Goigs: the Virgin, Christ, and Christian mysteries and rituals. Woodcuts, lithographs, halftones etc. with letterpress, 17-- - ca. 1925.

Goigs is a Catalan word, equivalent to gozos in Castilian and gaudia in Latin: they all mean rejoicings, things to rejoice about, or causes of rejoicing. The word has a special meaning, which is used here, as applied to small sheets of paper about 30 x 20 cm., printed usually on one side with the following elements: at the top, a print (usually a woodcut, lithograph, or halftone) of a sacred figure (Christ, the Virgin, a saint, or one of the Christian mysteries); a heading, in Catalan, identifying the figure, for example as a reproduction of a sacred painting or sculpture in a particular parish church in Catalonia; a hymn to be sung by a congregation, in Catalan; and a prayer to be intoned by a priest, in Latin. Common additions to the printed matter include an indulgence and an imprint. Occasionally there is a date of publication. Sometimes a musical score accompanies the words of the hymn. Often there are decorative borders and type ornaments