their prayers to the attention of God. Another example is the use of "holy cards," small laminated images of saints or religious figures that are kept for personal devotion or used in prayer circles. Catholic folk magic also includes practices such as the wearing of scapulars (small cloth squares with religious images, worn around the neck) for protection, the lighting of candles at home shrines, and the creation of personal altars dedicated to specific saints or religious figures. It is important to note that while Catholic folk magic incorporates elements of folk traditions and non-canonical practices, it is not officially recognized by the Catholic Church. These practices exist outside the formal rituals and teachings of the Church, and their acceptance and interpretation can vary among different communities and individuals. Overall, Catholic folk magic represents the ways in which individuals and communities have integrated their cultural heritage, personal beliefs, and Catholicism to create a rich tapestry of spiritual practices within the Catholic Church. These practices allow for a more personal and intimate connection with God and the saints, providing individuals with a sense of comfort, protection, and guidance in their daily lives..
Reviews for "The Role of Saints and Angels in Catholic Folk Magic"
- Karen - 2 stars - I did not enjoy "Catholic folk magic" at all. I found it to be a poorly written and unorganized collection of superstitions masquerading as magic. The book lacked depth and did not provide any real explanation or background on the rituals or practices it described. Overall, it felt like a superficial and misguided attempt at incorporating folk traditions into Catholicism.
- John - 1 star - "Catholic folk magic" was a disappointment for me. I was hoping to learn more about the rich history and traditions of Catholicism, but instead, I found a mishmash of unfounded beliefs and magical thinking. The book did not offer any credible sources or references to support its claims, and it seemed more interested in promoting superstitions than acknowledging the true essence of the Catholic faith. I would not recommend this book to anyone seeking genuine knowledge about Catholicism.
- Lisa - 2 stars - I was initially intrigued by the concept of "Catholic folk magic," but I was ultimately let down by its execution. The book lacked cohesiveness and failed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the topic. The author seemed uncertain about their own beliefs, often contradicting themselves and mixing elements from different cultural traditions without any clear justification. It felt like a missed opportunity to explore the folk practices within Catholicism in a meaningful and informative way.
- Mark - 2 stars - "Catholic folk magic" left me confused and frustrated. The book promised to delve into the mysterious world of Catholic folklore, but it seemed more interested in perpetuating outdated stereotypes and misconceptions. I was hoping for a nuanced and well-researched exploration of the topic, but instead, I found simplistic explanations and shallow interpretations of Catholic traditions. It was a missed opportunity to shed light on the fascinating cultural heritage of Catholicism.