Uhrin, M.: Victor Turner’s Theory of Symbols 35 One of the functions of crosses placed above doors is to inform a person entering the home of the faith of its inhabitants and to welcome fellow Christians In the words of Charles, the crosses are there: ‘So that the newcomers may see that we worship Jesus That we are Christians’ The most frequently described function of crosses placed above doors in houses is protective in nature Respondents stated that these crosses protected their dwellings and themselves from natural disasters, diseases, misfortune and attacks by the devil, as well as from all evil things in general The devil and evil were not always personified by respondents When informants did not personify or more closely characterise such threats, they described them more generally, as all bad things or misfortunes Conversely, when such threats were personified during interviews, they assumed the following forms: evil spirits, unclean spirits, devils, the undead, demons, Lucifer and Satan These beings were perceived as wanting not only to harm people but also to tempt them to sin In some cases, the phrase ‘evil spirits’ represents a broader category that includes devils, demons and Satan Since crosses are also associated with Jesus and his role as a protector of believers, then, according to informants, these ‘crosses of Christ’ weaken the power of all foul and wicked things Believers often emphasised that these crosses did not only fulfil an aesthetic purpose They were not merely a decoration; on the contrary, they were an important part of religious life and faith (for further ethnographic details, see Uhrin 2015, 2018) The same functions were attributed to crosses placed above beds or dinner tables Informants did not define the reason for placing crosses over their beds or doors They often only commented with the following words: ‘there was always a cross over the bed or door it is tradition’ The local priest called the placement of crosses over doors a custom and stressed that doors are not the only place where crosses can be placed According to him, not only crosses but other sacred and blessed objects in general act as protection against an evil spirit He said that people think of an evil spirit as a ‘devil with hooves and fork’ However, according to him, this is not right, because ‘An evil spirit is a spirit No horns, no hooves, forks It is evil’ This spirit, in his understanding, represents something vague The possibility of salvation that believers can attain arouses envy, and therefore the evil spirit seeks to harm believers Sacred objects, such as crosses, serve as an aid in the fight against these evil spirits At the same time, the priest contended that the mere presence of these objects will not protect a person from falling into sin Equally important is the believer’s effort to prevent any sin from being committed Crosses in the form of necklaces, most often made of gold, which are worn on chains around the neck, are associated by respondents with the presence of Jesus, God, the Holy Spirit and their ability to protect believers The phenomena from which these crosses protect their bearers are evil forces or diseases The association of disease protection with this form of the cross was not common It typically occurred in individual cases in which a respondent overcame a serious health problem, or a long hospital stay If, during this stay, the person owned such a cross or a rosary, then a healing function was often thereafter attributed to the object The specific form of the cross is the rosary At the research site, it was also referred to as pacerki.14 It is used especially during rosary prayers Some believers also carried rosaries to services and held them in their hands, which, according to other believers, was an incorrect practice, since, during the service, people should pay attention to the service itself and to the words spoken by the priest The rosary can have a protective function For example, it can be suspended in a car to protect passengers from accidents and dangers on the road It can also act as a protection against health problems, illnesses and diseases One of the informants received a rosary as a gift from her mother during her stay in the hospital According to her, 14 See Appendix 13 © RASCEE, www.rascee.net 2020, 13 (1)