Throwing water at funerals

[netibiza]

No idea where to post this, so here goes. In "Angela's Ashes" when both of the twins were on the way to their funeral, the poor people threw water in front of the horses, why was this?

[B00]

Not really sure....but I have a theory..........

Were the roads dusty? If so it might have been so the horses hooves don't stir up the dust thus making seeing difficult for the mourners following?

Of course i could be talking codswallop.........

waves 'ello neti xxx

[hopalong]

May have been holy water

[netibiza]

Well, they were all very poor people and the water was in buckets so guess it wasn't holy.

waves back to BOO

[moonshadow]

Why do you think poor people can't afford holy water Netibiza?I have always understood it's just ordinary water blessed by a priest, but I could be wrong!

[dilligaf]

In those days, and possibly even now, priests charged to bless water or anything else.
Consequently the poor could not afford holy water nor wanted to be seen not to being able to afford it.

[netibiza]

...abd certainly not by the bucketful!

[malajusted1]

In a lot of cultures, people wash the feet of the dead. I don't know exactly, maybe you need clean feet to enter heaven. I'm irish, when i watched the film- i interpreted their actions as this.

[Irishlad74]

It certainly wasn't common for people to have holy water by the bucket back then. more likely to be rain water! lovely country if you could put a roof on it!! :)