@itsbeautybyarose: Day 20 of 31. The church moan (wailing) was born in slavery. The enslaved were forbidden to gather and worship freely, so they slipped into the woods at night to hold service in hush harbors. Some turned a big iron pot upside down to catch the sound so they wouldn't be heard. They prayed low. They hummed. They moaned. A moan could carry grief, hope and a plea to The Most High without giving the overseer a single word to punish. After freedom it walked right into the church house. The mothers kept it alive through the old lined hymns, where the deacon calls a line and the congregation moans it back slow. So when you've got nothing to say, know you're using a prayer that outlived the plantation. 🕯️✨ #hoodooheritagemonth #blackchurch #gospelmusic #blackspirituality #SongsGrandmaWorkedWith