The first thing we are going to do to know the meaning of the term godmother is to discover its etymological origin. In this case, we have to emphasize that it derives from Latin, exactly from “matrinus”, which can be translated as “woman who plays the role of mother”. Word that is the result of the sum of two lexical components of said language:
-The noun “mater”, which means “mother”.
-The suffix “-inus”, which is used to indicate “belonging”.
This is the name given to the woman who provides assistance in certain contexts and acquires, based on her role, certain commitments .
In the field of Christianity, the godmother is the woman who accompanies someone who receives a sacrament . The baptismal godmother , in this framework, intervenes in the sacrament and is in charge, together with the godfather, of escorting the parents in the religious initiation of the baptized person.
This godmother, in turn, must ensure compliance with Christian precepts by her godson (the person she accompanied at baptism ). Beyond the strictly religious, it is understood that the godmother has the moral obligation to care for and protect this individual, especially in the absence of her parents.
In the sacrament of confirmation , the godmother is also in charge of accompaniment. However, in this case, the role is rather testimonial.
A godmother, on the other hand, is someone who provides cooperation or protection so that an individual or an organization can prosper. The godmother makes different kinds of contributions, whether material or symbolic, with the aim of helping to achieve goals.
The godmother of an orphan home , for example, is in charge of collecting donations and finding resources so that the institution can function and meet the needs of the children. He also dedicates time to playing with the little ones and giving them affection so that they can enjoy a happy childhood.
In the same way, we cannot ignore that the figure of the fairy godmother appears in different children's stories and stories. This is a fairy with special and magical powers who is responsible for using them to help certain characters.
A good example of this is the story “Cinderella”. In it the protagonist is helped by a fairy godmother to win the prince's heart. Thus, he allows her to attend the party that he has organized thanks to the fact that he gets her a spectacular outfit and even a carriage pulled by pages. He achieves the latter using magic and transforming a pumpkin and some mice.
Other literary or even cinematographic works where the figure of the fairy godmother appears are “Sleeping Beauty” by Charles Perrault, “The Magician's Nephew” (1951) by CSLewis and the animated film “Shrek 2” (2004), which is directed by Andrew Adamson, Conrad Vernon and Kelly Asbury. Not to mention the feature film “The Princess and the Frog” (2009), directed by Ron Clements and John Musker.