What is "ex-voto"

Ex-voto \Ex`-vo"to\, n.; pl. Ex-votos (-t["o]z). [L. ex out of, in accordance with + voto, abl. of votum a vow.] An offering to a church in fulfillment of a vow.

n. An offering to a church in fulfillment of a vow.

An ex-voto is a votive offering to a saint or to a divinity. It is given in fulfillment of a vow (hence the Latin term, short for ex voto suscepto, "from the vow made") or in gratitude or devotion. Ex-votos are placed in a church or chapel where the worshiper seeks grace or wishes to give thanks. The destinations of pilgrimages often include shrines decorated with ex-votos.

Ex-votos can take a wide variety of forms. They are not only intended for the helping figure, but also as a testimony to later visitors of the received help. As such they may include texts explaining a miracle attributed to the helper, or symbols such as a painted or modeled reproduction of a miraculously healed body part, or a directly related item such as a crutch given by a person formerly lame. There are places where a very old tradition of depositing ex-votos existed, such as Abydos in ancient Egypt.

Ex-Voto is an EP by the British band The Duke Spirit, released in the UK on 22 November 2007. The tracks "Lassoo" and "Dog Roses" later appeared on the band's second full-length album Neptune.