Sin Eater
by Jean Jones
A sin-eater is a person who consumes a ritual meal in order to
spiritually take on the sins of a deceased person. The food was
believed to absorb the sins of a recently dead person, thus absolving
the soul of the person. Sin-eaters, as a consequence, carried the sins
of all people whose sins they had eaten. Cultural anthropologists and
folklorists classify sin-eating as a form of ritual. It is most
commonly associated with Wales, English counties bordering Wales, and
Welsh culture.
Take away my sins,
Drink them out of me,
all my sins into you,
purging me
through yourself,
your willingness,
your love for me,
love which purges me
protects all from my sins,
my hatred,
my anger at myself;
you purify me, cleanse me;
I will love you for that.
© 2021 Jean Jones
Jean Jones has an MFA in Creative Writing Poetry from Bowling
Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. He teaches English as a
Second Language part-time at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington,
and is regularly published by Horror Zine and Aphelion
Webzine.
Find more by Jean Jones in the Author
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