CORNELL

UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

Cornell University Library

DG

223.L53

Etruscan

Roman remains

in

PMinVmil

3 1924 028 291

965

*...i

The

Cornell University
Library

original of this

book

is in

the Cornell University Library.

There are no known copyright

restrictions in

the United States on the use of the

text.

http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028291965

This

is

a copy of the Fine Edition, One Hundred

in number, printed on

taining
is

an Original

Hand-Made

Paper, and con-

Illustration by the Author.

Number... .{2..*^..

(Signed)

This

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS

FRONTISPIECE.

Etruscan Roman Remains

IN

POPULAR TRADITION

CHARLES GODFREY LELAND

HON.

F.R.L.S.,

PRESIDENT OF THE CYPSY-LORE SOCIETY, &C.

LONDON
T.

FISHER UNWIN
PATERNOSTER SQUARE
MDCCCXCII

CONTENTS
PART

FIRST.

GODS ANT)

GO'BLINS.

.....

Introduction

PAGE
I

CHAP.
I.

TERAM6

TINIA

III.

MASO

PALO

SILVIANO

IV. FAFLON

LO SPIRITO

AND

LASA,

VII. TITUNO
VIII. FLORIA

TO
IX.

RA

BOVO

SPIRITS

IL SPIRITO

GODDESS

ATTILIO

DEL SCALDINO
OF THE

WALNUT

MEN STORIES

LA BELLA

FOUR WINDS,

...
WITCHES

WITCHES

ALPENA

ORCO

TESANA

TAGO

MART A

4Q

SPULVIERC

DIANA AND HERODIAS

RED CAP

QUERCIOLA

AND WITCHCRAFT

...

OF WITCHES AND GOBLINS

WIZARD SAINTS

HAIL
.

136

THE

MADONNA DEL FUOCO

ZANCHI

I07

OFFERINGS

OF SORCERY IN ANCIENT ART

ROSOLACCIO

80

PICO 122

........

l'eRBA

65

......

FANIO

-54

MEANA, MONTULGA, TALENA

JANO,

ARTEMISIA

LEMURI

GANZIO

REMLE

DUSIO

CAVALLETTA
X. CUPRA

VERBIO

ALBINA

SENTIERO

CORREDOIO

LARONDA

BUGHIN

BERGOIA

VIRA

IL

SETHANO
VI. CARRADORA

....
....
....

LOSNA

LASS1

OF

CONTENTEZZA

DELLA

NORCIA, THE GODDESS

SIERO

......
.........

CARMENTA

ESTA

.....

URFIA

V. LARES,

PANO

MANIA DELLA NOTTE

FERONIA

MORTE

IMPUSA DELLA

TURANNA

APLU

TRUFFLES
II.

BUSCHET

LA
I

59

AND CLOUD
.

182

CONTENTS.

vi

PART SECOND.
INCQ4NTC4TI0NIS, DIVINATION, MEDICINE, ANT) AMULETS.
PAGE

CHAP.
I.

LA

STALLA

DI

THE HARE
II.

BIRDS

THE SPELL OF THE IVY AND THE STATUE

MAIALE

THE SPELL OF THE SPIDER

AND TREASURES

THE SPELL OF THE GREEN LIZARD

MINOR CURES

FROM

THE EXORCISM OF DEATH

DIVINATION BY OIL

IV. EVIL

INCANTATIONS

SPELL OF
IL

OF

SORCERIES

OF THE

THE SPELL OF THE BLACK HEN

THE BOILING CLOTHES
LEAD AND ANTIMONY

THE
.

3O3

THE

SPELL OF THE SNAIL

.

THE SPELL OF THE BELL

OMENS, AND

3 2"

THE

.........

RING SORCERY

27

DIVINATION WITH LEAD

HOLY STONE AND THE SALAGRANA

DIVINATION WITH ASHES

2 S'

THE THREE

MARCELLUS

THE SPELL OF THE LAMP

THE SHELL AND THE TONE OF THE STONE

V. THE AMETHYST

INDEX

THE SPELL

CANTO DEL GALLO

SPELL

THE SPELL OF THE CRADLE

PYROMANCY AND INCENSE

......

WISE MEN OF THE EAST AND THE WITCH-MEDALS

III.

THE SPELL OF THE ACORNS

THE SPELL OF THE FALLING STAR

THE SPELL OF THE SWALLOW

THE SPELL OF

AMULETS,

SMALL

349

377

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
(From Gerhard, who gives

turan, or venus.

it as

one of the Damonen der Aphrodite

Charles G. Leland)

Probably an error.

Frontispiece

PAGE

turms, or mercury.
tinia, jupiter.

(Initial

T)

(Initial I)

APLU (APOLLO),

18

AND trAM6 (jUPITER AND MERCURY)

TINIA,

TERAMO (TURUS; MERCURY)

24

T)

nortia.

(Initial

nortia.

(Full-page, restored)

34
.

35

APLU (APOLLO) AND ARTEMISIA

lasa.

46

(Headpiece)

mars, maso.

49

O)

(Initial

49

(Gerhard)

mars, winged.
mars.

39

(From Gori)

pan, pano.

(Full-page, after a bronze)

(Etruscan.)

evil spirit.

diana and virbius.

feronia.

(Initial

52

(Tailpiece)

54

T)

(From rude Etruscan vase)

fufluns (bacchus).

(Initial

(Tailpiece)
.

T)

(From Dennis).

etruscan ornament.
(Initial I)

(Headpiece)

lasa.

(Initial

lasa, or

B)

66

....

.....

76

guardian spirit

losna.

(From

....

a Mirror)

72

80
80
81

lasa or fairy, and faunus

tinia and lasa

65

7i

(Tailpiece)

thesan (tesana), lalae, linthun, memrun (memnon

cupids.

64

65

FUFLUNS, BACCHUS, APOLLO, AND SEMELE

corredoio.

54

59

house goblin, or etruscan brownie.

headpiece.

53

(Headpiece)

nymph

silvanus and

20

85

88
.

92

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Vlll

......

TAGO, TAGES

etruscan rural

PAGE

9 6 >97

(From Gerhard)

....

102

SETHLANS (VULCAN) AND THE TROJAN HORSE

I0 5

(From

faun.

deities,

a Patera)

roman mask

(in British

carradora.

(Initial

begoe.

bygoe.

alpan.

(Corssen)

C)

(Gori)

etruscan vase.

munthucha.

"5
120

122

....

(Initial

del scaldino.

136

159

(Initial

D)

(C G. L.)

159

ON A ROMAN LAMP

....

HEADPIECE

(Initial

(C.

164
182

O)

182
(C.

(Vignette.)

HEADPIECE.

G. L.)

G. L.)

248

251

ATTITUDE FOR DREAMING

251

253

.....

faun, or faflon (bacchus).

HEADPIECE

WOODPECKER AND MONEY.

(Tailpiece)

269
270
270

(Initial I)

(From Bronze Votive Offerings)

headpiece.

(From Vase,

initial T.

(C. G. L.)

Museum

dancing girl and boy.

I.

285

of Florence)

303
303

headpiece and initial T.

I.

!34

136

il spirito

initial

133

T)

(C. G. L.)

losna.

121

(Tailpiece)

headpiece.

INITIAL

IO7

(Headpiece)

lemures.
tloria.

dusio.

I06

(Tailpiece)

(Corssen)

BELLA Rl A

cupra.

cupids

(C. G. L.)

headpiece.

JtED-CAP

Museum) and

99

(C.

G. L.)

326

(Tailpiece)

348

(C. G. L.)

etruscan bronze bell, from chiusi,

writer.)

2.

lettered cylinder

ROMAN SLING-STONE
boy and lantern.

349

worn

AS

AN AMULET.

(In possession of the

.....
.....

old roman magic bell

357
362
373

(Vignette)

bronze etruscan amulet against the evil eye.

375
(In possession of the Author)

376

;;

INTRODUCTION.

and observances

ditions

been

and

changed from an incredibly early time.

little

of late years whether the Bolognese are of Etrurian origin,

question

seems to have been generally decided that they are

it

They were probably

have nothing whatever to do.

But the
remote

or

one time held

latter at

Roman

dominion, and

their

culture

which

to

may

This

Italians.

less

whom

the principal of

left in

The

refers.

La -Romagna

proper.

be described as lying between

as

or,

than a

exists to a degree

some-

remains

It consists in

faith.

preserve the

have

stregeria, or old religion, is

of a mythology of

once formed part of the Papal

"the old religion")

thing more than a sorcery, and something

spirits,

book

this

these people, stregeria, or witchcraft

which would even astonish many

this

there before the Etruscans.

which
it

With

not.

very likely that they

is

to

I refer

called, "la vecchia religione" (or

it

it

not to be confounded with

is

it

Among

and Ravenna.

heard

and

Italy,

applied to their district because

is

Roughly speaking, the region

Forli

all

districts those traces of

name Romagna

has

It

names and

attributes

of the old Etruscan gods, such as Tinia, or Jupiter, Faflon, or Bacchus, and Teramo
(in

the most ancient

To

With these

Etruscan Turms), or Mercury.

all

Roman

there

still

exist, in

a few memories,

rural deities, such as Silvanus, Palus, Pan,

of these invocations or prayers in rude metrical form are

are at least preserved, and there are

many

and the Fauns.

still

stories current regarding

addressed, or

them.

All of

these names, with their attributes, descriptions of spirits or gods, invocations and
legends, will be found in this work.

Closely allied to the belief in these old deities,

tradition, such

as that there is a spirit of

instance of every plant and

animals

or,

as

that sorcerers
that

all

forests,

in

mineral,

are

sometimes

one

born

again in

their

of

spirit

good and one

all

Also

evil.

descendants

kinds of goblins, brownies, red-caps and three-inch mannikins, haunt

rocks,

ruined

madden

alternately

towers,

firesides

or delight the maids

and

kitchens,

short, all of that quaint

in

of familiar spirits which are boldly claimed

German
at home

a vast mass of curious

and a guardian or leading

the case of silkworms, two

and witches

is

every element or thing created, as for

archaeologists, but
in Italy while

this " lore "

or whether,

Rome was

new

the

as yet young, or,

Italian, or

say that

value to those

Connected

who

school

teaches,

they

company

being of Northern

it

in turn with

it

may

birth

by

Whether

be, unbuilt.

on themselves to
these beliefs

"growed" of

it

shall be satisfied should

take

where

due to a common Aryan or Asian

spontaneously and sporadically everywhere,

suffice to

cellars,

which investigation indicates to have been thoroughly

be Teutonic or
as

as

or

will

my

itself,

like

origin,

Topsy,

not pretend to determine

collection prove to be of

settle the

in folletti, or

any

higher question.

minor

spirits,

and

their

INTRODUCTION.

attendant observances and traditions, are vast numbers of magical cures with
appropriate incantations,

or bring certain

influences

evil

good

insure

to

spirits,

divination

some

much

Many

cases
that

what

is

or

many

or deviltry in

supply

things to pass

crops

allusions in classical writers to

that in

and ceremonies,

spells,

certain
families,

in

all

which the occult

under jealous fear of

sit

Romagna Toscana

and

witches,

a
art

"

no confidence or
telling a few

declared

of

Romany

As

lies.

in

faith

large

execution of them

and

people,

twenty-four

to his

"

of any

me

indeed befell

man,

And

sovereigns,

"on the

not

is

moment

eighteen

he's all right."

mystic

liar

in

So these

have

treat,

silver,

on

or
lie

my

home,

had, at

and

was

the

assertion

true,

it

Romany

be either

they 'had ever met

stand

to

shillings

Bath, Where

in

must

or

road,"

" travellers "

they have caught him

until

don't believe," added the gypsy, " that he

But

name.

to

powers that be, just as

all

myself once
that

was the biggest

penniless at the

gold

believe

the hands of

in

is

who belong

no exaggeration to declare that

gypsy encampment
I

scores of these

are familiar with

having been an arrogant and boastful, yet

that though

bronze.

it

is

And

preserved from generation to generation,

is

the truth

in

blood, because

in this case

part,

it

effect

possibly be found to

will

few obscure wizards

priests, cultured

honest folk," so that

to

verbo venia.

gypsies and tramps deeply distrust everything that

all

and

return,

being ancient, as shown by

have gathered and given

all

gaming, to evoke

in

happy

these spells were known.

missing in earlier authors

peasants in the

cryptic

ways

curious

whom

but the skilled repetition and

spells,

to win

traveller's

remove

attract love, to

to

twopence

had a d

in

d sixpence

on the darkened road of

travellers

sorcery soon recognised in the holder of the Black Stone of the Voodoo, the pupil

Red Indian

of the

pocket always

dence

none

full

and other minor

and mutual understanding

an elder

firstly

in

red bags)

little

a man

the less so since he was not ungenerous of pounds of coffee, small

bottles of rum, cigars,

spell

who had, moreover, his

who was worthy of confi-

medaolin, and the gypsy rye (and one

of fetishes in

dame has

in

requisites

wisdom.

which greatly promote conviviality

Among

generally in hand

these priestesses of the hidden

some younger

girl

whom

she instructs,

the art of bewitching or injuring enemies, and secondly in the

more

important processes of annulling or unbinding the spells of others, or causing

mutual love and conferring luck.

And

here

may

items given in this book are so jealously guarded as secrets, that, as

unless one was in the confidence of those
in vain.

who

many

observe that
I

of the

was assured,

possess such lore, he might seek

it

now

in

Also that a great portion has become so nearly extinct that

articulo mortis, velin extremis, while other details are

however

still

it is

generally known.

INTRODUCTION.

An

remedies,

occult

and very curious portion of

interesting

book

preserved from remote antiquity

still

number of

consists of a

among

mountain

the

Marcellus Burdigalensis, court physician to the Emperor Honorius

peasantry.

made a

my

the fourth century, of one hundred magical cures for dis-

collection, in

among the rural classes. He gathered

them, as he informs us in a work entitled De Medicamentis Empiricis, " ad agrestibus
et plebeis" ("from rustics and common people").
The collection has been edited
by Jacob Grimm in a work entitled Uber Marcellus Burdigalensis, Berlin, 1849.
orders, such as

were current

These

"

"

charms

Roman

early

hundred
known.

in his

time

were very ancient even

time of Marcellus, and, like most

in the

Of

magic, were probably of Tuscan or Etrurian origin.

have found about one-half

sorceries I

still

in

these one

current use, or at least

As given by Marcellus they are often imperfect, many incantations being

Some of these I have been able to supply, and I think that no critical
who will compare all that I have collected, will doubt that these Italian

wanting.
reader,

formulas contain at least the spirit of antique originals.

In addition to this

many

instances,

have included a number of curious

of which are identical with, or allied

Ovid, Virgil, Pliny, Cato, Varro, and others

comparison of the whole can hardly

Romagna

Toscana,

who have

fail

anecdotes, and

tales,

much which

to,

the result of

it all

a rude animism

that

lived with little

being that a careful

change since prehistoric times, have

Shamanism or

The

result of

pages and

my

believe,

will, I

my

Gods

in

Exile

would have exceeded reasonable

as

readers' patience,

had

published them

be of very great interest to

" in a far

more

than Heine ever dreamed

minor questions.

a very simple system of sorcery

number of magic

researches has been the collection of such a

poems

and extremely curious as

kind,

and

spirits

to deeply interest every student of ethnology.

fail

formulas, tales, and

worship of

is,

narrated by

to convince us that the peasantry of the

preserved, through Etruscan, Latin, and Christian rule, a primaeval

which can hardly

is

Thus,

for

all.

What

literal

both as to

have given

students of classical lore of every

illustrating the survival to the present

And

of.

all

limits,

day of "the

manner, and on a much more extensive scale

I

think that

it

will

be found to

illustrate

many

example, Miiller in his great work on the Etruscans

could hardly have doubted that the Lases were the same as the Lares, had he

known

that the spirits of ancestors are

still

called in the

Romagna,

Lasii, Lasi, or

Ilasii.

fessor

must here express

my

great obligations and gratitude to

my

now Senator D. Comparetti.of Florence, who not only placed

library at
criticism."

my

disposal, but also aided

Also to

me

materially

by "advice,

friend, Pro-

his admirable

cautions,

and

his son-in-law, Professor Milani, the Director of the Archaeo-

Introduction.
and Etruscan Museum, and who,

logical

second to none.

as an Etruscan antiquary

would here direct attention to

believe,

is, I

his great forthcoming work, Le

Diviniteela religione degliEtrusciQ' On the Deities and religion of the Etruscans"),

which

is

As

whom

a complete account of

my

known on the
I

subject.

must observe that the persons from

lists

which

is

supposed to be quite unusual

of the names of

reflection,

deities without

and then the

accounts of superstitions,
all,

Roman

would be called on to stop

They were ignorant of everything

real object in collecting.

be a minute's

at

is

regards truthfulness or authenticity,

to a degree

once

which

these items were obtained were in every instance far too illiterate to com-

prehend

times

all

tales,

in Italy.

having one recognised,

name

generally at an Etruscan

result given.

or other lore

been deceit

in the case, there

But

in

most cases

me no answer

gave

to consult with other witches, or delayed to write to friends in

often

happened that

was from weeks

real pioneer in folk-lore like this, has

overcome

difficulties

many
all

till

at

there would

was the same with regard to

It

they were very often

would have been of course a prompt

my informants

classical

have read

not recognised

Had

or else they would be recalled with very material alterations.

thing.

it

"

yes

" to

there

every-

at the time, but

went

La Romagna. Thus
The

to years in collecting certain items.

He

always a most ungrateful task.

has to

of which few readers have any conception, and must struggle

with the imperfect language, memories, and intelligences of ignorant old people

who have

more ignorant younger ones who have

half-forgotten traditions, or of

only half learned them.

stances permitted,

haud possit,

Now

have been, as regards

and should any urge that

nihil

can only reply that in this work

all this,

as exact as circum-

quod cura

est,

et diligentia perfici

exhausted mine.

And

it is

un-

fortunately true that in collecting folk-lore, as in translation, the feeblest critic can

pick out no end of errors as he

will,

or

show how he could have bettered

viewing the very best books on the subject

which

day why many of the best books are never

written.

money

to be

made

thereby, and

if

discredit be

as the Scotch " meenister " did to his wife

God knows
It

and

have got but a

" If

is

one great cause

For truly there

in this

is

not

our

much

added thereunto, one can only say

ye have nae fortune, and nae grace,

should be observed that all these superstitions, observances, legends, names,

as

who

constituting secrets of their unlawful profession.

younger generation have ceased to take any interest

names of certain

spirits, it is

here and there, can be found

Much

far from being generally known.

the lore was originally confined to the strege, or witches

the

in re-

sair bairgain in ye."

attributes of spirits are at present

tween

it,

in

are few

and

Again, of

of

far be-

late,

the

such matters, and as regards

with difficulty that a few old people, or even one

who remember them.

Mindful of

this, I

took great

INTRODUCTION.

6
pain? to verify by every means
the names and

especially

lector did her best to aid

in

by

power the authenticity of what

more than one

referring to

young contadino was

intelligent

my

My

attributes of spirits or gods.

specially

employed

market days when the peasantry came down

women and men from

in

most

have given,

intelligent col-

vecckia, or old

at this

woman.

An

He went

on

work.

numbers from the mountains, and

knew this or that

spirit.
He was eminently successful in verifying nearly all the names which I have
here given. But he declared that he found it very difficult as regarded some of them,
firstly, because only a very few old people knew the names which I was specially
asked the old

different places, if they

desirous of confirming, such as those of Tinia, Faflon, and Teramo, and that,
secondly, these people were very averse to communicating what they knew, because

such subjects are scongiurati, or prohibited by the

Adhering closely to

priests.

the letters of his instructions, he however not only obtained the verifications, but

induced a number of old peasants to write

they had affirmed.

what

These, written on strips of writing-paper of different colours,

have a curious effect, looking something

deities, as if the latter

like testimonials of character of the ancient

The

were seeking situations or charity.

mens of these documents

"The

certificates, or fogliettini, as to

following are speci-

Lasii are spirits of our ancestors,

and are known

at

Santa Sofia.

"AUGUSTO FlERRARI.
"March,

"

1891."

Fafflond (Faflon) or Fardel

the spirit of wine.

is

He

is

known

at Politeo

(i.e.,

Portico).

" Ottavio Magrini."

" Tigna, the great

Teramo

'

'

deeds of this

is

spirit

of lightning, has been generally

known here in Dovadola from ancient times.

"V. Del' Vivo."

He

the spirit of merchants, thieves and messengers.

spirit

have been related

for

many

is

known

at

San Benedetto, where the

years.

"Tito Forconi,
"March, 1891."

Mania della Nolle the nightmare that, " She was

remembered once by many, but now it is a long time since any one at Galeata has
Enrico Rossi

spoken of her."

testifies

of

have more of these

certificates

suffice

it

to say that the youth,

aided by his father and friends, succeeded in abundantly verifying

save three or four.
qualified

well

the

family.

Thus
and
in

for

In

should say, however, that these agents

the task, there being a very wise

some few

cases

the

power to

What

would say

were exceptionally

woman in

fact

two

in

orthography of the names.

" Peppino " declares in a letter that the correct

that the Lasii are Ilasie.

my

they varied

the names,

all

is

name

of Faflon

that I took

all

verify the truth as to the actual existence of the

is

Faflo,

the pains

names and

INTRODUCTION.

attributes of these spirits, as well as of the other subjects of folk-lore given in this

work.

There

is

Many

another difficulty or contradiction to be noted.

and observances are recorded

known, which are

in reality

familiar to the multitude.

they were

if

in familiar current use, or well

still

while others again are tolerably

have often spoken of things as living which are rapidly

my

becoming obsolete because

as

almost forgotten

superstitions

informants did

ut est a nobis pauloante commemoratum.

the fashion of old people

so, after

have been told that these

stories

collection of

them could have been made, and

be impossible to find the names of the old

that ten years hence

will

it

probably

more than a mere fragment

deities, or

of what I have preserved, and that a great deal has perished or vanished from

the people even since

ance.

and

perishing very rapidly, that twenty years ago an incredibly vast and curious

rites are

I first

began to

have also to request

For

it.

what may

for

it

collect

strike

of this

all

among

crave due allow-

some readers

as a defect.

came from persons who had learned it long ago, and

unconsciously, had often only a dim recollection of a song or

great deal of this folk-lore

who, consciously or
incantation,
just as

it

and

so,

voluntarily or involuntarily, repeated

endowed with a great

curate in such matters, and yet are

That the motive or

am
that

than

tradition existed in every case,

I simply urge that I have collected

sure.

doing

my

can do no more.
am.

What

original quite devoid of both,

so that
is

its

gift for

improvising.

sense

preserved,

and published as well as I

many

to

it

it

readers
I

is

that so

have given

and seem to be mere

has been to

me

in

prose.

have rendered

What

a special difficulty.

sounded melodiously,

many

could,

of the incantations

measure or rhyme, are

in

To

prose in a peculiar kind of chant.

one very popular

little

song

have heard sung to

something

like poetic form.

'

Ma

it

in

guerda

me

la

fazeda a la

Romagnolo nor

was given to

means

may mention

to sing

that there

is

'

which has not either

illustrate this I

in the

call special attention

called cantare alia contadinesca (" singing country fashion ")

which, as

is

mixed and confused mass of material, and

Further sifting must be done by those better qualified

seem strange

will

to this, because
airs,

and that

ac-

best to select from a terribly

and other portions of narrative which

What

perhaps imperfectly,

it,

would have been done among the contadini, who are by no means

Rusena
finestra,''

rhyme or rhythm, and

seemed much more prosaic than are the

in Italian a trace of

in writing,

majority of the incantations, or poems, in this work.

INTRODUCTION.

am

to

it

that

many readers

not less true that in

popular incantations
is

But

a special explanation.
it is

the

first

now

owe

also

many

have therefore devoted

to his extensive

knowledge the remark

countries, as for instance the Slavonian,

passing rapidly from poetry into mere prose.

stage of decay, and

When

perfectly.

natural enough that those

it is

the next generation comes

perhaps antiquaries would be thankful

Of which

defects as this of mine.

which

be altogether

shall

this

again im-

it

lost,

who

see

acquired

and then

they were as

if

be observed that those

we

For

who have

form should give

will

it

such books, even

for

may

it

and published

collected

is

and

as a fault,

folk-lore in this uncertain, half-changed, shifting

all

me

indebted to Senator Comparetti, of Florence, for pointing out to

the fact that this would strike

full

of

insist that

be absolutely and unquestionably

faultless as regards every detail, while they certainly secure for themselves the

gold

smelted and certified for them to manufacture or coin, exclude from

all

commerce

ore or alloyed metal from which

all

extract even greater values.

do not by saying

or worse, but a hint that

carelessness,

great deal, as did

ancient Greeks

the

more

skilful metallurgists

this

offer

may

an apology for

by exacting too much we may lose a

who threw away as refuse from the

mines of Laurium a vast amount of precious metal which modern science has
turned to great

But

profit.

have what

think

a good reason for giving translations of so

is

incantations and songs in measure and rhyme.

many

effect that

at

and

it is

"

many study folk-lore.

curves within curves, as

flight

among summer

melody and expression,

through
I

it

it

has

is

lost its

in a living

One

flowers."

And

as

to the spirit of the originals.

Romagnolo-Bolognese, but

my readers

will

this

understand

my

not a butterfly

moving wings, and

" from

lines of

shade to

of these contadina songs, as sung with

a living butterfly, but

life.

its

is

there belongs the

it,

arabesque of motion

when

written

rhyme and measure

have thought that by giving these songs such form

of

But that

flying flower," as the Chinese call

exquisite fluttering in sunshine, the living grace of

sunlight

many

a remark by Heine to the

with some chemical, that they really have a perfect speci-

it

in this spirit that

For to such a

all.

is

people think that when they have caught a butterfly, put a pin

through it, and preserved

men

There

down

with

a pen

to a degree restore this,

have come somewhat nearer

could also have given in every instance the

Many, perhaps most,

but very few Romagnolo or Bolognese. As

limits positively forbid.

Italian,

regards the very bad quality of the Italian, every reader will understand that

have given
I

it

with very

will not,

little

correction.

however, be understood as going to the very extreme limits of

humility and apology as regards these poems.

great

many

are in themselves

INTRODUCTION.
strikingly beautiful, original,

priate spirit

as

and imbued with a

Pah and Faflon

in those to

and often delicately appro-

classic

and the women from whom they were

derived could absolutely have no more invented them than

they could have

invented the flying-machine of the future or settled " the great national Italian

problem
This

"

of flaying peasants without hurting them, or eating a cake and having

simply

is

true,

me, the question

is

and as not a

simply,

how

line or letter of

could women, so

what they repeated, have invented

into them, as

is

characteristics,

done

most

in

and colour

really manufactured

it all

most

classical

it.

from

indirectly

hardly understand

illiterate as to

much more, how could

cases, the

Of all

them came ever so

they have woven

and appropriate

of which I can truly say, that

allusions,

my informants
of my book is

if

these incantations, the interest and value

thereby augmented a hundredfold, as being the most remarkable piice de manufacture ever presented to the public.

What

will strike

many

though

the present day

readers as strange
is

it

now

is

that there should have existed to

rapidly disappearing

Roman

in

Catholic

That

country, an ancient heathen religion of sorcery, from earliest Tuscan times.

such a survival under such a stratum

an incident, which

"

It

my

rule, there

among

always existed

Gypsy Sorcery

the people a rude Shamanism, or worship of spirits and

eked out with coarse sorcery, which formed a

as British

government removed

fashion of Stonehenge
it is

thus described in

have shown by

has been discovered of late years in India, that during thousands of years of Brahminic, Buddhistic

and Mahometan
stones,

is

not without parallel,

is

distinct religion

religious oppression.

and other

'

Druidic

'

by

itself,

and which came to

soon

light as

This religion consisted of placing small rocks after the

monuments, and

And

most primitive kind.

in other rites of the

very evident that the oldest religions everywhere are founded on such a faith."

But

was much more astonished

portion of Italy,

under

all

Roman

to find that in Tuscany, the

rule an old

existed to a most extraordinary degree.

For

pagan
it

is

faith, or

most enlightened

something

really not a

like

has

it,

mere chance

sur-

vival of superstitions here and there, as in England or France, but a complete

A few years ago Count ANGELO

system, as this work will abundantly prove.

Gubernatis informed Mr. Gladstone, in conversation, that

among the Tuscan peasantry ten times as much heathenism
repeated this remark to a
reply

was

religion ").

" Certainly, there is ten

"

employed

magic

another time when

all

as Catholicism.

to collect folk-lore,

priests

and the

de

was actually

times more faith in la vecchia religione "

For the peasants have recourse to the

occasions, but they use

At

woman whom

there

saints

and her

("

the old

on great

the time for everything."

expressed

my

astonishment that a certain

had grown up in the country was utterly ignorant of the

3

name

girl

of a single

who

spirit,

INTR 0D UCTION.

io

and could

nothing relating to witchcraft, she became scornful, and then

recall

excited, exclaiming
"

And how

know anything
it

"

here

should such a stupid

Si ;

fool,

who

pulled from her

excitement,

You know what

it all.

and

saints,

wear a medal to prove

saint's

medal

"

but

"), I

answered, by which faith I meant

is

set forth in this book.

real religion.

magic

of this

mixed up with Catholic

is

were very often of heathen

their turn

bosom a

Etrusco-Roman sorcery which

that strange, diluted old

Much

afraid of the priests

I believe."

la vecchia religione" (" the old faith

Magic was her

is

a Catholic oh, yes and

myself

I call

she, in

believe in none of
"

rites

Some

origin.

and

but these in

saints,

saints

such as Antony,

Simeon, and Elisha, appear as absolutely sorcerers or goblins, and are addressed
with ancient heathen ceremonies in cellars with magical incantations.
a generic term for goblins, and other familiar

vafolletti,

to the "fairy-tale"

Grimm's Tales

they enter into

invoked in good

But there
observed in

is,

withal, as I

is,

all

this cult.

charms and

there

is

spells,

entertainment

is

i.e.,

actually in

Tuscany a

of strange stones and

It

fortune-teller referred to,

was stocked

in

curious

relics.

have remarked, a great deal of mystery and secrecy

It

has

my

professors

its

men, but mostly women, who

many good

who was
tales.

possess, resulted in confidence

that

reasons,

chance to become acquainted in Florence with the

to an extraordinary

formulas but songs and

as

and teach them to one another, and hold meetings

was

belief

culture or worship of

many

a kind of college of witches and wizards, which, for

eludes observation.

The

has not sunk as yet

popular belief as a part of the religion, and are

There

faith.

which are not Catholic,

fetishes

collect

beings only mentioned for

of

level

spirits,

initiated in these secrets,

and whose memory

and exceptional degree with not only magical

Such

familiarity with folk-lore

the end being that

and sorcery as

succeeded in penetrating this

obscure and strange forest inhabited by witches and shadows, faded gods and
forgotten goblins of the olden time, where folk-lore of every kind

such excess that, as this book shows,

To do

publish.

that

if

this I

went

in

time had more thereof than

to strange places

and

really

as the dramatic

weird i.e.,

prophetic

to

could

and made strange acquaintance, so

the reader will kindly imagine something

often wild

abounded

much out

of

common

life,

and

when fortune-telling was on the cards,

accompaniment of every charm and legend

in this book,

he

will

To collect volumes of folk-lore among very reticent Red

Indians, and reserved Romanys is not unknown to me, but the extracting witchcraft from Italian strege far surpasses it.
" I too was among the shadows."
There are many people, even Italians, who will say, " It is very remarkable
but do

it

justice.

INTRODUCTION.

we never heard of any association of witches nor met with any of all this
mythology or lore we who know the people so well." Just the same might have
that

been said of almost every respectable white native of Philadelphia when

Voodoo

there a few years ago, as to the

sorcerers,

who,

silent

was

and unseen, conjured

among the coloured people of that city. What did any

of us know about even our own black servants in their homes ? And the class
which corresponds to the Voodoo acts in Tuscany, in opposition unlike the
and worked

in

darkness

to a powerful national

American
hand, and

it

religion

which

till

The extraordinary

tenacity and earnestness with which the peasant Tuscans

have clung to these fragments of

LlVY

ancient character.

devotion to religious

and

rites

ness in varied forms

their old faith is quite in accordance with their

said of

Karl OTTFRIED MULLER

great use to me " while the

them they were

" a race

in the art of cultivating

remarks

in

tlie

their religious feelings with bold-

Tuscan divination was con-

practical interest.
trait

of

the

the wars and convulsions of

same

race.

if

not prehistoric.

And

this spirit still survives.

many

Tuscany have

Italy the peasants of

result of

Hawthorne's Marble

There are

monuments on

family names in Etrurian

LlVY, VIRGIL, and

and the Hauptpunkt, or

nation

Englishmen and Frenchmen are the

mixtures of peoples, but the Italians, like

absolutely ancient,

And

their estates.

more, testify that

all

shared by the common people.

those of the Jewish prophets

And

thoroughly taught."

Tuscan " witches."

there

and
is

Gallic

still

Rome

with their astrology, but the Etruscan augures were

fifth

The Etruscan books

(Cic.

the

de Div.

i.

system

existing

still

Claudius.

it

was
the

by invoking lightning against the Goths (MULLER).

common among the Romans. In Cicero's

33), there

was promised me

have, however, a large

In

of magic were

were

many

of them.

have been assured that there

existence a manuscript collection of charms and spells such as are

in fact

among

authorities, so late

century, a.d., since they were consulted at the birth of

408, they protected Narnia

time

religious

" This," says

In later times the Chaldaean sorcerers took the upper hand in

as the

is in

and

Italy schools, like

in

Druids, in which

the last relic of these

find their

ClCERO, Tacitus,

their divination

There were

modern

Faun, are

who

families in Italy

observances were drawn from and based on Etruscan authority.

MULLER, "was

in

a work which has been of

beginning of their intellectual action and education."

all

all

But as

I. 6).

(v.

Die Etrusker

Greeks expressed

manner with every domestic

Among

which excelled

them"

the Tusker (Tuscans) blended them in the most intimate

sequently the most characteristic

remained

of late ruled by the strong

fears everybody.

MS.

as a

gift,

but

have not succeeded

of this kind which was written for

now

in obtaining

me

in
it.

use
I

from collection

INTRODUCTION.

12

and memory, which

have used

in writing this book.

It is true that all I

only the last sparks, or dead ashes, and coals of the ancient

fire,

but

have

it is

is

worth

something.

have freely

have added to

it

my

collection with instances

certain tales, or stories,

and

classic lore

illustrated

drawn from reading, and

which have very curious connections with

There are also a few records of certain

superstitions.

showing how the belief that many herbs and flowers have an indwelling
are in fact fairies themselves,

collection of plant-lore of late years

by many

writers,

and

fairy,

survives, with a degree of personification

still

has long since disappeared in most other European countries.

much

plants,

which

There has been

am

but I

not aware

that any one has observed this faith in the plant itself as a creature with a soul.

There

the

is

same

superstition as regards minerals, the reason being very

curious.

For there are

in the earth

are full of

them because

the foot

deep mysteries

the earth-worm and mole

of the sorcerer passes over them, and gives power,

the salagrana, or stalagmite, and different metallic ores are really holy, from being

when broken they meet

down into the earth draw from it
magic forms according to their nature when brought

subterranean, and yet sparkling with hidden occult light

the sun

and plants which send their roots deep

mystic force which takes varied

up

into light

had

clearly, I

theory;

and

when

belief in a

"

Owing

air.

difficulty for
I

force "

it,

was struck by

work,

its

Romagna

there

at the

this subject

" The

is,

or has been,

till

in Italy,

Preller,

in his

is

perhaps a

as follows on

belief in a fate in every form conceivable, such as Fortuna, the goddess of destiny, oracles,

was always very

"Dii avertite omen

Romans

"

it

resulted in

Rome in

that

almost everything which the heart of

was from Etrurian Tuscany that

those which remain from

Roman

all

which

such a mass of marvels

was heard of in such a high stage of civilisation. ''

But the great source of

derived the laws of their religion

spell for

and

active in Italy, especially in divine omens, warnings, forebodings

superstitions running into every possible shape, as never

had a

but especially in

life.
And this
Roman Mythology, speaks

For every one of these fancies there was an incantation

the

in

of late years, some formula of the

developed themselves in the most varied phases and kinds, and

said,

this

varieties of divination,

and

character

number of incantations which occur

kind uttered for almost every conceivable event in

proof of their antiquity.

Paracelsian

would remind him that among the peasantry

the Tuscan

informant to express herself

which Chinese recognise as Fengshui.

Should the reader be astonished

this

my

a long time in understanding this properly chthonic

did master

geomantic

to the inability of

took these

it

all

is

if salt

upset they

was Etruria, from which

to say, a divination

man

spells,

could conceive.

which

And

it

which, by comparison with

times, all bear unmistakable

marks of

antiquity.

INTRODUCTION.
I

would also observe that though

away

passing

stitions

as

While

was writing the foregoing, that

was going on

1891, there

which had occurred

by a

certain

The

into a church.

of April 3 and
bered,

is

" far

4,

have spoken of these sorceries and super-

rapidly, they are very far

in

is

from having disappeared.

It

mob

being believed that a child had been bewitched

the populace in wrath pursued the sorceress with

details of this outrage,

which occupy a column

1891, will be given in the following pages.

of Florence as regards such matters, while Florence

is

much abuse

in the Secolo

Milan, be

" the least superstitious city in Italy, and

away

day of March,

to say, on the second

Milan one of the most serious outbursts of a

for years.

woman,

13

much

remem-

it

in

advance

as light to darkness

com-

pared to the Romagna.

Since the manuscript of this work was put in

my

has occurred which should properly have found an

It is this

England.
has

Some

years ago

publisher's

hands something

earlier place in this Preface.

published a work on the Algonkin Legends of

New

Within a few months a contributor to the English Folk-Lore Journal

made a remark

to the effect that he

had always doubted the authenticity of

these Legends, while another has said in The American Folk-Lore Journal that

Mr. Leland

is

throughout inaccurate when reporting what Indians had told him.

This last writer had gone to the same tribe, though probably to other Indians,
and taken down with a phonograph, in the original Indian tongue, the same tales.
His contribution consists in a measure of comments on my stories, which do not
suffer in the least

When

by

his subsequent collection.

began to

that a Catholic missionary,

Passamaquoddy

tribes,

who had

lived

had succeeded

the Indians towards white

I

men

many

in getting

During an

intelligent

artful wiles or

chance remarks

and that

all

him something

know

had long since perished.

There was also a

woman, one of the same tribe, who told fortunes by

she sang the same song. A year after I succeeded better with Tomah

number of remarkable
told

me

that

my

who

not only related to and collected for

legends, myths, and folk-lore items of

two Abenaki friends were noted

of such learning.

As

for the

like

one, or anything

jolly old Indian

quah, a Passamaquoddy,

summer

endeavoured constantly

to draw from

a legend, but he constantly declared that he did not

relating to old beliefs,

entire

Abenaki, or Saint

and wrote well both French and English, might

to have been superior to vulgar prejudice.

sometimes by

the Penobscot or

only one story, so reticent were

regarding their myths.

Francis, Indian, who, as he spoke

among

years

was very intimate and confidential with a very

be supposed

knew of them was

collect those Indian legends, all that I

all

cards,

and

or

Toma-

me

a vast

kinds, but

who

repositories or living chronicles

authenticity of the legends, there

is

hardly one

INTRODUCTION.

14

which has not

Mac

of Mic

close parallel, in

its

way

S.

As

records of Schoolcraft and Kohl.

his

some

by Rev.

legends, collected

particulars at

away the

the

who

for accuracy, the pioneer

into such a jungle, or cane-brake, has

of his eyes and clear

least, in

MS.

folio

Rand, or among the cognate Chippeway

enough to do

first

makes

to keep the twigs out

brush, without thinking of leaving a

macadamised

road for his followers.

After
let

out a

had made a beginning, the Indians, finding that one or another had

cat,

or told a legend, and also that the telling thereof was productive of

and tobacco and pounds of

dollars

and the path having been

tea,

did somewhat abate their ancient reticence,

cleared, several followers

the gentleman with the phonograph, who, as

was easy enough

to collect stories then,

is

walked

usual,

in

it

grumbled

among

others

at the road.

and to detect inaccuracies

It

in the

first

reported.

But the

difficulties

which

had

in collecting

Red Indian legends were but an

inch of pin-wire compared to a crowbar with what

these Italian

and that

if

To

recently, as

know very

spirits, tales,

how

well

For

all

chief authority that I

in a

book,

should incur un gran'

has been for you to gather

difficult it

in Italy

the strange things of antiquity which you seek

all

among the
are mostly known
who are mortally

could collect

only in a very few families, or to some old people or witches

afraid of the priests,

in gathering

and conjurations

not perfectly authentic that

do not believe that any other signore

people.

my

write, I told

these accounts of
it

had to encounter

which she with some excitement replied

Signore, you

this.

all

there was aught in

disgrazia.
"

Very

relics.

expected to publish

it

and who are very timid, and conceal everything from their

And then there is the much greater number of those who really believe
when a learned man asks them for such things that he himself is a stregone, or
wizard oh, the people are very superstitious and fearful as to that I And you
must remember that, as regards what I have told you, I have had to go about
betters.

that

among

old people, and question many, and have been often seeking for weeks and

months before

To which
jumbled up,
fatal gift

could answer

many

of your questions."

much was

she might have added that

or,

worse than

of improvisation,

all,

restored

by

as, for instance,

when a

about the thing."

journals of

my

And

bearing

in

it

given from good authorities, every one of which

book from

gifted with the

boldly, believing that

mind what has been

work on Algonkin Legends, every

that I received everything in this

minds

sorceress retains only the idea

or general features of an incantation, but proceeds to utter

it is "

only half-recollected or

lively Italian

said in reputable

fraction of

which was honestly

named,

would here declare

Italians

who

declared that

all

had

INTRODUCTION.
been derived from
the case

and that where

tradition,

others.

them,

that

with

" actually,

from the memories of old people, and

would be

As

for a superior to obtain it

this,

that

earnest,

my

and wash

responsibility,

myself believe

and

may be

it

was

aught else

for the incantations, or

it

how hard

inferred

utterly disclaim all

hands clear of the whole concern, saving and except

and more learned or better

errors,

them

and one of themselves,

have received

unconscious

In the main

true.

me

as I have given

trouble, verified

with great trouble, because

elicited this information

bearing in mind the criticisms which

much

he, a contadino,

if

forbidden knowledge, and " accursed by the priests,"

it

often not

very accurately recorded what was told

because " Peppino

had to complain that he

which was

as regards possible imposture, or

names of the old Etruscan gods,

believe that the

exist,

still

was possible

hold myself responsible for nothing whatever, limiting

error, or lies, or mistakes, I

everything to this simple fact

by

it

But

I verified this as well as I could.

15

errors excepted

propose

it

and

seekers,

who may

language, and not accuse

civil

all

is

it

honest,

by other

as a guide to be followed

qualified scholars

only begging -them to do so in

that

correct

me

its

directly or

indirectly of recklessness or untruthfulness or carelessness.

And

a nice time they will have of

walked, in the paths which

is

have

trod.

her son,

if

they walk the ways which

have just heard that one old

book has died

woman who

a den of infamy, and that

who had been doing

three years for a murder,

" in the heat of passion," left prison.

There has always been a dread sense of the

existence of a Prefect and the police hovering like a dark shadow over

pursuing

my

among my Etruscan

researches

powers that be occasionally assumed a

far

vile

by

is

'

which

recorded in

is

Feliciter evasit

truly

quence of

fine,

and to

Folk-Lore."

gods

due

cited before the former, only escaping

my

diary as

"

Expenses

in collecting

escape the recovery of three lost Etruscan

this

having been

while

to them, unfortunately, these

There are records of several great works written

their authors

The manner

friends

me

more tangible form, and even the best

and most respectable among them was once

durance

have

in

several times cited as authority in this

on the day of her decease

it

prison

in

this portion of

of her death was characteristic, as described to

me by

my

book

"She was

another.

in conse-

all

is

her

life

very wicked old woman, believing nothing, and she died in extreme sin because she would hear nothing of
priest or prayer

and what was more, had

but which she would not return, and so I

watching by her, and the other one

and thinking

it

was the

this time, still thinking

nothing.

And

little
it

fell

all

my

biancheria (underclothing), which

lost it utterly.

asleep.

dog, grasped

it

and

cast

it

little

going to the bed she found that the old

"

Did she

die

had asked her

to keep,

the night she died there was another old

woman

After a while she was awakened by Something on her chest,

was the old woman's

.awakened the one sleeping."

And

a witch

"

from her, and slept again.

dog, searched

woman was
"

Sicurc

all

dead.

the

room

And

certainly."

it

And

it

came

closely for

was her

it,

soul

again,

and

but found

which had

INTRODUCTION.

16

was due to the author's keeping

believe the only literary labour described which

out of the penitentiary, which

and

is

more

far

must be candidly admitted

it

much

is

cleverer

difficult feat.

That there are a few decent Italians who know something of this witch-lore
by the shoemaker to whom I owe the legends of Ra and

proved, for instance,

But the

Bovo.

who

" witches,"

and

sorceries,

and prepare

fortunes

tell

relating to them, are chiefly in the

all

hands of

and charms, and who,

spells

far

from

being desirous of fame, or "greedy for glory as authority," rather shrink from
celebrity, albeit

sense of justice

Therefore

from no marked sense of modest merit, but rather from a vivid

that

in this

I,

is,

of the manner in which

book, have

may be due

thing of this

made no

may be meted

my

great parade of

out unto them.

Some-

authorities.

to the fact that, as chief of the English gypsies

or at

Gypsy-Lore Society, which amounts to the same

least as President of the English

thing

it

have a natural proclivity

for

ways that are dark and low

society, et cetera ;

may be

but so far as I
so, the spell was wrought by other hands than mine
manner of Folk-Lore cometh not from going among a poor but
virtuous peasantry, or by collecting penny broadsides, or walking in the paths of
grace according to the handbooks of criticism.
it

know,

this

Now,

to

meet

authenticity,

am

girls in panniers,

they were

sure,

but

queries from

one with the

what

it

it

would you more?

declare distinctly that, as regards

critics, I

man

I will assert
I

who was a beggar

As

nothing."

have given

while as for
it,

all

in

for the

So

is

one

whom

rest,

And

he being asked

carry in front, I

what you inquire

am

not

but as for the one

declare that, as for the

in front, I believe

the

all

by Panurge in the Chronicles

Paris, went about with two little

of the tale told

incline to believe that she really

England had sworn to

obtained

knew

one hung before and the other behind him.

Etruscan gods which

gathered as I

truly maids, replied, "

behind, of her

swear to

bring you not the metal, but rude ore

This worthy,

of Rabelais.

if

all

names of the

they are authentic, but do not

affirm nothing.

somebody would have denied

it

were not even bishops' daughters, albeit they

If all
;

the bishops in

and those from

may have

whom

been those of

priests.

For there has sprung up of

late years a decided

condemn books, no matter how valuable they may

just

as a friend of

mine treated

observation in the works of

has carried the Solar

Myth

De

all

tendency

in critics to utterly

be, for small faults or defects,

the vast mass of learning and ingenious

Gubernatis as worthless trash, because the Count

too

far.

To

all

such

can only say that they need

INTRODUCTION.
read no further in this work of mine, for
standard, nor to suit their ideas.

It is

it

17

not written for them, nor by their

is

simply the setting down of a quantity of

strange lore as given by certain old women, living or dead (among which latter
class divers deceased antiquaries)

The moral

of

very accurate in
truth

is

which

all

is

and further than

that

if

this the

deponent sayeth not

a work like the Algonkin Legends, which

save, perhaps, in a few very trivial details,

all

confirmed by a thunder-cloud of witnesses, can be openly accused in the

respects,

what may not be alleged or

was compiled,

said of this, which

and corrected under circumstances where

had, so to speak, to

feel

lurid fog of a sorcerers' sdbbat, in a bewildering, strangely scented

misled ever and anon by goblins' mocking

the wing, the hoots of owls

yea, and

in these

collected,

my way
"

witch-awra,"

the tittering cheeping of bats on

cries,

as the

in

it

go blindly

feeling

my way

the corner of one ruined conjecture to another, ever apprehending that

found a mare's-nest
?

Now,

of folly and
honesty,

it

as

it is

or,

no

falsehood,

may

well

from
have

be accused in high places before the world

when the author has done

be understood that as

not in the same boat with an

critic

text

more properly, that of a nightmzxe of the most evasive

light thing to

apprehension of the igneous element," so

the captious

in the

the rocking of the earth itself

abundantly witnesseth, seeing how often

is

is

and whose absolute

two leading Folk-Lore journals of England and America of sinning

kind

"

by admitting

be others of these noble souls to

I,

"

work with very

his

knowing very

well that a crafty Italian

honest Injun," naturally take precautions against

all possible imperfections.
cry,

"Qui

s'exaise, s'accuse."

be, as ever.

Ah

well,

and

let

them cry

There never yet was

it

an they

will

petty spy did

castle built so fair,

So strong, or deeply founded, but some

Or

careful

the combusted infant manifests

worm

his

way

therein.

thief

To which

there will

Certainly there will

CHAPTER
TlNIA.

I.

TINIA.
and a paper of old bronze medals.

lituus,

two or three pence each

knew

as

pleased

that the blue-eyed dealer

examination
i.

found that

these I took twelve, paying for them

realised several

hundred per

smiles, I

On

cent, profit.

the brazen Pietro Aretino had struck in his own

Divus P. Aretinus flagellum Ptincipum, of which I had
and would have given twopence any day to behold.

inscription,

often read but never seen,

very good bronze of Julius Caesar

man

but the great

3.

The bronze medal, which

honour with the

2.

Of

and as the price was accepted with

had

had bought

the

reverse utterly

hammered

flat,

himself fine and bold.

Nero Claudius

Caesar.

gold-like bronze,

good preservation

in

the

wicked eye and bull neck to perfection.

4.

Greek medal

strange old

reverse, apparently three

Lares.

"Witch-money"

Graces,

in

hard white bronze of Lusoti Basileos,

with the word Apol, and beneath

medal of 1544, perfect, representing a Cardinal who, reversed,

with cap and bells, with the motto, Et Stulti aliquando sapite.
5.

That

all

other lore which

in

which

have got together

Roman

old

me was

struck

and the manner

find,

down from

were interesting and curious, but

What

them.

catalogue

whole

do

will

times

some

been

Gothic church
of the

away

scaled
;

to restore

others, like the Julius,

the

was obtained, to the legends and

come

These, too, have

in these pages.

and worn, some,

like the

more's

the

even as an English curate "restores" a

have only a

one

Catholic-Heathen Renaissance

same elements of

a jester

the remarkable resemblance of

it

are sadly battered

it,

is

do not propose to

Nero, have been covered with a rich olive patina, which has again
pity!

Dionuso

so-called here.

slight

a Leo

is

I.

^n^-rust

some

are

in short, there are the

society in the one as in the other, Christian

and Heathen

Lares turned to goblins, Dionysius-Faflon, witch-money, vulgarity, and Imperial

grandeur.

And

they were

picked up, the medley like the medals, both bearing legends,

all

women who were

from poor peasant

origin, save that there

there will be
classic

many

remains

was something of sorcery

knows the people would say

peasant

may

corresponding to them

minute

it

fragments

it

all.

say this because

this.

but no native Italian scholar

For here

in

old Decretals, and Dantes, and

a wheelbarrow, you

in

to think that I have been over-keen to find antiquity and

in these literary

girl selling

in blessed ignorance as to their classical

find in her mind,

and,

will occur to

Italy, just

Roman

one

as

may

who

find

lamps, and medals from

deeply rusted and battered remains

indeed, things far older.

you that the bronze of

my

For

if

you

Julius Caesar

will reflect

medal may have

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

20

come from melting some

ere ever

medal or object which was primaevally

other coin or

he who bestrode the world,

bronze, the older

night of time.

it

may be

True

it

is

so

it

like a Colossus,

may

was born.

befall that these

The

T1NIA.

ruder a

rough legends touch the

that there are rude things also of later date,

APLU.

old,

and such

TRAM6.

often occur and are intermingled in this collection, and I also admit that with

few books at

my command,

and discovery very

I

far.

have not been able to push the process of analysis

But there

have conjectured wrongly.

will

will

be no lack of others to correct

now proceed

to one of

my

first

me where

discoveries.

TINIA.

21

HEINE has shown in his Gods in Exile, how the old classic deities came
down in the world after being dethroned. Had he been aware of the humble
condition to which they have been reduced in Tuscany he could have added much
curious confirmation of his view.

"The
Jupiter, the

Etruscans," writes

Ottfried Muller, "adored

and who was often called

leading deity,

Tina was therefore the highest of

Tinia.

was honoured

in

Let us begin with Jupiter

gods

their

so,

who

who was compared to

was known

the

in Tuskish

as

Roman
Tina or

the central point of the whole world of deities.

Rome at

every Tuscan city, as in

a god

but

least since the times of the

Lightning was,
Juno and Minerva in the temple of the citadel.
he is the god who speaks in it and descends in it to earth."

in the

Tuscan

He

Etruscan kings, with

art,

ever in his hands

Do you know the name of Tinia?" I asked of my witch authority, who

knows not only the popular names of the current Tuscan mythology, but the
more recondite terms preserved among the strege, or sorceresses.
"

Tignia or Tinia

vil one.

And

He

does

(i.e.,

Yes.

Tinia

is

moment

a great folletto

It is

much harm.

then bethinking

as one waits a
"

St, e

grande,

ma

whom

one has

"

but an

cattivo."

called, she

the spirit of the thunder and lightning and

powerful).

"
;

memory

awaiting the expected

herself, after a pause,

for a child

" (a spirit, or goblin)

hail.

resumed

He

is

very great

"

Should any peasant ever curse him, then when a temporale, or

great storm, comes he appears in the lightning, and bruccia tutta la raccolta, spoils
all

the crop.

"Should the peasant understand why

fields
field

he knows

it

was

or vineyard, and calls

"

'

Folletto Tinia, Tinia, Tinia

ti

Che
Si

ti

Non

mi raccomando
tu

mi voglia perdonare,

ho maladetto,
lo

ho

fatto

Per cattiva intenzione,

Lo ho

fatto soltanto

In atto di collera,

Se tu mi

farei

Tornare una buona raccolta.

'

midnight to the middle of the

at

("

happened and who ruined the

this

Then he goes

Tinia.

Folletto

Tigna

Sempre

ti

benedico

Spirit Tinia, Tinia,

"

!
'

Tinia

commend me

Unto thee

That thou

wilt

pardon me.

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

22

have cursed thee

If I

did not do

With
did

it

will.

ill

only

it

In act of anger

thou wilt give

If

me

a good harvest,

Spirit Tinia,
will ever bless thee

This,

god

is

There

often found on mirrors.

is
is

still

Jove

When

the

modern Tinea with the ancient

name

occurs only once as

Tina.

very interesting to learn that an invoca-

It is

exists as a real thing,

still

and

that, after

a humble

worshipped.

another invocation to the thunder and lightning, but

connected with this deity.

"

Muller

According to

tion to the Etruscan

fashion, he

")

'

think, establishes the identity of the

of thunder.

His form

It is as follows

it

is

not

fails,"

in

La

you see thunder and lightning you should say

" Santa Barbara, benedetta,

'

Liberateci dalla saetta,

dal gran tuono

Santa Barbara e San Simone,

San Simone e San Eustachio,

Sempre

Or

io

English freely rendered

in

'
'

mi raccomando

And

Simon

Barbara

Simon too

is,

commend myself

believe

on the whole, the most to be

rapidly,

that

away

as

it

to a strega,

is,

the

if

the other

spirits,

It is true that

it

or ancient gods,
is

departing very

know the chief names and

exist.
Ten years hence some

still

names of the gods

will

few among

have utterly passed

the oldest peasants, or

the knowledge as a secret.

Strangely allied to Tinia

is

of

faithful still

they are only known to a

who keeps

'
!

"one good
that

invocations, yet, after slender fashion, they

of the most important of these

you

to

relied on.

and that now only a few of the

skies,

likewise

distinct religions,
still

me away

the shafts from

from thunder in the

Saint Eustace and

Romagna, and many

'

Saint Barbara, the blest, I pray,

Keep

For there are two

"

is

the herb or plant of the

popularly regarded with great respect from

its

same name, which

superior magic qualities.

It is,

TINIA.
in fact, a spirit

me, and with

itself.

was obtained

it

received the following

it

specimen of

23

" The plant Tigna should be held of great account, because when one
{Tinia) this herb should be put in a

"

When

Tigna begins to vex a family

morning the sign of the

and say

cross

"

'

bag and always worn, and

little (red)

terrible.

is

it

in

Rocca Casciano

for

Then with

is afflicted

specially

this plant

by the

spirit

Tigna

on children's necks.

we

should

make every

Padre in pace se ne vada

Per mezzo di questa erba,
Quella testa in Tigna.
Figlio in pace sene vada,

Quello spirito maligno,

Spirito in carna ed ossa,

In pace te ne possa,

Te ne possa andare
Amenne per mezzo di

questa erba

In casa mia piu tu non possa entrare,

forza di farmi del

Piu non avrai

male

"
'

This incantation, which was either imperfectly remembered, and

in a
for

somewhat broken form

many

years),

may

(as

is

let

By means

English as follows

in

depart in peace,
of this herb,

That witness
Son,

certainly

the case with others which had not been recalled

be rendered
" Father,

is

(bears)

Tigna

depart in peace

let

That malignant
Spirit, in flesh

spirit

and bones

In peace thou shalt not go,

Until by means of this herb

Thou

shalt

no longer enter

my

house,

And no longer have power

To do me harm "
!

"And

never forget to bless yourself with this herb."

Tigna, as the reader

Vivo

as

"

The

conoscie tutt'ora,

may

recall

from the Preface, was

great folletto of lightning,

is

one of the deities

still

who

known."

who

His existence

are rapidly passing,

testified to

by V. Del

has been long in Dovadola,

is

well confirmed, but he

is still

and who are now known to very

feared than loved

e si

few.

and the Tinia

is on the whole far more

was altogether a deity who was, unlike Jupiter, one of horror and
Etruscans
of the
Nearly all the deities of the Etruscans were as compared to the Grsecodread.

That he

is

manifest,

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

24

Roman

of

a horrible or malevolent nature, and a number of them wielded

thunder and dealt largely in storms and

TERAM6

hail.

(turus;

All of which in due proportion the

mercury).

reader will find to be the case with the spirits which exist in popular belief at
the present day in

La Toscana Romagna.

T&RAMO.
be observed that the name of Tinia, or

It is to

legends as that of a great and wealthy lord

Thus

country.

25

in the tale of

La

equivalent,

its

un milionario

question

down

is

Pitr<,

called " II Sor Pasquale

a deus ex machina, or higher power,

is

exploited for the benefit of the poor hero.

is

Tuscan

In both the English and Italian stories the mysterious and unseen,

or hidden Marquis, like the Sor di Tigna,

who

in

richest in all the

Golpe in the Novelle Popolare Toscane of

the Marquis of Carabas in the Italian Puss and Boots

del Tigna."

found

is

the

when we

in the

we have

conjecture that

do not think

him a god

in

forcing the

it is

in exile, or

one come

world
" Fallen,

fallen, fallen, fallen,

Fallen from his high estate.

Teram6.
The

following account of this

reasons very interesting

" Teram6

is

But

ragionano di spargere sangtte).

not see

him but only a shadow.

opera e

io

not forget to help the poor

if

" But if they intend

" With merchants,

And

busy.

Or

says,

in peace

spilling

be found out,

a band of ladri, or robbers, meet in

'

Giovanelti

Do

afraid,

this

and

and you

I will

{se

non

always there, though they do

boys, get to work,

and do not be

e cost

is

help

I will

will not

youpresto

all'

be discovered, but do

show you myself what

to do

but

and so you will enjoy nothing.'

non godrete niente

blood he will probably put their victims on guard, and cause their arrest.

or dealers,

if

one had

sometimes he played roguish

cattle or

tricks, as

anything of the kind to

when one had a very

handsome young man, and

sell,

Teramo was always

pretty wife or daughter he

so delude her that the affair ended by

two

would go
in a bed.
-

a merchant agreed to deliver goods to a customer at a certain time, and broke his appointment, Te'ramo

if

would make the goods disappear, and the man

be under no necessity of paying money.
'

'

TMramo

is

Or

if

to

whom

they were promised would find them in his house, and

he had paid he got the goods.

also a spirito messagiero, a spirit of messengers,

to another or from

one who carries notices or news from one

But

one part of the world to another very quickly.

to

"

When

and pray

any one, say a

to Te'ramo,

thief or lover, wishes to send

and say

Teram6, or Hermes, true

news

thief, or

to a friend,

always concerned with

" The babe was born

at the first

He began playing on the

And the same evening he
Apollo's herds.

'

cattle.

peep of day

lyre at

noon,

did steal

away

such as are his friends.

he must go into a

to his first impulses, is

city

have his aid one must be one of his

kind (bastara pero & farsi prendere da lui o sinpatia), such as a statesman or

authorities,

Forli, is for several

always present to aid, unless they intend murder

are in such great need.

shall

to the house disguised as a very

is

no violence of that kind be meant, he

Then he

work

who

you forget charity then you

if

When

and merchants.

to arrange a theft, Te'ramo

sono in vostro aiuto

from

living not very far

spirit favourable to thieves

some secluded place

which was obtained from several

spirit,

woman

but especially from an old

cellar

by night

'

'

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

26

"

'

Teram6, Te'ramo, as
That you are

And may

my

is true,

it

friend I pray to you,

message which

this

Quickly and safely reach

its

" Then the one praying takes a pigeon, and fastens his note to

"

" But one should never

This

last

'

I send,

end
its

wing, or neck, and says

Go fly afar for me

And Teram6 keep you company

forget the spirit Te'ramd

'

" (Sempre pero rammentarsi dello stirito di TiramS).

exhortation means that one should never forget to

make

the proper

invocation or address to him at proper times.

We

have here evidently enough Mercury, "the guardian deity of the mercatores

who was the swift-footed messenger

knew nothing of such a name as
Mercurio, let me twist it as I would. But it may be that we have here in Te>am6
" In Etruria," writes
the old Etruscan name for Mercury, very much changed.
PRELLER {Rom. Myth. p. 597,) " the Greek Hermes was called Turms, which is
and

collegii

of the gods

mercatorum" as well as of

who

although those

thieves,

told the tale

formed from the Greek name, just as Turan came from Urania."

Turms

or

Turmus would be

Romagnolo, with

The

its

That

is

to say,

the harshly accented

in

prolonged R, would naturally pass to Turamo.

reader must not neglect to observe the pious adjuration at the end of the

communication.

It is

a strange reflection that there are

religious sentiments for the son of Jupiter

As

Turmo, which

Italianised to

the

name

the fact that what

of
I

Teram6 was of importance,

have given

is

spirit of

years."

And,

special pains

As the

authentic.

people

who

cherish

were taken to verify

reader will have seen by the

San Benedetto the deeds of Teram6,

Preface, Tito Forconi testified that at

guardian

still

and Maia.

merchants, thieves and messengers,

since then, others have testified to

"

have been related for

He

knowing him.

is,

as

many

however,

one among those who are rapidly becoming unknown or forgotten, save by a few
1

" Teramo, Teramo, Teramo

Che tu

credo fra questi esserci

Io pure e

non mi

vorrai abbandonare

Questa notizia nella

Di farmi
"

cosi

si

presentera un columbo,

"

si

'

ai le sinpatie

lega a

tal citta,

arrivare.

lui al

un

collo

foglio scritto, a

Vai vola, lontan lontano

Che

lo spirito di

Ti accompagnia

Teramo

!'

"

si

dice

BUSCHET.
old people, as Peppino declared
priests

who

being,

suppose, naturally obnoxious to the

"

love no rivals in granting pardons to thieves, camorrists, &c.

nebulo Mercurius," says Lactantius,

fraudum suarum

"

famem

quid ad

Fur ac

memoriam

sui reliquit, nisi

"

worth remarking that

It is

27

had most trouble to

collect evidence of the

existence of the few special names such as Tignia, Faflon, and Teramo, which
" It is well, since

were, however, of the most importance.

you came when you

that

most of these names

an informant,

did," said

will

person of

who was

was by a remarkable chance that

all

others

who had an

because in a few years' time

says

and had been taught the old names of

in vain for the best part of

perhaps worth mentioning

in

what

But

spirits

for this " find " I

and

might

have here given.

connection with

Teramd

once Teramus

whom Lucan

was an old Scythian god, Tliaramis, of

Pharsal.)

1.

(1.

"Et Tharamis

He
gives

Scythicae

non mitior

am

Diana.

1 '

appears to have been a Celtic god, worshipped by the Britons.

Selden

an inscription connecting Tharamis deabus matribus, with the maternal

deities,

which would identify him, not with Jove, but Mercury.

god, and any possible connection with Teiamo, there

On

sincerely

innate love of sorcery, strange tales, and old songs,

herself a fortune-teller,

It is

And

upon, in 'Florence, the one

I hit

innumerable incantations by a witch foster-mother.

that there

such things,

for

will survive.

it

it

have sought

you care

have been forgotten by everybody."

believe that ten years hence not a tenth part of

And

"

is

really

Etruscan mirrors, says Dennis, the name of this god

Thurms,

in

one case he

Etrus. Spiegel,

ii.,

is

called

He was

plate 182).

gods (Serv. ad ^En.

ii.,

Turms

is

Aitas, or the infernal

associated

But of

this Celtic

no proof whatever.
generally

Turms

or

Mercury (Gerhard.

by Tarquin with the

three great

296).

BUSCHET.
This narrative was given as a conclusion to that of Teramo with which,
however,
"The

it

spirit

daughters then

"

Now

has very

went well (with him),

if

there were none there

was a merchant who had a very

nor enter the house.

a chest, and kept

connection

Buschet was always a companion with Teramo in

all

there

little

it

For she had had a

secretly

Then he thought he would

lover,

under her bed.

all

If

man had

beautiful daughter, but Buschet could not prevail

and when he died, she had

And

his dealings.

pretty

was mischief.

his

body turned

to stone,

upon

and put

her,
it

in

Buschet could not enter a house in which there was a corpse.

sing a song which would alarm her

so great was the love which she had for the dead man.

but she was not to be frightened at anything,

'

:;

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

28
" And he began

to sing

" Oh,

rose, oh, lovely rose

Because thou

To

be a rose indeed

Oh, beauty,

And

fain

And

yet

for so I call thee,

thou dost seem

and since

thou'rt fair,

would press thee

would

to

my

lips,

kiss thee sweet. 1

seems to

it

art so fair that

me an

evil thing

That thou hast a dead lover 'neath thy bed,

'Tis not a fitting

Knew

it

was

tomb, and

if

there, ah, then

thy father

what would he say

Tell me, poor girl

warn thee now, and

thee what to do

tell

Take that dead lover from beneath thy bed

Take him away. The devil else will come.

Thou

art in

Now

thou art warned

" But she paid no heed to

body of her

lover.

deadly danger

nor was she at

this,

so beware,

frightened, but

all

Then Buschet went and sang under

"'Oh, good merchant,

the

window

'neath thy

went to pray, as was her wont, over the

of her father

window

a small, slomello,

I will sing

And

Now

will listen to

hope that you, with patience,

Otherwise

ween

my

ditty

that you'll repent

it

2
!

Well thou knowest that thy daughter

For a year has kept her chamber

Thou didst think she was

Or perhaps a real angel,

And

did'st

so saint-like,

always speak so well of her

But instead of

good merchant,

that,

Know that she betrays youtruly

I am grieved that I must tell you
All her

And

life is

given to

evil,

she covers you with great dishonour.

" Rosa, o bella Rosa cosi

Perche

Un

siei

vero

tanto bella

fior di rosa,

e quanto siei

Bella vorrei posarti sopra

E
'

ti

vorrei bacciar

" Sotto
'

chiamo,

ti

mi sembri,

Iabbri miei,

"
!

alia tua finestra,

buon' mercanta, una piccola

Stornello vengo a cantare

Spero che mi vorrei ascoltare,

Altrimenti te ne vorrai pentire.'

;;

ktJSCHET.
Go
Go

chamber;

into thy daughter's

at ten,

and

29

you'll not find her

Sleeping in her bed, but kneeling

O'er a chest which holds a dead

Turned

to stone

Bear away

Hide

it

Knew

once that

at

quickly, for

of

it

man

shame and sorrow

oh,

if

for

you

coffin,

Justice

you'd come to trouble

As you know, and

that full quickly,

All occasioned by your shameless daughter.'

Hearing

the merchant, rising,

this,

Sought the chamber of

Oped

his daughter,

the door and found her praying,

Praying o'er her stone-cold lover,

And he asked

And

all

how

her

the dead

man came

there ?

wailing, thus she answered

who

'This was he

Ah, too dearly

Every night we

me

loved

here
slept

dearly

together

morning,

till

But one night he died in

my

embraces.

And

I did as God inspired me,

From my chamber he should never
More be borne, for I would have him

Here

to pray for, ever loving,

Now

he

is

dead

is

it

no

sin to kiss him.'

But the father would not

To

Little cared

So

listen

her wailing nor entreaty

at

he for her sorrow,

once they bore the lover

Off and placed him in the campo santo.

So of course Buschet was happy.

Time passed

on, in time she listened

For a pastime

to his singing

Listening, she forgot her lover,

And

This

is

the end was that the spirit triumphed."

a very close translation both as regards words and metre, though

wants the delicate grace of the original

The

reader cannot

craft,

to observe in

it,

in

which

this "

lover, forgets

him

is

human

feeling,

spirit

of witch-

and the extraordinary

poor simple Isabel," after such exquisite devotion to the

for Buschet.

so entirely different that

sympathy

it

original recalls the Pot of Basil.

however, the wild, uncanny

the utter want of a proper moral or

manner
dead

fail

which

it

is

But to the witch

all

of this suggests something

almost impossible to explain

with the goblin or god

he

is

it.

Her

feeling or

to her like the Indian deity

and the

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

30

The

bayadere, in Goethe's poem.

through

fire

Buschet.
the

to rise to heaven

girl is

supposed

some impresario would

have given

There

fit

ballad to pass

her for the spirit

woman who gave

the

it

to me.

or the plot of the Indian play Vasanoff

any stage

it

was soon

over Europe and America.

Perhaps

it

would be hissed

This suggested to some French manager an idea, and

Paris.

brought out, and had an immense success

German

the triumph of his unscrupulous sorcerer's cunning which pleases

It is

Romagnolo poet, and which interested

Apropos of the Dieu et la Bayadere,

tasena which Heine declared was so immoral that

in

in the

so here she endures a penance to

the

is

it

here

all

True,

like to try Buschet.

but a vivid

midnight prayer over the dead

Mephistophelean song to the

and

father,

not so very improper, as

is

it

may make wonders

French imagination

lover, the

of

it.

demon's serenade, the

What an

finally the great love scene.

opportunity for a dramatic poet

This incident of the

girl

who

has kept in a coffin her dead lover, over

whom

she nightly mourns, bears a great resemblance to a tale in the Arabian Nights'
Entertainments, " where a beautiful princess,

body of her negro

by her magic

lover,

art, in

who

with the kisses of despair, and which she would

love,

wake from the twilight-dimmering

which Heine remarks

tale,

"

Even

fain,

was

became

it

Of

Arabian

only remains to be remarked that " Hermes and Apollo in the myths
fast friends"

{The Etruscans, by John Fraser, B.A.).

identity between the names.

quite possible, nor

Hermes

life."

struck, in reading the

of TeYamo, would therefore be Aplu, Aplus, or Apollo

is

and covers

truth of

full

with this picture of passionate and incomprehensible love."

It

life,

greater magic of

by the

half-death to the

boy

as a

also a sorceress, keeps the

is

a kind of apparent

is

it

but

Buschet, as the ally

cannot establish any

Romagnola termination, and Apluschet

more remote from the original than Tram6 from
Schet

but guess-work like this

is

is

hardly philological. Apollo, like Buschet, had

a great antipathy for corpses and pestilence.

Impusa della Morte.

" Vidi un Fantasma,

Che richiamo

in disusato aspetto,

dal suo furor la mente,

Mirabil mostro, e mostruoso oggetto.

Donna

giovin di viso, antica d' anni."

Satire di Salvator Rosa.

The Impusa
terrible
'

sorceress,

della

Morte

much

is

Heine's Shakespeare's Maidens and

W. Heinemann.

1891.

probably the

There

dreaded.

Women

Empusa

is

of the Greeks.

short

She

is

saying, or invocation,

Desdemona. Translated by Charles G. Leland.

London

IMP USA DELL A MORTE.

addressed to her

"

Impusa

Morte me destavo

della

31

(or,

mi

svegliavo

/)."

She

Of

appears, as a wandering beggar, to be confused with Feronia of the Markets.

her

learned

" Impusa (also called Infrusa and Infusd) was a witch, so wicked that she did all the harm she could,
nd was so avaricious that she would not give a soldo even to any one who had earned it. However, this old
witch owned a fine castle, but would not suffer even one of her own relations to enter it, for fear lest they

should carry something away.

was
all

She died

at last

and before she departed she concealed

scarcely dead before all the palace shook as

by an earthquake, and there was a

if

window was

the devils from hell were around, and then the

hand a crow

(cornacchia),

churchyard which

" The
buried in

is

and

this

was attached.

which went to

soul,

flung wide open,

but

and there flew from her

They buried her

hell.

her riches

in that corner of the

kept for the unbaptised.

palace remained, with

it.

was her

all

rattling of chains as

little

furniture, unoccupied,

though

And some of those who entered it died of fright.

And to him she appeared one midnight, and said

was known

it

Yet

this

"

'

Nipotino, bel nipotino,

Per

bene che

il

Levami

ti

ho voluto

di queste pene,

Perchio no ho bene,

Fino che

non

tu

Scoperto

mio

il

Io sono la tua

La

avrai
tesoro,

zia,

tua zia Infrusa,

Cosi cosi mi chianio

Essendo sempre

la Infrusa,

ma

Col mio danaro,

Tu

se

avrai tanto coraggio

Di scoprire

Che ho

tesoro,

il

nascosto, io saro

Felice, e tu sarai

Ricco,

Che

ma

ti

raccomando,

tu abbia coraggio

non sparventarvi, perche

Tutti quelli che son' morti,

Sono morti per

'

nephew,

Little

By

me from

And

Suffer

Where
I

the pain I suffer

till

it

am

thou hast discovered

was

I hid

La

Infrusa with

To

treasure
;

me, being always

my money

thou hast only courage

discover

Which

my

thy aunt Infrusa

I call

if

must endure the torment,

So
But

young nephew,

the good I ever wished thee,

Free

For

fair

la paura.'

all

the treasure

I buried,

then

I truly

that great treasure

witch had a nephew to

whom

was
she

"

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

32

Shall be happy, and thou also

Wilt be rich

That

need thy utmost courage

thou'lt

but this

In that search

And

I tell

many

full

thee

perished,

they died from naught but terror.')

" Then the nephew of the Infrusa went to sleep in the palace, and he made a good

good wine and food, and

chimney,

'

Butto

('

sat

by the

Shall I throw

and

fire

And he

?
')

But

ate.

replied,

Throw away

'

a man's leg, then a foot, an arm, a hand, and head, and so

thrown they reunited and made twelve men, who

them

if

!
'

When

there

and provided

down

the

was thrown down

first

And when

the parts of twelve men.

all

stood looking at him.

all

fire

midnight he heard a voice howl

just at

all

were

But he, cool and calm, asked

they would like to eat or drink.

" And they answered, Come with us

But he replied, I have eaten and drunk, and do not wish to
go.'
Then they took him on their shoulders, and bore him far down into a vault, and took spades, and bade
him choose one and dig. And he replied, I have eaten and drunk, and am willing.' Then they all dug
together when at last they came, indeed, to the treasure, and it was very great. Then one said to him
!

'

'

'

'

"

Va

'

a letto, tu che sei

II

padrone del tesoro,

E
E

di questo bel palazzo,

di tutte queste richezze,

Per

tuo gran coraggio

il

Infrusa

la tua zia

ma

Stara in pace,

Sempre un
Tutte

Go

ma

egoista,

Sarei sempre

'

vedere

essendo

I suoi danari,

("

to bed,

che verra

folletto,

le notte a

Tanto

sar'a

il

tu

padrone.'

now thou

art

master

Of the palace and the treasure

By thy courage thou hast won them,
;

And

at last

thy aunt Infrusa

Rests in peace, yet ever will be

Through

all

Every night

This

is

time
she'll

Her

old treasure

But

thou'lt ever

wandering

come
'tis

spirit

to look at

her nature

be the master.'")

a variation of a well-known Italian " fairy tale," but

in this connection as indicating the character of the Impusa.

its rude poetry, that this may be a very ancient version of the

There

is

a point to be observed that in

the kind, the witch

is

this,

as in

all

it

In other narratives she

she can put off the witch-power on another.

from

tale.

other Tuscan tales of

freed from her sufferings as soon as she

the responsibility of her treasure.

has some value

It is possible,

is

at

is

relieved from

peace as soon as

SIERO.
has been suggested to

It

me

the Greek account of Empusa,

that in

33

all this,

who had one

name

only the

leg of an ass

is in

All of which should be carefully considered by the investigator.

name

able that the

is

common

and the other of

not remark-

It is

much

Greek, since the Tusci had from the earliest times

intercourse with Greece, and,

what

more

is

to be considered, that the

popular in Italy at a later date as that of a bug-bear

with

brass.

name became

which was one of the

spirit

minor faun-like gods.

Thus in a very curious and rare work, entitled, Idea del

Giardino del Mondo, by Tommaso Tomai of Ravenna (second edition), Venice
1690, there is mention of " demons called incubi, succubi, or empedusi, and other
lemuri, who are enamoured of men or women." What is indeed remarkable in
these Tuscan names is that there has been on the whole so little change in them.
of

It is

little

matter that the Impusa does not appear in the modern account with

one foot of brass or

like that of

an ass (alterum vero habeat aeneum aut asininum

Suidas), since during the Middle

Ages the word was

Lamia, Lemur, or witch of any kind.

for

Empusa

same with Lemures and

as being the

often used as a

synonym

If Italian writers could describe the

Incubi,

mere peasants should have applied the name quite

it

not remarkable that

is

as loosely.

SlERO.

Siero, in the modern Tuscan mythology,

mischievous

him

" ~Whea{Siero

from the goblin.

"Then

angry with a peasant's family, and the head of

is

(Latin,

when

but

serum

the peasant, to

to be used

it is

; Italian, siero

make

daughter, Siero laughs, and says,

bless

me

'

If

let

if

me

it

is

it

goes to milk the

cattle,

he draws what
it is

so-called

whey, buttermilk.)
if

the contadino has a pretty daughter, cries,

But

girl less ugly,

and had mocked

me

less, I

so plain, I cannot revenge myself for all the

the peasant has girls neither pretty nor plain, then Siero calls,

every day, I will

Of

or Siera.

turns to green water, for which reason

sleep one night with your daughter.'

you had a

But since your daughter

And

said of me.'

same name,

matters right again in his house, implores Siero to be favourable.

make you happy; but you must

you prosperous.

a folletto cattivo birbone a very

which the goblin comes and knocks at the house-door, and

I will

is

also a feminine of the

is

have the following account

appears to be very fine milk

There

evil spirit.

make you happy

but should you forget

it,

you

'

will

If

if

'

Yes,

he has a plain

would have made

ill

you

Upon

things you have

will

remember

to

be wretched while you

live.'"

With
aspirated
sorcerer,
I

Tuscan

ck'),

of

now become an

do not pretend

deities,

in

Siero was associated Chuculvia, or Ck'uch'ulvia

but

Muller'S

whom

all

evil spirit.

(with

the strongly

could learn that he was on earth a great

He

is

a kind of bugbear.

to suggest that these are descendants or forms of Etruscan

would point out a very singular coincidence of names

Etrusker, vol.

ii.,

p.

no

note.

in

a passage

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

34
"
fury,

On

a vase there

is

a goddess of death, Astra,

Tu^uxla (Tuchulcha), with a

a picture on a wall in the tomb

There

is

bird's beak, lashes

dell'

who

flourishes

an axe over the head of Amphiarus.

with snakes Theseus, condemned to the lower world, in

Oreo, in Corneto."

probably nothing whatever

in this similarity of

names

but

it

is

worth noting.

Norcia, the Goddess of Truffles.

" Ye

elves of hills, brooks, standing lakes

And

Do chase
When he

the ebbing Neptune, and do fly

comes back

By moonshine do

him

you demi-puppets, that

the green-sour ringlets

Whereof the ewe not

Is to

and groves,

ye that on the sands with printless foot

bites

make

and you whose pastime

make midnight mushrooms."

The Tempest, Act

v., s.

I.

" Nortia was the goddess of destiny."History of Etruria, Thos. Hamilton Gray.

HERE

whom

posed

be

to

dis-

is

troublesome.

of her specialities

and

distract

disturb

when hunting
It

rural

could learn

save that she

little,

One

Tuscan

is

sprite of

may

to

truffles.

be that she has more

work

dignified

Her

for

is

dogs

name

at other times.

Norcia,

is

or

Nortia was of yore

Nortia.

a very great Etruscan goddess

to

Fortuna, according

MULLER.

Her temple

Roman

anti-

by the calendar

nails

was known to
quaries

driven in
in

it.

An

inscription

hexameters from Volsci-

(Burmann,

nium
Lat.,-

cl.

i,

Anthol.

cp. xix., p.

57)

begins with " Nortia te veneror lare cretus Volsiniensi."

But

find

no

truffles in all

NORCIA, THE GODDESS OF TRUFFLES.

NORTIA.

From

Museum

of Gori (in which the head

Another is given by Gerhard.

the Etruscan

is

wanting).

35

";

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

36
this patf,

only the reflection that the peasantry everywhere bring

True,

to small uses.

and that

is

we have two goddesses

of the

same name

down

in the

great gods

same country,

something.

Since writing the foregoing,

"

when a

learn that

in discovering the precious tartufi,

truffle-hunter has

he addresses his dog thus

cane, cane chi da

me

siei

no fortune

tanto amato,

La fortuna tu mi ai levato,
Non trovandomi piu i tartufi,
Dunque cane, o mio bel cane,

folletta di

Che

tartufi

Norcia va
ti

a raccomodare

ti

faccia ritrovare,

cosi io lo potro tanto ringraziare,

Che
("

Oh

la fortuna

dog,

my

mi voglia

truffles

So then
For

if

to

me

dog, so dear to

We're out of luck

No

ridare

I plainly see

hast thou found to-day,

Norcia go and pray

her favour

we

implore,

She'll grant us truffles in such store,

Fortune will smile

By an
are round
P-

for

evermore.")

extraordinary coincidence truffles are also called

and

small.

And

after

all, it is

altggether possible

nails, as their

231).

"And,

or even probablethat

the Truffles has nothing whatever to do with Nortia, but takes her

town of Norcia, or Norchia, famous

However,

friend suggests.

Of which

the town of
scholiast
to,

heads

Norcia was identified with nails (Preller, Myth.

find in
'

Norchia

on Juvenal

or deriving

was

it

all

the principal

'

(x.

may

Norcia of
the

So a very learned
Etruscan gods gave names to towns.

for its pigs

Dennis's Etruria

and

this

name from

(vol.

i.,

p.

its truffles."

204) that " Orioli suggests that

be identical with Nyrtia, mentioned by the ancient

74) as a town, the birthplace of Sejanus, giving

from, the goddess Nortia, or Fortuna."

As

its

I said, this

name

goddess

identified with nails, because in her

drove a nail

temple at Vulsinii every year the priest

into the door, to serve as a kind of register (Preller).
It may seem

ridiculous to connect this with the slang

such similes are

common among

name

for

mushrooms and

truffles

but

the people, and they never perish.

may be remarked here that Saint Antony is invoked when seeking truffles
Roman Catholic turn of mind. But Norcia, as a goddess of the
may be supposed to know better where they are to be found for she was

It

by peasants of a
earth,

unquestionably of the under-world, and a form of Persephone.

Nortia

is

still

very generally

known

in

La Romagna,

as peasants certified.

APLU.

her

Of

one thing there can be no doubt

specialty

is

make

to

'

midnight

mushrooms."

Aplu.
" Sadly is gazing Phoebus Apollo,
The youthful his lyre sounds no more
Which once rang with joy at the feasts
;

of the gods.''

The Gods of

Greece,

" The name of the Greek God Apollon frequently occurs on Etruscan bronze mirrors
Uber die Sprache der Etrusker, by

Aplu."

When

my

W. Corssen,

vol.

i.,

It is true that its

palace.

vast and dismal rooms were

within

mobiglia, placed at such distances from one another

-which

had been sketched by no mean hand

Tasso)

and

though the bare stone

as

supplied with
to be hardly

But there were frescoes on the walls

unless they called very loudly.

call,

found

splendour had sadly departed.

utterly unfurnished, or

either

what had been, some three or four

chief authority in ancient lore, installed in

inferior

as Aplun, Apulu,

p. 846.

returned to Florence in November, 1891, after some research

hundred years ago, a

The

by H. HEINE.

(they

set forth

charming scenes from

suggested a dreary

floors

cellar,

there was a

walled-up fireplace, over which rose a boldly arched and curved remainder of a fine

Renaissance focolare.

single

window badly

which there was absolutely not a single

and two

From

chairs.

that

window

had come to

collect

very

article of furniture, save a small table

sketched the fourteenth-century statue of

Everything was

a rain-worn saint on an opposite wall.

which

lighted a great, grim apartment in

old,

in

keeping with the lore

rubbed-down, and degraded from

its

high

estate.

asked the Strega if she knew the name of Aplu. It was known to her,
awoke some shadowy reminiscences but she said that she must consult a
" It would come with
vecchia, an old woman of her acquaintance, regarding it.
I

and

it

And

talking."

" Aplu
evilly of

is

spirit

this

who

was the

result of the consultation

greatly loves hunters.

But

if

they,

when they have bad

luck in the chase, speak

him, then in the night he comes and pulls the bed-clothes from them, and gives them dreams of

Then he sits on them in nightmare, and the

air, and having a prosperous hunt.
game seems lost. And they wake inspired with a desire to seek the woods, and if they express a wish
To which was added somewhat
to him (i.e., invoke him) they will return that evening with much game."
vaguely the words: "E lo spirito if Aplu sempre nella mente" ("And with Aplu ever in their minds").

being in the cold open

Then
" Aplu

is

there

was a pause, and

the most beautiful of

all

was told

the male

spirits.

He

is

also a spirit of music,

would become a good hunter, or good musician, or a learned man

repeat this

un uomo

and when any one

dotto e di talento

he

should


"

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

38

" Aplu, Aplu, Aplu

Tu che

E siei

buono, tanto di sapienza

siei

Aplu, Aplu, Aplu

Tu

E
E

che

siei

buono

tanto,

da

tutte le parti del

da

tutti si

Anche

lo spirito

prego darmi

ti

Fortuna e talento

me

This was given to

memory

so irregularly and in

of the narrator, that

English as follows

It is in

rammentato

addatarci di fortuna e di talento

Io

form.

siei

deve essere generosa

Aplu, Aplu, Aplu

to the imperfect

mon (mondo)

sente dire

Aplu; Aplu, Aplu

dotto e di talento,

owing

state,

had trouble to bring

it

to this

" Aplu, Aplu, Aplu

such a confused

Thou who

So learned and

good and wise,

art so

talented,

Aplu, Aplu, Aplu

Thou who art so good

And through all the world renowned

And spoken

of by

Aplu, Aplu, Aplu

Even a

spirit

all,
!

should be generous,

Granting us fortune and

Aplu, Aplu, Aplu

I (therefore)

pray thee give

"

Fortune and talent

Aplu, as

is

His

is

Apollo.

My
"

recorded in detail by

Apollo."

her a franc

me

writers

all

on Etruscan mythology, was

one of the commonest figures on vases and mirrors.

informant had, as

asked her

she had lived

talent.

many

if

and recommended her

all

But though

years in Florence she had never been in a gallery, so

to invest

it

in

middle and Southern

Italians,

gave

a practical lesson in mythology.

Neither did she remember to have heard of Venere, or Venus, whose

familiar to

name

learned from close questioning, never heard the

she had never seen his statue in Uffizi

though she knew

her Etruscan original, as appears in another chapter.

Ad

all

name

is

very

about Turana,

alteram

jam partem

accedamus, as Gladstone says.

TURANNA.
" Turan

is

the Etruscan

name

representations of the goddess that

of Venus, and
it

is

time

lost

it

to

occurs so frequently with the most unmistakable

seek

its

Etruscan origin, as Miiller has done, in

TURANNA.
the Latin

Etrusker.

39

Venus Fruti,

or to identify it, according to Schwenck, with Hera" (Ober

Ed. Gerhard, Akademische Abkandlungen, Erster Band, p. 324).

die Gottheiten der

APLU (APOLLO) AND ARTEMISIA.

It

was a long time before

but one day

it

came

the following details

could find out this

forth as if
:

by chance

now almost

forgotten

name

or inspiration, and then I was told

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

40
" Turanna

who was when

who were like her.

a spirit

is

she did good to

all

in life (or

" There was in a land mother and son,

caused this youth

"The

fairy

and torn

all tattered

was

The youth

replied that

and being very beautiful and good,

earth) a fairy,

This

lived in great misery.

(tutto stracciato) to

and she asked him how

there,

there were no herbs to nourish

"

who

on

it

fairy

with her magic

wand

be transported to a distant place.

was that he had come so

far into

a country where

him?
was a

it

who had borne him

of kindly disposition

spirit

thither to

make

his

fortune.

"

The

fairy

"The
I

answered,

That

spirit

am

can ever become a king.'

" Go, youth, to that tree which thou
'

" There thou

Thy

'

"

"

fortune

He

Go

seest.

sworn, and thy fortune will be

is

Tree which thou

'

will

make

thee king.'
it

below that

impossible that one so miserable as

is

tree.

wilt find nuts to carry to the king.

'

"

and

I,

youth looked at her, marvelling, and said, 'Lady,

seest there below.

saw (found) himself dressed

Carry

its

when thou

art

under the tree

nuts to the king.'

and found a basket of

like a lord,

nuts, all brilliant

diamonds and

precious pearls,

"And

with a crown, on which they sang and danced. 1

" Carry
'

He

wife.

these things,' said the fairy,

'

and

to the king,

tell

him

that thou desirest his daughter for

will drive thee forth with ill-will.

'"At

that time

that thou wert

" Then
'

by magic

I will

make

it

appear that the princess

is

with child, and she will say

its sire.

the king, to avert scandal, will give her to thee.

And

the instant thou art

married

all

that appearance of being with child will vanish.'

" So

it

came

to pass.

When

the king

was

in a rage

Turanna was

in a

dark

forest,

with the card

of the king of hearts, which was the poor youth, and the king of spades, which was the king, and the

queen of hearts, which was the

" Her incantation

(i.e.,

princess.

what she sung

to

enchant the king)

'" Io sono Turanna

Fino che vivro,

E
La

spirito di

Sempre

Turanna

io saro.

io saro

Turanna che verro

scongiurata, e chi lo meritera

Molte grazie da
Io,

la fate.

la fata

quando morta

me

ricevera

Turanna, bene e fortuna

Per quel giovane io voglio

fare,

Tre diavoli benigne vengo a scongiurare

Uno
Uno
Uno

per

il

re che lo faccio convertire,

per

il

povero che fortuna

per la

Al padre

Che

figlia

che

le faccia avere,

la faccia presentare

incinta, e dire

e incinta del giovane che a chiesto la sua

mano.

Questi tre diavoli scongiuro che piglino

II re

Here there

is

per

capelli c lo trasinino

manifestly [something omitted.

Perhaps "around which

fairies

sang and danced."

" Colla

corona sopra qttali cantavano, ballavana."

TURANNA.

41

Forte, forte gli faccino

Le pene

della morte che

non possa

Fino che

Non
(" 'I

non possa

vivere,

stare,

la figlia

a quel giovane

a consento dare.'

am Turanna

While

the fairy,

I live that fairy I shall be.

And when
I shall

be dead

I shall

become the

of Turanna,

spirit

Ever to be invoked, and those who merit

Shall receive

I,

many

Turanna, wish

to

bestow

Prosperity and fortune on that youth

I conjure three beneficent

demons,

One for
One for
One for
As with

will change,

the king

whom

the poor young

man

whom

the daughter

child to her sire,

That she

is

it

favours from me.

enceinte

that

he may succeed,

I will present

and say

by the youth who sought her hand.

These three demons I conjure that they may

The king and drag him by the hair

take

Strongly, strongly they shall do so,

Cause him deathly pain that he may not

"And
he said,

'

"But

And

shall

Till

he consents to give his daughter to the youth.')

so the king consented,

my

fairy

in

an instant that

Turanna, and

it

seemed to

word having been given, he could not withdraw

his

fair

his

me

daughter was not with child,

that I

was

as if dying,

and

head.'

so the poor youth, by the protection of Turanna,

mother, and in time had a

won

it,

so they were

kingdom and a

wife,

married, and happy.

and took care of

his

son."

This whole narrative

is

he be able to stand

and when he saw

have been deluded by the

were dragged by the hair of

live

Nor

is

properly a song.

It

appears to be very old, and

evidently given in an abbreviated or almost mutilated form, for which the reader

Nor was

must make allowance.

repeated

And
" She

it

well

remembered by the old woman who

it.

of Turanna
is

was further told that

the spirit of lovers, of peace and of love, and the goddess of beauty.

in love he should

go into a wood and say

" Turanna, Turanna

'

Che
Del

di belta sei la regina

cielo e della terra,

di felicita e di

buon cuore

When

a youth

is

!!

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

42

Turanna

Turanna

In questo folto bosco

Mi vengo

a inginnochiare

Per che tanto

infelice

E sfortunato sono
Amo una donna e
Turanna

te

Le

non sono

Turanna

corrisposto.

mi vengo a raccommandare

tue tre carte a volere

Scongiurare che quella

Giovane mi possa amare.

Turanna

Fallo per

Turanna
il

bene che

sempre

ai

fatta,

Sei stata sempre tanta buona generosa,

Sei

buona quanto

Che
(

"

'

e bella,

Turanna, Turanna

'

Thou who art the queen

Of heaven and of earth,

And

"

di belta siei la Stella

of beauty

of happiness and fortune

Turanna, Turanna
In this dark forest
I

come

For

I love

to kneel to thee,

am unhappy and unfortunate

a girl and am not loved again.

Turanna, Turanna
I

commend me unto

thee,

Enchant thy three cards

at will,

Conjure that maid to love

me

Turanna, Turanna

Do

this.

Thou
Thou

By

the good which thou hast done

hast ever been so good

are

good as thou

For of beauty thou

Ere

forget

confers fortune

of dice in this

it,

art the star

'

")

by means of the three winning

modernised mythology, and

it is

cards.

Cards are the successors

significant that

known

well

might as well

among

the

Romans

as the Venus-throw.

Here

by me my copy of Pascasius Justus de Alea a little

remember buying in my sixteenth year with my only shilling.
sigh for the lost work, De Alea Lusu (Of the Game of Dice),

regret not having

Elzevir which

But

would remark that Turanna performs her miracles and

the highest cast of dice, or three sixes, was

again

and generous,

art fair,

by the Emperor Claudian, of which Suetonius

tells.

But

learn from Pauly's

TURANNA.

43

Real Encyclopedia that the jactus Veneris, or " Venus-throw," was three sixes,
when thrown with three dice (Martial, 14, 14), or i, 3, 4, 6 when with four dice.

Hence Venus as Queen of Hearts, and also with three cards.

Turanna is therefore probably Turan, the Etruscan Venus. Of which Corssen
says in Sprache der Etrusker, to which

subject, as well as to Gerhard, Inghirami,

have been greatly indebted for this

and Lanzi " Turan is the name of a
:

goddess often represented on Etruscan mirrors as a beautiful woman, fully naked,

or naked to the hips, or in Greek female apparel, her hair flowing in ringlets, or
artistically

bound

up, wearing

much

rich jewellery.

She

evidently the Etruscan

is

duplicate of the Greek Aphrodite."

very characteristic of the gambling Italian and fortune-teller that the

It is

dealing out the fate of mankind with cards should be characteristic of Turanna.

The conception
the reader, as
I

of her managing their destiny with dice

was

it

to Rabelais,

have already,

now

who made

the Introduction, expressed

in

is

probably known to

the old judge decide cases

my

great

by

it.

to

obligations

Domenico Comparetti, of Florence, owing to whose

friendly advice and suggestions my attention was first directed to these researches.
I am again reminded of it by the aid which I have received from him, and also
Professor,

the Senator

from Professor Milani, director of the Archaeological and Etruscan

Museum

in

Florence, in the chapters on Turanna, Aplu, and Pano.

"Remains

to be said," that

the ancients regarded

dice

sacred things,

as

mysteriously inspired and

Lady Venus

Claudian having written

the

first

who

ever went heart and soul into raking up Etruscan antiquities and

eloquentissimus juxta et sapientissimus scriptor.)

folk-lore

abominated them
garments

moved by the Spirit of Chance, or, when favourable, by

mood
the great, good, and glorious Emperor
a book in praise of dicing. (I extol him because he was

her gentlest

in

because

the

Roman

and Bartolomeo Taegis,

that they were invented

by the

soldiers

in his Risposte, or

devil,

and that "

a fog of fame, a sudden shipwreck of fortune

Parthians,

who

fickleness."

sent unto another

That

will

do

my

this

game

as was

monarch golden

Gypsy Sorcery that

Dame Crowe

it

is

a tempest of the soul,

shown by the king of the

dice, all to

remind him of his

have something to

may

say.

It

has been

does not deal sufficiently in the romantic

at the night side of

the lovers of the incomprehensible

honour as absolutely

for Christ's

Essays (Novara, 1554), says

element or minister unto the marvellous, looking rather

light than with

later Christians

for to-day.

Apropos of Turanna and her cards

remarked of

But the

gambled with them

Nature

for the

not be utterly disappointed,

true, or as strictly "

sun by noon-

in the dark.

on the cards," the following

I
:

Now
give,

on

that

my

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

44

Several weeks before the failure and evasion of

woman

in Florence, January, 1892, the

more

fortune-teller, was,

whether

find out

would

own

for her

or something else in the

specially referred to in these pages as a

books of Livy, or the Annals of Claudian,

of transcendental cartomancy,

themselves forward, like unbidden guests, into the play

demons who

more than usually

tion are

them

grari disturbo, that

was to

Emanuel

who did

would have caused

this instance

saved

there would be, un

Through him

of Fenzi the banker

fraudulent bankruptcy

but

but as

little

me
me more money
Then

it.

remembered what she had

what
said,

and wrote me out these words

When

the cards were

a great

'

made

sigtiore,

"And

name

than

a very much

my

larger

sum which

culpable neglect of business in

should have

made

all

the winter

my

was reminded of the prediction by

On

remember of it.

by

Sybil,

asking the divineress

quando sifecero

'

a tremendous

did indeed lose four

if she
and how the cards had " come,'' she replied "Yes,"
I

and through

this

great loss (veniva a essere non tanto grande)

and the other

made
I

by Turanna,

had been on the point of depositing with

credit to his

serious inconvenience,

give very accurately

(or with)

suggestion

this

By which

diligently attending to

"

gave no heed to

later the failure

hundred and sixty francs

from

was a distinguished,

whom

lose a small sum, but narrowly escape a great loss.

when some weeks

happens when

person but bring with

in

great trouble and rumour, noise or report.

is,

disturbo in fair Florence.

and

and not only come

was to have, or about

had not forgotten, but

as often

chief intruder on this occasion

whom

great or rich, man, with

that

are always invoked at the beginning of such divina-

friendly,

The

their friends.

all

when she found

main inquiry kept forcing

certain incidents or predictions not connected with the

the twenty-five

Fenzi, the banker,

pleasure than mine, consulting the cards to

find the lost

way

Emanuele

le carte
they announced that you ought to have money
would be greatly troubled, but the trouble would come to no
and in this disturbance was involved a journey, between you

signore.

you

will

come

well out of

it,

but there will be tears and great trouble for him."

Truly there was a voyage a shooting of the moon, and a moving between
two days unto Corfu, as it is said, by the banker. The two accounts mine and

are

the witch's
recalled
correct.

it.

"

Be

interesting as setting forth

it

Hsec

observed that, as the cards

ita clara, ita

exactly the prediction as

fell,

explorata sunt, ut frustra

sit

fidem vocaverit."
" Tis

all

so proved, explored, well tried,

That he who doubts

it

does so

all in

we both

the interpretation was perfectly

and

vain."

plain,

qui testium

nubem

in

"

PANO.

45

Manuscripts of the Middle Ages, such as the

"

Othea " of Christina de

Pisa,

Venus as dealing out hearts, and her connection with lucky cards. She
became the Queen of Hearts at a very early period. It is worth noting in this
establish

connection that Friday, the dies Veneris, was always a lucky day, especially for
marriage,

the priests spoiled

till

The Turks

it.

on

insist

still

Adam

this great truth,

Eve Solomon,
Balkis Joseph, Zuleika (i.e., Mrs. Potiphar) Moses, Sisera and Mahomed, Chadidscha and Ayesha. For according to authentic records given by the Persian and

because, as they believe,

it

was on a Friday that

married

Turkish poets, Joseph,

subsequently

own way

"

it

appears, after the

thought better of

in the end.

Alors vive

incident recorded in the Bible,

little

and Mrs. P

it,"

Vendredi

le

as

women

always do, had her

Pano.
" Pan

oh,

Pan

we

sing to thee

Hail, thou king of Arcady

Wilson.
'

Eca

suthi nesl

Hanc

Pan

(cellam) mortale posuit Pan.

..."

Uber die Sprache der Etrusker,

VON W. CORSSEN,

1874.

Every reader of these pages will remember to have learned, long ago, that
Pan is dead," and how the fact was revealed to Thamnus, an Egyptian,

" great

who proclaimed

to the midnight

it

by command, whereupon there was heard such

a wailing of nymphs, satyrs, dryads oreads, and

all

the sprites

who

live in

woods

or streams, that it would seem as if all the fair humanities of olden time mortem
obversari ante oculosdi& see grim death itself before their eyes, " since 'twas in

Pan that they

all

held their

life."

All of which Eusebius, and in later times an

exceeding sweet English poet, have discussed, while others have contended that he
is

not dead at

occupy

all,

my thought,"

but lives for ever on in

therefore

it

Nature.

all

was with a strange

" This thing did often

feeling, like that

which was

felt

by him who, opening an Etruscan tomb, saw, for a minute only, an ancient warrior

perfect as in

Romagna
of

life,

ere his face

Toscana there

is

this difference of opinion.

the love, as

it

seems, of

fell

into ashes

that

discovered that in the

a perfect solution of the question and a reconcilement

some

For there the great Pan did indeed once die

beautiful

nymph

but now

lives as

a spirit

for

who

is

exceeding kind and gracious to all who approach him with the proper incantation
or hymn in her name, the which scongiurazione I, to my great joy, succeeded in
obtaining.

What

was told of him was

in these

words

he being called Pano

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

46
" Pano
per

is

a spirit of the country, and benign

la campagiia, e

per chi

le

one of whom benefits are sought.

(E uno

spirito benigtio,

chiede del bene.)

Pano when in this life had a love whom he indeed did very greatly love.
" Whoever would beg a favour of him must go in the evening, and kneel

'

'

of the

moon, and say

1'ano,

Pano, Pano

Inginnochio in un' campo,

Sono a lume
In

nome

della luna,

della tua bella

to

him

in a field

by the

light

'

PA NO.
Che

tanto amavi,

Che da un campo
Ti fu portata e

Per

il

'

Pano, Pano, Pano

I
I

am
am

prego

ti
!

field,

here by the light of the

name

moon

of thy beautiful one

Whom thou didst

Who from a field

"Then

di sera via

fu uccisa,

grazia

kneeling in a

In the

Was

ti

pene di quella

Di farmi questa
("

47

much

so

love,

one evening

rapt from thee

and

slain

By

her sufferings, I adjure thee,

To

grant

me

this favour

')

one asks of him some favour, as that the country

may become

beautiful"

(this, I

take

it,

is

prayer for good crops), " or according to that which one requires."

From

all

which we

serpent-century Pan

and invoke him,

it

may

still

observe that even in the end of the

And

lives.

("

Though indeed

There

It is significant

is

loro

wail

loves

una voce Etrusca.

many

of

them, for Pan

Were

is

now one

of the

spirits.

of ancient Pan that he was noted for his loss of lady-loves.

and

it

She was

was her voice which he ever

pipes, which, in latter days

is

of this great

Echo, and Syrinx turned to a reed to escape him, so he made of

field at eventide,"

Pan

tail

and sympathise with,

her pan-pipes on which he wailed her evanishment.

him in a
Pandean

for,

not with them one Etruscan voice.")

there are not

obscurest and least-known

for

who

cannot be said with Salvator Rosa

" Non e con

He mourned

of those

became the church organ.

among the deities.

name wanting this circumstance would be a

really " rapt

after

awoke

But as a

from
in the

loser of

alone

the

clue.

Whether Pan was

ever evoked in Latin times by memories of Syrinx or Echo, I do not know, but
is

his history.

Pan, the great god of earth,

But though as god of the

is

also dreaded.

letter that

made

earth, fields,

of his

memory an

and crops, Pan

is

endless tomb.

a benevolent spirit,

who may be offended, and who has the power to destroy the harvest,
From another authority in the Romagna Toscana, I learn by
" he is regarded by old men in Premilcuore as a spirito maligno, because

yet as one

he

it

very significant that peasant tradition has preserved this very peculiar feature of

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

48

when

the corn

is

not rise again,

it

high he comes in roaring winds which beat

Here

in Premilcuore

Pan,

may be

it

by

C. Placidi, Dec. 12, 1891,

much

remembered of the

is

observed, was, as a windy

the panic terror {Gazaus,

Fasti,

As

down.

it

does

And

p. 174).

now

spirit

spirit,

before me, attests that

Pano."

Hence

also feared of yore.

an ass was often sacrificed to him (Ovid,

425).

i.,

have given a great deal of cautious and

it

cannot be sold, and for this the peasants curse him."

A certificate signed
"

fearful

apology in this

my

book, as

regards possible errors or improvisations in tradition and especially incantations.

must remark of

But

that

any true scholar

that

it is

critic,

and above

it

may

be said of nearly

true poet, cannot

all

fail

how

it

made

all

of them),

to at once perceive

woman who

a composition far above the intellectual capacity of a

could not be
see

one to Pan (and

this

actually

to take an interested comprehension of the fable of Pan, or to

That

agreed with her verses.

is,

she did not actually understand what

she repeated, which effectively disposes of the question as to whether she altogether

invented

it.

That some and perhaps many of these incantations only

a shadowy or shifting form of what

is

may be

said, or

set forth

said, in calling certain

have already clearly declared, but that others are used as here given

folletti, I

also true.

Thus

cases

several

in

those

who were

is

consulted, said there were

incantations referring to this or that spirit which they could not recall.

But

in

all cases they existed.

According to Friedrich, who has devoted a chapter to the subject {Die Welt-

&c, 1864), Pan and his seven reeds sets forth the music of the spheres,
when this god is the chorus leader of the heavenly dances, who playing on his

korper,

pipe inspires the Seven Spheres, and the divine harmony (Serv. to Virgil, Eclogues
ii.,

31).

Hence Pan

is

invoked

in

an Orphic

" Inspired among the

hymn

(xi.,

6) as

stars,

Playing the harmonies of creation

Upon

Which

idea of the All-god of Nature and the seven planets suggested, as I

think, a verse to

Emerson

"lam
Of
It
J.

was

the jesting flutes."

just at

the time

Bronson Alcott, published

very intimate in those days.

the ruler of the sphere

the Seven Stars and the solar year."

when he wrote
his

this

Orphic Sayings

that

my

in the Dial.

old

schoolmaster,

And

they were

CHAPTER

II.

MASO.
" Omnia transformat

"As
little.

to

am

The nephew

sese in rniracula rerum."

Virgil, Gcorg.

4.

1.

what became of the old god of war Mars since the victory of the Christians
inclined to believe that during the Middle

of the executioner of Miinster once

met him

can

tell

you but

Ages he exercised the law of the strong hand.

Heine, Die

in Bologna."

aso

Goiter in Exil.

could learn nothing more, save

was a very great

that he

who

or spirit,

over the crops, and

patron of

make
those

women who

by which,

suspect,

who make

meant

are

a special

is

"

girls or

love,"

folletto,

protects or presides

it

rather freely than otherwise.

"The

Mar

or

and

seems to be
indicates, the

generating

of a

inspiring

who

deity,

was

a god of nature, but

originally

whom

"

Mas, and

strength

virile

of Mars," re-

old root

marks Preller,

later

reduced

ages

to

From mar

simply a god of war.

Marmar
came by
and Manner, by which name he
reduplication

is

invoked in

Arval

Brothers, to

bless the fields.

was
deity of marriage and

of married

goddess of love and of

desire."

honoured

Here Martea

life,

the

is

song of the
protect

and

In old times he
as

allied to

protecting

Mars

as the

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

So

Maso be Mars, it is probable that we have him here known only by his
My informant positively denied that Maso was
first name and earliest attributes.
in this case only the diminutive of Tommaso, or Thomas as was (of course)
If

WINGED MARS.
Maso.

After Gerhard and Gori.

promptly suggested by one of the learned.

former, because there

of name,

why

is

And

am

inclined to believe the

no apparent reason whatever, beyond mere resemblance

a spirit of nature should be called

Thomas

after a saint, while that

MANIA DELLA NOTTE.

Mas

between the modern Maso and the ancient

dence, be

it

of

name

three, as

when both

of

name and

two, as of

are borne out

constitute authentic history.

must be made

by

Maso appears

whose authenticity there can be

little

more than

141),

which

in

is

wanting, but great allowance

company with a number of

is,

as Panzer

{Bayerische Sagen, p. 525) observes, invoked solely as a god of crops, "

als Arntegott dargestellt"

was a god of

harvests.

and that

all

others

prayer to Mars given by Cato

in the

of very great antiquity, this deity

is

form a

and testimony,

doubt.

be particularly observed that

It is to

single coinci-

attribute, entitles us to

established tradition

In this case the latter

for the fact that

{de re rustica, cap

very great.

or attribute, or incident, gives basis for nothing

an hypothesis, or supposition
theory

is

51

ist

ganz

the offerings brought to him indicate that he

This view of Mars, according to Panzer,

confirmed by

is

passages in the Eugubcean tablets, so far as they have been deciphered.

much

Elias Schedius {De Dis Germanis) has gathered together

Mars autem

prove that
that

is

nullus alius nisi Sol

to say, the fructifying

("

Mars

is

learning to

none other than the Sun "),

And

and vivifying principle of nature.

it is

as such

that he appears in old Etruscan mythology.

Mania della Notte.

The real god of the world below among the Tuscans, or Tusker," writes
Ottfried MtJLLER, " was called Mantus, who was therefore compared with Dispater. In Etruscan histories the name of Mantua was derived from him. With him
"

was worshipped a goddess of the lower realms the Mania.

Etruscan divinity. ... To the strange and terrible gods
libri fatales give

human

sacrifices

the old Italians seemed Mania

who

the Lares, being allied to the Manes.

to

This was a truly

whom

the Tuscan

belong Mantus and Mania.

is

Terrible to

inseparable from the Tuscan faith of

She was an awful

divinity to

whom, under

TARQUINIUS SUPERBUS, boys were offered. Her fearful image afterwards a

toy was in early times hung on doors to avert contamination. This

child's

Mania was

the mother or grandmother of the Manes, also the mother of the

Muller

Lares."

indulges in

much

speculation as to this chthonic

goddess,

or deity of darkness.

And

she

still lives in

Tuscany, and

is

called

Mania

della Notte

(Mania of the

Night), but regarded simply as the Nightmare, and Succuba, and as a mysterious

nocturnal spirit inspiring wanton dreams.

It

has been suggested to

me

that " the Greek

or madness, has nothing to do with the Latin

word mania, meaning insanity

mania" which

to a degree

weakens

MARS.

MANIA DELLA NOTTE

S3

the connection between the nightmare and the spirit of the night.
to others to discuss

it

is

enough

for

me

to have

shown

Etruscan Mania of the Night of old, and that the nightmare

name now,
It

may

in

La Romagna

is

This

leave

there was

that

an

called by the same

Toscana.

be observed that both Mania of the Night and Martha of the Day,

or her prototype Mater Matuta, were said to be the mothers of the Lares.

This

indicates the existence of a primal goddess of both night and day. " Mania," writes

Mrs. Hamilton Gray {Hist, of Etruria),

"

was a most

fearful spirit to the old

Her frightful image used to be hung over the doors, like a scarecrow, to
frighten away evil."
This is quite identical with the old Assyrian observance
recorded by Lenormant of placing the images of evil or dreaded deities in places
to scare away the demons themselves.
I
have mentioned in the Preface that Enrico Rossi testified of Mania
della Notte that she was " remembered once by many, but it is now a
Italians.

long time since any one at Galeata has

may

inquiries

spoken

name is passing away

would soon have been among those

be inferred that

the

" Of

the gods

And whose

who had
fires

their turn,

no longer burn."

of

her."

rapidly,

From which
and

but for

it

my

CHAPTER

III.

FERONIA.
" The Etruscan Feronia

the Dawn

" Vividi gaudens Feronia

is

luco."

The Etruscans, by John Fraser.

also the goddess of trade."

Virgil, ALneid,

viii.,

800.

" Ora manusque tua lavimus,

Feronia, lympha."

HORACE, Sat.

i.,

HERE

v. 24.

is

a kind of argument

much

very

Mommsen

consists

It

class.

the

of

historians

among

vogue

in

pick-

in

ing a small flaw in a legend

or even

or incident,

unproved

an

one's own, as

offering

of

conjecture

Mommsen

does,

and then boldly assuming from

it

that

all

whatever

is

false.

No heed

taken of the fact

is

that this incident, or narrative,

taken with others as a

may have
no

all

a basis of truth

must go

at a guess.

beg the reader to bear

mind

as

regards

chapters,

of

which

type,

in

wliole,

lowing

is

a broader

and

this

several

the

fol-

requiring

more

liberal

method of judgment.
There is a goddess of whose
identity with a

or folletto, there can be very

little

question.

modern

spirit,

Feronia, according to MtJLLER, was-

FERONIA.

55

the ancient goddess of the market-place and

This would, as a matter of

[fairs.

make her the patron of, all strolling characters who

MtJLLER expresses a doubt whether she was really a

course, identify her with, and

frequent such places.

member

of the Etruscan Heiligthum, or mythology, since

Sabine.

But as she had temples

common
deities

The

to both races.

makes
purpose

Feronia

how

intelligible

it

was

it

in her

is

is

that she

was

was

among

the

"

the present day

at

liberal to her all

nella stalla

goes well with them

She bewitches

suffer for it

which

power to give to the Praenestic

But what

most important of

is

and that people brought her

feared,

a strega-folletta

wandering about the country begging alms

claims her as

possible that she

ancients were at a loss where to place her

Herilus three souls from the lower world."

my

Varro
it

she appears, however, to be a goddess of the earth, and allied to Mania,

" which

for

he deems

in Etruria,

witch-spirit

When

disguise.

in

all

offerings.

who goes

the peasants are

but should they give her nothing then they

children, oxen, horses,

and

the beasts che tengono

all

are kept in stables."

offerings, and who is rather evil than good, is

a very legitimate descendant from a goddess of the markets, and who, as a form
of Mania, is prone to mischief and revenge. There can be no question but that

wandering witch, who exacts

the ancient Feronia was Persephonic or chthonic, or a queen of the realm below
therefore a witch now, who,

most dread
is

much

loss

not propitiated,

inflicts

specially

"

following,

Perche

last line

spirito

lo

pulitica

that

is,

All

in

of their poverty,

people could give her nothing because

went well with them

them thus

am

but

her, also

the

quite sure,

was

the

country,

yet

if

gifts

any who were

enough

rich gave her nothing,

Siate maledetti

Da me

che

vi

Di vero cuore

cosi

maladisco
!

vostr 'affari

Possono andare

rotto di collo

Fame

e malattie

Cosi non avrete,

Non

avrete piu bene

'

as

one would

affairs

prospered.

they returned

and had

so

home

after

the

that

henceforth

evil hearts,

she cursed

to support all the family

'* '

when

always had a

she

and,

her alms were very fortunate, and their

who gave

sun rose (dopo chiard) they found abundant

all

have, regarding

she was intelligent or shrewd or very cunning in manners

have believed, she was a witch.

if

and

"Feronia was an old woman who went about begging

And

still lives,

have learned that Feronia haunts market-places,

del mercato."

which was attributed to Imptisa, but which,

error of the copyist

gran

on the peasants what they

Sabine or Etruscan, she

cattle.

feared in Tuscany.

Since writing the

an

if

of children and

"

"

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

56

("

'

Be ye

accursed

all

By me who

curse you

With my heart and

May your lives for

Go to utter ruin
Illness

Be
" By

this

they

knew

and starvation

The

')

But when she was dead she became

she was a witch.

they were always sure to obtain

ever in your dwelling

However, when those who had wronged

harm.

soul

ever

her,

and knew

it,

went

to her

terrible,

and did much-

tomb and begged pardon-

it.

incident of the begging, and the elegant style and distinguished air

to her has a great strength, and

Juno and Ceres combined. The curse attributed

may be of extreme antiquity. The connection of

Feronia with Mania explains

why

remarkable indeed that while

MOller

indicate a character like that of

Taking her
naturally
in

altogether, Feronia appears to

come

and feared

And

it is

lays

to be in the

her,

on the

stress

modern Tuscan account makes

offerings brought to her, the

And

she was feared as a witch.

it

it

is

very

she had

that

fact

a main incident.

be exactly what such a goddess would

minds of the people

at a stage while they

and before she had sunk to a mere reminiscence

the Mdhrchen, or child's tale, alone which

is

believed

still

in a

Mahrchen.

by

folk-lorists

chiefly sought

who have no conception of the extent to which the, as yet, living myth exists.
The Roman-Etrufccan Feronia was very famous for the extent of the offerings
made to her. " All who dwelt near brought her the first fruits, and many
offerings,

so

that

in

time an immense quantity of gold and silver formed

was

treasure in her temple, which

(Livy,

xxvi.,

1 1

Silius

Italicus,

carried

all

Pun.

xiii.

agrees with the modern story of her exacting

protectress of the freed slaves

Rome made
legend.

If,

that

is

Muller

asserts,

the soldiers of Hannibal

Preller,

Rom. Myth.,

tribute.

and

1.).

This

the Libertini in

curiously identical with the

Feronia was a duplicate of Persephone,

often a counterpart of the charitable Ceres, this

statement that the poor always received their

i.e.,

is

they came, or were given, during the night.

This

377).

Again, she was the special

a friend of the poor

offerings to her (Livy, xxii.,

as

away by

a-

who was

would explain the very singular

gifts

from her

" after

the sun rose,"

Her market and temple were

also

a great resort for merchants and traders, which seems to cast some light on the

very

otherwise uncalled-for statement that she was of gran pulitica

The modern Feronia

But there

is

is

also a great friend to the poor.

yet another reason

as a witch or wonder-worker.

miracle, of which so

shrewd-

why Feronia may have

She was of old

much was made during

retained a reputation

especially identified with the great:

the Middle Ages, of walking on red-

FERONIA.
hot ploughshares or glowing coals.
Strabo, Lib. 5

afflantur,

appears by the following passage from

" Sub monte Soracte urbs

dignantur honore.

As

57

Eodem

quo nomine

est Feronia,

templum

in loco ipsius

E6

nudis pedibus prunas calcant.

est,

et

Dea quaedam

nuncupatur,

ingens mortalium

quam

Nam

mirificum sacrigenus habens.

finitimi

miro

qui ejus numine

multitudo convenit, et celebritatis ipsius,

quae quotannis celebratur, gratia, paritur et spectaculi."

The

commonly applied to witches, and it is not

improbable that the accused appealed to Feronia to protect them, owing to some
ordeal of hot coals was very

One

tradition.

she

is,

thing

or was, a protector

of paupers.

The

apparent both

is

Roth,

De more

and modern Feronia, that

of the elder goddess with the ordeal indicates

identification

On which

protection and benevolence.

I.

in the ancient

and friend of the poor, one of slaves and refugees, as now

interesting subject the reader

may

consult

quo apud plerosque Europceos populos per ferrum candens ardentes

prunas rogumque probatur, Ulm, 1676. Lescher, De probatione rerum dubiarum

per ignem facto, Leipzig, 1695. Eckard, De ritu antiquissimo per ignes et carbones

und Gebrauche der Deutschen.

candendes incedendi, 1791, and Nork, Sitten

It will

be seen, therefore, that the modern Feronia corresponds to the ancient

character of the
fact that

same name

beyond the name

in

many

itself (for

And

ways.

which

would

call

attention to the

indeed inquired) nothing was by

me

suggested or demanded.

According to Fraser

The Etruscans),

"

Feronia in Etruria held an honour-

able position, for not only was she goddess of Falerii, but she had a sanctuary also
at the Etruscan
is

town of Losna (Latin, Lund).

another proof that Feronia

Greek

is

The name of this town, Losna,

Dawn, for it comes from the

the goddess of the

los or las, light."

Monti has written a very

beautiful,

though rather feeble poem called the

much more closely to

modern popular legend than to the stately

Feroniade, in which the heroine, as a goddess, approaches

the same character as set forth in

goddess Feronia of classic tradition.

For she

sylvan Etruscan deity, the queen of the violets,

forests, or "

is

with him at

first

only a small

who wanders through

ravines and

a nymph."
" Ella per

fiere

Baize e foreste erro gran tempo

Una

ninfa gia fu delle propinque

Selve leggiadra abitatrice, ed era

II

This

is

suo

nome Feronia."

altogether our Feronia, and not the great goddess of the olden time,

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

58

which she

subsequently represented as being

is

the

reason

for

which very

evidently was that Monti began with an inspiration derived from the popular

Tuscan legend, and,

entirely

by going back

as he wrote,

changed the character of

into classic lore for material,

This

heroine.

his

is

absolutely the only

offered of this manifest blunder.

explanation which can be

SlLVIANO.
" Silvanus " (the god of

George Dennis,

vol.

i.,

fields

and

" has

cattle)

still

" Quin et Silvanos Faunosque et deorum genera

Pliny, Hist. Nat.,

"Fama
fuisset,

&c,

est,

dominion in the land."

The

Cities of Etruria,

by

p. 229.
silvis

ac sua numina tanquam et ccelo attributa credimus."

xii., 2.

Cyparissum puerum ab ipso

amatum, quare ubi

fuisse

Cupressum manibus semper gestasse Sylvanus dictus

in

arborem

nominis mutatus

sui

De Hermaphroditorum, Monstrosorum,

fuit."

Caspari Bauhini, 1614.

Lo

Silviano was described to me, as "

forests or

woods

" Silviano
literally,

who

is

"),

and

up the heaps and then

set forth as follows

who burn

very fond of annoying the peasants

pile

spirito dei boschi " (" the spirit of the

were

his peculiarities

among

Silviano and upsets them, and the contadini begin to quarrel

deed.

So they have

to swear

to begin their

and perhaps to

fight,

work over

to

all

le cataste

di carbone

the sticks are piled, then comes

themselves, accusing one another of the

Silviano roars with laughter,

every one thinking that the other

going on Silviano piles up the wood again

" This happened once

Then

again.

charcoal (che fanno

And when

ignite them).

laughing at him.

is

and the men hegin

And

while

all this is

to their great amazement when they return to work.

two men, and they thought

him

they went to the parocco, or parish priest, and told

it

of

must be a miracle worked by some

So he went

it.

nothing remarkable, and told them they were fools for their pains, and so returned with
(procession), persuaded that nothing wonderful

saint.

So

there and examined, but found

all his

precissione

had happened.

" But good-natured as Silviano is, he is altrettanto vendiccativa tolerably revengeful. And from that
wood or grove nella macchia sia nel boscho nothing went well with them. Other men
found their work all done to hand for them, while theirs was spoiled. And this time they went to an old
witch who understood the business, and knew what to do. And she said

day, whether in

"

'

il

Che

folletto Silviano,

l'avete contradito,

ora

li

vi fa tutti

I dispetti,

Che
In

("

'

vi

ma

dell'erba

daro vi fara tornare

la sua

buona

grazia.

'Tis the spirit Silviano,

Unto him ye were

Therefore he has

For you

but

'Tis an herb

Once again

I'll

ungracious,

made

which

to his

these troubles

give you something,

will restore

good

you

graces.')

SILVIANO.
" Then she took
and

said, putting it

on

59

the herb called silvestra and also ginestra, or broom, and

their backs

SILVANUS (SILVIANO) AND NYMPH.

"

'

Questo e

Di
"

'

This

lo spirito

Silviano che

is

mi protegge!

in truth the spirit

Silviano

who

protects

me

')

made

of

it

a small square,

'

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

60

they returned again into his good graces, and never did anything more to offend him.

"So

when

learned from this a lesson not to go and call on priests

Silvianus

remarks

who
and

"

He was

like

Faunus, a good

He

frightened people.

was

Planted pleasant

rural.

all

rural folk

For reasons, which

identification of

Tuscan

are to be felt in this

openings

fields,

he was

Silviano

is

Silvanae, or Silviae

now and then

murmuring brook

like

attracted the shepherd

So he became
this love

give, I

And

would here say that the ancient

fully explains his connection

as a spirit

with

who specially haunts such men

PRELLER declares that the

with Rubezahl of Germany.

wood-nymphs, belong rather

But why

May

to the

German,

Celtic,

and Slavic

not Rubezahl himself be of Italian

Silvanus was the son of a river-god and a she-goat, and everything

The
reader.

him

more suggestive of pastoral Italy than of wild Germany.

and its " moral " cannot have escaped the
The narrator was as absolutely a heathen herself as any who ever lived- in

related of

is

far

utter heathenism of this story

the time of Tarquin, and never missed an opportunity to

the worship of the spirits of the olden time, and
far superior to the

With the
I

Preller

a spuk Geist

one of themselves, and traces of

have not space to

than to the Latin.

birth?

and

whom

the forest, wherever there was

in

Sylvanus with the cypress-tree

identical

they

tale.

charcoal-burning and burners.

races,

of

mid-day heat, there was a spot always sacred to Silvanus."

very dear to

And

present."

Silvanus,

but

spirit,

spirit

identified with everything beautiful, romantic,

a cool shelter, a shady grotto, or where a

in the

Roman

enough the old

plainly

is

had been a

there

Roman

all its

show

that she considered

incantations and ceremonies,

Catholic, for which latter she had' a special aversion.

old strege this religion of ancient times

was often as strangely moved by

is

not folk-lore but a living

faith,

had been taken back

this reality as if I

two thousand years.

This chapter, and others, therefore suggest the possibility that the Northern

mythology of goblins may have been

originally of Italian origin, or

from a

common

source.

Palo.
This deity was described to
" Palo

is

me

in the following

words

a spirit of the fields, vines, meadows, for all kinds of crops, and

planting maize, or in the vineyards, they must never forget to say

"

'

Lo

spirito

Palo

Sara quello

Che mi

fara

La buona

fortuna

when men work, be

it

i'

ESTA.
("

'

The

He

Palo

spirit

shall

be

The one who brings

Good luck to me ')
!

And

'
'

thus the peasant will be sure to ever have good fortune."

not

It is

difficult to

deity of agriculture of

recognise in Pal6 the Pales of the Romans, or the ancient

all

To him

kinds.

been recognised both as male and female

who

or to her

Pales appears to have

for

were made by the peasants

Preller

drank much, and leaped over flames.

also

offerings

morning the shepherd uttered four times an invocation

writes that in the

to Pales, then

mixture of milk and new wine, and then jumped over blazing straw.
the invocation must have been very short, since

would be strange
there

is

and

an echo at

yet

it

not impossible

is

was so often repeated.

it

that

in the four lines

There

least of the early invocation.

unquestionably ancient in these Tuscan traditions that

sometimes to believe that there

many

reasonably indicate

errors

is

absolutely prove the existence of a black race, but a

It

here given

much which

is

almost impossible
Critics

may

very

but a comparison

single negro

would not

number of them would

extremely probable.

it

As was

the case with most

it

may

deities,

as was

be thought

Tuscan deity was so

Pales had a town

way between Rome and

the modern Palo, half

because

so

it

in details,

of the whole must leave the impression of antiquity.

render

is

find

anything modern in them.

and inconsistencies

drank a

Therefore

named

Civita Vecchia.

indeed urged as to Norcia

after him.
I

It is

mention

this

that the modern

called after the town.

Esta.
"

Nee

tu aliud

Nataque de

Vestam quam vivam

intellige

Ovid,

When

apparently of
it is

commonly

who pays

light
its

is

own

flammam,

flamrhis corpora nulla vides."

suddenly and

Fast. 6.

mysteriously extinguished

accord, especially

when two

said in jest that " Esta did

particular attention to lights, but

it."

Esta

beyond

or goes

out

lovers are sitting together,

is

supposed to be a

this I could learn

spirit

nothing of

her.

Hestia was an ancient

derived from 'Earia.

name

for Vesta,

and ClCERO thought that Vesta was

In any case the sudden extinguishment of a light or

fire,

!!
!

"

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

62

and the

satirical covert allusion to love in the dark,

goddess of chastity and her light are here alluded

it

worth the while.

and then put out the

do but record the

light

However,

to.

which those who are best able to determine must

think

seems to indicate that the

fact that

this is

a matter

themselves

settle for

if

Esta put out the

they
light,

which was extinguished over^Evelyn's bower.

Carmenta.

When

asked

as that of a spirit

and who

is

if

who

the

name Carmenta was known

gives, presides over,

Then

dear to mothers.

and loves

it

was promptly recognised

children,

the following was repeated

" Carmenta, Carmenta

Che

tanta bella sei

inamorata

Tanto dei

sei

fanciulli

Tante spose sono venute

A
E

a raccomandare

te

Che

dei

figli

tu gli facesse fare,

buona quanto

tu

Bella

e,

suoi voti tu ai,

Ascoltati

ti

prego pure

I miei di volere ascoltare

Perche sono molto

II

infelice,

mio marito non mi ama piu

Che

tanto

m'amava perche

Non so, ma date, o hella

Mi vengo a raccomandare
Che un

la

figlio tu

mi possa

figli

far fare,

pace con mio marito possa ritomare

(" Carmenta, Carmenta

Thou who
Thou who

art so fair,

truly lovest

Children, everywhere

As

come

to thee,

So have many

others,

Knelt before thy shrine,

Seeking to be mothers!

Thou
Thou

didst grant their wishes,

as

good as

fair,

Listen unto me,

Grant

my humble

prayer

Once my husband loved me,

Now

crear

Carmenta,

he loves no more

who

aids in birth,

IL SENTIERO.
Because

bear no children

All his love

Make me

He
This corresponds

in

63

is o'er,

once

will love

me

name and

in

mother,
as before

")

every detail to the Latin Carmenta or

who was another form of the Fauna or Bona Dea. Of her Preller
The Goddess of Birth, Carmenta, was so zealously worshipped near the
Porta Carmentalis, which was named from her, that there was a Flamen

Carmentis,

says

"

Carmentalis, and two calendar days, the eleventh and the fifteenth of January,
called the Carmentalia, devoted to

distinguished festivals of the

These were among the most

her worship.

Roman

matrons.

She was peculiarly the goddess of

pregnancy.

Il Sentiero.

The boundary-stones which determine

to have in or attached to

Tuscany

means, however,

" spirits

them

the limits of fields are believed in

spirits called

distinctly asserted that they lived in the stones.

the

spirit will quite ruin

This

him."

The

single spirit

"
is

And

if

It was,

however,

any one removes them

a sentiero.

exactly the Terminus of the Romans, or the divinity of the

spirit is

Fearful penalties were attached to the removal of such landmarks.

boundaries.

The

Spiriti dei sentieri, which

of the paths," or lines of demarcation.

inscription of a terminus reads

Quisquis hoc sustulerit aut

Iceserit,

ultimus

suorum moriatur ("Should any one remove or injure this stone, may he die the
last of his race "). There is indeed quite a litany of old Latin curses, almost equal
!

to

Roman

grabbers."

Catholic excommunication, extant, as

That the

memory

comment which my informant made

them

applied

of these has survived

//

spirito

lo

is

to these

"

land-

evident from the only

guasta

("

The

spirit

ruins

").

Lactantius, heaping ridicule on the heathen for worshipping

many

deities of

small duties, specifies Terminus as one because he was rough and rude.

"

He

was the stone which Saturn swallowed thinking it was Jupiter. When Tarquin wished to build the
many ancient gods, he consulted them by augury whether they would yield

Capitol and found these shrines of

who was suffered to remain. Hence the poet

And what can I say of people who worship such stocks and

All agree to go save Terminus,

to Jupiter.

immovable rock of the

Capitol.

" (Adversus Gentes,

t stipites) save that they are stocks and stones themselves ?

It is

century,

book

i.,

calls

him the

stones (lapides

chap. xx.).

a pity that Lactantius could not have lived to the end of the nineteenth

when he might have seen among

Christians an array of saints of small

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

64
things,

compared

to

whom

all

the heathen gods

are grave and respectable deities.

(for

he was truly nothing more),

think of

Antony

Santa

and

Anna who

whom

"

as

terrible

Terminus, a rock, as the emblem of stability

why

is

and

truffles

Simeon of

the Latin Cunina,

who

Lactantius calls on us to laugh

does the same, or even the

of nursing motherhood

up

or

he mentions as laughable

a sound and sensible image, but what shall

as the saint of pigs

Roco-co saint of dogs

in the cradle,

is

whom

But the

yet in those days

condemnations of the

saints

and

Madonna
even

lotteries,

or

we
the

presided over children

at,

more

herself

ridiculous than

the

the Virgin had

incarnation

not "

come

through, the most crushing and

Taking them

all

later Catholic

Church and

its

Hagiology are to be

found in the arguments of the Fathers against the Gentiles, and especially
vigorous satire of " the Christian Cicero."

in

the

CHAPTER

IV.

FAFLON.
1 '

Oh, Fufluns

"But
gods."

it

Fufluns

awful deity

"
!

Pumpus

went better with Bacchus than

it

W. Scheffel.

of Perusia in the Gaudeamus of

did with

Mars

or Apollo after the

grand retreat of the

Heine, The Gods in Exile.

HE

Arno,

roaring

where

am

by much
flood,

very

which

rushes

the

window

before

writing, swelled

rain

is now a great river,

muddy and somewhat

unmanageable.
it

spring

to

have seen

summer when

in

was

it

limpid and clear, but then

was only a
from

rivulet

pool

shining

one

it

which went
to

another, like a silken thread

with

strung

scantily

wander-

pearls, or a pilgrim

from

ing
It

shrine

would

then

for

to carry

or for

hundred

it all

all

done

away

it

men

in

Tuscany, with

all

their buckets, could

10

would
like "

in barrels,

it

up

as

assuredly have

Macpherson," had

been wine.

make no

easy
people

the population of

the place to drink

they

shrine.

to

been

have
a

sun-lit

Now

estimate of

its

all

the

water.
6s

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

66

APLU, FUFLUNS, AND SEMELE.

This reminds
gather, collate,

me

of the task on which

and correct a

am

engaged.

collection of fairy tales, or

If

it

were only to

proverbs, or parables,

FAFLON.

67

or games, or Exempla,

it would be an easy, or at least a defined work.

Such
pools are not hard to fathom, or count, or measure, or exhaust. But this mass
of old, obscure, unrecorded mythology, comes pouring and foaming down like

the

Arno from the mountains of La Romagna,

still

dwells

in

whose mysterious

recesses

"the dragon's ancient brood,

And

Well,

and

a strange country

is

it

has sent me,

it

and fame,

What
which

sorceries,

should
I

over roaring in the flood."

fall

knownwe

little

rhymes, legends

What

have as yet met

should

Many

and diamonds

dirt

for

that
name

tutti confusi e misti.

As compared

suppress ?

in folk-lore this

else.

have Goethe's word

a spring freshet, obscure deities of doubtful

in

all

give

ghosts than aught

many

rocks

to

anything

has been more like counting Ossian's

a time have

almost despaired over

and

it,

a time been awed.

But hope springs

human breast, and so I will proceed to

who is generally supposed to have
utterly died out nearly two thousand years ago, and yet who lives as a real
folletto among a few old witches in La Romagna.
I mean Faflon.
Fuflunus was the Etruscan Bacchus. "His name," writes Muller {Die
Etrusker, vol.
p. 79), "was sounded {lautet) Fuflunus, Fuflunu, Fufluns
generally Fufluns. Gerhardt, i., 83, 84, 87, 90, &c.
Corssen (i., p. 31 3-5).
discuss

my

eternal in the

discovery of

last

a divinity

ii.,

We

find

430),

on goblets Fufunl (Fahr.

the god from the

from Populonia

On
a

spirit

"

which

is

my

inquiring from

Indogennanic root

best authority

of the vineyards, or of wine,

a legend which was then written out

is

a spirit

who

lives

if

there was in

in

And

among

so that they get no profit.

at

But

if

p.

Gerhard

the vines, and

they take

it

La Romagna Toscana

the witches, or those better

once there was narrated to

when women
all

or

men have

on the ground

then Faflon knocks them right and

for

it,

to beget, ab.

i.,

derives

me

the panniers, then comes this Faflon and scatters them

should they be angered at

He

was promptly informed that there was

informed in such mysteries, as Fafion.

" Faflon

fit,

Bacchi.

very doubtful.

such a being known as Fardel, or Flavo, but

filled

and Fuflunsl (CORSSEN,

CORSSEN from poculum, and poculum

according to

name of

the

P, Spl. n. 453)

left,

gathered grapes and

but woe to the contadini

and tramples (on the grapes),

good-naturedly, he gathers them again, and replaces them

in the panniers.

"

Now

there

was a peasant who

everything went wrong with

him

loved Faflon and blessed him.

greatly loved the spirits,

his crop of grapes

and

all

and frequently blessed them.

other fruit failed, yet for

all

One
this

he

year
still

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

68

" One morning he rose to gather what little there was on the vines, but found that even that little
Non mi res/a che morire. All that remains
The poor peasant began to weep, and said

was gone.
for

'

me now

have

is to die, for I

what

lost

little

crop I had in

Faflon appeared, but beautiful with a beauty like enchantment

incantare

and

said

'

my

little

ma

tanto bello di

Oh, peasant with great coarse shoes, but with a

Go

so well I will reward thee.

to thy cellar,

una

once

at

all

da fare

bellezza

thou hast loved

fine brain,

me

and there a great quantity

" D'uva mastatata

When

vineyard.'

tu troverai

gran vino tu lo

farai.

(" Pressed grapes thou shalt see,

And
"

and

Now

what Flqflon had

truly the

No

is

dream

to be like a

rich, e

manner

is

this

Faflon

as related

by a witch a

had not wine enough

"

Now

as he

was

this

came

begged
I

almost in

me

up

beauty from disguise

in

he

and

for mistresses,

modern Ariadne

story of a

went so

several vineyards, yet all

ill

It is

exactly

in classic tales.

now

give word

with them for several years

una

di

belleza

despair, his

said

forgotten that strange

was so much

in love?

And

da fare incantare~ot enchanting beauty.

daughter

'

Father,

dear,

do you not

and beautiful youth who once came

And when you

one evening

know how
to

all

you and

denied him what he asked, he replied: "If

cannot have her neither shall you have any vintage."'

" Then

the peasant

he went into the

cellar,

was very angry, and beat

but what

o.

sight

he saw

his daughter, so that she

On

flashed from their eyes and flamed from their mouths,

"

'

Give Faflon that

And

"Then

the'

man

to

and as they danced they sang

Then

go to bed.
frolicking

fire

girl of thine,
:

maiden you deny,

As a beggar thou

and from

had

the barrels were devils

all

henceforth thou shalt have wine

If the

shalt die.'

gave his daughter to Faflon, and lo

all

the barrels were filled

with the best,

that time his vintages were abundant."

The
I

His appearance as a

to drink for his family.

Have you

to pass?

for

who had

he had a daughter
sitting

his cellar,

contadino

MS. sometimes

in the

perfectly in accordance with that of Bacchus.

that Bacchus flashes

" There was a contadino

that he

was written

it

Bacchus of old carried off mortal beauties

word

he went to

ebbe piri biogna di fare il

the Fufluns, or Fufunal, of the Etruscans.

very beautiful being

for

to the peasant, but

non

a peasant."

live as

one can doubt that

in this

seemed

said

wine which he had that year made him

he was no longer obliged to

Flafion

great thy store of wine will be.)

picture of the cellar

full

suspect that a Catholic influence

their mouths."

But perhaps

it

of frisking Bacchanals and Fauns

made them

was only

"devils with

fire

is

good.

coming out of

FAFLON.
"

II

vino divino

Che fiammeggia
("

69

nel Sansovino.''

The wine divine

Which flames so red

should have been really sorry

hymn to him. And

may possibly pray for it

in Sansovine.")

after all this

if,

When

not found a

here

vintage he

in church, but to

the following to the jovial god

"

is.

it

lore, I

had

a peasant wants a good

make

sure of

it

he repeats

vuoi mi raccomando

Che

Bacchic

Faflon, Faflon, Faflon

fine

l'uva nella

mia vigna

multa scarsa,

vuoi mi raccomando,
Che mi fate avere
Buona vendemmia
!

Faflon, Faflon, Faflon

Che

il

mi raccomando

vuoi

Me lo fate venire
E molto buono,

fondante,

"

Faflon, Faflon, Faflon

(" Faflon, Faflon, Faflon

Oh,
I

listen to

my

prayer.

have a scanty vintage,

My

vines this year are bare

Oh,

And

vino nella mia cantina

listen to

my

prayer

better vintage there

Faflon, Faflon, Faflon

Oh,

May

put, since thou canst

listen to
all

my

my

Prove to be strong and

And good

so,

prayer

the wine in

do

cellar

rare,

as any grown,

Faflon, Faflon, Faflon!")

There, reader,

was ever sung

in

the very last real

is

Italy

probably the

ever be heard on earth.

last

not

much

is

stranger

unlike

it,

is

truly Bacchanalian song

There have been whole

Cruscan Redi wrote a Bacco in Toscana

And what

and sincere hymn to Bacchus which

that this

also the first

Bacchic

libraries of

but that was art

hymn was

this

possibly, in

which was ever composed.

which

such lyrics
is

will

Delia

religion.

some form,

this

with

spirit,

La Romagna,

parts of

all

variation

this

that

Faflond, while Peppino declares, " 77

("

The

name

legitimate

of this

were specially inquired

friends,

at

confirmed the existence

fully

Magrini

Ottavio

name

spirit is

or cried

for

two contadino

on market days to pick up the testimony

special business of going

of old peasants from

of

my

should add that after the above was written

who made a

"

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

70

'

wrote

the

name

legitimo di questo spirito e Faflo

Faflo

").

was one of the gods who

It

the market-place and elsewhere with

satisfactory result.

Fufluns was also anciently

Dennis,

"

probably more than

known

name, was Voltumna, the great goddess at

in

vol.

p. lvii.).

i.,

Lo
The

spirit

may

dwell with

it

life

in everything.

my

certainly a very

is

certain that they

'

it

When

one

is

wish with

all

my heart
all

his

very creditable to the Italians that in such a terribly

It is

spirit of

do invoke her when

uttered as follows

is

good one, and

reader, not only as regards this book, but be in

overtaxed country the idea of a

And

della Contentezza.

Spirito

of Content

that

is

&c,

their councils " (Cities,

whose shrine the confederate princes of Etruria held

of Etruria,

"Allied to him," says

as Vertumnus.

content can be entertained, however,

it

setting out on a journey to seek fortune.

about to travel to seek fortune he says to his friends

" 'Vado

in viaggio

Per fare fortuna.'

("

'

am

To
" Then

going on

my way

find a fortune if I may.')

his friends reply :-

" Che
'

lo spirito della contentezza

Ti possa guidare sempre

("

'

May

the spirit of content

Guide thy steps wherever bent

"Then

the traveller

never forget that

it

is

may go

due to the

his

way joyous and

"

the goddess of

the long absence of the

ordained."

')

at ease, sure that

he will succeed, but he must

Spirit of Content."

There can be no question but that

Redux,

this Spirit of

Content

happy journeys, and of prosperous

Emperor AUGUSTUS,

When Augustus

(b.c. 19) returned,

altars,

is

returns, to

the Fortuna

whom,

after

temples, and sacrifices were

October 12th, from a long absence

LO SPIRITO DELLA CONTENTEZZA.

in Asia, this

for

an annual celebration of the event, and an

which was consecrated on the 15th of the following December.

altar raised
It

day was appointed

7i

should not escape the notice of the reader that the Italian account of this

goddess concludes with an exhortation never to forget that one's good fortune

be due to the

spirit

which has been invoked

deity under another

name

grateful to Fortuna

Redux.

that

you

This

will
is in

owe

that

is

success,

to say,

it is

to an old

and that the

traveller

will

Roman
is

to be

truth a most naff unconscious survival of

heathenism.
"

Schedius gives

monument

in

Still in

our ashes glow the wonted fires."

relation to this divinity the following inscription

"

FORTUNE

REDUCI.

LARI

ROM^E
AETERN^E

VIALI.

AXIS. AELIA.
NUS. VE. PROC.

Q.

AUG.
C."

from a

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

72

CORREDOIO.

T may
lar

be observed as a very singuthat

fact,

Tuscan

these

all

of the forests and

spirits

fields,

the fireplace and vineyard, are of

a perfectly fresh, unaffected simplicity,

befitting the

out-of-door

naturefrom which they are derived.

Herein they

differ radically

entirely

from

of

the

tion

Roman

Church, from

which

Catholic

the Trinity itself

a "mystery,"

is

and

every personifica-

Cupid-cherubim,

down

to the

lightnings,

gilt

hammers and nails, hearts on fire,

Madonnas in silks with gold
surroundings, jewelled shepherd's

and the whole mass of

crooks,

mystical

properties

theatrical

which indeed take hold of vulgar

nature

in

part,

This natural

but not of

all.

was

of

simplicity

yore heathen, and

folk-lore

certain

is

its

always

elements,

existence in

a
at

proof of
least

of

antiquity.
I

had

remarked

lived in 1484

in

my

Gypsy Sorcery that

and dared

of the Spaniards),

now

to express

if

the Pope and Cardinals of 1891

what they

all

(with the exception perhaps

think of witchcraft, they would

all

have been tortured

So we may observe, that the whole

modern machinery of the Church would have been utterly damned by the Fathers,
from its immensely artificial, stagey character. Very revolting to many would
have been its miserably affected, moping melancholy, its wretched ideal of life

horribly,

and then burned

alive as heretics.

CORREDOIO.
without laughter, and innocence without smiles.

charming

spirit

There
gay and

and

who is purely heathen.

Romagna a spirit, fairy or goddess
She

festive nature.

She

festivals.

is

have

with

I offer

ball.

is

presence, she

all

is

wild

after

come

to the

of Latin are very

and

sure to attend wherever there

modesty, or even

commonly changed

who

is

of a

and loves dances

music

the

to vowels in Italian, which

though
a

is

distrust, the suggestion that

her the beau reste or possible fragment of Curitis or Quritis

in

(male or female),

called Curedoia or Corredoio,

a vera fanatica per la musica

you may not suspect her

or a

Apropos of which

Corredoio,

in the

is

73

frolic

we may
is

and us

would make

Curitoio at once.
" Curitis," says

MtJLLER,

worshipped, of Juno."

and gaiety were held

with carpets (Ovid,
in white

was the name

"

White cows were

in her honour.

iii.,

12, 13, 24),

style

where she was zealously

sacrificed, the streets laid

maidens wrapped, according to Greek custom,

garments, bore as cannephoroe, the holy utensils on their heads.

Etruscans surpassed any race of antiquity

festivals,

in Falerii,

Magnificent festivals with every circumstance of splendour

and the

if Curitis

was the popular name

passion

their

The Romans seem

intensity of their frolics.

from Greece, but their keen

in

relish for splendid pleasure

for Juno,

and

if

name

that the

survives in the

Ttiski.

she was indeed above

it

is

all

And
others

not impossible

modern deity of the dance, and what most nearly

Of Corredoio

corresponds to the grand displays of the olden time.

following

to have taken their

from the

the goddess of the pompa and the festivals and of joyousness,

The

processions,

for

have the

" Corredoio

uno spirito che va molto nellefeste da hallo, Corredoio is a spirit who much frequents dances
way diverts himself. (There are conflicting accounts as to the sex of Corredoio or Corredoia).
He is delighted to come in like a veniata a gust of wind e cost si aha le sattane a quelle Signore and
so raise the devil or the skirts among the ladies, then he (or she) bursts into loud laughter, so that the
ladies blush.
Then Corredoio flies up into the orchestra, and makes all the musicians whirl round, and

and who

in every

then he makes

no performers

There
curious

all

at

is

the instruments sound of themselves, and everybody

which he utters another roar of laughter

e se

ne va

is

amazed

and

flies

to hear music

an incantation or invocation to Corredoio which

" Corredoio, Corredoio, Corredoio

Che siei tanto buono e gentile,

Che tu non ai fatto mai male
Quando viene del male in casa mia

bel Corredoio vai c la discacci

Con una

bella risata,

II

and see

away."

is

extremely

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

74

Tu

o bel Corredoio

ma

vero,

Dell' allegria

sei

anche

sei

un

spirito

lo spirito

tu vai nelle case

mettere la tuona armonia

Dunque
Tanto

bel Corredoio tu che sei

bello, viene qualche volta

In camera mia, e cosi

Mi

aiuterai a stare allegro,

non avere mai guai e

Se qualche grazia

Da

ti

te bel Corredoio,

Che

cosi

chiedero,

sono certo,

quella grazia di te io 1'avro.

(" Corredoio, Corredoio, Corredoio

Thou who art so pleasant and benign,

Thou who never dids't do harm to any,
Should any sorrow come into my house
Oh, fair Corredoio, send it flying
With a ringing peal of merry laughter.
Thou,

Corredoio, art a

fair

Truly but thou also art a

Of

all

spirit,

spirit

merriment, thou enterest houses

To promote all loving peace and union,

And so, fair spirit, since thou art so kind,
Come now and then I pray thee to my room,
And help me to maintain a merry mind,
And never know a sorrow and if thou
Can'st grant me some small grace which I may
Of thee, fair Corredoio, this is sure,
That when

The
that

it is

reader

who understands

and as heathen as can

all

Italian, if

no

be.

There

it.

is

trace of such a glorious

the balls, plays on

waltz, then

in

all

he

will

make allowance

translated " as

It is utterly

for the fact

she went along," from

out of the pale of the Church

whole Catholic

in the

may say

Robin Goodfellow as Corredoio

the instruments, whirls

wends him laughing,

me.")

it

very remarkable and beautiful invocation

this is a

with a ring as of Shakespeare

to

ask that grace thou'lt grant

only that of a poor peasant woman,

Romagnola, may admit that

religion,

ask

ho, ho,

ho

all

the

and yet makes

it

Christian

one who goes

women

in

a wild

his constant occu-

pation to go into families and promote peace and harmony, or please and play

with the children, and depart, leaving everybody

This invocation

Book, and
in

it

is

as earnest a prayer in the

begs the deity to sometimes

a friendly

way "-<-&

jolly.

deity

who

is

"

Romagna

as

any

in the

Prayer

look in on a fellow and cheer him up

very beautiful, graceful, accomplished

only in Italy that one could find a god

who can

"

do the whole

orchestra,"

it

is

and

TESANA.
who makes
but

the business of his

it

feel grateful that

life

to

75

make people happy.

Jollity

is

of tears, wails, fasting, blood, torture, and death

yet

while under these ashes of misery, the old heathen Roman-Etruscan

human

nature and genial tenderness

the world there

all

Corredoio.

if

can go hand-in-hand.

have been teaching the people that religion and salvation and

priests in Italy

everything saintly

cannot

such a fragment of light-hearted Paganism has survived,

only to show to an astonished world that Piety and

The

Truly

is

nothing so

still

real,

survived.

so touching,

In

all

and so

the

all

of

spirit

the religions current in

beautiful as this spirit of

Sancte Corredoio ride pro nobis

Orco.
" Cast up the account of Orcus, the account thereof cast up."

It

who

would hardly be worth while to mention Orco, the

Italian

has passed into innumerable fairy tales as the Ogre, and

every Italian child, were

wizard."

For

men.

she said,

" is

a terrible spirit

world over the

is

known

earliest

who was once

conception of

to

my

a great

spirits,

and

who are feared. Among savage tribes in the early stages of

Red Indians of America, every remarkable spirit was once a

We may say that

or of the horrible, just as Jupiter

the contrary,

who

like the

man, always a magician.

hell,

form of Orcus,

not for the peculiar description of him given by

this is all the

especially of those

Shamanism,

it

" Orco,"

chief authority.

of

Codex Nazarceus.

it is

the Latin Orcus was a personification

was of

lightning, 1 but,

etymology to

a fact that rude races apply such names as hell and lightning to

According to Euhemerus of Messina, who derived

which he appears to have been,

all

gods from men,

in

to a certain degree, right, so far at least as rude

races are concerned.

TESANA.
Tesana
alba."
.first

She

is "

is

the Spirit of the Dawn," one

good, and while a contadino

seen on the

hills

is

may

say Aurora

sleeping

" lo spirito della

when the morning

she comes to him in dreams and says

" Svegliando

Ii

Pian piano,

buon uomo

Sveglia te,

Che

" Pluton Latine

est Diespiter

alii

l'alba

spunta

Orcura dicunt " (Tertullian Div.

Instil. Lib.,

i.,

chap. 14).

red

is

76

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS,

LALAE.

LINTHUN.

THESAN.

MEMRUN.

TESANA.
Sono un

77

spirito

Consolatore,

Che vengo

per aiutarti

Al buon coraggio,

Ed

alia

Ma

pero sempre

buona

fortuna,

Col tuo lavoro,

con

cosi

buona

la

Buona volenta
Di lavorare
Avrai sempre

Buona

salute

volenta di lavorar,

nato ricco

II ricco e

Per aiutar

Per

il

povero,

povero

il

aiutar

il

ricco,

Col suo lavoro

Perche

Non

signore

il

sarebbe copare

Alle fatiche

Lavora o buon contadino

Che

momente

al

Spunta

sole,

il

Quando sei
Chiamami

stanco

In tuo soccorso,

Ed

sempre

io saro

tuo angelo

II

Consolatore

" Waking, awaking,

Softly

and

Thou

truly

gently,

good man,

Rise from thy sleep

The day
I

am

a spirit

One who
I

come

To
To
But

dawning,

is

brings comfort

to thy aid,

give to thee courage,

give thee fortune,
it

come

will

Ever from labour

Thus thou

shalt

Always good

And good
The

To

rich

have

health,

will to

is

work.

born rich

give aid to the poor

man,

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

78

The poor man to aid

The rich by his labour,
For the

rich is unequal

To such heavy labour

Work then, good peasant
;

The sun

is rising.

When thou
Call me to

weary,

art

aid thee,

And I will be ever

An angel consoling.)
"

And

gay at heartbelieving that he

when instead of that he has been talking

so the peasant awakes and goes to his work, contented and allegro

has seen in a dream and conversed with a saint

santo, o

una santa

with a spirit."

This

is

absolutely heathen

For " a

against the new.

witch-heathenand a protest of "the old religion

spirit instead

an old Romano-Etruscan or pure Etruscan

tiful

incarnations of the

plaster rococo saints

here in Italy.

Dawn

who

are

the

in

all

deity.

Roman

means here simply nothing but

There are no such very beau-

Catholic mythology with

its

wooden-

of the stage stagey, and of the shop shoppy, even

This graceful Aurora

this spirito della alba

She comes out of

and better race of beings.

"

of a saint

"

belongs

to a purer

true love to the peasant, asking

neither tithes, prayers, or worship, fasting nor vigils, to please her vanity, but

This

simply cheering him.

is

very heathenish indeed, and quite in keeping with

her simple old-time conservatism

that

rich

and poor must

exist

and observe

mutual obligations one to the other.

A learned

friend

who has

according to Corssen,
Etrusker,
It

i.,

is

revised this work, remarks of Tesana, that Thesan,

an Etruscan goddess of the dawn {Die Sprache der

p. 259).

cannot have escaped the reader that Tesana appears strangely

legend as reflecting on stages of society,

decidedly marked.
Spiegeln, plate

This

Themis.

And

human

Gerhard {Gottheiten

d.

76) remarks that there was an

accidental

if

is

laws,

and

Etrusker,

relations.
p.

39,

identity between

certainly extraordinary.

Before

in this

This

is

and Etrus.

Thesan and
had met with

had been deeply impressed with the remarkable character of

to social rights which are so prominent in the song, and which

this observation I

the reflections as

were

above the range of thought of the

far

woman who sung

it.

SPULVIERO.
It is

number

remarkable that as the ancient Tusci surpassed

of their gods of thunder and storm

all

other nations in the

having, indeed, one

for

every season

URFIA.

79

so their descendants have also great fear not only of Tinia, or Jupiter, but also

of Spulviero, the dreaded

of the wind and tempest, of

spirit

among

account which might have originated

Spulviero, also Spolviero,

probably derived from polvere dust," referring

caused by the windthe Pau-pu-ke-wiss of the
however, a derivation from pluvio
But
"

" The

Spirit of the

all

him good, he

Wind,

called Spulviero,

even those who had done good

at

an

is

literally is

to the eddies or whirls of dust

Chippeways.

It

may

conceal,

me

legend as recited to

is

wizard, one of those wizards so evil that he ruined

did good to

His name

Wind.

this is the

" rain."

and then written

there

the Algonkin Indians.

the Spirit of the

is

whom

once did them harm

to

an

spirito chattivo

evil spirit

many good

who

in his lifetime

was a

bonquore who

families, people of good hearts

For he was so wicked that when any one had done

him.

nor could any one revenge himself on him, because he flew swift as the

wind.
" But,

witchcraft
his bed,

to all there, patients

but none replied, for they

and said

" So he died
over,

and

" Leave

at once,

it

and

servants,

knew him

but suddenly there arose a great, terrible wind so that the hospital was nearly blown

is

legacy refers to the belief that a wizard or witch cannot die

transferred

to

another.

The broom

What

or deities were once sorcerers.

be followed

So

was once a man.

So Chuchulvia

doubt

if this

really

Romagna have ever

men developed

wise

Euhemerism

is

that

The

still

declared to be a wizard,
it is

myth

that the

now become an

changed since the beginning.

gods, but the people while accepting

of

it is

may

its

evil spirit.

great and
them always believed in

as old as anything recorded.

antique do not always reflect that a pebble

to

The Etruscan

they were only developed magicians.

spirit

may

not probable that the peasants of

And

whether

legend be modern, or older than the earliest Tuscan records, one thing
evident

it

Shamanic

retaining

that they have here really led back a

is

the faith that

an earlier stage, believing that every great

be a relapse since

really

is

train of facts is intricate, but

risen to polytheism,
in

his or her

till

an old Latin charm against

very ancient and purely Shamanic in this legend

The Etruscans had

out.

beginning.

But

is

but the people have remained

And he com-

hospital.

any one would take the inheritance of his

But a servant took two brooms, and put them under

well.

sorcery.

spirit

if

to these," since but for this he could not die.

all spirits

forms

and asked

his spirit departed in the wind."

The
power

he was, his turn came and he died, but before dying he was in a

evil as

mended himself

is

this
self-

Those who love the

be older than anything

man

ever

made.

Urfia.

Of this

spirit I

si presente nella

she

is

know nothing

casa" ("

a benevolent

It is

spirit.

save that

a lady

who

heard

it

remarked, "

E una donna che

manifests herself in houses.")

believe

CHAPTER
AND

LARES, LASA,

"

V.
LASSI.

nos Lases iuvate,

Neve

Marmar

Iuerve

incurrere

sins

in

pleoris.

Satur furere Mars limen

Semunis

Marmo

nos

Triumpe.

iuvato.

Arval Brothers.

the

Lar and

Latin words

the

berber.

Triumpe."

Song of

sali, sta

alternei advocavit conctos

Lares we generally understand

domestic family spirits, on which
subject

gives

Muller

much

Etrusker)

(die

information

He writes

conjecture.

"

and
That

the Lares belong to the Tuscan

mythology
name,
were

it

by the

Larth and Laris

common

surnames, they

must have

originated

Ehrennahme

(some

name

among Tuscans and Romans

shown

is

for as

of

honour).

was a very comprehensive name.

in

an

common
But

both

There were

LARES LASA, AND LAS ST.

Lares

coelopotenies,

grunduks, and

permarini,

viales,

finally the domestici

LASA,

in

vicorum,

compitales,

81

civitatum,

rurales,

and familiarest the comprehension of which

OR GUARDIAN

SPIRIT.

the course of time has become obscure, owing to confusion with the others.

rural Lares*

on the other hand, are those which

Arval brothers are called on as

in the very ancient

E nos Lases iuvate."

12

The

song of the

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

82
"

Lases was certainly in

"

Now

it

He

human

then adds

genius and

among

than
that

necessarily be included

domestic

lares,

these, as they

were one and the same.''

knew such a word

my

best authority on

as Lar, Lares, or Lare ?

"

Tuscan

minute, " there are the Lassi or Lassie."

which are heard or seen

spirits

are the ghosts

of-

exist with

No

asked

if

she

it."

"

Did

but," reflecting a

are they

in a

"

The answer

house when one of the family

who come

most of

at such a time."

have no doubt that these Lassi or Lasie are the

Of

the song of the Arval brothers.

to in

absolutely proved, but

all

"

"

the ancestors of the family,

This was conclusive, and

referred

is

Lassi are

Lasa

And what

"

folk-lore, I

No, she had never heard

anything with a similar name haunt churchyards

They

Etruscan

that, "so far as

doubtful whether Lasa and the Lares are connected."

it is

as follows

were generally nothing

declares that the Lasa were generally female spirits occupied in

Conversing one day with

dies.

with a mass of

else

Our author

"

MULLER

confirmed by

is

adorning men and women, as depicted on vases, and

was

p. 93).

become gods, many of the ancients (Apuleius, Martian, and Varro) having declared

lar, referring especially to

concerned,

{Note

sight that under these extremely varied

first

This

souls."

"

" The Lares familiares must

souls of ancestors

the oldest form of the word

very remarkable at

is

deities there are

proofs.

Rome

when we

course this

is

their ancient characteristics,

it

must be admitted that we

The Lasa were

have here an extremely strong probability.

not

Mania

consider that Tinia, Fufluns, Feronia, and

in the

very oldest

Latin in existence ghosts of ancestors, or domestic familiar

Lassi.

on the

And Muller

gives

vases, with a frontal

spirits, and so are the

no proof whatever that the Lasa, or " winged spirits
band or cap and earrings, naked or in a short chiton

with armlets, half boots or shoes," and holding a great variety of objects in their
hands, were not Lares deified.

It

seems to

me

most natural that the

to be

of the ancestors, revived in youth and beauty, should be the

Muller

aid the descendant risen to paradise.

Lar

of the departed
industry,

and not

Unfortunately,

the folk-lore of a race,

race

is

these

Lasa

if

spirits

on and
"

In the

not the geniuses

gifted with perfectly

German

had not a gleam of intelligence as regarded

or the immense value of minor matters. To write in an

deficient in sagacity,

admirable and clear

to wait

himself says elsewhere,

What are
MULLER, though

the Genius always comes to light."

first

style,

en

grand

certainly very fine, but

it

critique,

is

shall have seen the last of these Mr.

to be

over the great events or subjects of

hoped that a time

Dombeys

is

coming when we

of History, with their prize works

AND LAS SI.

LARES, LASA,
crowned by Academies,
colour,

and as

There

is

little real

in

which there

not a gleam of intuition, nor a nuance of

is

knowledge of life.

a story of the Lasi or Lasii, also an invocation to them.

say that, as regards the songs or metrical passages in

been

my

them

able, with all care, to give

such accounts,

all

in the original or best form.

would

I
I

have not

In most cases

informant translated them from the original Romagnola dialect into Italian,

and they were often manifestly imperfect or partly

follows

" There was once

behave well.

a great lord

Do

it

very rich, and he had a son

'

My son,

The

tale

is

as

fear for

all to

you

an end.

after

my

After a

death.'

who was

a great prodigal

che

cannot live long, therefore I beg you to always

not go on gambling, as you are wont to do, and waste

days the son brought

all

who was

His father said to him,

can take care of you, but I

occupied

supplied.

sciupeva tutto il danaro.

and

83

little

all

your patrimony.

time the father died.

Nothing remained but the palace, which he

sold.

While

And

I live I

in a

few

But those who

could not dwell there in peace, because at midnight there was heard a great clanking of chains

the bells ringing.

heard a voice saying

And

they saw black figures like smoke passing about, and flames of

fire.

And

they

'" Sono

il

Las to,

In compagnia

Di

tanti Lasii,

non avrete mai

Bene,

Non

che

fino

prenderete

Questo palazzo

A mio

figlio.

'

am the Lasio,
And there are with me
Many more Lasii.

('"I

No

good

shall

my

This place to

"So
there

to

him a voice which

said

you

to

son

')

But he too was greatly

they gave back the palace to the heir.

came

come

you restore

Till

terrified

with the apparitions, and

"

'

Sono

Di

il

Lasio

tutti Lasii,

Son' tuo padre,

Che vengo adesso

In tuo soccorso
Purche tu m'ubbedisca,
Smetti

giuoco,

il

Altrimenti non avro

Mai pace

In

all

cases where the text

is

e tu

in metre the original

was chanted or intoned.

; ;

"

;!

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

84

Ti troverai ancora
In miseria estrema

Ma

se tu m'ubbedisca,

10 vivro in pace,

sarai tanto ricco

Da non

finire

patrimonio

11 tuo

Anche divertendo

te

E faccendo molto
Ma promette mi

bene,

Di non piu

am

(" 'I

giuocare.'

the Lasio

Of all the Lasii.

I am thy father
Come to thy succour
If thou'lt obey me,

Cease gaming for ever,

Or thou

Know

shalt never

peace

and thou

Wilt again find thyself

Sunk deep
But

have peace again,

I shall

And

in misery

thou obey'st me,

if

thou shalt be wealthy

Far beyond measure,

Living in pleasure

Only
Never

"Then

this

promise me,

to play again.')

the son answered:

" Padre perdonatemj

Non giuochero piu.'
'

("

'

Father, forgive
I will ne'er

" Then

the father replied

me

play again.')

:
"

'

Rompi quante

trave

Che' son' nel palazzo

piene di danaro,

Le

trovarei,

Cosi starei benme,

Ed

io staro in pace,

Nelle require

E
("

'

mettermi.

Amen

'

Break down the beams

Which are in the palace
They are full of money,

As you

will find.

LARES, LASA,

AND

LASSI.

FAUN AND FEMALE LASA OR FAIRY.

S5

!! ;

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

86

Then

I shall

be quiet

In the rest of the dead.

There
It

Two

was explained

much
strong,

to

more

like

'

")

One

semi-poem.

Percy's

in

is

Relics.

one

may

ceiling.
is

very

Secondly, that

it is

that the story

an Icelandic narrative than anything

is

by the beams meant breaking away the

that

Heir of Lynne

and very simple

There

me

in this strange

like that of the

altogether

is

me

things strike

Amen

I go.

Italian.

It is grim,

say almost archaic.

also an invocation of witchcraft to these spirits of ancestors

not less curious

"

Lasii, Lasii, Lasii

Che

tante buoni siete

D'una grazia

io

ne ho

Gran bisogno

da vuoi

spirit!

Spiriti e Lasi,

In mezzo a uno cantina,

Mi vengo

vuoi

inginnochiare

altri

Mi vengo

a raccomandare

Che questa

Mi

grazia.

vorrete fare

Lasii, Lasii, Lasii

vuoi vi presento,

Con

tre candele,

Candele accese,

Tre

carte, l'asso di picche,

Quello di

fiori,

quello di quadri,

Le buttero per l'aria,

Che vuoi certo mi vedete
Per cio

le butto

In vostra presenza
Nell punto della mezza notte,

Queste carte
Per

Se

l'aria buttero,

mi

la grazia

L'asso di

fiori

farete,

scoperto,

Trovare mi

farete,

Se scoperto

l'asso di pique,

Mi

fate trovare,

segno che

Non me

la grazia

volete fare

Se mi farete trovare
Quello di quadri

Segno e che

La

grazia

mi

fate."

which

! !

AND LAS SI.

LARES, LASA,
('

'

!! ;

87

Lasii, Lasii, Lasii

Ye who
There

Which

And

are gracious

is

a favour

need greatly,

of ye spirits,

and

Spirits

Here

Lasii,

Now

in a cellar
I

And

am

kneeling,

commend myself

Unto your
That ye

graces,

will grant

me

This special favour

Lasii, Lasii, Lasii

Here

I present myself,

Bearing three candles,

Three candles

lighted,

the

Three cards

And
And

ace of spades,

that of clubs,
that of diamonds.

I fling

them

in the air

That you may see them

Plainly before you,

Here
In
If

just at

air I

you grant

Cause

The
If

midnight

throw them

me

me

a favour,

to find

ace of clubs plainly.

'tis

the ace of spades

'Tis a sign that

Grant

me

you

will not

the favour

if you make me find

The ace of diamonds,
Then 'tis a sign

But

That

"

my

wish will be granted.")

But," added the fortune-teller, in a prosaic voice, "

it

will

not be until after a

long time."

Games

of chance and lotteries are such a serious element in Italian

no one need be astonished

at

an invocation

Perhaps the Romans did the same

like this

life

for luck at alea, or dice.

would that

me my copy of PASCHASIUS Justus' De Alea. I might find it in that J

It may be remarked that in this account the Lasii appear as benevolent
devoted to a family.
the treasure,

PRELLER :

Since recording this Tuscan story of the Lasio

have met with the following

that

being addressed to the Lares.

in the

had by

spirits,

who gave

Romische Mythologie of L.

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

TINIA

AND

LASA.

LARES, LASA,
is

AND

LASSI.

89

" The lar familiaris is the Schutzgeistguardian spirit of the family. Next to the Lar familiaris, who
simply called the lar or lar pater (the father lasio), there are many lares familiares. ... It happens,

perhaps, that the grandfather confided a treasure to him which he secretly hid

only daughter of the house, a good

who has always

girl

and he gives

the

this to

given him daily offerings such as incense or wine

or garlands."

This is briefly the same story as that which I have related. The Lar or
Lasio has a treasure in reserve which he gives to the heir. It was comfortable to
think that there was in the house an attached family spirit who might do one a
x

good

and therefore the

turn,

The young man

belief lasted long

Peppino,

places, to collect evidence of

addition of the plural article

time after

the following, which

" When

made

Once

went with some

when

all at

greatly,

once there stood before

(non

ti

and

I still

it

me which
I

was

was

really a lasia.

Oh,
old

would

like to

woman, who

it

in

a very different

forest,

and wandered

said

'

Dear

'

the

wouldst like

child, if thou

And when

fortune,'

me

had bathed and dressed

and many more are before

good

had

weather was very

There was something about her which pleased

cannot describe.

troubles,

bathe there

thought at the time was

dark

in a

thee, but

be not afraid

and so she disappeared, and

lasia,

spirit

of

never

some ancestor long dead, who wishes me well."

best in this story I cannot relate, and that

told,

and the deep

details,

to

heard

accurately

await the good fortune which has not as yet come to me.

was indeed a

I believe this

with which

'

me an

Bimba, thou hast had many

What was

was

I said,

without fear, I will protect thee.'

'

down

found myself in a very lonely place by a stream.

sgomentare), for in thy old age thou wilt have

saw her again

"

last

a care and kindness and sweetness which

myself she said

relative to the Lasii, I

One day

relations into the country.

a habit of talking aloud to myself, and

to bathe, undress

evidently only an

chiamai), but I have since regarded

cost io lo

about picking leaves and wood-flowers, and at

hot

is

the narrator repeat, and took

funny or queer (mi trovai a un caso buffo

light.

This

as Ilasii.

i (the) to Lasii.

was about twelve years of age something happened

home and in the marketby me recorded, found that

at

spirits

had written the foregoing

I
I

name

people.

all rural

who went about much,

knowledge of the

the Lasii were known, but gives the

Some

among

and the manner

faith

in

was the earnestness

which the narrator repeated the

with which she expressed the conviction that this

Truly they are a strange

race, these

Etruscan mountaineers

men dream dreams.

They are represented as
Pictures of Lases abound on Etruscan vases.
They are,
beautiful spirits, young, and more frequently feminine than male.
phial.
or
large
The
bear
bottle
generally
a
I believe almost always, winged, and
young

their

folk see visions

and

their old

old Etruscan religion, which was distinctly Euhemeristic, regarded the becoming

a Lar as the
of interest
" Les
peuplent

le

first

step to

becoming a god.

On

which subject the following

is

Lares, ou Lases, qui jouent un role

monde

si

important dans

les

anciennes religions de

romain, qu'on trouve partont, au foyer de la famille, dans la

13

ville,

la

1'Italie,

qui

campagne, sur

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

90

es routes Lares familiares, urbani, rurales, viales, &c.

cosmogonie Etrusque.
que

nom

Leur

frequemment

l'on rencontre

seul

semble

le

les

Lares ont sans acun doute

nom

prouver, Larth ou Laris est un

On

sur les inscriptions funeraires de l'Etrurie.

fait partie

un

et

titre

d'ailleurs,

lisait,

de

la

d'honneur
dans

les

Livres Ach&ontiens qui faisaient partie de la doctrine de Tages, que les ames humaines pouvaient, en
vertu de certaines expiations, participer a l'essence des dieux, et sous le
divines, prendre place

Le Genius
;

les

Penates

et les

Lares" (Servius ad Aen.,

nom de

iii.,

168

dii animates,
cf.

ou ames

Fabretti, Gloss. Ital.

" Ainsi s'accomplissaient dans les croyances de l'Etrurie les mysterieuses destinees de l'ame humaine.

s. v.).

vie

parmi

puis

jcwialis, apres l'avoir recueille

quand

mort venait separer de

la

l'expiation, pouvait retourner

que nous l'avons vu,

ainsi

Paris, 1862, vol.

It will

i.,

parmi

donnait entree dans la

comme penate
lui-meme " (L'Etrurie

elle

et

remontait au rang ou

le

Genius jovialis,

Les Etrusques, par A.Noel des Vergers,

pp. 301, 302).

be seen by

this extract that the still existing

doctrine taught

very singular belief that

sometimes reborn as mightier sorcerers than before,

proceed to be

this

la divinite, lui

matiere ce souffle divin, l'ame, eprouv^e par les sacrifices, ou

les dieux, et

etait place

certain sorcerers' souls are

and from

comme une emanation de

la

spirits,

exactly paralleled by the old Etruscan

is

by Tages.
LOSNA.

MtJLLER

neously attributed
occurs on a
(Lticna,
" It

CORSSEN

(i.,

LOSNA, a goddess of the moon,

to

(die Etrusker, p. 81) says that

single

mirror

from Prseneste (GERHARD,

346-7) " has erro-

p.

She only

Etruria.
clxxi.),

i.,

and

is

Latin

Lund)"
But on asking

not for us to settle the question."

is

knew of such a being

wrote down as uttered
she

as Losna,

my

authority

if

received the following reply, which I

" Losna

is

spirit of

the sun and

moon

She loves

of both, not

of the

moon

When

alone.

When

a brother debauches

made her mischief she

will appear at the table where a contadino is with his family, and laugh and say
Thou art a stupid fellow,
thou knowest not that thy daughter is incinta (with child) by her brother, for thou didst once say, " E un
grande piacere a fare V amore col proprio fratello."
And when she has done this mischief she goes away
his sister

it is

always her doing.

to deride people gaily.

she has
:

'

'

singing, because she has caused discord in the family."

This startling myth has that

in

it

which seems to prove great antiquity.

The

gypsies in the East of Europe have a legend that they are descended from
Sun and Moon the Sun having debauched his Moon sister was condemned to
wander for ever, in consequence of which they also can never rest. The natives

the

of Borneo and the old Irish believed that the

there for the

same deed.

coincidences

are fortuitous,

its

character,

Finally, the

Man

in the

Esquimaux have a

but in any case

have already remarked that

if

they

are

Moon

is

imprisoned

similar story.

These

As for
handed down

remarkable.

these tales are truly

from the olden time they ought to be replete with sensuality

as

they are.

In

LOSNA.
the spirit of collection,
less

sought

for,

the nursery.

In

by Grimm, nothing was preserved, much

established

first

which was not

not say for young

will

fit,

91

people, but innocent, sweet, pretty, and

amusing Mdhrchen.

out of which these grew were nothing of the kind.

pass that most collectors, influenced by fear of
quietly pass over this element which was,

myths of what we may

if

into

the hidden causes of things.

and

revolt

such

portion of

first

infernal

its

stand

agency, or devils

we

clear
"

man in
the way

To

it

was out of what could most

magic,

and

which

no

we do we

Till

at

that

all

call

is

the

It is

Louna,'' says

is

Pollux, on

early

power

exists,

attention

of

duty and

in

and have a clear

we

must under-

monument

another

possible

just

It is

may have

art.

This

is

now

for a century
in

my

it

to Gerhard's Etruscan Mirrors,

as discussing

it,

original name, and that Losna

is

it

is

it

that

some

is

remarkable that in
sister.

picture representing

possession,

and

vol.

i.,

on

my

paper

p. 346),

who

refers

lies

165, Ritschl, Cavendoni, Schoene, Benndorff,

from Praeneste, also that Lusna was the

a dialectical form peculiar to Praeneste.

This mirror had greatly interested me.

book simply because

Lala,

been frequently engraved

According to Corssen (Spracke der Etrusker,

iii.,

as

given rise to the Tuscan

of the reader specially to the

from a mirror which has

as

&c,

this

fear

comprehend the present nor

In any case

probably a mere fragment.

works on Etruscan

Helbig,

now

dropped

the

Preller, "appears on an Etruscan mirror

with

associated

in

write.

terrify

has

an allusion to the sun and moon as an incestuous brother and

is

LOSNA.

to,

living believer has

shall not

Lara, AeaTToiva, with the sun-god Aplu."

there

present,

returning

the chief motive

hell, as

understand

fully

tradition of such association with the sun

it

turn over a vast amount

not seek " abditis rerum causis "

for the future.

Losna, that

story which

if we wish to
when men had

we must

only retaining, or

really believe

the past.

with the half-moon

i.e.,

was

sorcery and

Religious

study.
state,

incentive to worship.

idea of what

life,

who do

For

primitive

all

if

cannot, avoid

And

chief.

it

much secondary Shamanism

we would know Man's early history we must not, or

that

were formed, and

Reader,

and Reproduction, and such reviving influences as

Fertility

fearfully " shocking " to all

man

has come to

not the great guiding influence in

period, or this of the time

first

Light and Wine and gaiety as causes of

is

it

Major-General

the tertiary formation (or polytheism as

call

investigate the witchcraft of the

of what

but even for

But the old myths

However,
the

passing into pantheism), was at least almost the

begun to regard

ladies,

suggest nothing as yet, even to well-informed

fact, fairy tales

had purchased

contained an engraving of

it,

in

London one

and had made with great

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

92

LOSNA.

(From the

original Etruscan bronze mirror,

now

in possession of the Author.)

LOSNA.
care three or four drawings of
dissatisfied,

trations with

me

unwillingly.

made,
that

was

it

my

and when

it

93

from different works, with

March 5,
when

here in Florence,

1892,

state simply the truth

one

this

in particular

which

by chance, or
" curiosities,"

led

and there

so longed to see.

mention that the

made on

the

a tracing or

Losna

out

shop

very

the mirrors ever

all

and

see,

for

illus-

remember

went

odds and ends, or

out of place, found an

very one which had been engraved, and which

need not say that

engraving

my

"

of the following day

much

a glass case, and very

in

ancient Etruscan mirror

threw

most desired to

my mind. On the afternoon

by my Socratic demon, into a

was much on

it

"

say that of

of which I was

all

Unwin, went over

publisher, Mr. Fisher

given

here

purchased

once.

at

it

should

absolutely correct, having

is

rubbing from the mirror

which

itself,

is

in

been

a state of

perfect preservation.

These mirrors were believed among the Etruscans

magic power.

to possess

same with the Chinese of the present day who make similar ones, the
reason being this
The Chinese mirror, like the ancient, is polished on one side
and has a picture, or more commonly an inscription, on the other. If we let the
sun shine on the mirror and reflect it on a smooth white surface, the picture on the
It is the

other side

is

distinctly visible in the reflection.

which did not

satisfy me.

have heard explanations of

About the year 1856 a daguerro typist

in the

this

United

States having cut two lines in a cross on the face of a copper plate found that

though the cross was not perceptible on the back, yet that when
light

it

Hence

could be distinctly seen in the reflection.

reflected in sun-

inferred that the

pressure on the face hardened the metal throughout, which perfectly explains the

phenomenon.

suppose that the Etruscan mirrors when new had the same

Of which
many recipes

quality.

invention there

in his

for

glass

by annealing the

bed of
will

soft glass

about

seem uniform.

soft glass as duller

is

no mention, not even by

making marvellous
That

picture.
it,

is,

" mirrors."

we take

and when cold grind

But the

Baptista Porta

of

a pattern in hard glass, cast a

off

reflection against the

J.

The same may be made

and polish the

surface,

which

sun will show the light from the

than that from the hard.

All mirrors are, according to ancient and modern superstition, repulsive to

witches, or evil spirits,
like basilisks

had

and good against the

their

themselves reflected,

own

" Si on_,luy

Losna was

eye and

its

like.

Fascinators
if

they saw

presente un miroir, par endardement reciproque,

ces rayons retournent sur l'autheur d'iceux."

that

evil

terrible glance turned against them

As

a lunar-solar goddess,

I believe

peculiarly associated with the mirror as a magic object.

stratus declares that if

a mirror be held before a sleeping

thunder-storm, the storm will cease.

man

Philo-

during a hail or

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

94

Laronda.
Laronda

in

peculiar to, or

Tuscany

who

caserme dei

delle

a very kind, benevolent

is

dwells

who, strangely enough,

caserme, or soldiers' barracks

in,

militari.

spirit,

"

Sarebbe un

is

spirito

molta buona."

identified with the old Etruscan Larunda, or Lara, of whom

"Who can keep from laughter when he hears the silent goddess
Ovid
is she whom they call Lara, or Larunda"
20, 35).

She seems to be
Lactantius remarks

mentioned?

This

(i.,

speaks of her as the Dea muta, or silent

Preller'S Mythology,
Geist

ein seliger a good or happy

"

But what

compitales.

At such

Romans

met

"

a place the

"

specially

Here we

lived, or
spirit of

" In

them

all

and rooms,"

the people round about

Therefore the Lares compitalium

literally then, as

Larunda

is

now, the chief

what corresponds most accurately to the modern caserme which

Preller

men

of such large public buildings, where great bodies of

only building in Italy which

illustrates with

much

and of

learning,

this

all

modern Tuscan

is

now

the

All of which

quite like the ancient compitum.

is

ascertained what I have written of the

first

especially the

erected large buildings with passages

And Larunda was

met.

Larunda was

a point where several roads meet.

is

to discuss business and hold festivals."

spirits

as good, since in

plainly understand ein guter

that

is

Compitum

corresponding to modern barracks.

were the guardian

known

in

spirit.

certainly very remarkable

is

mother of the Lares

literally

was

infer that she

reference to a prayer to her he remarks

But from a passage

goddess.

knew nothing when I

And when we

spirit.

read that these ancient buildings were the resort of boxers, actors, gladiators, and
of political clubs,

we may

well infer that soldiers also occupied them.

In the course of time stories grow up or are attached to names with which

they have very

following

" Laronda

is

much

" Among

grieved that she

fell ill,
it

Rosa

Quis,

quum

who had

audiat

deam Mutam

ipsam Laram nominant, vel Larundam."

'

she was a donna

it

come

named Rosa who, during her

and forbade her frequenting the barracks,

sillier

life,

was

at

which

to her bed.
Then the soldiers themselves
among them ; so for a time all went well.
who was a zingara, or gypsy, as well as witch.

and that

and with

tenere risum queat

Which

is

all

this the

the soldiers\vere devoted to her, and that

gypsy was ill-pleased and said to Rosa

Hanc

esse dicunt, ex

qua

and more laughter-moving than the rudest works of

Roman

times.

sint nati Lares, et

what an ancient heathen might have said

Spanish Virgin Mary in an old French bonnet, or even some of her similitudes here, in
times

the

secretly

sweetheart

v,

visited the caserme,

her beauty than for her gaiety and goodness

"

is

and was long confined

that she could

these soldiers was one

the witch discovered that

less for

Once

After a while the officers noticed

missed her sadly, and so arranged

Now

Such a legend relating to Laronda

connection.

Xhefolletto of the casernes.

devoted to soldiers.
she was so

little real

Italy,

at

seeing a

which are ten

"

'

LEMURI.
Rosa, oh, Rosa, oh,

thou

art

esteemed by

any more

fair

Rosa

am

true that I

it is

my own

and

all the soldiers

95

not so beautiful as thou

And

am a gypsy.

'

'

Per cio

'

voglio pregare

ti

Nelle caserme di non piu andare

" Then Rosa

replied frankly but resolutely, that she

which the other, in a rage, said

jealousy, at

but one year do

long

'

May my

'

"

'

spirit

wilt thou live

avrai che pene e guai.

will

come

of the patrol, or night-guard), and

" As she threatened

so

came

it all

and the

to pass,

grief,

to bring relief.

since thou lovest soldiers so well, thou shalt have

'

upon thy head, nor

like lead

year thou'lt live in pain and

Ere death

ronda (the

yield nothing whatever to please her foolish

fall

anno che tu camperai,

fin

Tu non

" And

would

curse

I give thee.

"

delta

art, for I

lover loves thee, so I beg thee not to frequent the barracks

no

rest after death,

La Ronda

but shalt become

il

folhtto

thou shalt be.'

soldiers grieved for her death.

But while they were

sorrowing they were suddenly amazed to see at a window the apparition of a lady of great beauty clad in

who

white,

"

said

Io sono la bella Rosa, I

Ronda

of the soldiers, and

you hear

me

call,

There

am

when

the beautiful

then open the windows to

will

be

many

might utterly invalidate

am dead

have become the Folletto della

come

to seek you,

this adaptation of a

modern pun

connection with the classic Larunda.

and

all

petrified

scallop shells dropped

but now

shells

any tradition whatever,

just

to a

word

will

way we
Voltaire

In this
as

found on mountain-tops had probably been

by pilgrims from the Holy Land.

very ancient times the guardian

and when

La Ronda.

whom

to

quite suffice to destroy all

declared that the

Rosa

night flees from the world of the eternals I will

spirit

But Laronda was from

of the public building, while this story turns

upon a mere resemblance of the word to a technical term with a very different
I think it most probable that some ingenious but ignorant person,
meaning.
hearing of Laronda, adapted
I

have since heard

it

large building frequented

it

to the

word

asserted that

by many

for patrol or " round."

Laronda may

be, or

people, such as a hotel.

old and generally entertained idea, while

is,

the spirit of any

This seems to be the

have no guarantee whatever that the

story is not a mere modern fabrication founded on a jest.

If Larunda be modern because there is a modern story fitted to the name,
then of course any myth may be punned or conjectured out of existence.

Lemuri.

On

asking

i spiriti dei

if

such a word as Lemures was known,

campo-santi

"

Lemuri are the

spirits of

was

told that

Lemuri sono

the churchyards."

This

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

96
clearly

enough

as the Larvae,

them with the Latin Lemures, which were the same

or the unhappy and terrifying ghosts of those who have died evil
identifies

deaths, or under a ban, to which there are innumerable allusions in

all

Latin

writers. 1

Tago.

Tago

He

is

a spirit whose

is

name appears

known only

to be

described as a spirito bambino, or appearing as a

Gustavo declared

"

Tago

is

write

But

prayer

this

who

bino, or spirit like a boy,

do not

is,

me

Favi

invoked,

so that I could

recall

that there

of the ground, and predicts the future or

same

is

a spirito bam-

His name

however, a wizard.

He comes up

Teriegh (harsh and guttural and uncertain).

are the only spirits in such form I

As

tells fortunes.

out

these

suppose them to be the

being.

The name Tago

" the wise

Tages,
history

is

will naturally

suggest to the scholar that of

Etruscan child plowed from the earth," whose

given in detail by Preller and

many

more, but by no

one so succinctly or elegantly as by Petrarch

Latin.

quodam

Of him

boy.

when we see
which causes them to recover
is

it."

Another authority informed

is

little

who

a spirit

children suffering, with an invocation

their health.

to a few old people.

This

one day, as a peasant was ploughing

child,

leapt from

arante in agro Tarquiniensi

with an old man's head and

in his

wisdompuerili

Italian-

Hetrusco

the furrow, an infant in form but

effigie

sapientia senili

and proceeded

forthwith to astonish everybody by his prophesies and instructions in what was then
religious

his

wisdom, but what we should now

books and teachings that

And

drawn.

as

all

Roman

that he

if

Terieg'h.

Truly such survivals as these

manner
'

in

" Verum

it is

befitting that they

illi

manes, quoniam corporibus

illo

vitam iisdem corporibus delectantur, atque cum

Mess.,

ii.,

9, p.

it

lives in his

may

in

was indeed from

would be indeed deeply

Etrurian

not be of the
if

home

fittest for

as

Tago

or

the spirit of

only to show the extraordinary

popular tradition to be

tempore tribuuntur quo

iis

it

fit

now and

then

prima conceptio, etiam post

manentes appellantur Lemures" (Martian, Cap de

"Lemures lame nocturne et terrificationes imaginum et bestiarum"

40; ap. Muller).
ix. II ; ap. Preller). " Lemures umbras vagantes hominum ante diem mortis mortuorum

(Augustin,c. Dei.
et ides

still

be recorded,

which they are frozen up

And

magic.

Etruscan lore began with him,

we could prove

interesting

the age, but

call

divination and sacred observances were

metuendus " (Porph.

ap.

Preller).

TAGO.

TAGES.

(From the Etruscan Museum of Gori.)

14

97

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

98

thawed out to some

his

But whether Tago or Terieg'h

seeker.

Davus sum non

for others to settle.

Anthropodemus Plutonicus, that

wherewith the

devil, after

many

be Tages I leave

superstitions

may be

Tages

"all this story of

a mere fable

and betrayed man with a

his fashion, hath deluded

wonder, that he might use the

really

For, as Johannes Praetorius says in

Qsdipus.

which had

their

beginning in

Tages, his fortune-telling and sorcery."

Fanio.
"Hsec

loca capripedes, Satyros,

Finitimi fingunt et

Quorum

Faunos

nymphasque

noctivago strepitu."

Lucretius,

To

tenerse,

esse loquntur,

iv.,

584.

a person of humanity and tender feelings there

or indescribably pitiful in the

manner

old gods and resisted Christianity.

something very touching

is

which the people

For

represented, that they gladly took

Roman

in

it

is

not true at

to the mystical,

in

Europe clung to

all,

as

is

abstract,

their

generally mis-

Hebrew-Persian

Catholic religion of professed love, and priestly and feudal oppression

Nor

which they did not understand.

did they find any attractions in

making

its

a duty of obedience to cruel feudal tyrants, of asceticism, fasting, and dread of the
devil.

It

was

forced on them,

all

and they long

resisted it

Despite cruel perse-

cution (as Horst and Michelet observe), the peasants persisted in their devotion to

the poor old forbidden gods, and every few years, so late as the fifteenth century,
councils thundered
sacrifices.

were

all

And

at,

colleges

condemned, and

burned people

priests

they were not a few who thus clung to the ancient

over Europe, and, as

have shown, there are some

still left

heathen

for

faith.

in the

They

Toscana

Romagna.
This old religion of nature was congenial to the people because they understood and deeply
there

is

felt it.

They

had, as I hope the reader has, an impression that

a spirit in the pathless woods, deep song in silent shade,

forgotten land of early days

homes of visions

portals through which elves or their

own

elfin

in the old

thoughts

Voice of the Waterfall, and what the stone said when

the well or silent pool " under the stars," and

and what words

guage from

it

said

these were

their fathers.

it

may

pass.

was thrown

why the laurel

all spirits,

life in

crackled

They know

delightful,

when

fire,

or haunted the fireplace,

" so sociable."

who teased

it

burned,

spirit-lan-

companionable

sense in believing that there was a jolly, mischievous, familiar goblin

the

the

at twilight into

and they had learned the

There was an indescribably

the long-

grey rocks with possible

who

lived in

the girls and bothered the boys, and

was

All of these were like themselves, and within their natural compre-

FAN/0.

99

tension, and they would believe in them because, as they must adopt some kind of
supernaturalism, they took that which was most natural, sensible, and congenial to

them.

haggard, bleeding, pallid

spectre,

everlasting

goody-goodiness

of

ETRUSCAN RURAL DEITIES.

Madonnas, and the agony of tortured

are not congenial to
earnest, as

it

us,

saints with

no end of fasting and prayer,

nor did healthy humanity ever accept them in loving

did the old heathen gods.

The whole

history of the Middle

Ages

or

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

ioo

you may continue

they believed

simply this

lives in

And

in misery.

common

Man

"

will

is

one of mankind making believe that

the proof of

that wherever and

elements quite in
religious.

an you

later

it

it,

reader,

very plain, and

is

or

with the old heathenism, there people are most truly

properly the only object which interests

is

it is

" superstitions "

any

whenever Christianity has

Humanity and Nature, and never

what

truly cares for

man
is

"
;

he

feels

and

remote from or

is

when we walk

in

forced into these.

You and

I,

reader, feel the true spirit of old heathen religion

the forest and skirt the line of" thus far

and

the

then no more

sounding sea to the sands upon the shore," or are

We do not make

night.

fire in silent

own thoughts and memories become to

for we feel or see how we can give them life or
Make this literal not a mere figure of
words.

into goblins, but our

it

us quite the same as

spirits,

expressed thought in act or

speech

by the

sitting

language of the

and then,
yea, quite as

you

friend,

outworn

was not unlike the

be as happy as a heathen suckled

will

which

was

well off

who yearned

desire of Francois Villon,

a creed

in

Wordsworth wished

that

all

for,

and

for the ladies of

the

olden time.
It is

a great pity, but pity

'tis

'tis

owing

true, that

sentimental, or false influences of mediaeval religion

not really

know what we ought

and

chiefly to the affected-

its

we do

resultant " art,"

to admire or " feel beautiful " over, or

enthuse

Then we go and " do it." We do it by

going to see all the places prescribed by the hotel directions, " there and back,
twenty-five francs for a party of four," and duly admiring them, and pass by without
note a hundred spots even more beautiful. And verily such a doing thereof as I
about,

till

somebody has

among

behold here

told us how.

tourists in Italy to see

what

it

"the thing" to see

is

everything, according to Ruskin, Baedeker, and Co.), might

millstone.

A child or

naturally.

The

child,

tourist

but he does

This old
impressed in

not.

spirit
all this

utter the thoughts

a peasant

Tuscan-Etruscan

which

it

streams and

fields, fairy-life

is

it

or he takes Nature as

of unaffected feeling of nature without " culture

word Faunus.

who

better off

folk-lore,

and

would that

(i.e.,

from a

tears

who goes by precept may think that he can feel

You cannot serve God and Mammon together.

in the single

deity,

is

draw

comes

it

nature as a

"

is

deeply

my heart

could

It was all summed up for the ancients

Faunus and the Fauni were the incarnation of forests,
and flowers. Therefore I was glad to find that this

often inspires.

only another form of Pan,

still

lives in the

Romagnola,

as

is

set forth

in the following passages.

'

"

Fanio

is

a wizard

who comes

the Euhemeristic conception of

all

in the

the

form of a
spirits

in

spirit.''

this

This appears to be

very primitive Tuscan

);

'

FANIO.
mythology.

First a wizard, or a

death, and then

supposed to

is

man

of power on earth,

still

haunt the scenes of his former

Fanio does was narrated as follows

" Fanio
when

there

is

remembered

is

life.

after

What

like a devil, scattering

He

appears as a

fire,

and then laughs

man

leaping up with his hands wide open,

at the fear

which he has caused.

And

a wedding he often anticipates the bridegroom in his kisses, and when the husband comes and

would embrace

his wife

laughing, and says

he

blows and

feels invisible

'

Vuoi sapere
Sono

Che

Mi
Mi

which put him in a rage, when Fanio bursts out

("

'

ho risparmiato tanta

ti

Who

am ?

And

spirit

if

me

you would know,

me

gave

much

as

bliss,

in this

think that thanks are due

Unto me

this,

fatica

Fanio

in life once

Pleases

vexed at

vita,

mondo

dovresti ringraziare,

What

is

Finio,

m'e piacuto in

piace al altro

I'm the

the husband

chi sono?

lo spirito

cio che

Che

if

cuffs,

"

" Then

who

frightens peasants in the woods.

thrown forward, or looks

ioi

for helping

and

if

you

his wife

is

!
'

angry and curses the goblin, he only torments

her the more and returns as a nightmare to disturb her sleep."

not

It is

recognise in this Finio the Faunus of the Latins.

difficult to

All of

the characteristics attributed to him in the account agree accurately with what

PRELLER

relates

" In some phases of popular

who

belief

Faunus appears

lurks in deep shadows, in hidden caverns, or

birds,

and chases the nymphs.

The

by

as nearly allied to Silvanus, as a spirit of the forest,

rustling waterfalls,

fauns as a class were

where he predicts fortunes or catches

much given

in their sleep, so that they

sometimes appear altogether as annoying imps

which attacks people used

all

and tormenting mortals

kinds of roots and quackeries, especially the root of the forest-peony

paonie), which had to be dug by

women had

to teasing

like the nightmare to us against

men by

night, else the great wood-pecker

would peck out

their eyes.

WaldBut,

guard against the fauns and Silvani, for these lecherous wood-goblins
" From their lechery they
readily slipped into their beds, whence the popular name of Incubus for them.''

above

all,

the

were called

Faunificarii.

picarios vocant

'

to be

'

on

their

Vel Incubones, vel Satyros,

vel sylvestres

quosdam homines quos

nonulli

Faunas

" (Hieron. in /sat, v. 13, 21).

These fauns and

silvani of

chievous household goblins.

Tuscan

They

all

belief are very

make naughty

incubi, or nightmares, and cause wild dreams.

of old in Assyria.

much

love to

Quite the same

Lenormant says (Magie Chaldaienne)

allied to the mis-

women, and
spirits

act as

were known

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

102
"

To

Nightmare in the Accadian Kiel-udda-karra, in the

the Incubus and Succubus was joined the
familiar spirits which
probable, judging from its name, that it was one of those

Assyrian, Ardat.

...

It is

vV

(On a

make

the stables

admitted by so

patera.

(Etruscan)

and the houses the scene of

many

people, and which are

still

Museum,

Florence.)

their malicious tricks

believed in

spirits

by the peasants

in

whose existence has- been

many

parts of Europe."

QUERCIOLA.
It may be remarked that nearly
mythology are of the nature of the

103

the spirits which occur in this peasant

all

Also that while the Romagnola

fauns.

Etruscan names of gods, and those

contadino has retained old

minor

of the

sylvan and rural deities, such as Sylvanio, Fano, and Pal6, he has not the great

Latin gods.

Bacchus

is

commonly enough sworn

information regarding him, save that he was

must be the same as

fore

The

Faflon."

"

The peony

De

wine, and

best treatises which I have

Fauns, Satyrs, Silvani, Incubi, &c, form chapters

Bauhinus, 1667, entitled

could gather no

by, but I

the god of

there-

met on the

that strange work

in

by

C.

Hermaphroditis, &c.

was, on account of

against the fauns as nightmares.

red colour, regarded as great protection

its

PRjETORIUS (Antkropodemus Plutonicus ; Von

Alpmannrigen, 1666) mentions that people, to keep away the Incubus, wear

round their necks, or hanging from them,

It is

worth observing

on Christmas Eve

the

"flints, corals,

yule-log of the North

is

many

is ,a

is

burned

For, despite his immoral

general favourite, as was Faunus of old, for

reasons not too far to find, but not worth specifying.

In a

work on Faunus, Del Dio Fauno,

(Eduard Gerhard, Naples,

e de suoi segnaci, di

truth

is

that

all

all

and mischievous

nightmares

consequently wanton and gay.

names than by

is

not

these minor spirits of forests and

rooms, were naturally familiar

schoolboys, therefore

Odoard Gerhard

1825), the author declares that whatever deity

have been, mixed and mingled as he was with others,

The

wood which

taken with due observance and

incantation to the fauns or other spirits of the forest.

and mischievous conduct, Fanio

or peony roots."

a holy log of

that the ceppo sacro,

of
in

much

and bed-

alike as

therefore

girls,

may

determine.

fields, firesides

creatures, as

teasers

They were

difficult to

he

romping

seducers,

and

more distinguished by

reality

natures.

QUERCIOLA.
This word refers to an herb or small plant which, as
rosalaccio,

and

others,

is

by

many

properly, in Italian, a small oak-tree, but, as in

been transferred from one plant to another in

of

it

(given to

"When
wherever

it is

separated, be

me

with specimens of the plant),

one has quarrelled with a

lover,

growing, because the fairy of that

it

in

the case of rue,

mysterious association also a fairy.

one should go and

name

as to the heart or place, the other

sits

is

other instances,

What

Romagnolo.
is

as follows

sit

it

is

has

learned

beside the plant called Querciola,

a great friend to lovers.

by the herb and

Querciuola

sings

So when one

is distant,

or

104

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

"

Fata Querciola

'

Sei tanto bella quanto buona

ti mi vengo raccomandare,
Che 41 mio bene
A mi tu faccia ritornare.

Fata Querciola

bene

Ai

fatto tanto

tante persone

Anch'

Che

io voglio sperare

di

me non

ti

di

me

Vorrai dimenticare.

Fata Querciola

Sei tanto bella e altra tanto buona

Ti chiedo una grazia sola

E
E

me

spero non

Mi

la vorra negare,

mio amore

lo

farai ritornare.

Fata Querciola

pene

Sofrirei tante

Se da me non tornasse

Ma

da

me

conviene

le

me

Perche la fata

Di
("

'

il

si

l'ha promesso,

farlo ritornare sotto al

Fairy Querciola

Thou
Let

art

good

Fairy Querciola

May

not in vain,

hast blest so many,

Send a
Let

tetto.

wilt send happiness

Unto me again

Thou

mio

as fair

me hope and

That thou

mio bene,
ritornare,

blessing unto

me hope

me,

that I, though humble,

not forgotten be

Fairy Querciola

Fair as thou art good

One favour I implore,

Which I hope thou'lt not deny
Make him who was my lover
Return to

me

once more.

Fairy Querciola

I shall suffer sore

Unless

my

love as lover

Comes back

as once before.)

But, fairy, thou hast promised me,

And what

thou sayst will surely be,

He'll seek

my

roof once more.' ")

QUERCIOLA,
Querciola, or Querciuola, as the

enough

closely connected with

simile for

Vira (which

see),

name

of a

105

nymph

or sylvan spirit,

that of Querquetulana, an old

wood-nymph; though

Roman

is

clearly

or Italian

the term, like Querciola,

SETHLANS, VULCAN, AND THE TROJAN HORSE.

refers especially to a dryad, or spirit of

R. M.,

p.

89, second edition)

"

presidentes querqueto virescenti,

ab eo dicta sit Querquetularia."

an oak.

So Festus observes (Preller,

Querquetulance Vira putantur significari nymphce

quod genus

silvce

Querciola
15

is

indicant fuisse intra portam

therefore clearly a dryad.

qua

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

io6

These Querquetulanae have an apparent, or barely possible, survival in the

They emigrated from that country, passing
spirits called Querkeln in Bavaria.
(Bayerische Sagen von Fried.

Wiesen

over the river Main by the village of

Panzer, Munich, 1848).

Sethano.
I

have

"

am

not sure whether this

name

is

been able to learn more than what

Settrano

proverb

wish the

Of

the spirit of fire.

He

is

is

contained in these lines

remembered by

a saying, invocation, or spell) which

(i.e.,

fire

all

is

Sethano or Sethlrano or Settrano, nor

to

burn they invoke

(se voca)

is

all

repeated.

that spirit."

Sethlans was the Etruscan Vulcan.

They know

When

they do not

Sette TlCO.

these spirits there are invocations and tales, but

instances been able to collect them.

here.

have not

in all

CHAPTER

VI.

CARRADORA.

infer

from

this that the story is

widely spread.

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

io8

who had a small baby. It was a pretty child, but day by day it
know what to do. Then she was advised to go to
began to weaken diminuire
Carradora, who could explain it all, because she was a witch who did good as well as harm (il male).
" Then the lady went to the witch, who said
Go to thy home and put the babe to bed, and put a knife
Witches
lady
did, and returned to Carradora, who said
So
the
in the window, and then return to me.'
" There was once

in the country a lady

nor did the mother

'

come by night to suck the blood of thy child, and it must be prevented.'
" Then the witch took corbeizole, and thorns, and put them in red bags and bound them
and windows, and then took the

entrails of a very small pig

"

'

(an maialino), and said

'

to the door-posts

Questi sono gl'interiori

D'un piccolo maiale,

Che servono per

le strege

Discacciar, e gl'interiori

Di

bella

si

bambina

Sono giovani quanto

Ed

ad

e proprio

Per amare.

lei cara,

atta

le

come

Alle strege bisogna fare,

Che

" Then Carradora took the

and so

child and

made a

piii entrare.'

skein of thread (nefeci

un gomitolo) and threw

story

was imperfectly

told,

because

was mentioned

it

that thorns in the form of a cross were either laid in the

put

in connection with

window

Carna or Cardcea was a very ancient Roman minor goddess.

"

says Preller,

Others

call

or should; be

describe her as a goddess

who strengthened

Of

have related

nymph who was

hinges of doors (doors

evil

?)

and entrances or

exits.

all

which the

to

As a nymph she was

Pontifices brought offerings.

chaste as Diana, and

But she could not escape the double sight of Janus

reward the jus cardinis, or sway over

from

the heart and entrails.

Hence

who, by means of Janus, became Carna, or goddess of

really called Cranse, but

avoided the glance of every man.

for

writers,"

" There was by the Tiber an ancient grove of Helernus,

gave her

Some

her he relates the following, which has certainly an extra-

ordinary resemblance to what

the

"

her Cardea, a goddess of the door-hinges, and class her with Forculus

and Limentius."

keep

in the air,

a window to keep witches from entering.

in

came

it

was cured."

it

The
it,

qui dentro non possino

all hinges,

doors, and especially to exclude the witches

who won

and the white thorn [spina

who come

by speedy

in the night to

all

flight

her love and

alba) in order to

suck the blood of

children.

" Proca was

suck

its

blood.

the daughter of a Latin prince.

The

pale as a faded leaf.

the child was only five days old the witches began to

she said

to

Carna

witches' claws

or Cardeawho

first

on the baby's cheeks

the child was

touched the door-posts and threshold thrice

and sprinkled the entrance with water, and took the

corbezzole),

Then

When

came and saw the marks of the

So they went

with arbutus (Italian,

pig in her hand.

nurse

entrails of a sucking-

'

VIRA.
'"Ye

night-birds (witches) spare the bowels of the babe

The tender
Heart

creature

for heart

Bowels

for

" Then

is

for dainty boys;

air,

and no one dared

bowels

Soul for soul

that they

too.

she laid the entrails in the open

went away without looking back

"

at them.)

to look at them."

(This, I

am

means

sure,

After that no witch could enter, and the child soon

recovered."

This

same story with the one previously narrated. But

was informed long before that the white thorn laid

essentially the

is

independently of

it,

window kept witches from entering, and

potent means of exorcising them. That
Carradora

in pigs.

Thomas Browne

It is

her honour on the 1st of June.

genial,

cut pulte fabacia et larido sacrificatur

work should ever

it

was eaten

in

This fact alone would convince any native of

Boston that she must have been the most

this

remarkable that

remarks, the Jews and

Pythagoreans contrived to spoil between them) was sacred to her

will

become

the Latin Cardea should have

Carnea-Cardea seems to have been interested

the dish of pork and beans (which, as Sir

copy of

in

that the entrails of a pig were a most

natural enough.

is

existence

quite

way

find its

humane, and

and

to the

am

aesthetic spirit in

not sure that,

if

Hub, the modern Athenians

not erect a church or temple to her, unless indeed they have one already, for

there are few things which they

tried in the

way

pork and beans

of religion.

do not know, and nothing which they have not

In any case

probably baked

it

was

is

a remarkable historical fact that

an Athenian

dish, associated

with the

deepest mythological mysteries.

VlRA.

Of this
"Vira
the forests.

is

spirit I

have the following account and story

a fairy who, from a fairy (fate) in her

And when

life,

she sees any handsome young

pleases her she appears to

him

became a

man

spirit

who by day and

night

always in

is

busy in cutting wood, or making charcoal,

in the form of a very beautiful girl

da fame a bagliare

if

he

such as to dazzle him

and then he finds his work

all done to his hand, or else she shows him a treasure.

" One day she found a handsome youth who was in great sorrow because he was

cut wood, yet wept while so doing because he could bring nothing
to

him and

said

Macrobius,

i.,

12, 33.

home

to his mother.

so poor.

He

began to

Then Vira appeared

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

no

" ' Buon giovane non

far fortuna

ti

disperare,

ti

voglio mandare,

Vi e un piccolo paiese vicina a Benevento

la vi e la figlia del re

Che

aspetta

mago

il

delle sette teste,

Che vada a mangiarla

sedere al balcone

Che uno vada

Che

sia stato

l'aspetta,

ma

pero basta

dal re con le teste del mago,

capace d'ammazarlo.'

("'Good youth be

not in despair!

There's a small place near Benevento

Where

Who
Who

dwells a king

And
' '
'

some one

that

fair,

may

ere long

slay him,

bring the ogre's heads unto him.')

And he who will do this may wed the

now carry the heads to the king and

will

not for him.

has a daughter

devour her, but her father there

will

Hopes

who

who

waits for the seven-headed ogre

Now

princess.

this

ogre has been slain by the Signore Slaniani,

claim the hand of his daughter, but that

For when the heads were put on a waggon

is

reserved for thee and

to be carried to the king I took

from them

their

seven tongues, and thou shalt carry these tongues to the king and say that thou didst slay the ogre and that

thou dost wish for his daughter.

being that he has the heads.

heads or the tongues ? "

And

Then

To which
it

will

the king will say that

thou wilt reply, "

should be the conqueror

victory, the proof

the one who has thl

be admitted that the victor would have secured the tongues although he

might have neglected the heads, but that

away the

was another who gained the

it

Who

it

would be most unlikely that he would have cut out and thrown

tongues.'

"And

thus did Vira

The youth was

He

clad in splendid attire,

too was very beautiful,

Boldly he went to the king,

Boldly he claimed to have

slain,

Single-handed, the ogre,

And

asked for the beautiful princess

As a reward

for his valour.

may not be said the king

'He who slew the monster
Has brought with him its heads,
'

It

No
'

'

better proof can

better proof

is

be found.'

the tongues,'

Answered the youth, undaunted,

'And

can show

" But the Signore Slaniani maintained

all

the seven.'

that these were not the tongues of the ogre, because

have taken them from the heads, which had never been out of his

" 'Well, then bring here the heads

If they all

The

And

have

sight.

Then

their tongues

princess shall be your wife,

this

youth must be cast into prison,

the king said

no one could

in

VIRA.
But,

if

the tongues are gone,

Gone with them

are your chances,

You'll be a prisoner then,

And
"But
to find

as he

the youth shall have the maiden.'

had no witnesses Signore Slaniani depended on the heads, and what was

when they were brought

"Therefore

his

amazement

were gone.

that the tongues

it

came

to pass

That the poor youth who was favoured

By

the help of the fairy

Carried

So

it

away

the reward.

often goes in this world

He who

does the hard work

Often misses his pay,

When some

one more favoured by fortune

Steps in and secures the prize.

Higher beings than man

Play with us

all like toys.

The youth was as nothing

All that he won he owed
To the loving spirit Vira."

This
very

is,

in this

as regards the incident of the dragon's or maga's heads

common

We

fairy tale.

have the

last

echo of

it

in

and tongues, a

Quentin Durward, where

the hero appears with the head of William de la Mark, the Wild Boar of Ardennes.

But

it

is

reversed.

very peculiar that in this version the whole principle of the story
In the others

it is

the true slayer of the dragon

and the impostor who has the heads but

"The

page slew the boar,

the gloire.''

This indicates an extremely archaic form of the

the crafty

man who

is

deceive.

Highly

as that which

it

Among

tale.

The Algonkin Indians

most admired.

god Glooskap or Glusgabe, which means

because they thought

"

the Liar," as Dr.

J.

the most distinguishing attribute of

civilised

is

gets the tongues,

in this story.

The king had

is

who

rude races

call their great

G. Brinton declares,

wisdom

to be able to

people are ashamed to boldly admire such a

was played by the protigt of Vira.

It

it

mean

trick

cannot have escaped the

reader that, taking these tales and myths as a whole, they indicate a really
primaeval antiquity.

idea that

human

Their morality

beings or

which Praetorius and many

fairies

is

who

antique and they are

are a kind of

human

all

based on the

beings (a belief

more defended only two hundred years ago), became

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

U2

This

spirits or deities.

And

accordance with

in

But what

who

the very oldest form of supernaturalism, or animism.

is

it is

described distinctly as a

is

admiration of deceit.

this naif

most interesting

is

in this tale

times the Vira was strictly a sylvan

{Rom. Myth.,

women

89)

p.

or witches)

"
.

always

is

and

spirit,

name VlRA,

is

were also called

also occurs,

and they were indeed

and

in the forests."

In ancient

Preller

whom we

call scias

(wise

in early times Vires or Vires, for this

form

known

chiefly

that of the heroine

thus mentioned by

But the women of ancient times

word

virere

the

is

who

fairy "

Baumnymphen (^r^-nymphs) the

name." But the name

as

viridis being clearly connected with this

being very old Italian, seems to be peculiarly appropriate to a very old story of
the Toscana
indicated

"

Romagna.

The

race of

wood women,"

says Preller,

by the Greek names of Nymphs and Dryads, while

and

Italian antiquity,

hoary popular

in

a witch than a

tradition,

In the story which

Virgines and Viragines"

they are called

we have

" is

generally

in the very earliest

Vires,

Vir<z,

given, Vira acts

more

like

fairy.

Taking the name Vira

we have

fore possible that

into consideration, with other characteristics,

it is

there-

here perhaps the most ancient form of the legend.

Bergoia.
Bergoia

is

spirit

sempre perfido, always treacherous,

Yet when young she was

a very mischievous witch.

great and wealthy family

a young

by

little,

became
"

girl,

a daughter of the family,

no one knew how or why

the change

being a very shrewd

was

girl

man

and she was

like a daughter.

And

also loved her very dearly.

in a

there was

But

little

was, Bergoia began to change her nature and

it

so great that the

young lady was certain that some strange cause lay behind

she resolved to watch Bergoia closely, and find out what

when Bergoia bade her go

heard the voice of a

who

in her lifetime

had before been amiable.

as evil as she

Now

by whom she was loved

who was

really good,

to

bed

early, she did so,

without, singing

"

'

but kept awake to watch.

Bergoia

o bella Bergoia

Vieni mi aprire,

Che da

Non
Bada

questa finestra,

posso
i

salire,

tuoi padroni

Perche con

te

una

non

sveglia,

affare

Abbiamo da combinare
Se questa

La

affare

combineramo,

tua signorina stregheremo,

it

meant.

And when

And one

it,

and

evening

midnight came, she

BERGOIA.
Se

113

la tua signorina

Non mi farai stregare,

Una Strega di te faro diventare.'
("

'

Eergoia

Bergoia

fair

Come open

me

unto

For thou knowest through the window

cannot come to thee.

Beware,

master wakes,

lest the

For we have work

There

Witch-work

We

to

do

witch-work which

is

for

me

Bergoia

calls us,

and you

must bewitch the maiden

And win

her from her home.;

Unless the spell pass on her,

A
" Then the young

witch thou must become

lady, terrified at

them what she heard.

')

what she had so nearly escaped, ran screaming to her parents, and told

Then he who had

called,

and who stood without,

black dog," and disappeared in a terrible flash of lightning with Bergoia,

woman again.
" After her
si

death, Bergoia

converte molte volte in saielta.

food and shelter

and

if

if

she obtained

became a

human

fire

form, and would go to a house and ask for

she would content herself with making thunder and lightning roar and flash,

her hosts showed fear then there would

refused her shelter, for then there would

fire to

changed himself into a

never seen on earth as a true

of thunder and lightning, and was seen darting in the

spirit

She, however, often took

it

in a rage

who was

come

come a

hail to devastate their crops.

flash (saielta)

But woe

to those

who

utterly

which would destroy or burn the house, or

set

the trees.

" So men lose thousands on thousands

Of money by crops destroyed,
For the

flash is

a ray of

fire,

And the bolt like a splint of iron,

And he who is struck by it dies,
As he may by the deadly odour
Which
Such

" Sometimes

it

comes

is

lightning spreads around.

work of Bergoia.

the

to pass that Bergoia fancies a youth,

bewitched and makes love, but never sees her,

for

and passes the night with him.

He

is

she comes and goes in darkness, and suddenly departs in

a flash of lightning which kills her paramour.

" And

so she

is

Evil to those

The

Tusci, as

ever doing evil to

who have

Ottfried Muller

all,

never done her wrong."

observes,

had

in their

mythology an extra-

ordinary number of spirits of thunder and lightning, furies and infernal witches,
1

" Any voodoo

The way

animals spit
salted

it

is

supposed to change himself into a black dog, black wolf, black

to stop the metamorphosis

fire at

you

if

is

you have

to find either the

their

human

skin

well."Mary A. Owen.

16

human

or the animal skin

cat,

and

but you must not fear, but hold

owl or bat

salt
it

it.

at night.

These black

fast until

you have

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

U4
and, as

The
it

have observed, there are a great

many

Etruscan, like the Turanian everywhere

seems

to have been a religion or cult

Romagnolo mythology. 1
Mexican so far as we know

in the

and the

which was, especially

in a certain stage,

one of blood and of the grotesque horrors which always appeal to primitive man. In
such religions thunder and storms, death, bloody sacrifices and

precedence of more refined conceptions.

The god

is

evil

always a human

spirits

take

sorcerer

who

continues to haunt mankind and exercise the same functions which he practised

No

while living.

Romagnolo

one can

fail

to recognise very distinct traces of this in these

traditions.

This account speaks of " the deadly odour which lightning spreads around."

The Hungarian

may

It

gypsies say that

it

has a smell like

Italian deities are preserved in

Roman
;

but very

of the names of Etrusco-

Now

them almost unchanged.

no part of the

in

empire was the worship of Ceres so zealously maintained as

in the

Tuscan

hence the idea of a wandering goddess, going about in disguise, soliciting

shelter

and food, and cruelly punishing those who

than once in these traditions.

as a whole,

And

it

treat her unkindly, appears

fail

more

cannot be denied that by considering them

comparing one incident with another, or

of the legends, no one can

know

deal, not indirectly,

Many

evidently and closely, with their original myths.

land

garlic.

be observed that these Tuscan legends

all

the special characteristics

to see that all agree marvellously with

of Etrurian or Old Latin origins, and manifest

little

what we

admixture from other

sources.

This being

true,

it

named Begoe who appears

curious that there

to

have communicated to mortals the whole theory and

system of thunder, or an ars fulguritorum,

writings,

after

the time of Augustus, in

Fulguritus really means id quod

Begoe was

at least

of harvests.

was an Etruscan minor goddess

is

est

which was

preserved with other

the temple of the

fulmine ictum

that

which

Palatine Apollo.
is

thunderstruck.

one who was concerned with thunder, storms, and the spoiling

But here as

in all such cases

I only make a mere suggestion, to be
by those who are better qualified to decide.
Tuscan myth kills animals and men at a flash or in an instant.

corrected or set aside

Bergoia

in this

'The Tuscans {Tusker) who devoted much attention

kinds that which gave counsel or advice,

recognised three

investigating thunder

to

that

and lightning

which confirmed events and indicated

how

something which had happened would turn out, and the third which came
unexpectedly and predicted according
It would weary the reader should I relate more
of this greatly spun-out lightning-lore.
For further details he may consult: Seneca, Natures Quest., ii.,
32, &c. ; Pliny, Hist. Nat., ii., 53;
\nx*.iKK,Defulminumsignificationobusin Grcevii Thesaur., v., p. 600; MOixer, Die Etrusker
; Creuzeii,
to circumstances.

Symbolik, 3rd ed., vol.

p.

461

iii.,

p.

650

FRIEDRICH, Symbolik der

Nork, Real Worterbuch,

Natttr.

vol.

i.,

p.

160

Dolunger

Heidenthum,

B&RGOIA.

BEGOE.

(THE FIGURES FROM GORI.

"5

MUS. ETRUS.)

'

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

ti6
"

Begoe," as

we

by Mrs. Hamilton Gray) " slew an

name of the Highest." This I think

are told {History of Etruria,

ox simply by whispering in its ear the fearful

" The highest and most irresistible of
refers to lightning.
name

the divine and mysterious

Hades, and
"

Awe

name

Before this

acquainted.

the powers dwells in

is

everything bows in heaven and in earth and in

alone can conquer the Maskin

it

all

supreme name," with which Hea alone

" the

and stop

(evil spirits),

her (Ninkigal) with the names of the great gods

their ravages.

"

(Fox Talbot, cited in

Thus nomen est numen, according to Varro,
which we may here appropriately add et numen est lumen the divinity being

Lenormant, Magie Chaldaienne).

to

lightning.

BUGHIN.

Of this
" Bughin

is

makes

grain, or
taste that

disgrazia.

it

spirit
a

spirit

it

have the following account

who

does both good and

About harvest time he causes the carbonchiato

evil.

become black, whence the bread made from

cannot be eaten, which

And when

is

they have suffered

and put them on the hearth where

it is

it

is

much from

'

in the

also dark, having such a vile smell

a sad loss for the poor peasants

e cost

ifoveri contadini

and

se avessero la

say for three or four years, then they take two or

this,

These the peasant must husk or

three ears of wheat or of the grain (spighe digra.no).

on the hearth say

very hot, and throw the refuse out-of-doors, and

shell (sfarlo), clean,

when

putting the grain

" Metto questo grano carbonchiato

'

Perche

A
E

lo spirito di Bughin mi ha
mi voglio raccomandare,

lui

rovinato,

lo voglio tanto pregare,

Che aquesta male

voglia riparare;

Se questa grazia mi vuol

fare,

Questo grano in mezzo della stanza

Mi deve
("

'

As

fare saltare

these rusted grains I see,

I fear

Bughin hath ruined

me

Therefore unto him I pray,

That

this

harm may

May

this

com now

pass

away

be a sign

all is well for me and mine,

May it, if I escape a doom,
Jump to the middle of the room

That

" Should
grain.

the heated grains burst and

jump

well,

But the peasant must be on the look-out

it is

')

a sign that the rust or mildew will not attack the

to secure

two grains of wheat of the very

first

which ripen

before the smut, or carbonchiato, manifests itself."

The Romans had

*

a god or rural deity

Carbonchio, a disease in grain by which

chioso, affected

it

who

presided over the rust in wheat.

appears black and scorched.

The smut

with the smut, burnt or scorched (Baretti's Italian Dictionary).

or mildew.

Carbon-

'

GANZlO.
His name was Robigo, and there
harvest gods, of

prototypes of

whom

"

Corn gods

The Latins had indeed

source.

much about him

and Semonia.

(Arnobius,

iv.

of the joints
ap.

She was

all

With

when

it

Seia, or

these.

also called Fructiseia

The Deus Nodotus aided

sprouting.

ad

dicitur deus qui

Preller).

the ear {vide Patelana).

to have been the

quite a minor mythology of

Segesta attended to

of the Latin

Germany, or sprung from the same

in

"

Segetia, guarded the seed while in the ground.

the development

in the lore

would say incidentally that they seem

same

the

is

ii?

nodos perducit res satas

Volutina formed the husk, Patelena opened

these were twelve male gods

who

presided over

the separate processes of sowing and harvesting, besides the Deus Spinensis

who was invoked

and weeds.

to keep the crop free from thorns

Robigo would easily and naturally be changed to Bughin

bug or bugh by many analogies.

In

is

common

big,

In Bolognese,

the root, becoming

termination for proper names.

Ganzio.
"Festa para Conso
Ipso festa die

Consus

dum

tibi csetera dicet;

sua sacra canes.''

Ovid, Fastorum Lib.

The

contadino

when

in

iii.

on any subject has always

difficulty

between appealing to a Christian saint or an ancient heathen god

if

the other

Antony
"

He

of
is

So

fails."

whom

a saint

who

if his

horse be

was told that

he

ill,

may

choice

One good

begin with a prayer to Saint

And when

protects all animals, especially horses.

he goes to Saint Antonio and says

his
"

one has a horse in bad condition

"

'

Saint Antonio mio benigno

Di pregarvi non son digno

Ma

voglio voi pregare,

Che

Da

il

Sano
("

mio cavallo mi volete

et svelte

me

le farete stare

Most benign Saint Antony

Though unworthy
Yet

liberare

tutte le malattie;

may

be,

to thee I pray, of course,

And beg that thou wilt free my horse

From all evils in him found,
Make the creature safe and sound ")
'

But should Saint Antony turn a deaf ear to this humble petition, the
suppliant appeals to a much older, and therefore probably more experienced

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

u8

deity, that is Ganzio,

who

is

"of the horse, horsey," as he dwells

who, though not devoid of trick or

" vet."

experienced

account

when

Of him

have

the

following

" Ganzio

the spirit

is

when a coachman goes

way, especially

if

" However,

who

is

Now

over horses.

it is

not with evil intent but for fun that

the master be waiting without, and very impatient, begins to scold.

if

the master do not

become too angry,

Now if it

still

often happens

or treat the

if it

in the

__^

coachman badly, Ganzio contents

(fa fare gualche capriciola).

little

unreasonably angry, then the horse will take the wrong road
leap or bolt, but

it

makes the horses misbehave, and throws impediments

into the stables Ganzio

himself with making the horse rear and curvet a

"

and

always willing to give his aid as an

vice, is

requested.

politely

in stables,

But

if

the master

is

be possible, or get into a dangerous place, or

without hurting his rider.

be thought that Ganzio

is

playing these tricks the rider should say

" 'Ganzio, Ganzio, benedelto

tu siei

Buono quante

bello.

Son

Bene ragione

trattero

bene

cattivo, ai
i

servitori,

me ai data
Una lezione, ma ti vengo a pregare,
Ganzio non me piu spaventare

Giacche tu

Che mi

Ma

ai fatto

una gran paura

e vero la valuta,

Ganzio viene

in casa mia,

Vieni a tenermi compagnia

Ma

non farmi spaventare,

Nei burroni non mi

gettare.'

" Ganzio, Ganzio, heed

Thou
I

art right

and

my song
am wrong,
!

will treat the servants better,

And

will

mind thee

For the present

to the letter

implore,

That thou frighten

me no more

Also that thou'lt ever be

In

my

house, as

And may

I ne'er

company
again be seen

So near the edge of a ravine

and

must remark that

" pieced

originally ?

it

my

informant did not very well recall this incantation,

Roman minor

But who was this Ganzio

who was closely connected
" The Greeks," says Preller,

deity,

with animals, and especially with horses and races.

in

")

up," so to speak, as well as she could.

Consus was a very old

" declared that

'

on account of the chariot-races at

the earth that he was the

same

as

their

his festival,

Poseidon

and

his altar buried

Hippios."

It is to

be

remarked that he was regarded as being very kind and considerate to animals,

ALPENA.
therefore on

his

festival

all

119

mules were allowed to

horses and

crowned with flowers and otherwise well

Chonsio, the ch in

Romagnola

and piga

pei qu.

may

This etymology

only one which

inevitably
I

in Italian,

often changing to a.g,

for lombrici (earthworms),

or

for pica

may

occurs to me.

not

But,

and were

treated.

Consus would naturally become Conso or Consio

is

rest,

which

Tuscan

in

instance, lonbrigoli

as, for

(wood-pecker or magpie), old Umbrian

"

hold water,"

according to

only suggest

it,

it

as the

Consus would almost

become Consio and Ganzio.

may be invoked

forgot to mention that Ganzio

for

any matter

relative to

a horse.

Alpena.
"Der Name

der Gottin Alpan erklart sich

durch Vergleichung stammverwandter Namen von ahn" Diese schafft und bringt nach der. Darstellung des

und Germanen."

lichen Gottheiten bei den Indern

Spiegelbildes durch die Luft dahin schwebend den

Schmuck der Pflanzenwelt."

Corssen, Uber

die Sprache

der Etrusker.

who always flies in the air.

She is very charming, and in addition to her name is entitled La Bellaria. She
the goddess of flowers. The name recalls the Etruscan Alpan,
is a la dea dei fiori
who was also an aerial goddess, or rather peri, who appears on a mirror from Vulci
now in the Vatican {vide Mus. Etrusc. Vaticana,
vol. xxiii., and Gerhard,
Alpena, as

was

told, is a beautiful

female

spirit

i.,

Etrus. Spiegel,

v.,

given to

detail as

28

f.

me

cccxxxi.

t.,

f.

2141) as holding leaves or flowers.

agrees curiously with what

{Uber die Sprache der Etrusker,

vol.

i.,

p.

255).

is

"Alpan," he

ornamental part of the world of plants, and brings

in

the train

the goddess of spring."

of Adonis,

said of Alpan,

it,

Every

by Corssen

says, "creates the

sweeping through the

The name

air,

Alpena, with the

description of her attributes, were given to me, not as the result of inquiry, but as

information, volunteered

As Alpena
light, it

is

or

by a peasant woman.

Alpan

is,

like Albina,

one of the Lichtgottinin, or goddesses of

probable, from the similarity of name, that they are the same.

From

Alpan the Etruscans developed another goddess, Alpanu, or Alpnu, who appears to
inferior form of Venus (vide CORSSEN, Uber die Spraclie der Etrusker

have been an

a work of no value as to philology, but

It is

light

and

remarkable that

in

air called Bellaria,

full

of curious materials).

modern Tuscan

tradition there are several spirits of

corresponding to the Etrusco-Roman group of Eos

Though Eos had few temples (" rarissima templa

588), the Etruscans made great account of her, and her

and the nymphs of the dawn.

per orbent" Ovid, Met.,
son

xiii.,

Memnon (Memrun)

often occurs on

vases {vide Die

Weltkdrper in ihrer

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

120

mythisch symbolischen Bedeutung, von

Alpan.
(From Corssen.

winged
were

spirits

in

J.

B. Friedrich, 1864).

All of the Etruscan

(Alpena or Albina.)

The ornament from a

vase.)

bearing flowers, and connected with rainbows, clouds,

fact Bellarie,

and a part of the

Lasce,

who

air,

and

light,

carry bottles probably of

ALPENA.

though it may have been something more substantial

welcome the soul of the life-weary mortal entering heaven. As is
perfume

forth in

my own

121

wherewith

to

beautifully set

French romance of Le Lutin du Chateau, which was refused by

Hachette because of

its

worldly-minded gaiety and freedom from blue-nosed

straight-lacedness.

17

CHAPTER

VII.

TlTUNO.
"Tituno

is

So

Romagnie."

name

the spirit of thunder-forgore

asserts

Naudo

he

is

known

in

the

all

as Tit'uno "lo spirito del folgore," adding that he regrets that he cannot

communicate much on the

have passed he
lore

and

Another authority (Peppino) gives the

Papetti.

he can.

" This

spirit

will

subject, but that

go forth among the

when

the season of the silk-worms shall

conladini,

and gather up what unearthly

Meanwhile he has noted down

as to Tit'uno the following

did marvellous things in the ancient time

when

bolts over great plains, destroying everything.

"

'

Then

Spirito infernale

In

nome

di

Dio

Jupiter

'

was wont

to let loose his thunder-

the people invoked this spirit, saying

ti

scongiuro

e del santo Isodorio.'

"Then they took salt and holy water and sprinkled the house or the place where they were. Then the
thunder departed and did not return to repeat the mischief, the invocation being a protection. And I have
found a coniadino

It

who

repeats

it,

but he says there was a time

cannot have failed to strike the reader, as

than once in this book, that there are

was
1

Jove.

when every one

many

spirits

in the

Romagna

did so."

have indeed observed

it

more

of thunder and lightning, which

also the case with the Etruscans of olden time.

This was written by a youth

Here the

latter is

who had

deus ex machina.

received some education, hence the association with Giove or

ALBINA.

123

Albina.
" Obstinet

dicebant antiqui quod nune ostendit, ut in veteribus carminibus

Aurora obstinet suum patrem."

come

Festus,

sed iam se cselo cedens

p. 197.

and that at no very distant day, when although there

who will understand this book perhaps better than I do
there will not be a soul living who can feel it. For a copy may be kept in some
library, even unto the time when there will be no more wild woods, or wildernesses, either rural or human
when every tree and rock will be recorded, and every
man and woman be well educated and all the better for them probably into
It will

to pass,

be no lack of people

will

something
spirit in

far

more

which the past was

lived will

the outlines, or drawing, of

my

colours will inevitably fade,

and yet

now

write.

sensible than sentimentalism or superstition, but the ancient

be irrecoverably

humble
it is

the colour which most impresses

was by Beato Angelico.

was very correctly and beautifully drawn

was utterly faded,
But the

all

artist

and school to which

I

that

was dead grey-white,

it

It

what was remarkable

me

belonged

still

could

in it

as I

me

for

it

was that

it

ground being quite

figures as well as

detail with tracer or wheel,

remained, and

conjecture what

it

knowing

the time

must once have been.

beg the reader to endeavour to re-colour or revive these

is

that the

was not by that master,

had outlined, or stamped every

so that the original conception of form

So

know

few days ago a dealer in bric-a-brac here in Florence showed

picture which he said

uniform.

have no fear that

lost.

pictures will perish, but I

outlines.

a poor portrait which only conveys an idea of the great

skill

After

all,

of the artist

some vivid idea of what the

woman, and a very badly executed sketch

at least half of its effect should consist in giving us

original

must have been,

as

man

or

often does that, better than a very artistic work, as cheap popular caricatures of

public characters abundantly prove.

These thoughts occurred while disentangling the meaning of a rude fragment

which was half-recited and half-sung to me, and then written down as roughly as
it had been repeated, yet in which there is a certain mysterious beauty, as of a
dayspring obscured by clouds.

It is

of a spirit of the

dawn who

is

supposed

very appropriately to herald a bright day, or promise hope to unfortunate lovers.

who appears when morning dawns quando sfunta Palba to lovers who love in vain.
when
in life, loved and was beloved, but she was in the power of an aunt who was a
She
Leave this lover of thine, or evil shall befall thee.
sorceress, and who opposed her love, and said to her
Firstly, thou shalt be a fairy, and when I die thou wilt take my witchcraft and never more have peace nor
"Albina

is

a fairy

herself once,

happiness.'

'

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

124
" Albina

replied

or fairy, then I will use

"

I will

'

do

to her at early

evil to

dawn he

" When a youth

field,

say

'

Though

all

wed my

the world should perish, I will

my power to benefit lovers.'

women who betray their lovers.' So

love,

and

if I

must become witch

all

loves

If a youth in love prays

Albina kept her word.

be sure to gain her favour.

will

and meets with no return he must

daybreak, and, kneeling in an open

rise before

" 'Alba, alba, che tu spunti

Fa spuntar per me

Che

1'

Una

grazia

lei

l'aurora

Albina venga fuori

mi deve

mi vengo

fare

a raccomandare,

Dalla mia amante sono disccaciato,

Sa anche

1'

Albina per amore,

Quante mia passate sa che

tanto forte che

1'

amore,

si preferisce,

Preferisce piu tosto la morte,

Che da un amante

Albina
herself.

ing

is,

by name,

allied

Further questioning

to

possibly far

more

perfect

illiterate contadina.

be observed that

"

Alba the dawn, or

I leave to

that in this wild, imperfect sketch

is

abandonati.'

is

it,

poem, utterly beyond the creative power of a mere

Albina dreads the becoming a

in all this lore there is

fairy, spirit,

or witch.

something mysterious and

It

may

terrible, to

folletti.

Albina

but rather than relinquish her faith to her lover, and even though she

one whit, and declares that

lose him, she will not yield

forced

worth remark-

some ancient and

the fragment of

gentle natures, connected with the transfiguring of mortality into

fears

enough Aurora

plainly

But what

the learned.

we have

is

upon

her, she will exert

All of this

is

it

in behalf of

not clearly and artistically developed

was apparent enough

in the glances

if

unearthly power be

Which

unfortunate lovers.
in

and expression of the

a rough diamond which she could not polish.

To

is realised.

the incantation, but

strega,

it

who simply had

better understand this let the

reader suppose a Hampshire peasant singing such a song.

There was an old Roman, now Tuscan, town called Albinia.

Verbio
The strange manner in which dim recollections of ancient myths are handed
down in names, and how they are worked over and varied by the people, is
illustrated by the following story from the Romagnola
:

"
seemed

Verbio

was a beautiful youth,

to return his love.

as

good as he was

beautiful,

and he loved with

all

his heart a

maid who

VERBIO.

125

" But she soon was tempted,

Tempted by another
Youth of greater beauty,
Which was like enchantment;
Yet he was a

stranger,

And he had no
For

story,

handsome

this

stranger,

Verbio was slighted.

" Then Verbio fell ill in despair, and seemed to be dying, and the girl learning this repented, and in grief
new lover
I have done wrong, and I now see that Verbio loved me truly as thou dost not and no
one can.' Then her lover gazed at her and she saw he was not a man but a devil. And he said
said to her

'

" See what thou hast done,

'

See

how

thou art wicked,

Leaving one who loved thee

With
Yet

all soul sincerely

me you

for

him,

left

Yes, for me, a devil;

Now

you both are

lost,

For thou'st truly promised

To

be mine

As thou
But

if

for ever,

holdest Verbio.

you

will sign

With your blood a

To

be mine,

I'll

contract

grant ye

Many, many years

Of happiness together.'

" Now Verbio did not

believe in the power of devils,

signed the contract, as she did also.

it

came

to pass that

awful storm over

all

when

And

and was only too glad

they lived happily indeed for

many

and amid the storm was heard a voice which sang

"

'

And

the time of the contract expired both died at once.

the land, the heavens grew dark by day, and horrible

to get his love again,

years

fires

and so

but years must end, and so

all at

once there was an

flashed out of the darkness,

Women, learn to love

One true love, and truly

When

you're truly loved

Be warned by my example

Now
For
"

And

since that time the

pay the

fee

fatal falsehood.'

two have gone about

Virbius was the attendant

oldest king and priest

my

as spirits

knowing no

rest."

"genius or indiges of the forests of Diana, or the

rex Nemorensis

who

He was,
He was compared with,

founded her worship."

says Preller, a male demon, worshipped with Diana.

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

126

and

in fact was, " the

Greek Hippolytus who,

after

he had been trampled to death

by the wild horses of Poseidon, was revived and carried away by Diana."
Diana

known popularly to-day

is

as Hecate, in a dark and

Virbius

it is

evident

as the

And

terrible sense.

how he

has become a

Queen of the Witches, but rather

Verbio be the modern form of

if

of the night, knowing no rest.

spirit

suspect that in an older version of this story Verbio dies and

is

revived.

Pico de Mirandola, attacking the moral character of Diana, declares that "she

was very

liberal

stimulate those

with that virginity which she feigned to adore, possibly to

who hated

Thus, as the moon, Endymion lay with

luxury.

And

as did Hippolytus and Virbio."

Tertullian {De falsa Religione,

lib.

i.,

her,

cap. 17),

who naturally wanted to destroy the good fame and name of every lady in every
mythology not Christian, holds forth in much the same manner, asking why she
should take such pains to save Virbius from being killed by the horses
"

turbatis distractus equis "unless

"

does

all this

unless
so,

in the

no

be a conscientia

it

and

What,

mean

stupri,

ask," cries the holy

man,

qui erat

inspired,

{quid equorum tarn pertinax abominatio)

amorem minime virginalem?

et

con-

Exactly.

ever since then Diana, as the ever-wandering moon, and Virbio

the man

of ahem

moon

a love of anything but a virginal sort

have gone wandering over the face of the heavens

" as spirits finding

rest."
I

suspect that there

Verbio, and that what

is

much more

have given

is

to

assigning the soul

it

is

be found out about

this

Romagnolo

many other accounts only a mere

The idea of signing a compact and

like

fragment of some much completer story.

of

"

"

sciousness

And

nasty horse-business

a very late Christian invention, though Horst finds traces

a thousand years ago.

DusiO.
"Augustine (testimonio famoso) dice

al

quindicesimo libro della Citta di Dio, che

(volgarmente detti Incubi), di molte volte sono

stati

maligni verso

le

donne, c che

finalmente son giacuti con loro, e che alcuni demonj, chiamati da Franzesi
,

tal disonesta, e

mettonla ad effetto."

In what
or

may

La

in

del continuo

Fauni

desiderate, e

vanno cercando-

which Jingo and the Dickens are prominent

is

one power known as the Deuce.

word

is

only the Latin Deus, but philologists deduce

is

Silvani ed

hanno

be called the Irregular Minor Mythology of Anglo-Saxony,

Saxonyankeedom, and

who

Strega di Pico della Mirandola.

there

Dus,

Dusi

le

described as early as the

while Dus, according to

Du

Cange,

fifth
is

and Teutonic tongues of Europe, always

deities,

have always inclined to think that

it

from a French goblin, one

century as Dusius.

found

in

this

almost

all

Deus means God,

the Slavonic, Celtic,

as a kind of devilkin, a seducer of virgins

DU2>1V.
and a being of

familiar, easy,

God

127

make-yourself-at-home habits.

however,

It is true,

made to do diabolical service. In

English gypsy it is Diivel, from the same Aryan root as Deus. Some years ago
an English lady teaching religion to some gypsy children, asked them how the
Creator was called ? Whereupon a small traveller, thinking the name was wanted
in Romany, cried out " Diivel"
Soon after there appeared in the newspapers an
word

that the

for

has been elsewhere

Appalling instance of Ignorance and Depravity, showing that the lower orders
all things were made by the devil
a la
MALLOCH. For they do indeed sound very much alike {i.e., Duvel
and when we consider the extraordinary preponderance of power

actually believed that the world and

MOLOCH
and

or

Devil),

awarded to the

devil in Catholic Christianity,

it is

a marvel that these names were

not interchanged long ago.

Another ancient

Isidore of Seville (in Gloss) speaks of Dusii as demones.

women

authority declares that there are actually

worldly-minded as to

solicit

so devoid of decency or so

the embraces of those demons, quos Galli Dusios

nuncupant, qua assidue hanc peragunt immunditiain

whom

"

the

Dusios nominant quas Romani faunos ficarias vocant

whom
them

the

Romans

call

Faunos

ficarios

as forest or sylvan gods in Prussia,

Du

CANGE, speaks of

witches, dusiolas

exist in

Middle High German

Etruscan or Sabine

with a

None
word.

face

who

rustics

And VlLLEMARQUE,

Dus

the parent

believe in

as

always

and snubbed nose

of the authors

whom

was therefore pleased

ZEUSS

Daus.

Dus
I

gives as British

appears also in Old Friesic

conjecture that there was an

as

fox-tailed, phallic, laughing

at finding

which appears

all

This

the rest of Europe

perhaps be put down as one of the gods gone to

.told

me

for the

on inquiry that not only was the name

in all the earlier writers.

because Dus, at present, in

god

wanton and indecent.

have cited mention any Italian equivalent

at once recognised, but that the description of the goblin corresponded

detail to that

gives

or origin of the domestic goblin, also of the

There occurs very often on vases the

flat

dare not

(Origines) finds a Prussian Dussia

or Breton, Dus, Duz, plural, Duzed, an incubus.

fauns.

some

most Northern languages.

DlEFENBACH

or Dussas, " perhaps dwcese, geist, a spirit."

in

speaks of

" gentiles " there

and acquaticas or genisons."

diabolus, for Dusius.

as Dus, and

those Dusii

call

a Codex of the eighth century, cited

aliqui rustici homines, "

But the word seems to

Dusmus,

They

CANTERBURY

of

and that the

And

cut the woods consecrated to them.

by

THOMAS

").

" ("

call

Papias writes

Dusii because they so constantly persevere in such impurity."

"

French

is

is

little

sleep.

in

every

the more interesting

heard

This

of,

and may

is

what was

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

128
" Dusio

a mischievous

is

little folletto,

He

or goblin.

teases girls, sometimes

very often he inspires lascivious dreams and has connection with

more than
and

three inches high he perches

on

He

their pillows.

is

" Dusio
was a

goblin

And

away.

" At

or spirit

little

imp not

He haunts houses

two brothers, a young

first

was

the girl

down

stairs,

sits

son,

and a

was no peace

on

girls'

One

and

Then

Now Virginia

Virginia

And

such

La Romagna there
The family

the father also passed

Steps were heard

beheld

was her name

then came the Dusio,

did not like

this, for

night Dusio entered, and began his pranks.

First

all

the

at times a

who played her all kinds

who wrote frequently

she had a lover

carefully hidden these letters for fear lest i padroni or her masters

and she had

to her,

After the aunt died,

girl.

form as of a lady dressed in black enter and sweep by.

find them.

in the house for strange noises.

doors banging.

of wanton tricks, efaceva Vamore.

In a district of

shoulders.

soon became accustomed to the sounds.

afraid, but she

me

In this palace the aunt of the proprietor had died.

a gentleman's family.

after these deaths there

time going up and

and mistresses should

he teased her in every yiayfaceva tutli

all, from Virginia.

Then he went and brought out
bumed them all up in the scaldino, or brasier.
" The next day she went to walk with an old woman who was to her as a mother, to whom she told
the tricks which Dusio played, and how he was teasing the very life out of her. Then the old woman

i dispetti

some of her

said

'

pulled

Should he

all

the bed-covering, sheets and

and lighting them

letters,

try to

at the candle

do that again say

to

" 'Dusio

him

diosio

vattene

via

Vattene in pace che Dio

" And then he

will

'

" But Virginia was

" That

s,

'

benedica

ti

go away and trouble you no more.'

so forgetful, or so

much

excited, that instead of repeating these

"'Dusio, Dusio, cosa

Dusio, Dusio, what are you doing
"
letters.'

?
'

And

words she said

fai?'

he, bursting into a loud laugh, said

'

Taking care

your master and mistress find your

have omitted from

place where

occurred.

it

took place as

this story
I

have given

some family

and their name and the

was assured with great earnestness that it all really

What

it.

is

Dusio corresponds exactly to the wanton

word
I

not bad, but mischievous.

narrated and then written out for

first

who

a folletto

is

girl at service in

consisted only of

lest

he acts as a nightmare,

Sometimes as a

women.

fireplaces."

Afterwards the following was

all

the incantation.

diosio in

have met with

that

it is

it

before, but cannot

equivalent to "

Prsetorius

My

has,

in

sprite

in

it,

beyond the

fact that

Dusius of the old writers,

remember where.
be, or art, a

god

is

the

think

conjecture, haphazardly,
"

i.e.,

dio sia

.'

Blockes Berges Berichtung (1669), something to say

about Dusius, and of course

"It hath been observed,"

remarkable

informant could not explain it

Thou who mayest

his

details

he

in his fashion it is

states,

something quaint and strange.

"yea, and experienced and

by many

credible men, that the Sylvani or Little Forest

otherwise

commonly known

as Incubos

men and

made known

which are
and Squatters (Aufirocker) are madly lewd
Inni,

"

REMLE.

129

women. And there are others of the same kind whom the French call Dusii
who are fully their equals in such impurity, so that it is verily a sin and a shame,

for

and

Giraldus, Livy, and Isidore

on the word Dusius.

For

Latins in the same sense

it

1.

testify to

1,

So

call Silvanus.

our ancestors of old time called these

word agrees

But they have

it.

mean

should be Drusius, and

all

been wrecked

forest-devil,

that which Saint Augustine

and devils Druten

spirits

who

is

whom

the

saith, that

most probable,

wood and forests."

Which may or may not be. Dus is distinctly marked in all its early
forms, although the intercalation of r is extremely common, even to children.
Pliny tells us that hand-mills were invented at Volsinii, and that some of
them turned of their own accord (Pliny, xxxvi. 29), " from which," says Dennis,

since the

" it

well with that of Druids

would appear probable that

Goodfellow

'

was of Etruscan

Celtic theorists."

The

that shrewd

'

origin

lived in

and knavish

worthy the attention of

fact

Robin

sprite called

reader will find in several chapters of this

my

all

Etrusco-

book much

to confirm this conjecture.

Remle.

The
'
'

following account as to this spirit

Remle

is

the spirit of the mills, and

came from a family

when a peasant who has

corn to be ground, then the miller finds that something

is

offended

living near Forli

him

in

any manner takes

his

out of order and that the wheel will not turn,

because Remle has meddled with the works (va in mezzo alia macina), and hinders the grinding of the grain.

" Then

the miller must say

" Remle, Remle, a ti mi raccomando,

Che siei tanto buono e grande,
'

Ti prego

macina lasciami andare,

la

Perche a da

A
("

far

can find no

name
In

art so

pray thee

contadino

to do,

to thee

great,

mill-wheel go,

and the peasant

he doth

truly

retards or hinders the working of the mill,

Italian

the origin of the word.

Remle

is

the same

to

know

")

Remle connected with any early Tuscan or

Remolare means to retard, or to hinder, and as

divinity.

all

like that of

Remle

ground, seem

shall

'

owe

Latin

is

mandero,

ti

'

good and

let the

work

there's

How much
I

il
!

Remle, Remle, on thee I wait,

'

For thou
For

fare, e

ringraziare

ti

it

most probable that

is

Mola, a mill-stone, permolare, to grind, moldto

be closely associated with

as the Italian crusca, or bran.

18

it.

In

Yet

this

(Ital.)

Romagnolo the word

doubt whether

this

be

"

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

130
the original

name

or indicative of

meaning.

its real

seems very natural to suppose that there

It is

worth noting that

a goblin dwelling in

is

it

the mys-

terious chiaro-oscuro of a mill

" Made misty by

the floating meal."

AND TALENA.

JANO, MEANA, MONTULGA,

" Now, by two-headed Janus

Nature hath formed strange fellows in her time."

" Quod quidem apud Thuscos

poeticum fabulam."

populos accidisse, historia traditur, neque ego haec loquor quasi,

Italiae

Psellus de Daemonibus.

As my limits forbid much

spirits who came flying in late
is

thus described

further printing, I include

the

after

The

rest.

first

in

one section four

of these

is

Jane,

who

" Jano is a spirit with two heads, one of a Christian (i.e., human), and one of an animal, and yet
he hath a good heart, especially that of the animal, 1 and whoever desires a favour from them should
invoke (deve fregarle) both, and to do

this

he must take two cards of a tarocco pack, generally the

wheel of fortune and the diavolo indiavolato, and put them on the iron (frame) of the bed, and say

"

'

Diavolo che

Di

tutti

La

testa

sei

("

'

capo

diavoli

ti

voglio stiacciare

Fino che o

Jano

spirito di

me non

Per

vai a pregare

Thou devil who art

Of all the fiends

'

chief

I will

crush thy head

Until the spirit of Jano

Thou

Jano
fortune,

is

callest for

here plainly enough Janus,

and who has descended

me

Lombard

statue of this

and the other human

{vide

god

in

'

")

who was

legitimately

past and future, to association with cards.

or

of yore a god of chance and

and

naturally, as surveying the

have seen an early Romanesque

which one of the heads was of an animal

Gypsy Sorcery,

p.

208, in which, however, both heads

are erroneously given as animal).

I

believe that there were few gods with

whom

there were so

strange, and forbidden mysteries connected, as with Janus,

'

There

is

manifest confusion here.

many

occult,

and there are marked"

MEANA, MONTULGA, AND

JANO,
traces of this in

which

modern

the

There

of the Knights Templars.

here,

131

heads, or being

Prudentia of Gothic sculpture,

figure

with a serpent,

girt

secrecy and

signified

"

illumination "

god of

the door,

the chief devil

incantation to Jano

conquered, and fortune or

is

therefore of great interest

is

down from

a very curious tradition handed

i.e.,

prophetic

Meana.
" Meana

is

a favour of her

or,

By him
The

the entrance or admission to the mysteries.

i.e.,

evil)

(or

Janus was

properly, freethought, nature-worship, or agnosticism to the adepti.

the

all-

one of these on the door of the Baptistery

is

The Baphomet

Florence.

in

the

Baphomet, or two-headed

also the mystic

is

TALENA.

As having two

tradition.

became the symbol of Prudence

seeing, he

mastered.

fate

and value as possibly indicating

the old initiation.

He

is

the weird,

spirit.

Of

this spirit I

a spirit who
we should say

"

'

is

have the following written

amiably inclined to people, and especially to lovers.

When we

desire

Per 1'imagine di Meana

per la sua bella persona

Uno
Che

che la guardi bisogna

tomba

l'adori sulla sua

Preghero

fin

Se vederlo

che

il

suo spirito non vedro,

io protro

il

suo spirito

Sempre preghero che nessun

Mi

maligno

Satanas le converra

Sempre

Lo

spirito

possa molestare

lasciarmi stare

spirito di

Meana sempre preghero

saro certo che mai

non periro

"

!
'

to me intranslatable nonsense, I have not attempted to give

MEANA, according to Eduard Gerhard {Gesammelte Alcademische
He
Abhandlungen, 1866), the Etruscan name of a winged goddess of fate.

As

this

version of

connects

it

is

it.

with mens, Menerva (Minerva) and Mnemosyne.

given indicate an

popular tradition

aerial,

lasa-like

spirit,

resembling

in life," a

Henry Kornmann,
that

as

in

my

possession, " for

the

copy of the Miracles of the Living and of the Dead, by

I have not now space wherein to print all

have learned regarding Meana;

in

pictures as

or such

Frankfort, 1614.

specially devoted to

mann

Her

connected with benevolence and love.

is

Since writing the foregoing there has fallen into

second time

Bellaria,

suffice

brides, she is identical

language which

really

it

to say that as a love-goddess,

with Mena, thus described by Korn-

must be excused from translating

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

132
" Quastiuncula.

"Latet

Cur

magnum

indicat

batur

gradibus

Lucanus inquiens.

appareat?

serpentis

nova nupta super ingentem fascinum,

quem

Mena

novis nuptis

mysterium

ibi

id

Torvus

Romanis ignotum non

Id quod et

antiqui.

membrum

est

Priapi sedere jubebatur, qui

pendulum,

stratum,

stat, id est,

erat

fuit.

Quia

loco

altiori,

In quod ascende-

erectum.

et

in

ebore ornatis, hoc autem fiebat propterea, ut illarum pudicitiam prior Deus delibasse

videretur, docet ex Varrone Aurel. Augustinus lib. 6, Civit Dei,

c.

9, et Lactantius, lib.

I.

According to that strange book, the Delineatio Impotentice Conjugalis of

John G. Simon, 1682, the serpent,

Caspar Bauhinus,

The

1614, containing

Last of

all

who appears

and happy

woman,

as a

twisted up,

if

it

follows in such a case

full

length

Romagna Toscana

many

presages

it

(i.e.,

sorrows, &c.

The

&c.

in

Mena

or

the form

Should the

means a long

Phallic), this

forbodes unhappiness and discord.

of

this series.

a very long paper stating that

to brides in the

serpent appear perpendicularly, at

comes

satyrs, fauns,

But only to those who know the proper invocation.

of a serpent.

life,

chapters on

interesting

me

there was sent to

a spirit

is

De Natura Hermaphroditorum,

and her serpent-love belongs to

tale of the ^Eolian virgin

Merna

and buried under the

not conciliated

if

Vide also

threshold, prevented conception.

but

if

Mena

incantation

is

as

" Ti

scongiuro, o Serpente

Merna

Merna

Merna

Del malaugurio, e che

Tu mi

faccia tornare

In pace col mio marito

Se no come mi indichera

La

fata

Merna,

io

confinero

ti

Nel piu profondo abisso

Che

possa esistere

Sopra

Then
sit for

if

Mena

la terra.

appears as a serpent

all

into the brook,

make

and repeat

fire

ti

'nvoco

anima mia,

the spirit will appear in the form

of the stream, mingle

it

shaped

like

fish,

make
carry

but

if

not, the bride

(beto),

must

cast into

it

throw the ashes

it
it

e per quello
"

Di mio caro marito

mud

la tranquillita

Dell'

of the

well

is

"
!

Per

the husband's body,

Merna

of three twigs of birch

" Fata Merna,

Then

by a running stream, and

three nights under a juniper- tree

three juniper berries,

Merna

it

into a

of a

with salt and

box

fish,

oil,

warm

(or take a box)

into the church

and bid the bride take

it,

if

possible, against

and put the

mud

into

where the wedding took place.

/A NO,

MEANA, MONTULGA, AND

Then Mena appears and

church, and to burn the

MONTULGA. Of
" Montulga
all

box and

is

a very beautiful

'

be

all will

am

called

spirit,

He who
"

133

with cypress wood, and cause the husband

fish

Then

this spirit I

his affairs will prosper.

TALENA.

the bride in long detail to be three nights in the

tells

to swallow the ashes in soup.

her

well.

told

Montulga

Qui

Unto him who

della Bellaria.

would invoke her should go

into a pine-tree grove

believes in

and say

resposa,

si

Al odore dei

pini

L'odore piu bello,

Piu bello che

E
.

ci sia,

qui inginnochio
.

un pino

di

La

pregare

la

mi metto

io

regina

regina delle stelle

sia

del sole la prottetrice

regina della luna

Prottetrice dell'

amore

Lo regina dell' aria pura

Che di par bene
Agli

infelici

Sempre

believe that

Munthuch.
is

an

si

chura

(cura).'

"

Montulga may be the Etruscan

modern Tuscan

Bellaria in

aerial spirit of grace,

and

tradition

flowers, of

which

family are Albina, or Alpena, and these are the com-

Of Munthuch I
name had also the older

panions or counterparts of Venus.

learn from Corssen that the

form, Munthu-cha.
plants in spring.

a satyr,"
forests, "

all

"She belongs

to

the world of

In one mirror she dances

of which associates her with fields and

piny grove and shady fountain."

tucha be the name, the

Muntulga

given, but I

and

come

If

Mun-

naturally into

MUNTHUCHA, OR MONTULGA.

in Bolognese.

TALENA.

" Talena

with

is

This

am

is

written Salena, I think, in the letter in which this spirit

altogether uncertain as to the

a female

spirit

which causes

The manuscript being here

initial.

terror in the night.

illegible

it

was

She
She

is

is

thus described

clad in white. "

mislaid, hence a portion

is

wanting.

is

134

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

BEIXARIA.

PICO.

name be Talena

If this
it

"

there

135

nothing in the description which connects

is

with that of Talena, or Thalna, of the Etruscans, of

Thalna, and Thalne, and perhaps also Talena ...

whom

Gerhard says,

on the Etruscan mirrors

is

a goddess," of

whom

whom

has been believed to be a form of Venus, Juno, and Diana,

he

cites)

may

whom is a nightmare.
with whom she corresponds.
The woman who sent me
none of

adds in a postscript
people."

"

This

say (to condense the mass of authorities

briefly

If

which

Volterra, but to what degree

me

these four spirits,

have been able to learn from several

was

believe that the information

no deity known to

is

the information relative to

all

is

be Salena there

it

chiefly, if

not

all,

derived from

could not verify.

Pico.

Of
I

find

this

spirit

House

Goblins.

pecker

spirit.

later,

Still
letters,

very uncertain, and

regarding him

He

is,

while this work was being printed,

of,

no space.
e la

"un

know

nothing.

piccolo

spirito

Red Caps

or

almost certainly, the ancient Picus, or red-headed wood-

or tales

relating

to,

collected, or received in

number of

would have made perhaps sixty more pages,

Nurbia

as

a goblin with a cap, probably a form of the

accounts

translated,

course,

am

him entered among notes taken and neglected

beretta,"

colla

These were

briefly

Pietra di Salute

(cf.

and

spirits,

in part as follows

Nurbia, the

spirit

which,

if

which there

for

fully
is,

of

of disease,

who

is

invoked

while preparing the stone of health, or a pebble used to cure rheumatism, &c).

Lamia, or the serpent-witch.

La

story and a long poem,

now

lost, I fear.

Strega Zumia.

The

wizard-priest Arrimini

II prete Stregone

Arrimini

{"

La

Including an account of the three spirits Trillo,

Julio,

fata Julda.

tale.

").

and Burillo.

The Witch-spirits Gerda and Meta.

The Baker Tozzi and

With a

tale.

his 'Daughter Fiorlinda.

tale.

La Penna Maligna. An indescribably revolting ceremony with incantation.

From Volterra.
La Corda, or the Incantation of the Vintage (Roman Catholic).
To these I may add many poems or ballads all referring to witchcraft, and
all,

and

with one exception, as yet unpublished.

fifty

pages.

These would

fill

about one hundred

CHAPTER

VIII.

Floria.
'Dictes moy, en quel pays,

Est Flora la belle Romaine."

Francois Villon.

HIS

very

curious

my

one of
coveries

latest dis-

"This

spirit, Floria,

who

a fair girl

was

tale

loved

was once

youth

a.

who

But Floria had

loved her as well.

a female friend, and they trusted

in

and

told to

And

thing.

one another every-

her friend was a witch,

that

that she loved her

hid

know

Floria did not

from her.

all

it

and

true,

own

the

lover

But

it

was

witch

or

and

was
very

And

jealous

and envious and

so one

day when they were walk-

evil.

ing alone in the country the witch

slew Floria, and put on her garments.

came

'

Alia sera,

'la sera,

Se presente

al

giovane

Col nome di Floria,

Essendo una

strega.'

Then

in the

to the lover.

evening she

FLORIA.
("'In the evening,

37

the evening,

She came unto the youth,

With

name

the

(form) of Floria,

As a witch she had

" So

the youth married her, and she had a beautiful boy.

came

there

the power.')

the spirit Floria,

who took
"

'

the child and put

But one night as the mother held

under the bed, and said to the husband

it

Guarda che quella non

e Floria

it

Floria son'io, io sempre,

Quella che tu hai sposato,

l'amica che m'uccise

Per sposarti,

ma

Che a mezza

notte

guarda
ti

scappa,

Perche non e che una Strega.

('"Seest thou that

I

am

not Floria

is

Floria, I ever

whom

She there

thou hast married

Is the evil friend

who

Lest she

For she

"And

further

come every night

"Then

that

if

but watch

midnight,

a sorceress truly.')

is

he would slay the witch, she would ever protect him and the babe, and

the youth seized the witch

as other

at

to visit him.

blasphemed horribly (from midnight)

came

away

slip

me

slew

That she might marry you

women, and

by the

till

three

said to her husband

" Look
Look

hair

and bound her

o'clock.

to

the bed, and

Then her witch-power

left

she howled and

her,

and she be-

at the baby,

'

in his bed,

There thou

wilt find

Crosses and garlands.

a year

It is

He
" Then
this

(the

Floria
is

who

tale,

spirit

of Floria."

which was collected and sent to

gives the blow with the

me by

hammer, and

the real mother of the child, and that the witch

in

the wife's form.

in

Etruscan

Fate.

Eduard

And from

husband) gave her a blow with a hammer and slew her, so that she died.

time he always loved the

In this

now

has been enchanted.'

Floria

times was

forget

Gerhard

Flora was

one with

now whether
that

she

is

Secchi follows Mtiller (Etrusker,

it

is

came

Fortunawho

is

3,

in

the work

depicted
7)

19

in

as

of

it

evident
after

certainly equivalent with

Nortia

twice
iii.

it

Peppino,

is

properly

that

Floria

the marriage

Horta,

who

drove the nails of

Inghirami or that of

holding a hammer.

Padre

declaring that Horta, an Etruscan

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

138
goddess, equivalent

from

her

of Etruria,

And

this

that

Horta

Pomona was

to be

who

woman.

hammer

with

is

objections

Horta

by

Dennis

it.

su

synonyme with

this

the hands

in

cl

aj

seems, I believe this

this

all

who

occurs as the implement of death in

gives a beautiful female spirit holding

crosses

with

distil

Dennis,

very significant indeed that on Eti

is

it

of the equivalent of Nemesis, as in

The

very

one

curiously

Confused as

But

specially

symbol of death, and

{vide

takes a female form, but Vertumnus

ancient or classic.

vases the

agrees

"

these

as

"A

Volsinii.

is

of Flora, and in her legend, by a strange

also a form

to her as an old

But

note).

of

Tacitus

goddess of gardens, therefore a

the witch

not

is

Peppino

of

was

in

by

hammer was regarded

the

legend

140

p.

i.,

of

indicated

is

and that she

Orte,

to

goddess

great

the

Fortuna

vol.

Nortia

that

and

name

gave

Salus,

to

Fortuna,

or

Nortia,

between

it

'

is,

in

of Charun and

all

tale.

It

fact,

the

the inva

the demons,

it.

and garlands alluded

the "guirlanda delle

to, refer to

stre

Witches' Ladder, elsewhere described.

Ra.
I

am

indebted to Mrs. Hayllar for the information that there

named Ra, who

is

much

talked of in Volterra.

had not

as to this folletto, for the first native of the town, a

far to

" Ra

is

spirit

who

When

protects children.

charm him with these words

for

is

know

young shoemaker,

questioned on the subject, at once narrated the following

li incanta,

go

wh

they are in danger the parents apply to

hii

" Dormi, dormi bambino mio

'

Dormi

Quando

La

sonno degli

il

tu

ti

angioli,

sveglierai,

felicita riaquisterai.

("'Sleep, sleep,

my

little

one!

Sleep the sleep of angels,

When
Thou

"Then

the child will

awake

free

thou shalt awaken

shalt

be happy again.')

from pain or trouble, secured from

all

danger, especially

fr

of falling into the baize (precipices, subterranean pits or cavities) of San Giosto in Volterra.

"This
child

spirit

Ra was known

in Volterra in the

which had been enchanted to him, which

fell

year 1001, for just in that year he protected

from a height of several yards in the

baize,

BOVO.
a pile of broom-plant (ginestrd).

Ra

'

there
I

and when they had

came a strange

am

let

Then

came running

the peasants

him down a

139
to save

would not climb

ladder, he

him, but he kept crying,

it.

And

'

Ra

while they stood above

who said
Ye cannot save him I only can do it by supernatural power.
now ye shall see how I will effect it.'
he stamped thrice on the ground, when there rose a great mass of broom-plants
signore,

'

the spirit Sa, and

" Saying

this,

growing, by means of which, as from branch to branch of a

tree,

they descended and brought up the

child."

I am indebted to Professor Senator Comparetti for the suggestion that Ra

may be Rhea Sylvia. The Etruscans made all their deities male and female.

Rhea Cybele, the

wife and sister of Cronos, and mother of Jupiter, was specially

patroness of ravines,

the

And

as

is

it

home

at

and rocks {Die Gbtter und Heroen. von

cliffs,

Ra appears. Rhea was also a nursing

The change of sex is of no consequence,

goddess, or protector of children.

we have seen, Cupra and Siera have changed

commoner of yore. In the story Ra raises a poor
for,

as

means of the broom-plant, and

accompanying the
1234 (Helyot.

and

child

from an abyss by

this

was even

in the

Middle Ages the motto

worn by Louis the Pious of France

ginestra, both being

of knightly and monkish

Description

theirs,

a curious coincidence that Deus exaltat

is

it

(God exalteth the lowly) was always

humiles

Stoll).

in ravines that

German

orders.

in

version,

I7S6).

Bovo.
"Come

Mi

Buovo?

an extraordinary

It is

humble

conosci tu

folk

Tuscany

in

sapresti dare notizia alcuna di

for

may

one

fact that

esso?"

ask a hundred peasants or other

mythical folk-lore and not find a trace thereof,

and then meet with one who would seem to be the

museum

of

Indians,

and

by the

it

This

curiosities.

is

was explained to me

fact that in

my

while

such

certain families

very intelligent

/ Reali di Francia.

friend,

the

just
in

chronicler, or keeper of a

same among American Red

it had been in America,

Florence, as

only are such records preserved.

Signora

la

the most masterly and adroit cross-questioning

Marchesa
elicit

di

T.,

Thus,

could not by

from her maid, who was

of Volterra, the least indication of any knowledge of such things as sorcery or

spirits,

much
Bovo

I,

on the contrary, got from the young shoemaker of that ancient

that

was marvellous, and, thereamong, the following

ville

relative to the spirit

"Volterra was not the

third Volterra.

first

In the time when

name
it

of our city, for

was

called

that

Antona there

was Antona, the second Voltona, and the

lived a prince called

Bovo

di Antona,

who

"

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

140
was held by the people
had made a golden
adagiare) in

be a stregone, or wizard; they also said he was immensely

to

and there died

it,

after

long suffering.

(Catini),

which

still

vations in which they have found

recording

they found,

times

in recent

le

relics

of ancient days

because he

rich,

he reclined

last illness

his spirit appeared

(si

fece

and ordered that

going forth from Volterra unto

This was done, and the

in sight of the city, there bury him.

is

people believe that the chariot and the body of the king

and

his

bearing his body, and

they should set in motion the grand carriage

mountain called Chatini

when in
And when dead,

horses of gold, and

with four

chariot

For there have been many exca-

exist.

the epoch of this

Bovo

di

Antona,

pictures representing his age (raffiguranti

sue carte, his records with

medesimi tempi), but they have not found as yet the great chariot.

"

After

burial

this

the spirit of

possible magnificence, and

Bovo returned

festival

could not imagine what

certain

bold

it

all

the

his

knocked

curiosity,

the

at

but in an instant

"Then

all

all

But one evening

not what had become of

must be done by the

decided to invoke the

spirit

all that

things as they had been in the time

splendour which they had seen from the outside,

of Bovo.

spirit

(i.e.,

what made him

'"Never having been loved by woman

girl,

whom

to

I will

my

in all

restless

life,

and haunt the

wish that

appear as a beautiful youth.

Should

this

my

in

among

four

carpets

should be done, in recompense I will appear to him

invoke the

spirit

This
as a hero

is

of

Bovo and

a great white cloak,

palace),

"replied:

palace shall be inhabited by

subjects not succeed in finding

beginning of

the

of popular romance

known.

well

is

Reiner has written a monograph on

the

But

similar

read

the

far

not in

suspect

that

name has borrowed

popular

part, or 142
is

in

if

this

fact,

Buovo of Antona
poems on him, and

There are

showing

that

case a

local

the fame of the mediaeval hero.

romance of Buovo

di

he was one

our old friend Bevis of South-

particular

Antona,

which

pages, of the Reali di Francia (Florence, 1890),

But

At midnight he may

to pass.

a legend.

subject,

of the champions of Christendom, and, in

ampton.

it

do him good.'

I will ever aid to

evidently only

who brought

and

Then they

such a bella donna, then I shall be confined in this palace, disturbing the peace of the citizens.
it

reply.

by magic,

the gate opened

of Bovo, which being done, he appeared, wrapped

and when asked what he required"

a beautiful

no

there was

So it was decided that the boldest

them should remain there the following night, which they did.
And at midnight all the
tapestries began to wave and move, and all the furniture changed into objects of great value.
it

all

life.

knew

they

and concluded

was dark, and the people entering found

gate, but

when

After midnight they heard merry laughter, and then they knocked again,

of the late king's

which he adorned with

palace,

multitude seeing this illumination and

meant, knowing that the prince Bovo was alone.

among them, moved by

spirits

at night to

And

illuminated brilliantly. 1

folletto

For, having

forms
I

with

the

find

fourth

that there

single point of resemblance to the hero of this story,

and that,
from having lived unloved, the champion wooed and wedded the beautiful

Drusiana,

it

who

died of grief for him forty days after his death.

Antona recognised
ampton

in

The

in

the chronicle

is

The only

very evidently the seaport of

South-

England, founded by Bovetto and named after his queen, Librantona.

sequel indicates that this was only done temporarily,

by magic

illusion or

glamour.

ATTILIO.

141

Attilio.
Attilio, Atiglio, Ottilio or Tilio

buon

folletto

merry

But he

English folk-lore.

very

devil,
is

an awful

however, he makes love and with

whom

couch, and in grateful return doing

no end of

And

presents.

character Attilio

for

much

all

cannot quite determine his

same

the

as Dusio, or a jolly

he behaves quite

is

Brownie

tease, especially of servant-girls, to

in

whom,

like Dusio, sharing their

the housework for them, and

making them

must be reluctantly admitted that despite

it

name

his

immoral

very popular with them.

is

GuiSEPPE PlTRE, who certainly cannot be accused of credulity remarks {Bib.,

that if we listen to what people of the lower class relate, in all

vol. xviii., p. 163),

honesty,

we must remain

uncertain whether these

we

continual visions, or whether

For

my own

part, I

people, especially

girls,

who

honestly believe that they see, and sometimes hear

There are powers

no comprehension whatever, and one of these

of reproducing or forming from

taste,

are a prey to

firmly believe that in very credulous communities there are

and touch, supernatural beings.

is

men and women

ourselves are dreaming with our eyes wide open.

that of creating sensations, that

is

Memory any

which we have

latent in us of

sensations, be they of touch or

which we have once experienced.

Unless

among
in their

this

be

true,

the believers in

own

art,

all

absolutely cannot explain

these marvels.

and carry

Dusios, and people

who

And

fetishes.

The

strege,

with

all

met with

their tricks, believe

who have

that there are girls

Attilios

and

catch glances of Faflon in the vineyards at sunset and in

So

the wine cellar at midnight, cannot be denied.

fairyland, or a witch

many things which

all

and devil dream, according to

life

is

for

them a

their disposition or

fine-land

freedom

from dyspepsia.

The
on the

following

is

the history and mystery of Attilio, as

January,

1st of

891,

was narrated
by a Maddalena from Rocca Casciano
it

to

me

" Attilio is a good goblin, but he does everything he can think of to worry servant-girls. There was
once a very pretty one, but she had harsh and exacting padroni " (superiors master or mistress). "Well, it

happened that every day

table, she

for three days,

found on returning that

bitterly, but she did not

" But when

tutti arrabiati.

know what

all

when

the poor girl had cooked the dinner, and gone to spread the

the food

to do.

Was

had been overturned and

till

The maid wept

she was almost mad.

the dinner was ruined on the third day in the same manner, the master and mistress were

Then they

said that they

were

tired of

going out to the trattoria to dinner, and that she

must do the best she could a rifare to dress up the remains.

more sorrowful

when she looked over

So she went

the wreck, and saw

enough, and

felt

When

once she heard the sweetest voice close by her sing these words

all at

scattered about.

indeed she was,

she scolded ?

still

into the kitchen, sorrowfully

how

little

could be

made

of

it.

'

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

142

"

'

me

Dimmi

Se ami

Attilio,

Attilio,

Perche se mi ami,
pranzo sara gia pronto.'

II

"And

as she stood

she had ever seen in

all

amazed and
her

life.

long curling golden locks and a

down and worship him, he was

speechless, lo there stood before her the most beautiful

He

little

was dressed
and

so elegant

"

Say you love

'

his love

And

you

if

Dinner

To which

the

girl,

And what he

stylish."

For

"

and the maid

velvet cap with a white feather,

felt

sang was in English

as

if

tunic, with

she could

fall

Attilio,

steady,

is

will love

me

soon be ready.'

shall

quite enraptured, could only answer,

"

young fellow

and velvet

in old style with long stockings,

'

Si

yes, indeed
si

Then

'

Attilio sang

Attilio son io,

'

Ed

bisogna d'amare

io'

tu sei quella,

Chi mi

ai ispirato

Tanto amore.'

('"I am

My

Attilio,

heart for love doth call

And

thou art the beauty

Who
" You may suppose

that the girl

inspired

And

was pleased.
"

Si

'

Sono

("

If

'

he sang on

amo
amo

ti
ti

Siei tu

all.')

it

tanto

mi ami

Attilio.

sono un spirto folletto

come

me

thou wilt love

I'll

at thy call

All because I love thee,

For

The

"When

lo

at a

touch the dinner was

they had never enjoyed such a nice meal.

am

Attilio,

merriest sprite of

all

right again,

And

all. )

and when the

girl

served

every day Attilio did most of the

it

the padroni said

work and was always

with her, and she could see him though he was invisible to every one else."

It
tales

it

is

remarkable that while

is

in all the Oriental

a knight or favoured

man who

rather give the fairy lovers to girls.

This

and German or French mediaeval

wins the love of a

is

spirit,

the Italian

a very curious point in folk-lore.

MARTA.

LA BELLA

143

The Dusio and Faun, and

every one of the prototypes of Robin Goodfellow and

Puck, and the House-Brownie are represented as frolicking sprites, always
mis-

leading

girls.

sobered

down

in Italy

nothing has changed, and so they

In the North, under chaster influences, these wanton sprites soon

into very moral beings, not going
still

beyond boyish

But

mischief.

remain the same rogues among

the girls which they were even

while satyrs hopped about in the woods, and

lemures prowled near tombs and witches took out men's hearts and people

were

happy

so

all

Attilio

who

even as he seduced Ocris,

families,

"

she

who waited on

the table

"

of yore

and he cooks the dinner, and is altogether of the fireplace

have but a single authority or witness. He corresponds alto-

in the kitchen

is

Of

certainly here a lar familiaris, a spirit of the fireplace, a sprite

ever since the days of Tarquin and Tanquil has seduced the servant-maid in

Tuscan

He

is

his existence I

gether to the French Lutin.

LA BELLA MARTA.
(La Madre del Giorno, or Mother oj
"

Nam

Romulus post mortem Quirinus

et

se precipitavit in
.,

factus est, et

Mare, Lucothea, Mater que Matuta."

Leda Nemesis,

et Circe

Lactantius, Div.

Marica,

et Ino,

postquam

Institut. de falsa Religione, lib.

cap. 21.

By

far the

most prominent character

or of that which

is

not Catholic,

is

La

in the

bella

or the Mother of the Day.

was Saint Martha confused,

as are Saints

deities.

But

which

by the name into believing that it

Antony and Simeon, with old heathen

at first misled

Roman

in

common

Martha

this beautiful

am

with the Martha of

Catholic hagiology whose image conquering the

copied in the cloister at Aries in 1846.

doubt that

was

popular mythology of Tuscany,

Marta, also called Madre del Giorno,

soon found that she had nothing

the Bible, nor the one of

Tarascon

in

the Day.)

is

have, indeed, very

a transformation of the ancient

little

Mater Matuta,

guided not so much by the resemblance of name as by the fact

that she has as Beinahme, or attribute, that of del giorno, " of the day."

dess

" There was," writes Muller, "in the haven Pyrgoi, the great and richly endowed temple of a godwho was generally called by the Greeks Leukothea. ... It was doubtless the honoured Mater Matuta,

worshipped since the time of Servius in

Roman
more

antiquaries classed the

as a goddess of the

morning than

and when the Greeks translated

Rome

two as one.

it

to

man

to daylight

for

in

Rome

as of the sea, for her

and

this

name

also in Etruria.

The Greek and

Mater Matuta was regarded much

clearly

means the Mother of

the

Day,

Leukothea, or white goddess, they may have thought more of early morn-

ing light than on the white foam of the sea.

deity which led

in the Volscican land

However,

The mother

which reason, as

it

of the light of day could readily be regarded as the

would appear, Strabo

ing to this the goddess of Pyrgoi was one of the dawn, and of mankind."

called her Eileithyia.

Accord-

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

144

The

Tuscany dwells

Bella Marta of

of the day,

is

worshipped by night.

fact that all " spirits " are

and that
to

; ;

lovers

story,

is

The

love.

can

as

clearly

worshipped

who

This, however,

connected with the old

are conducted in secrecy

and conjugal

indicates

literally

or girl

its rites

in forests or fields, and,

like saints,

is

to be explained

now

religion,

Martha

and obscurity.

be the fact

still

wife

by night

to the

like goblins.

most

ti

da

te

stella,

mi vengo ad inginnochiare

Per poter

da

te

meglio pregare.

ti

La mezza

Bella Marta

come una

vengo a rimirare,

Io

notte e ora suonata,

sono inginnochiata,

In mezzo ad un bel giardino,

Che
Io

tu

Marta Bella ne

sei regina,

porto un fazzoletto

ti

In una punta troverai,

I capelli del

tu bella

Che

Tu

E
E

mio amor

Marta fannecio

vuoi, purche

il

mio bene

faccia tribolare,

mio marito

tu lo faccia diventare,

che altra donna non possa mai amare

Se questa grazia mi
Tutte

Accesa tu

farai,

una candela

le sere

1'avrai,

Questa grazia certo tu mi

Bella Marta

In English

ti

ai fatto,

lingrazio

Beautiful

Martha

Beautiful

Martha

Beautiful

Thou art beautiful as a star.

I come to behold you once more,
Once more to kneel before you,
That

may

adore you better.

Midnight has struck,

I

am

kneeling before you

Kneeling in a

Where

fair

garden,

thou, beautiful Martha, art queen.

I bring thee a

favourable

own

and are not merely evoked

Bella Marta

sei bella

is

its

The Prayer to La bella Marta.

Tu

handkerchief;

by the

that the sylvan gods are

and kneeling pronounces

" Bella Marta

spirit

called witchcraft,

following incantation, which tells

jealous of her lover goes

to which she has access,

though a

Martha

beautiful garden

"

THE INVOCATION TO LA BELLA MARTA BY NIGHT.

145

In a corner thou wilt find

The hairs of my beloved,

And thou, oh Martha, cause
What thou wilt that my trouble may

pass to

my

good,

Cause him to marry me,

May
And

women

he never love other

Grant

me

this grace,

thou shalt have

Every evening a lighted candle.

This thou wilt surely grant me,
Beautiful Martha, I thank thee

In the next incantation

not think that she

was done to
observed

is

at

La

all

Marta

bella

is

distinctly invoked

popularly regarded as infernal or

And

the sorcerers.

evil,

hell.

do

but that this

is strictly

as the priests have always taught the people

by the Church are

that all spirits not sanctioned

from

matter which

from the saints

distinctly distinguish her

among

devils,

it

indicates great con-

stancy to the customs of their ancestors that the peasants continue to adore them

even as infernal.

The Invocation to La bella Marta

'
'

For

this

you should go into a wood or

"

'

forest at

by Night.

midnight and look at a

Buona notte o Donna Marta,

Non chiamo

Ma

Marta

la

di casa del Paradiso,

chiamo quella di casa

dell' inferno.

Prenditi dei panni belli

Alia presenza de

Prima mi era tanto amico,

Ora mi
Amici

e tanto nemico,

e nemici,

Tutti gli sembrino brutta gente,

Fuor che

io la sua stella rilucente,

Stella stella

Da

lui

da levante

portante

Cinque dita per

oscie,

lui io

batto al muro,

Cinque anime

io scongiuro,

Cinque

cinque

preti,

frati,

Cinque anime dannate,

All anima, alia vita

Del

tal.

In vita ne anderete,
In pensiero la porterete,

Per

la

barba e capelli lo

Col pensiero da

me

piglierete,

la strascinerete

Se questo mi

farete,

Tre segni mi

darete,

20

star,

and say

"

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

146

Porta picchiare,

Cane abbiare,

Unno

fistiare

Se questo mi

farai,

Tre segni mi darai

Or

English

in

"

!
'

"

Good
I

evening,

do not

Lady Martha

upon the Martha named of

I call

Take

he

is

(here the

name

is

given).

much my friend,
much my foe

Once he was

so

so

enemies and friends

him

All seem the same to

Save me, his shining

hell.

these fine cloths

In the presence of

Now
May

thee Martha called of heaven,

call

star.

beat five fingers for

him on the

wall,

Five souls do I conjure,

Five

priests, five friars,

Five

damned

souls,

Into the soul, into the

Of

life

May

they pass into the

Bear

this into his thoughts,

life

Drag him by beard and hair,

Drag him by remembrances of me
If

you

will

do

this for

Three signs you

will give

A knocking at the
A dog barking,
A man whistling.

me,

me

door,

Should'st thou favourable be,

These three signs

This

is

imprecation.

thou'lt grant to

me

considered as a very serious, terrible, and powerful incantation or

The

looking steadily at a star connects Martha apparently with

Mater Matuta or Leucothea, the goddess of

light,

Venus or the Morning

Star.

suppose

this star I

is

incantation which occurs in others.

This

and

and

devils

to enter into the soul

is
life

and Marta of the Day, for

There is a portion of this

the invoking several fives of priests

of the one banned.

This, both as

regards a category of numbers and calling on the spirits to enter into the

and soul and body of some one, corresponds precisely to what

Chaldaean

spells.

is

life

found in

MARTA AND THE YOUNG

BELLA

CONTADINO.

recognised in this regarding the star an invocation of the astral

as

is

it

have

spirit, especially

mysteriously connected with ordering spirits to possess a certain person.

do not doubt that there are

is

certain,

is

it

And

feeling.
itself

147

any writer of the sixteenth century, would

or almost

Paracelsian,

when

in

is

it

how

remarkable

who

recite

one thing
with deep

passionately this witch spirit manifests

seriously relating spells or even while writing

one narrative

Bella Marta appears in

it

strange relics of ancient beliefs

it

regarded as very powerful by the witches,

as

them down.

one of the benevolent witches

of Benevento, and also as a dryad.

Bella Marta and the Young Contadino.

" Once there was
a cavity.

The

in

Benevento a great tree

peasants passing by

it

often

sia

saw a very

una guercia probably an oak, in which there was

beautiful woman, who disappeared they knew not

where.
'

'

I will come here early, and I will follow

But there was one young man who, moved hf curiosity, said
So he went to the wood, and quietly waited till she appeared, and
:

'

the lady, and find out where she dwells.'

then went after her till she came to the great oak and entered it as if it were a door.
" And then he also stepped in after, and lo, he found himself in a great and splendid palace

have walked three days

sarebbe

mai finito

in

it

from room to room without entering a new one

di giraresxA

all

camminando

One might

tre giorni,

non

si

of marvellous beauty.

"

And

so the peasant stood amazed,

As on

the wondrous scene he gazed,

When entering the oak-tree there,

He found a palace wondrous fair
He knew not where to turn his feet,
To forward go or back retreat
' '

'

'

When

all at

once a small white hand was laid on his shoulder, and a

And turning, he saw

Welcome
Be not afraid, I welcome thee, and

Marta.

Go

the beautiful lady of the forest

'

make

will

soft

whom

sweet voice was heard saying,

he had followed, and she said

thee happy, for thou art a good youth.

And

thou and play, and always win, and when thou wilt have anything, pronounce

"

'

Bella

Sei

Marta

piii

bella

Marta

bella

bella d'una santa

Al albero tuo vengo a pregare,

Se una grazia mi vuoi fare,
Se questa grazia mi farai,

La mia padrona tu
Qualunque casa mi
Bella Marta tu

'"Lovely Martha,
Fairer than any

Here
Grant,

sarai,

chiederai,

l'avrai.'

this I

vow,

saint art thou.

stand before thy tree,

I
I

pray, a grace to

me,

Marta!

am

this spell

the Bella
:

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

48

And
And

if

Which
For

" Qalunque cosa

and repeat

to

it

mi

you

Here Marta

can do,

draughts that he beat the bee

who

the tree which

may

be

all

here in Tuscany the

fell

be done

So, whenever you. see a great oak in the forest,

dryad, and

unquestionably a

is

beneath the sun

shall

do well."

This

it

Maria tu Vavrai.

will

Rhcecus was a great player

down

patron ever shalt be,

there's aught

thee, thou ever lovely one.'

chiederaibella

this incantation,

my

thou

was because he was absorbed

it

on the

the contadino

life

spirit

of the olden time-is

more connected and

in

Italy,

intelligible

me

consulted

still alive,

and

chance and of inspiration connected with

life,

as

did of yore.

it

of the beautiful nymph.

It is
spilt

it

stories of

passed most

lottery.

This

of play and

spirit

was the

Italian

all

first

thought

invoked when

salt is

144)
di lu lumi, cugghitivillu vui."

Marta is invoked when three girls, always stark-naked, consult the

This is,
cards, to know whether a lover is true or who shall be married.

bella

tardco, or

indeed, connected with the two incantations already given.

Saint Martha

is

" those

who

utter

disapproved of by the Holy Church,

and such are the prayers

Helena, and the

may

Giorno, but

it

According to PiTRE,

one of those who are sometimes consulted

Archbishop Torres (Ricordi di Confessori, &c.

excommunicates

Venus

but

not say more

enters deeply here into

is

"Matri

La

am

in

She knew her man.

in Sicily the Mother of Light

Bib., vol. iv., p.

will

who had

worth noting that

(PiTRE,

firing,

writing in sight

than they would in the North.

it

am

Middle Ages, and these

not astonished that

Therefore

gravely and seriously as to what numbers of

which he had chosen would win

several

gambling.

guess-work and pot-shot hunting or point-blank

In the year 1846, in Florence, an English gentleman

of his

game of
boy who cut
a

nymph who blinded the

youth who had such a passion for

the fair Martha, and the mystic oak, seem,

Rhcecus and

in

told the

of olive-trees and crumbling towers of the

credible, but

RHCECUS.

is

like."

prayers which
to'

PiTRE,
are

in

Bib., vol.

p.

148)

bring about lascivious and dishonest love,

falsely attributed to Saint Daniel, Saint

The Mater Matuta,

difficult to

iv.,

not approved, or even

or

Mother of the

Marta, Saint

Dawn that

very well have been the patroness of lovers and the

is

Thus

sorcery.

Donna

is,

del

connect the Martha of the Bible or the Provencal

conqueror of the Tarascon with any such aiding and abetting of amours (to say

"

BELLA MARTA AND THE YOUNG CONTADINO.

nothing of card-playing or divination) as

we

find in this

Queen of Beauty

Fortune-telling.

As regards the three girls meeting to divine who shall be married, I think
DlON CASSIUS who remarks as regards divination by means of ashes, " Vel c
i

aliquem tres personas cogitare jubet, quibuscum matrimonii

ducunt sulcos

in cinere " ("

they draw three

The

rite.

When

This confirms

lines in the ashes").

inire optet, turn

whom

three meet to find out

in the

they are to ma:

main the antiquity of

reader will find more as regards this in the chapter on Divination

Ashes.

may

It

be observed that

as being " fairer than

which

any

utterly heathen

is

in the

last

incantation Bella Marta

Here the Romagnola

saint."

addres

is

stregeria, or witchci

and always jealous of Roman Catholic

influence,

sh

itself.

The

of the Mater Matuta, which were widely spread in Italy,

festivals

Matralia or Martralia,

called

But

Marta.

repeat

may

here that

give
I

at

some

clue

to

attached

first

modern name

the

no significance

resemblance of the word Martha or Marta to Mater, though there

no reason why
or

it

may

not have been derived from the

talking slang has been conjectured

But

noster.

have since found that M. L.

Moyen Age, had

writes
"

the

same idea

as

to

F.

to

absolu

is

latter, just as " patterii

come from pater

to have

v\

in the

pa

Alfred Maury, in Les Ffas

a perfectly analogous conception,

Les epithetes donn^es sans cesse aux

dames, bonnes
la traduction

et franches pucelles.

du

titre

Le nom de Matte

fata.

sont celles de bonnes, bor

Ces qualifications ne sont videmment

de bonce donn^ aux parques, plutdt sans doute par

phrase que par reconnaissance, et de puella

qu'aux

fees,

attribue" aussi

bien

aux nymj

donne" a une fee celebre d'Eauze, pour laqu

on avait reproduit la fable du Minotaure, semble venir du mort mater abr

On
"

this

Max

name

Fraser {The Etruscans) has the following:

Muller also speculates (Science of Languages, vol.

matuta.

He

languages

is

best

ii.,

p. 152)

on the derivation of mant

From this it would appear that in Latin the root man, which in the
known in the sense of thinking, was at a very early time put aside, like

says

'

other A
the Sar

budh, to express the revived consciousness of the whole of Nature at the approach of the light

morning, unless there was another totally distinct root peculiar to Latin expression of that

Was

this root possibly

that the Etruscan

p. 58).

And

mat ?

It is

0]

idea.'

worth observing that Tertullian obse

Venus was called Murtia {vide Dennis, Cities of Et., vol

Marta is called the most beautiful of the spirits, is a

as Bella

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

ISO

dated with

cards,

that she

a form of Aphrodite or Venus.

is

and

morning

with the

identified

is

star,

seems probable

it

Diana and Herodias.

(

The Queens of the Witches in

Italy.)

" Horsii dimmi, o buona Strega, che vuoi dire che non andavi a questi balli e giuochi di Diana o
come le chiamate, a quelli de la Donna ? " La Strega di Pico delta Mirandola.

di Herodiade, ovvero si

" Hecate trium potestatum numen

It is

remarkable that while witchcraft was regarded

Northern races as a creation of Satan,

In this country the witch

Her
is

ruler

is

is

only a sorceress, and she

The

is

whom,

she became the mother of

had been

as

Hecate the

prolixam

et scintillas igneas

shall

show, there

Testament, but there

Adam, by whom

Herodias was confused with Diana.

of

ruler

all

the witches, while Lilith-Herodias

in

Odericus Vitalis (born in

this,

that

Diana was parent

manifeste apparuit eis sethiops niger et fuligo,

ex ore mittens.

The

Zabulon que coram populo visibilem adstare coegit, quo

intravit.

Nam

timuit.

as

Lilith, the first wife of

It is as follows

" Deinde Taurinus fanum Dianas

viso ethnica plebs valde

often a beneficent fairy.

New

was the same among the Jews. There is a passage

England in 1075 Hist. Eccl. v. 556) which illustrates
or protectress of goblins.

among

the minor devils or goblins.

all

It is evident that in this capacity

latter

times

presiding at the dances of the witches,

latter, as

was naturally connected with the Herodias of the

was an older Herodias, a counterpart of

in later

never lost in Italy a classic character.

it

not the devil, but Diana, with

HERODIAS.

associated

Servius.

Ipsa est enim Luna, Diana Proserpina."

est.

Daemon adhuc

in

eadem urbe

neminem laedit. Hanc vulgus Gobelinum appellat."

("Then Taurinus entered the temple of Diana and compelled Zabulon

barbam habens

degit et in variis frequenter

formis apparens,

people, who, being seen, was greatly dreaded by the heathen folk.
black, grimy Ethiopian, having a full beard and emitting sparks of
forth often in the

him

same town, appearing

Goblin, and declare that

in

many

to appear visibly before the

For he plainly showed himself as a

fire

The demon went

The common people called

from his mouth.

forms, yet injured no one.

by the merits of Saint Taurinus he was withheld from doing harm.")

Here we have the Goblin as the

familiar spirit of the temple of Diana, the

witch-mother, just as the Jews declared that goblins were the children of Lilith-

How

Herodias.

Roman

is

it

was that the Shemitic myth came

a matter for investigation.

That

it

existed

to unite with the Graecois

proved by the testimony

of several old writers.

In the Dcemonomagie of
time,

I find

the following

HORST

(1818), a writer

who was

far

beyond

his

DIANA AND HERODIAS.

"In

the indictments of witches

"Diana and

(worshipped)

it

Herodias.

is

generally stated that

public Church council that of Ancyra in the middle of the

was asserted that

women

we

very remarkable that

It is

fifth

151

this

centuryjust

among

with"

acted

party accused,

the

find

the declarations of
It

as in later witch-trials.

Diana and Herodias.

But as this was spoken of at the Council of Ancyra as a well-known thing, the belief must be much older,
and I do not doubt that there exist much earlier historical records of this, which are unknown to me."
certain

imagined that they flew by night through the

PAULUS GRILLANDUS,

in his

et

Herodiam

esse

veras deas

same

with

Witches (1547), a great authority

Treatise on

in its time, speaks several times to the

air

effect,

think that Diana and Herodias are true goddesses,

"

so deeply are they involved in the error of the pagans."

And

the evil of their ways from this false and heathenish beginning

cum

errores et illusiones successive dependent

esse veras deas.

Dianam

that witchesputant

credant

he deduces

ex qua omnes

Mas Dianam

all

alii

Herodiadem

et

In which he very inconsistently ignores the fact that he has

elsewhere declared Satan to be sole master of the entire sisterhood.

Jerome Cardanus (De

Subtilitate,

divinam sed diabolicam facturus

represents

Hecate

Hecate,

dictanle,

esset)

Diana, as

or

leading

the

spirit

{Execratur

She was compared,

cat-goddess of Egypt

and Freya, of the North, whose car

What

cats,

purpose,

that while witches in Italy are supposed to

do

is

a Norse Diana.

clearly

simply as

it

popular belief in witchcraft

it

is

sorceresses.

much

as the goddess

Herein she was like Bast of

drawn by
yore, they

precibus,

illis

of the moon, to a cat which chases the star-mice.

is

rem non

ille

primum adorandam, &c). That Diana-Hecate was Queen of the

is known from many authors
also that she was invoked

in all ckthonic, dark, or nocturnal sorcery.

Bubastis, the

altogether

says no word of the devil whatever, but

witches in classic times

and yet

an

describing

in

19),

I.

evocation by a sorcerer of his time (Quoties veneficus

diabolical

that

The

Catholic

was foreign

remarkable, and

is

to

do harm

like

is

my

to

Canidia of

Church imposed on the

it,

in Christian diabolism,

most remarkable that even to-day Diana, and not Satan,

the

is

leader and ruler of Italian witches.

And

there are

many

ancient than Christianity.

all

points in this popular belief which

Thus

are

much more

in Venice, as in Florence, witchcraft

is

not at

a result of a compact with the devil, but a peculiar endowment, which

be transferred, even by a
with a story which

trick,

to an

innocent person.

girl

and by her

ill,

my

book on Gypsy Sorcery:

in

who became a witch against her will. And how? She was ill in
was una vecchia ammalata gravamente, e non poteva morire an old woman
yet who could not die.
And the old woman groaned and cried continually, * Oimll muoio!

"There was a
seriously

may

illustrate this

heard told in good faith in 1886 as having happened

Florence, and which has already appeared in

a hospital,

I will

here in the city

in a bed

chi lasciS?

Then
{'

'

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

152

the poor

Leave

to

it

Non

diceva che' ('Alas, I die!

girl,

thinking, of course, she

me

am

so poor

'eredita delta streghoneria (the

"Now

the girl went

shall I leave

meant property,

At once the old woman

').

poor

home

"""

To whom

said
died,

But she did not say what.

')

Lasciate &

'

and

me

And

where she lived with her mother and brother.

witch, she began to go out often by night

tu troverai tua sorella colla pancia grassa

such a thing, mamma,' he replied.

'

tanto povera
se

i trovato in

found she had inherited witchcraft).

girl

to

son

povera giovana

la

'

('

which the mother observing, said

Some day you

However,

will find

your

out where

I will find

it

to her

'

with child').

sister

is

having become a

son

Qual'che volta
'

Don't think

she goes.'

" So he watchedj and one night he saw his sister go out of the door sullo punto della mezza-notte
midnight). Then he caught her by the hair and twisted it round his arm.
She began to scream
terribly, when
ecco !
there came running a great number of cats (e cominciarono a miolare, e fare un
gran chiasso) they began to mew and make a great row, and for an hour the sister struggled to escape,
but in vain, for her hair was fast, and screamed, while the cats screeched, till it struck one, when the cats
(just at

But from that time she had no witchcraft in her and became a

vanished, and the sorella was insensible.

buona donna, or a good

There

bound

is

girl

come era prima

stories a

witch loses

if

she had been before."

nothing of a compact with Satan in this

to the spell of the

or even

as

moon, one of the

her power

all

It is true

detected.

if

she

it

Js a witch of Diana,

cats of the night.

In the Venetian

wounded and

a drop of blood,

is

spills

enough that the monks imported and forced into

popular Italian superstition strong infusions of the

Yet with

devil.

all

this,

in

the main, the real Italian witch has nothing to do with Satan or a Christian
hell,

and remains

that in papal Italy itself

There are

in

There

as of yore a daughter of Diana.

reviving or refreshing in the thought that there

is

is

one place

something almost
in the

world

and

where the poison of diabolism did not utterly prevail.

Walnut Tree of Benevento, by P.

Queen of the
seems in a manner to identify Lamia with

the treatise on the Magic

Pipernus (Naples, 1647), several passages in reference to Diana as

Witches, one of which
Lilith

and Diana.

is

curious as

it

It is to the effect that

to their death, were the

the witches

same with Lamia

who

of yore seduced youths

a Lilith hebraeo, whence the Empusse,

Marmoliciae or Lares and Lemures, appearing on one foot in various figures dedicated to Diana

in variis figuris

Dianse dedicatis.

But Elias Schedius

(see

Germanis, Amsterdam, 1648), has with great industry brought together from
sources,

Hebrew and

others, strong proof that

the two being identified in the

Roman Lucina
"

Tu Lucina

Diana was

Dis

many

identical with Lilith,

volentibus

Juno dicta puerperis

Dicta lumine Luna."
(Catullus Epigr., 35.)

Luna meaning

here, Diana.

Another singular remark

is

to the effect that there were as communities of

DIANA AND HERODIAS.

153

witches in ancient times the Eriphiae, from Eriphia, the Michaleiae, from Michala,
Hecateiae,

Medeae

Herodiades

Thessalae,

Circeae,

"communion

vocabulo

in

Cyclopas

Sicilia

Idumaea Herodiade prope Jordani flumen habitante,

effuse

fruente,

multos

quae

ludorum memorans."

multas ad suum

et

nuncupantur

regionibus

aliquibus

in

Lestrygonas

choreis, ludisque

and

ex

venereis

convictum trahebat, Dianae

In another passage Pipernus conjectures that there was

a Herodias earlier than the one

who was

the cause of the death of Saint John.

In the Slavonian spells and charms, which are generally very ancient, and of

same

Oriental origin, Lilith appears the

who

are the twelve kinds of fever.

into categories of sevens, twelves,

Lenormant.

This arrangement of diseases, or

&c,

Herodias long before the lady of the

found
I

New

in the

evil spirits,

Chaldaean magic as given by

agree with Pipernus that there was a

Testament who danced Herod

off his

off Saint John.

In regard to which transaction

by any

is

All things duly considered,

head and the head

She has twelve daughters

as Herodias.

writer from a

modern

marvel that

have never yet seen

it

treated

Suppose a

society-Christian practical point of view.

who had a good thing of it as wife of the

The governor dies and his brother succeeds to
widow (a thing actually commanded in the Old

lady, an intelligent, accomplished widow,

say Cathay.

governor-general of

the appointment, and marries the

Testament, and a
divorced wife.

common custom
among

has tremendous influence

marriage
divorce

on the

is

in the later time), or it

new

Uprises a clergyman of a

illegal.

And

perhaps death

sect,

may

new

views,

who

the people, and informs the governor that his

then fancy the feelings of Herodias

or poverty

with

trifling,

On

one hand,

a charming daughter just coming out

other, a prophet of the wildest description.

such a remarkably natural,

be the fraternal

with eccentric

And

it

and commonplace thing

was considered to be
in those

days to put

who was in your way, if you had the power to do it just as

Calvin did with Servetus when the latter got in his way, or as some millions
of heretics were disposed of some for their money by Mother Church. And
anybody

to death

so Herodias did what

or

Low Church

circumstances

What
blood,
all,

Christian
if

to

High
matrons and mammas would do to-day under the same

they could

most wonder

what were her

in this story

made

believe a very great majority of worldly-minded

and

put Saint John out of the way.

at in this story

" havings," or

is,

who was

belongings

this

There

Herodias

is

what was her

nothing whatever, after

of commonplace revenge to account for her being taken up and

occupy the position of joint-queen with Diana of an immensely widely-

spread confederacy of sorcerers and witches.

daughter, presumably a

Roman

or Jewish

21

Above

young

lady,

all,

how came

who had been

it

that her

respectably

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

154

brought up, danced a gypsy can-can pas seul before Herod and his court? The
mediaeval writers have it that she " tombelede," or tumbled, i.e., threw flip-flaps,

and

"

made

Pocahontas used to do for the common soldiers in

have read), but then they knew nothing about it. Or was she

the wheel

as

Virginia

" (as

perhaps really one of those Syrian-Hindoo-with-a-touch-of-Persian dancers

who

actually gypsies

empire

in

Roman

those days strayed about to every corner of the

There were mixed marriages

in those days,

even as there are now, and there

England a lady with a very great title, who was once a dancing
Hungarian gypsy. One of these ballerine might have wedded Herod's brother.
Assuredly the dance which Miss Herodias executed was not the holy Chagag which

lives at present in

David danced before the Lord

an

(2

Sam.

vi.),

the sight of which had, however, such

And yet even the holy Chagag was

Princess MiCHAL called it shameless from

effect on the king's daughter Michal.

considered a vulgar performance

may

what kind of a wasp or busy-bee performance the aftersupper tipsy-chorean bayadere posing of Mademoiselle Erodiade must have been
No, it was not the Chagag which Rabbi David Kimichi says was danced to the
which we

infer

singing of the forty-seventh Psalm, but a very different kind of a gag indeed,

and

in faster time.

But admitting that there was

Syrian-gipsy

witch and

a mere conjecture,

'tis

devil-blood in these Herodiades

how the whole sisterhood of fortune-tellers and sorceresses

made the most of it how one of their kind had bewitched
Lola Montez queen

The dance was

in

my
I

cousin-^a strain of

can well understand

took up the story, and

a tetrarch, and played

a kind of Hamlet drama.

in ancient

ing and maddening, that

we

days something so wild and passionate, so bewilder-

of the present day can form no conception of

its

real

can remember when Taglioni, and Ellsler, and Carlotta Grisi, and
Cerito turned the heads of the world, as no dancer has ever done since. Before

nature.

them 'others had maddened the multitude

ratio

till

we come

to the witch-times.

whatever that

practised sorcery or not

still

more, so

it

went back

in

compound

Now, whether witches and wizards ever

was

one

thing

is

certain, that

bands of

male and female sinners believing themselves to be inspired by the devil

doubt not being very much inclined to

raise

him

in

a general way.

and

moonlight, armed with sundry brooms, divers pitchforks, certain goats, et

and did

drink, dissipate,

Dance !
sorcerers

bodies."

and dance

should think so

all

went forth by
ccetera,

night.

PR/ETORIUS says

"

But the dances of the

make people mad and raging, so that the women lose

Now it may be natural for certain females everywhere

the fruit of their

in every country

DIANA AND HERODIAS.

to dance naked and

mad even among

declare that the traditions of antiquity

Moses Maimond

origin for all this.

those in the

155
court circles

first

but

must

point to a certain Syrian-Indo-Persian

all

when the sun rose the daughters

Delancre, writing

us that

tells

of the ancient Persians danced naked, singing to music.

of witches, observed that witches did the same as Persian girls at sacrifices in this

Now

respect.

to this

stock and origin.

day the dancing women of India and Persia are of common

Tradition says that a certain king of India once sent ten

thousand dancers and musicians as a present to the king of Persia, and that
they

And

turned out to be irreclaimable vagabonds.

all

times formed a close corporation.

was only

It

taking everything into consideration,

all

professionals

think

of these dancers in

who

not honourable

if

of witches and gypsies, and that their name, while coinciding with that

of Herod, had been attached in earlier times to a form of Lilith.

impossible that the chance coincidence of this

witch-queen, had as

earlier

celebrity

among

much

name

do with

to

no reason at

There are many people

nothing about Diana as a

One day

in

Italy,

Roman

and

my

magic

Own

This

is

for

my

me

whence

it

is

when put

called the

it

up accordingly, perhaps
Albero di Diana la

the superscription

in

What

long time.

which, discovered

books of

" natural

tenth year in the

silver

Boys

and mercury, or

into a flask, causes an incrusta-

That name was enough

was a deep work of dark magic,

Tree of Diana.

innocent witches who, not doubting that

had treasured

my

in

simply a composition of nitrate of

silver and mercury in aqua-fortis, which,

tion like foliage,

trick,

became common

the last century, and was familiar to

Book.

Queen of

secret of witch-lore

for a

was an old chemical

it

For,

have met such, who, while knowing

goddess, are quite familiar with her as

disciple of Paracelsus or Scheele,

to

why she should have been

name would account for it all.

had brought to me as an invaluable

astonishment to find that

" in

Idumean damsel

all

something which had been treasured up by the sisterhood

was

not

it is

of Herodias with that of the

raising the

preferred to such position, while her bearing such a

the Witches.

And

the witches as her share in the decapitation of Saint John.

justly considered, this latter gives us

by some

that,

possible, if not probable, that

it

Herodias, mother and daughter, belonged to the very ancient

company

So

danced.

all

it

for generations,

Mga

and gave

it

to

me

with

(magia) delle Streghe (The Tree of

Diana, the magic mistress of the Witches).

On
craft,

lines

one occasion

was given

some poetry which

from Ariosto.

Truly

was not exactly what

very much

as a great find in the

way

of sorcery and witch-

soon found consisted of about one hundred and

it

was

wanted.

full

fifty

of supernatural diabolical description, but

At which my

astonished, declaring that as

it

was

friend
all

who had

written

it

it

out was

about supernatural things she

'

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

56

thought

must be

it

coglionerie

" I

out this trash

all

asked
"

? "

Ma

regards Diana,

Signore,
i.e.,

got

Dove

"

diavolo avete pigliato tutto questo

it

from an old

"

Where

didst thou rake

woman who had

kept

for

it

magic.

may

it

words of Cardinal d'Este

in the

a long time as streghoneria"

As

And

right.

be observed that

Roman

in the

times she was

specially worshipped by fugitive slaves, " perhaps because they hid themselves in

the forests."

Thus

it

a certain predilection

may

be that the witches and wizards as outcasts inherited

for her.

also be the patroness of those

As goddess of secrecy and of sorcery she would

who shunned the day and intercourse with mankind.

Witches, outlaws, broken men, runaway slaves, minions of the moon, and
Children of the Night were under her protection, and

all

the

pleasant to think that in

it is

ages when there was such enormous oppression of the unfortunate, that the victims
had,

if

not a God, at least a goddess to

whom

they could pray.

Offerings to Spirits.

As
in

the

same

made

to

them

rock and

spirits of

and invoked as

as of yore.

river, fountain,

And when

and

in

gifts.

It

" Yes.

For instance,

if

illustrations of

is

differ entirely in spirit

a contadino passes by a grove or a rock where folletti or

'

Questo
Per

lo sotterro

far piacere

Agli

spiriti (o alle

strege)

Che ne potrebbero
Avere bisogna,

given to saints.

ground money or pins to please them, and say

"

be

what the auditors under-

must be understood that these

form from anything which

will there put into the

offerings continue to

asking for information on the subject,

promptly received several explanations or

stood by votive

cavern, and forest, are believed

Tuscan time, so the same

in the earliest

cosi

me

Pure mi contra,

Cambierrano
Colla buona fortuna

(" 'These things I bury,

That

may

gratify

Spirits or witches

That they may never

Such things be wanting

Or go

against me,

Changing

my

fortune

From good unto

evil

')

fairies

or spirits live, he

'

'

OFFERINGS TO SPIRITS.
" Or

may be

it

that he passes

the same words, adapted to

But

by a fountain or a stream, when he

"Offerings to

spirits

annoyance as a nightmare,

throw his

will

gift into

it

and repeat

it."

was further informed on the subject

157

oxfolletli?

When

Si.

on people's

sitting

spirit

and

breasts,

words

in these

comes by night

into a house

them, when,

stifling

if

and causes much

they show

fear, the folletto

from them, pull them out of bed, and depart with a roar of laughter.
make him an offering. What he likes best is three sunflowers, laid outside on the

will tear all the covering

" To prevent

this,

Then

window-sill.

say

"

'

Metto questi
Alia

tre girasoli

perche lo spirito

finestra,

Non mi venga
Dove
Se

trova

si

in casa

tormentare,
sole a girare,

il

mia vuol

venire,

Almeno non mi faccia ingrullire,

La notte in pace mi faccia dormire
(" 'In the

put

window

sunflowers three

and may the

Here no longer

And

"

And when

this is

The next

done and

with one

are, let

who

is

me,

with that I will content me,

sun goes round

my

ne'er in

house be found

that I

may

sleep in peace

said, the spirit will

')

cease from troubling

non potra

piti

dark noia

and

rest.''

illustration is

very curious

him watch from a window

capo, or their head,

who

in groves or gardens,

gives orders.

and should any one care

And he

at midnight.

will see

But

the shapes of goats, kids, moles, or other animals, because

when they

asleep in their beds, even to their shirts,

if

to

know who

or

forms assembling under the trees,

human forms they

If they appear in

pass freely as they will, and therefore remain as they are.

human forms

at least his troubling cease,

" Sometimes goblins and witches meet

what they

be

He may
So

the weary will be at

spirit

to torment

If so long as the

Let

are spirits

they are witches and wizards, they

leave their

homes they

who

come

in

also leave their

and so must assume the appearance of or become

animals.

" Now,

these witches do

much harm by

pulling up plants and breaking boughs to

make beds

for their

love-making, and so the contadini, or the owners of the gardens or groves, spread hay or leaves or herbs as an
offering,

and say while so doing :

" Questa erba

'

fresca per terra

Voglio spandere perche le strege

Vengono a
("

'

riposare coll'amante.

lay this grass

So

that

if

upon the ground,

witches here are found

They may comfortably rest,

Each with him whom she likes

best.')

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

158
"

And

this is the

power which they have, that

they assume the form of goats, they can take people

if

who

are not witches, be they gentle or simple, in their sleep,

away to their witch-meetings, and so they choose the

most beautiful youths and girls to make love with. Now, among the wizards and witches are even princes
and princesses, who, to conceal their debauchery and dishonour, take the goat form and carry away partners
and so they fly many miles in a few minutes, and go with them
for the dance, bearing them on their backs
to distant cities or other places, where they feast, drink, dance, and make love.
But when dawn approaches
;

they carry these partners

home

again, and

when

And when

witch-money must always be paid.

all into

But

awake they think they have had pleasant dreams.

they

indeed their diversion was more real than they suppose.

" But if they look about they will always find in their room some money, be
they find

it,

or

it

copper or

silver, for this

any pins or needles, they ought

to cast

them

a running river or current, for thus they will be freed (revenged on potrebbe essere vendetta) from

witchcraft."

The

object of laying sunflowers

symbolism,
is

found out or known.

informs us that
his pillow,

it

The

if

will

that

shines on

the day

he

on the window-sill, according to ancient

to detect or find out the offender

is

that

if

dream who was the

For

is,

frightens

thief.

who sees and searches out

away spirits of darkness.

third illustration, while

it

apparently

he

And

it is

ALBERTUS MAGNUS
with sunflowers under

an emblem of the sun which

it is

valuable in really explaining one reason at least

into fountains.

have read on witchcraft

why

According to

as Baptista Porta and many more

authority, the witch-soul, for

is

is

image of
extremely

coins and pins are thrown

For

this

new

light

on

many works
explained why

in all the

do not remember to have seen

the soul goes forth, or else the witch-ride

Romagnola

as an

of very great importance as casting quite a

witches assume the shapes of animals.

their bodies

And

wide of the mark,

the cause of the transformation of witches into animals.

which

he

this,

all things.

flies

that

will sleep

Thus, in accordance with

any man has been robbed,

him

to signify to

is

it

probably ancient theory,

believed

remain

asleep while

According to

only dreamed.

my

want of a better shape, enters into some

animal.

And

yet further.

In the works of Pr^etorius and others I have met with

mention of people who had often gone on goats to the Sabbat and returned, yet
who had never been wizards or witches. There is a story in several books of a
man who said he was wicked enough to have done so several times in his youth,
but who had discontinued the practice. I confess that this puzzled me much,
and often till I heard this explanation of it. Those who took the goat-ride were
not wizards, but the mere dupes or victims of the stregoni.
the

was

frolic,
I

and were willing to have such dreams again.

do not know, but

opiates

What

incline to think that persons, while

or narcotics, were

Still,

they had enjoyed

the basis for

it

all

under the influence of

taken to wild-dances, then dosed again and taken,

home, as happened to the shoemaker described by Shakespeare.

CHAPTER
Il Spirito

IX.

del Scaldino.

URING

the reign

of Charles

Second
often

the

was

it

said

in

England that
women of

the

Holland became
pregnant simply

from their habit

of carrying

and

under

keeping

their petticoats a

small receptacle,
or hand-stove, in

which

burning

were

charcoals

These

placed.

hand-stoves
made

of

wood

may still
be seen among
market women

and

tin,

in Philadelphia.

strange

little

The

result of

such pregnancy was a small

creature of flesh and blood.

elf or goblin, that

is,

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

160

women

In Italy

carry a scaldino, a receptacle exactly in the form of a basket,

but made of glazed earthenware.

common
least, in

many

that there are as

And

the north.

the body,

is

it

with ashes and charcoal, and

It is filled

is

of them in Italy as there are inhabitants

so

at

as they are very often put under the garments next to

not remarkable that the idea that the very agreeable warmth would

be impregnating should have occurred.

Spenser has told us

"Faerie Queene"

in the

was exposed to the rays of the

was known

It

how

in

earliest times,

and

a beautiful lady, falling asleep,

sun, which, entering her person, caused her to

bear a child.

The Tuscan, more

more classically-minded than the Dutchman,

poetical or

makes the donna

believes that the hand-stove

folhtto or pretty airy fairy, the rule of whose

is

life is " light

but a short time in the womb, and escapes, or

unnoted, like

When

incinta,

is

or enceinte, but with a

come, light go," since

it

born unnoted at night, vanishing

air.

a. girl or

woman

suspects that she has thus been

made a madre,

mother, should she desire to see her offspring she repeats the following lines
" Folletto

Che

Folletto

vole per

Folletto

or

l'aria,

Piu lesto che del vento,

Tu
Da

non

per

fai

'alcuno,

Che

farti

ma

vedere

io

desidero di vederti

Sono una persona

Che

tanto

Sono

ti

amo

la tua vera

madre,

Per cio mi raccomando

Che
Al

tu

me

(" Spirit

ti

Spirit

Airy fairy
'

faccia vedere
"

per una volta

Spirit

light,

Fleeter than the wind,

keepest from my sight,

And from all but now
Come unto my spell,
Truly I am one
Of all who loves thee well,

Thou

Thy mother, too, I am,

And that I may see
What my child is like,
Come, I pray, to me ")

'

So he cometh
anything of

it all,

in a

dream, or

or in what

life

it

may

they live

be in reality

who

who

Who

knows ?

believe in these things

knows

Something

DEL SCALDINO.

IL SPIRITO
must be seen

And

how

or imagined, else

age to age, from father to

how they

yet

it

" society," and

when he

Or

life

home

at

is

of

" in

cities,

in trees,

When

woodlands wild where the sweet birdes

makes him

feel as if there

dwelling in the hearth, under the threshold, even in the

spirit

The

scaldino of glowing coals.

polypantheistic stage,

when man was passing from

the phase of making gods of every object, to that of feeling one spirit in

have been coeval with a somewhat greater development of social

of-doors, rural or wild

we

or nature

life

still

life,

exerted a deep influence.

yet

all,

must

when

out-

In such a

life

gladly surround ourselves with strange companions, and believe that nature,

which

so wonderful and apparently inspired with

is

Men do

also exists in separate beings.

Red

Indians or Tuscan peasants

While
tion,

and

What

feel it

and
is

and

most curious

The

Etruscan.

" Tarquinius and

Lar familiaris

tale is told

there

came out of

who

is

As

Tuscan

were seated

And
It

is

lived in

it

it.

by

fire in

such

and

was

sit

on the hearth.

said that

at their meal, while Ocris, the captive daughter

she went to the

fire to

the flames a fascinttm (phallus).

effectively in another

The

who

by DlONYS, Ovid, and PLUTARCH, and runs thus

when he once

throw into

Alarmed

She did

so,

it

the usual offering to the

at this she told

it

to Tanaquil,

and conceived from the

slept his hair

heat,

and

appeared to be like flames."

form the story of the child begotten by the

reader will observe that Dusio, Cupra, Attilio or the lar familiaris

the spirit of the fireplace, in these Tuscan

servant.

mind.

And

really did

that the very oldest story of the kind in existence

is

dress herself in bridal array

is

what they

his wife, the wise Tanaquil,

bore a son, Servius Tullius.

Scaldino.

in its spirit.

as regards this having a child begotten

of the king of Corniculum, waited on them.

This

not reason this out in these words, but

and act

SHAKESPEARE wrote under its inspiracame from it. And since it died out, what we

all art

art are imitations of

a familiar domestic manner

who bade her

and thought as a whole,

life

this spirit of nature still existed,

artists painted,

call poetry

is

man

in factories, counting-houses, or

singe," then nature, or his instinct for companionship,

were souls

a dream

is all life

appears intelligible on reflection.

not entirely absorbed by the

is

can these people maintain these fancies from

child, ever on.

can do

161

always seduces a maid-

tales,

this suggests a remark which the reader would do well to bear in

that,

taking them

tales, spells,

all

together, one with another

comparing them with what

is

given by Latin writers,

tinually confirming the extreme antiquity of the modern.

observance there,

modern

incantations, and observances or descriptions of

now an

popular

spirits

and

we find the ancient conBe it a tract here, a small

herb in an incantation, and anon a couplet in a charm,

they continually interlace, cross, touch, and coincide.

find these

unobserved

small identities continually manifesting themselves, and they form a chain of

22

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

62

intrinsic evidence

which

is

as valuable to a truly critical scholar as

That

or directly traditional confirmation.

all

ages, as

That

it

creature, or a living existence

by Schedius and Friedrich with a

illustrated

is

historical

religions of

all

vast array of authorities.

should as a spirit be capable of begetting spiritual children was a natural

sequence.
in the

was a

fire

recognised by the Church of England) was believed in by

(as is still

any

think therefore that,

things duly considered,

all

we have

in the belief

Scaldino a probably well-established continuation of the old Etruscan tale

of the goblin of the

It is

fire

and the

worth remarking that

fair

queen's daughter, fallen to a servant-maid.

in the

Tomba

Golini at Orvieto, as in Pompeii, a

fascinum, or phallus, was depicted over the oven or fireplace, probably to signify the
spirit

of the

fireside.

Artemisia.
I

strega

was astonished to

find that the

here a vampirewho

indicates

identifies

is

known only

as a witch of the evil kind.

could learn nothing more regarding

Diana Artemis with Hecate.

As

as that of

This

sucks the blood of the dead in their graves.

some connection with Diana

promptly recognised, but

name Artemisia

The name was

her.
PRELLER

to which as with all others,

leave

it

to

the more learned to investigate, examine, prove or disprove to their heart's content,
I

only professing to record, as in every case, what was told me.

Red

Cap.

" Lord Foulis sat within his tower,

And
'

Now

him

beside
tell

me

The death

old

Red Cap sly;

who art mickle

of might,

thou sprite

that I shall die.

"
'

Minstrelsy of the Border.

" Here

is

an ancient description of the dress of the

green cloth inlaid with wild flowers

carry quivers of arrow-slough, and

bows made of the

made of bog-reed

tipped with white

their arrows are

steeds

fairies

'

They wear a red

green pantaloons, buttoned with bobs of

ribs of a
flints

man

buried where

and dipped

in the

whose hoofs would not " dash the dew from the cup of a harebell."

There are

in the

silk,

'

"

"

conical cap

and

a mantle of

They

silver shoon.

three lairds " lands

dew of hemlock

;.

they ride on

Anonymous.

Romagna Tuscana a class of goblins or fairies who are almost

who possesses treasures which are yielded only
I could not learn that the Italian elf has any other name than

identical with the Irish Leprachaun

under compulsion.

meet

77 Folletto colla Beretta

the imp with the cap.

He was

described as follows

RED
"

When

are sure
it

it is

'

CAP.

163

mysterious noises and knocks or a rummaging sound are heard in your rooms by night, and you

made by

unearthly visitors, prepare for them by putting a lighted lamp in the room, and covering

over with an earthen pot, but very carefully so that not a gleam can be seen.
"

Then when you hear a

there catch the cap from one

if

noise in the room, uncover the light as quickly as possible, and

you can and say

" 'La beretta

Ma
Ma

non
la

if

goblins are

ti

ti

ho portato

ho portato

via

via,

pace che piu non

ti

daro

Se non mi dice prima

Dov'e nascosto

Which

is

in

Romagnola
"

'

il

tesoro.'

t'o

Ma

porte via la bretta,

an to porte via

la bretta

to porte via la pes,

Che piu an te daro in fe

Che tun ma vre det en dove
Le piate e tesor
!

("

'

have taken thy cap away,

And

yet

not a cap I say,

'tis

But thy peace which

I'll

Unto thee while thou

Till thou tellst

Where
" Then the

This

spirit,

is

Mythologie,

to

classic

tell

now

lies hid.')

where a treasure

is

concealed."

They knew in Italy," says Preller {Romische

spirits who knew where treasures were hidden, and
"

a class of

They were

hidden secret natures).

their

me, as thou'rt bid,

a treasure

his cap, will tell

enough.

p. 488), "

-who guarded them.

to

redeem

not give

dost live,

If

called Incubones,

any one can

where these treasures are hidden

"

and wore caps

steal these caps

(Petronius,

s.

38

(the

symbols of

he can compel them

see

Grimm, Deutsche

Mythologie, 479).

This

elf

with the red cap and a scanty shirt

paintings and on Etruscan vases.

He

spread

all

is

common

in

Roman mural

over the world, unto

Germany

and the Scandinavian countries, even the Algonkin Indians of America got him
from the Norsemen. But it is very probable that the Etruscans or their neighbours
had him
It

is,

first

of

all.

Which, however,

however, certain that the

people at the present day

It is

who

Red

more learned men to determine.

Romagnolo peasants are the only
him as existing.

leave for

Indians and

really believe in

not improbable that the goblin with the red cap

headed wood-pecker

Picus,

who was

is

derived from the red-

in the earliest times believed in Italy to

be a

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

64

sprite

who guarded

were hidden, as
else in this

work

treasures,

shown

is

and sometimes, under compulsion, showed where they

another chapter.

in

All of which

as with everything

submit as material only, the real value of which others must

determine.

the red-caps and other

Preller assumes, quite as a matter of course, that

minor

or house-gob-

deities,

lins of a frolicsome brownie

belong rather

character,

Teutonic and
ologies than

Celtic

to-

myth-

the Italian.

to

Herein he quite forgets that

though the world has through

Grimm's

fables or early per-

learned

sonal influences
associate

to-

these sprites with

the North, yet that in reality

written and authentic history

shows them as familiar

Latins centuries long

early

before

German

beliefs

were,

ever
to

heard

David

origin

of

so

and more vigorous people

larger

the world.

dwarf

or

Celtic

to

speak,,

According

of.

MacRitchie,

the

" wee folk "

all

driven out

races,

is

antecedent

to be sought in
red-cap on a roman lamp.

to

process which probably went on

all

by

over

This would not interfere with the creation of other personifications

of manikins, such as the very obvious one which occurs to most children of
treating the

said,

thumb and

fingers as a kind of fairies, or believing that frogs and-

assumed dwarf human forms.

birds

As

testimony seems to indicate that he

fication

of the

red-headed

wood-pecker

is
;

regards Red-cap, as

have already

of Etruscan origin, and

that

is,

small

is

a personi-

form of Picus or

Picumnus. 1
1

"

The negroes and

half-breeds in Missouri consider the red-headed wood-pecker a great sorcerer,

can appear either as a bird or as a red

very grateful and very vengeful.

man

He made

with a mantle or cloak on his arm.

He

is

the bat by putting a rat and a bird together.

who

supposed to be

He

sometimes

bores holes in the heads of his enemies while they sleep and puts in maggots which keep them for ever
restless or crazy.''

Note

by

Mary

A. Owen.

OF SORCERY IN ANCIENT ART.

The

those of the North, are given to imitating

Italian house-goblins, like

One

sounds.

165

of the sixteenth-century writers

us that the day before a

tells

party of merchants arrive at a country house the people dwelling therein often

hear the Elves imitating the sound of scales rattling as

ring of money, and

all

if

making weight, the

And

the circumstance of buying and selling.

may

very remarkable that, as one

by the Etruscan Museum of

see

it

is

Gori, the

red-cap goblins of ancient Italy are sometimes represented with weights and

and behaving

scales

holding

fairs,

But

merchants.

like

in

as Christina Rossetti's " Goblin

finds himself in

such

may buy diamonds and

fairs

penny, but he must escape ere they close, or he

a visitor arrives his voice

the
all

people

little
is

countries they are given to

all

Market

may

pearls

come

will

He who

by the pound
to woes.

for

And

ere

be heard, and the night before a rain or a storm

make sounds

of a shower or the blowing of winds

as

when

still.

" What
Is

it

and rapples so

ripples

and near

fast

it

is

not hail,

But the Elves and Witches who dance

First in a patter

That

is

way

the

ouphes,

folk

are

ell-maids,

necks,

brownies,

and then

the Elfin dance."

These are

known.

ell-women,

stromkarls,

"fairies,

dwarfs,

fates,

in a gale.

in a prance,

News sums up

writer in the Philadelphia

wee

the rain on the roof I hear?

It is not rain,

the

bears witness.

"

norns,

trolls,

wights,

little

names by which

the different
elves,

fays,

urchins,

kobolds,

duende,

elfe-folks,

nisses,

undines,

nixes,

salamanders,

goblins, hobgoblins, poukes, banshees, kelpies, pixies, moss people, good people,

good neighbours, men of peace, wild women, white

ladies, peris, djinns, genii,

and gnomes."

Making allowance
Italian lore,

found

all

and they

for
still

mere synonyme,

the world over, be

in

it

The

Interlace, or

Twining

of these are to be found in early

Eastern lands or

Of Sorcery
(

all

exist in the mountains.

in

in

in reality

they

may be

America.

Ancient Art.

Serpents, Vines,
" Twist

But

and Knots, as believed in

in Tuscany?)

ye, twine ye, even so,

Mingle threads of joy and woe."

Guy Mannering.
" Pingue duos angues

There

is

pueri, locus est

sacer." Persius

a passage in Heine's preface to his

(sat.

i.

113).

Germany which must appeal to

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

166

every collector of

he says

rural folk

In speaking of the traditions and tales of the humbler

folk-lore.
:

" I have here given

in huts, narrated

strange,

uncanny

reflection

which the flickering

fire

of twigs cast on the face of the

and the beating of the hearts of the hearers who listened

narrator,
I

more than one of these which I myself heard by hearths

some
vagabond beggar or old and blind grandmother, but the
by
in

happy

silence

when deprived of

could not render, and these rustic, well-nigh barbaric stories

that lose their wondrous and secret charm."

Heine had been, as we may gather from

such scenes, and heard,

it

may

about as

be,

his

life,

many

wonder what he would have written had he been

gypsies and witches, especially the

latter,

vival of the strange wild classic strega,

whose

had ever

far

soul

Many

a time have

kind.

felt

among

to perfection the sur-

inspired with early Latin

is still

was ever and anon flashing out

life

more uncanny and unearthly than

seen.

Grimm

almost constantly

for years

and seen and

or Etruscan sorcery, and from whose inner

something

perhaps half a dozen times in

tales of the

the flames of twigs which he

all

been awed at these living dreams, these

for-

who spoke of an old, old faith,

long in its grave, once held by a race whose very language is now as unknown, as
their origin.
And I avow that this has ever moved me as a sincere lover of
gotten visions of yore, incarnate in strange women,

antiquity as a real romance, without equal in this our age of prose.

She was seated by the table on which was one of those simple,

beautiful long

come down unchanged since the Roman

time in her hands she held a scaldino, which was all the fire for warmth known to
her in the window grew herbs of deeply mystical meaning, not for show but for
-sorcery, when I by chance asked her if people found many objects of antiquity
brass lamps with three lights, such as have
;

And

where she dwelt.

reflecting

an instant as usual

which always inspired

she said

marvellously antique-wild expression which suggested classic art

" Molti.
There

at

Strangers

come

Cesena, for example.

for a building, find

"And

to us

and dig up vases, black and yellow, which our ancestors made long ago.
is in the Romagna.
Sometimes the contadini, excavating the ground

Cesena,

medals as well as antique vases, thousands of years old.

these were

all

made

for witches

witchcraft, for in those times all the land

places and old ruins and the like

in the

her

camfo

before dying she taught

'

As

according to their

was

full

When

of witches.

belief,

And

and

all

all

these things are of magic

why

the reason

and

they are found in secret

came in, they would not let the witches be buried

and wizards were scomunicati excommunicated.
bury one another, and when one witch died the others interred her secretly in
is this

the priests

santi, because they said the witches

" So they arranged it to

own cellar or house " with

Tiaturally

her vases and witch-medals, and

her secrets to the others.

And

the Etruscan tombs were often exact copies of the

formed by the peasantry.

all

the things which she used in her art.

this is

homes

why

it

is

we never

find

of the departed, this idea

And

them buried

in

would be very

OF SORCERY IN ANCIENT ART.

Christian burying grounds, and

own

are all of their

why we do

find vases

and very ancient medals

" For in the old times witchcraft had a religion, and

was called

it

and what you see on the old vases are the names

the olden time.

And on them

Pagan

survivals,

Pagan

marvellous to

me

"

and though the

awful

yea,

This was

of a heathen faith outworn, and that

familiar things

all,

as

would

fain

a few

Though degraded

convey

earnest thought, and the

is

were

smoul-

it

still it

was

who speak

adore,

to the

of the

and whose

pic-

humblest condition
folk-lore or

till

they were to

me

as

flicker

of the

fire

nor the beating of hearts

the classically stern, almost terrible beauty which

same beauty

seems to be so much

there

live

still

and not mere fragments of

appears in the face of an old Italian witch when

why

friends

have elsewhere shown, were of the same hoar antiquity.

Heine could not give the

I

women now

have so often seen practised or prepared,

my

Yes, the ceremonies and incantations, charms and amu-

of ancient superstitions.

which

a novel, but

sent out a jet of flame,

whom

fast fleeting, Stregoneria is still a belief,

what

who

that through the ages such a glimmering had come

tures are to be seen on ancient vases

let's

in

had burned low, so that

spirit fire

now and then

Etruscan Jupiter and Bacchus as of deities

and

the

and wizards of

foregone to be a Christian reality, and per-

idealist."

dered in the ashes, and only

down

la religione della stregoneria

portraits of witches

are the pictures of Tigna and Fafion and all other witches or magicians

man who had

have read of a

verted himself into a

real

and

spirits."

in their graves, for these things

ancient belief, or for witchcraft, and so they could not be placed in the campo santi.

religion of sorcery

became

167

it

is

illuminated

by an

The

reason

in the thoughts themselves.

light in an Italian smile, such intensity in

the passion, even of peasants, allied to a certain indescribable picturesqueness,

is

thought and traditions have been derived for thou-

because all their habits of

sands of years from stages of society in which Art and Faith in their most comAnd though the Art no longer
prehensive sense influenced every act of life.
exists, the

impulses which

mitted by heredity
long after

it

created

still live

even as the water of a

has passed some mighty

it

mystical cognate sorcery.

out faith
Zola, to

is

an empty

make

and

blood and brains, and are trans-

stream continues to leap and sparkle

cataract.

Etruscan vases, and jewellery, and mirrors

created deities, goblins, spiriti folletti,

in

That was Art which

inspired

not less artistic was the feeling which

elves,

Faith without art

is

with their lays and legends, and

an egg not yet hatched

art with-

nothingunless it be for some wizard, like

the devil withal. These descendants of the old

egg-shell worth

a boat of to ride to

and wild revelry depicted on the Etrusco-Greek vases, with their satyrs,
and mysterious emblems or hieroglyphs, would all very naturally suggest to the
Does not all this Greek beauty and joyousness seem even to us like a dream of
contadini magic and sorcery.
'

The nakedness,

the dancing

goblins,

and winged

loses

fairyland

a Paradise

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

168

who have kept

Italians

simple faith their old superstitions, have also kept with

in

them, unconsciously, the art which giveth

the peasants in

Romagne had any

le

life

and

made me

This speaking of old Etruscan art

life is

and

light

fire

But the head must be down and interlaced, and the

luck.

" And do

interlaced serpents

" Ah, that

and

mean good

fortune?

uppermost."

tail

all

braided work

they should undertake some kind of lavori intrecciati

is

evils,

and

to bring

kinds of interweaving and braiding

When

interlacing cords, or whatever can attract the eyes of the witches.

there

if

"

a well-known thing, and not as to serpents alone, but

is

feeling.

regarding them.

beliefs

" Yes. They sometimes paint a serpent on the wall to keep away the evil eye or witch

good

and

think of serpents, and I asked

of witchery

family is afraid

for witches

cannot enter a house where

anything of the kind hung up, as for instance, patterns of two or three serpents twining together, o

altri ricami, or other kinds

drawers or any garments

for

So

of embroidery, but always of intertwining patterns.

men

one

women

or

cross the cotton (thread) as shoemakers

camice; muntande u vestiti

do when they

are most susceptible to witchcraft (perche

le

stitch shoes,

and make a

scarpe sono quelle pih facile

making

in

shirts or

should always in sewing try to

a prendere

cross-stitch,

because shoes

And when

le stregonerie).

the witches see such interfacings they can do nothing, because they cannot count either the threads nor the
stitches (ne ilfilo ne i punti).

And

if

we have on

or about us anything of the kind they cannot enter because

bewilders or dazzles their sight (lefa a bagliare la vista), and they are incapable of mischief.
well (tenere il sistema) you should take cotton, or
eight columns, as

many

protect you from witches.

and they keep them

I

for

you

as

will

You can

the

more the

silk,

or linen thread, and

better

and

always carry

get such braids very beautifully

charms against the

made

make
it

And

it

to do this

a braid of six, seven, or

in your pocket,

of silk of all colours in

and

this will

some shops

evil eye.''

took great pains to have this carefully recorded, for

is

it

intimately con-

nected with an interesting subject which possibly enters into the raison d'etre or
real inspiration of all the

most characteristic decorative

during the Middle Ages.

occurs (page 98)
" There

own

their

is

In

my work

a very curious belief or principle attached to the use of songs in conjuring witches or in averting

sorcery.

Nearly

terns, she

Europe, especially

It is that

the witch

is

obliged, willy-nilly, to listen to the end

founded on the attraction of melody, which

adults.

art of all

on Gypsy Sorcery the following passage

is

much

stronger

among

what

in metre

is

out,

and by means of

this her

idea

and confused pat-

allied to this is the belief that if the witch sees interlaced, or bewildering

must follow them

an

savages and children than with civilised

thoughts are diverted or scattered.

Hence the

serpentine inscriptions of the Celts and Norsemen, and their intertwining bands which were firmly believed to

bring good luck, or avert evil influence.

country are

made

Italian as in all other witchcraft, so

Spell of the

Holy

" The basis

traveller in Persia states that the patterns of the carpets of that

as bewildering as possible

many

'

to avert the evil eye.'

spells

And

it is

with this purpose that, in

and charms depend on interwoven braided cords

(vide the

Stone).

for this belief is the fascination or interest

which many persons, especially children,

trace out patterns, to thread the mazes of labyrinths, or to analyse

space permit, nor inclination

fail, I

could point out

some

and distangle knots and

'

curious proofs that the old belief in the

long and curling hair to fascinate, was derived not only from

its

feel to

cats' cradles.'

Did

power of

beauty, but also because of the magic of

its

curves and entanglements.''

*

heads.

Probably the caduceus of Mercury, which often appears on vases as simply two serpents with interlaced

OF SORCERY IN ANCIENT ART.

169

have made serious and extensive study of interlaced patterns, beginning with
Westwood's Palceographia Picta in which the claims of the Irish to be the originators
I

of such art are upheld,

down to the latest works on design. I have studied them

museums of Ireland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark,

with intense interest in the

England, and Scotland, and copied

convinced from the beginning that
lizards,

literally

thousands of them.

And

was deeply

in all these Celtic intertwinings of infinite Irish

and eternal Scandinavian serpents, down

to Gothic ribbon

and Florentine

cord and vine braidings, there ran a mystic meaning, expressing as

it

were

in

an

What gave me the suggestion

is worth mentioning.
There is a book of which Trollope declared that he
believed he was the only person in Europe who had ever read it.
I had, however,
perused it thrice in as many versions before I was sixteen years of age, which I
mention to show what an impression it made on me, for such reading at such an
occult writing, deep and strange secrets of sorcery.

age sinks deep into the

in
in

which he
heaven

in their relative aspects

geomantic
shells
in the

and

This was The Unheard-of Ctiriosities, by GAFFAREL,

soul.

sets forth naively, yet strikingly, a grand Paracelsian idea that the stars

letters,

fishes,

and that the

and courses form the points of Hebrew or

on the bark of

flight

by the

of the bird and the flickering bend of a flame

spirit

study.

The poetry
more so

we may

of this idea entered into

as I read

year at college, where

much

in

my soul,

Divine caligraphy.

Abdut the same time

may

And

which have apparently no connection with

some extremely deeply-seated

itself to this

for

article of

feeling

cherished

by the

in

spirit

from
it.

it

aid of poetry

And what
by the

it

tradition

me here to
many more

and association,

art,

every

letter,

every

In an age when symbolism and

would have been a miracle indeed

the Interlace

meant everywhere has been,

if

Art were

as I think,

Italian strega in the preceding pages.

Identical with this law, or instinct,

is

first

some of this
and to copy

have since drawn

That some

long

my

art,

of Gaffarelius guided
I

for a

in

and serious sense of meaning must have

Northern jewellery, stands to reason.

out patterns

it

was

immensity, this universality of a system of design which en-

magic permeated everything

meaningless.

all

wild woods, and seated

a thousand years, and was found in every work of

clearly set forth

It

began to study Gothic

be supposed, the

many deep and strange conclusions.

attached

and

Shelley.

took daily long and lonely walks

silent waters, tried to trace

illuminations, and, as

or

get the key by inspiration and

Wordsworth and

by grey rocks and

dured

sea-

of Nature, or the Archceus, form eternally varied

hieroglyphics of a vast writing, to which

time, the

and the marks on

all trees,

the curve of the waters as they wind in the brook or bound upwards

ocean-wave, the

forms, inspired

lines

by which the

evil

eye must perforce trace

that which compels the witch to count, con gre"

23

mal

gre",

all

the

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

i;o

grains of rice or sesame or corn which she

Amina must

Nights the ghoul

South Carolina,

may

So in the Arabian
by grain with a bodkin.
In

encounter.

eat her rice grain

strewed in the form of a cross about a bed prevents a

rice

witch from getting at her victim, for she must remove

she can reach him, nor must she shirk the task.

shown the erba

Rosolaccio,

And

of the Goddess

Rice

or

grain and grain, ere

it,

as

of

esteemed as a protective, because the witches cannot count

and so they get bewildered

Four Winds,
rice-like

its

leaves,

regarding corrugated and rugged surfaces of any kind as protecting from

Hence the stalagmite, or salagrana

means all inimical sorcery.
conjecture

from the

Hungary, and
used

for

stone,

it.

were sent

is

evil.

very popular against malocchio, which

that

not as yet a matter of proof

it is

earliest times, in the East,

is

This belief was carried to the extent of

them.

in

have elsewhere

the

the Celtic peoples

during the migration of races,

through

e.g.,

Great Britain and Gaul, had the interlace and constantly

in

The Britons, generally, made gaily-painted

to Rome.
This suggests interlaces.
The

baskets
Irish

which

bascauda

monks and

artisans

developed these basket-patterns, manifestly using, as a more pliable suggestive,

ribbons, ropes, or cords, as

think

have often done myself to make designs.

do not

necessary to adopt the rather unpleasant idea set forth in a great book

it

on needlework that the entrails of animals were thus used for models.

A month's

work of intelligent designing is worth all the theory in the world, and I no
more believe that " insides " were employed to suggest motives than I do that
earth-worms were taken for the same purpose, as was indeed once suggested to
me by a certain wood-carver, who could see no beauty in anything save baroqiie
patterns.

have been

now

"

exploded

the interlace

told, or I

in

me

nowadays is " exploded " almost

Thus a certain blue-stocking lady,

that everything

been put into

has

is

of the Irish claim to have developed or invented

find

fact, I

before the powder

speaking to

have read, that the theory of the basket-pattern

" as also that

it.

of agnosticism, declared languidly that she had

gone through
was a vanished quantity.
I begged her to define it for
me. " Let me hear your definition first ? " asked the blastfe-bleue. But I was not
to be caught thus, and the learned dame, with an ill grace, explained that an
with

it

all,

and that

it

agnostic was " a kind of infidel-sceptic,

of fashion now, you know."

somebody I

So

but

have been

all

that sort of thing

told,

has

is

quite ou

on the best authority, that

who

exploded the Altaic-Tartar Accadian theory

theory which, however, the firm and gentle Sayce and the fiery Oppert still
maintain.

forget

And

am

also

told

by other men

that Fetishism

is

exploded, or

OF SORCERY IN ANCIENT ART.

blown up, though

utterly

use, as undeniable

171

have before me, specially manufactured

specimens of fetishes of

many

for

my own

kinds as could emanate from

the brains of Italian witches and American Voodoos.

So they go on, building

up every man his little cardboard system and blowing down those of others
" and one live nigger would walk over the whole of them,"
as I heard it tersely
expressed at the termination of the Folk-lore Congress of 1891.

But to return to the

for there

more

is

of

it

interlace, or the

in the lore of the strege.

great importance in Italy, has, of course,

among them
"

When

boughs

is

the following

any malocchio, or

may

evil influence

would cause

remain interlaced

in which

throw the leaves

'),

trials

to

at the

silkworms, and the evil charm,

owing

if

no one

shall say so,

bacchV ('Those

it,

will

be removed."

who

fascinate or bewitch always use

the honeysuckle and

is

it.

morning-glory, and

also a protection against witches,

to its twisted tendrils.

fear

enchantment or the

window, because

a house where

it

is,

it

is

of

because

it

all

eye should have the convolvolo in their gardens or in a pot

evil

others the flower which witches cannot endure.

bears tendrils (nerbolini) like a mass of

tante piccole serpia rotolate) and all entangled, for which reason
night,

be,

say, 'Belli quel

they have taken

that twineth as a vine or " bine,"

" Those who

in the

may

which they pass through before spinning

great dread of unpremeditated praise, be

is

convolvulus, which includes

all

the silkworms

any one entering the house should

of animals or children, because those

indeed

(belli)

(malattie)

throw at that person a handful of leaves, because the person, being vexed, will

In Italy, as in the East, there

The

case the silkworms will be protected against

their death.

therefore attentive that if

are fine silkworms

it

and curious

from any witch.

care must also be taken that, however fine

"Be

mulberry-tree, being of

because calling them 'fine' during the three

their silk

The

peculiar superstitions,

its

a peasant prunes the mulberry-trees which are for silkworms, he must trim them so that the

restino intrecciati

"But

magic power of intertwining knots,

and

sorceresses,

its

beautiful

flowers in a bouquet

and keeps them

All of which,

if

and

its

it

And

they cannot enter

serpents intertwined (come

little

keeps them out.

This plant flowers by

tendrils bewilder the sight (fa affogliare la vista) of

afar."

the reader be

thing to think over when

"

a thinking character,"

may

give

him some-

he sees a Gothic interlace, or serpentine ornaments, or

love-knots, or fish-nets, or Hegel's sentences

Lenormant, in his Magie Chaldaienne, speaks of the very ancient weaving of

magic knots

that

is,

plaiting interlaces, as old Assyrian, of

the efficacy was so firmly believed

in,

which he says that

even up to the Middle Ages, and gives

in illustration the following against a disease or pain in the

head

;;

;;

"

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

i; 2
" Knot on
divide

the right and arrange

twice in seven

it

flat

in regular bands

gird the head of the invalid with

gird his hands

him on

seat

and

his

with

life

the

woman's diadem

left

it

gird the forehead of the invalid with

gird the seat of

on

bands

little

it

it

his feet

bed

pour on him enchanted waters.

Let the disease of his head be carried away into the heavens

may

the earth swallow

From which we can

like passing waters

it

altogether, this

the temple or other parts of the

body

is

like

a violent wind

see that plaiting the

Taking

for a headache.

up

it

hair

interlaces

in

application of interlacing cords to

quite identical with

This subject of the interlace as a guard against

evil

modern

to
am

indebted to Miss

All produce one

from a black

sorceress),

" When a man

is

Mary Owen,

which

visited in sleep

chimney a coarse linen cloth or a sieve

fem

leaves, in

is

effect.

nearly connected with the interlace

ride

or torment him,

you should fasten in the

the head of the bed a pair of wool cords or a branch of

tie at

which the seeds are almost ripe

all

of Missouri, for the following (learned

by witches who
;

is

vide the Sala-

magic rhymes and bewildering music, and mingled colours, and

that attracts and confuses the mind.

I

usage.

magic, or an amulet,

nearly allied to the idea of holes and corrugations in stones

grana

was a charm

sprinkle a cup of mustard seed on the door-sill.

The

witch must count the interstices of the cloth or sieve, the seeds of the fern or the teeth of the cords, and

must pick up every mustard seed, counting as she does

so, ere she

is

free

to

torment the sleepers by

knotting their feathers, riding on their breasts, or whispering to them awful dreams."

The

black Takroori, or sorcerers of Africa, draw their magic and lore largely

from Arabic-cabalistic
in

Egypt, and

speaks of a

all

sorcerers, as I

this is

man who,

known

know, having examined their books when

to the Arabs.

It is

very curious that Praetorius

used curry-combs or wool-cords to defend himself

Here, I think, in these cases we probably have tradition

in jest,

from a nightmare witch.

or transmission.

The Goddess of the Four Winds L'erba

"

Come

from the four winds,

breath, and breathe

upon these

slain,

Rosolaccio.
that they

may

live " (Ezekiel

xxxvii. 9).

Among

primitive or superstitious people, the medicinal or other virtues

of
herbs are attributed to some deeply mysterious cause of a supernatural nature.
In
all

the Romagna, just as

among

the

Red

Indians of America, this faith

is

carried so far

'

'

THE GODDESS OF THE FOUR WINDS.

way

that certain plants are regarded as being in some strange

He who

themselves.

bears one of these about him

Etrusco-Roman times
he

will

be

like the ancient

in their gardens

One

carries

and

is

he plants

or, if

Juvenal said they

an object of culture not only

aesthetic sense,

of the Four Winds.

whence

is

it is

in a literal,

in a pot,

but also

the Rosolaccio which has also the curious

is

rice (riso), also laughter, or the smile, of the

Goddess

had the following account given to me with a specimen of

a plant the leaves of which, drawn up like a many-fingered

called the rice (or the smile) of the

of good luck because

it

brings great good fortune.

be impossible, in a red bag.

If the former,

it

little

Goddess of the Four Winds.

A sprig of

may be

it

must always be in the window,

if in

cannot count them and therefore cannot pass by.

we

is

done, no witches can enter, for there are so

And

impossible.

should

happen that

it

in

" Dea, o dea

'

Non

ci

Perche

('*

any family a child or grown person

Thou

who must be

is

fast-

dei quattri venti,

e altra bella al par di te

1'hai fatta nascere,

la stregoneria passi

'Goddess,

There

is

goddess of the four winds

no one equal

hast

made

the sign of the cross be

made

to thee in beauty,

a miraculous plant to grow,

That the bewitchment may pass from

let

grains (or grain-like

For they are so closed

Un' erba miracolosa

Then

many

take this plant, either growing or else in the bag, and go to the sufferer

even from water, early in the morning, and say

if this

a bag, the latter should be

this

bewitched, then

the plant

kept growing in a small pot, or,

leaves), or eyes, that the witches

together that counting

hand, look like grains of

It is also called

hung up behind the window, and

ing,

it

had gods growing

" Rosolaccio
rice,

or spirits in

in allusion to their reverence for onions or garlic.

double-meaning name of the

the herb

whom

fairies

always in a red bag, as in old

a small guardian angel,

Egyptians of

of these plants which

in a religious

173

.')

three times with the herb,

and

this

must be done

for three

mornings.

" But who was

'

"Well,

the Goddess of the Four

Winds?

have heard that her mother was a beautiful

who was

girl

of great rank, perhaps < princess

however she loved a poor young man, and her parents would not hear of such a match.
" How it came to pass, who knows ? but the young man dwelt near her, and they found a subterranean
passage which led to her room some say she had it dug, for she was of fairy kind but it came to a trap-door

in her

room, and under her bed.

"And
know
secret,
fire

it.

the end was that she was with child, and remained

And

she prepared a fine cradle all made of

and aided

her,

and when the time came

of laurel, so that in

" And when

this

its

roses.

many months

And

in her

her mother,

room,

lest

the world should

who was a

for the princess to give birth to the child, the

crackling the cries of the babe should not be heard.

happened, and while the mother burned the

laurel,

she said

fairy,

kept her

mother made a

"

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

174

"

'

Figlia mia, amata, amata,

batta di lauro tu sei nata,

di rose conbugigata,

Figlia mia, amata, amata,

Una

fata di te pure

("'Darling daughter

To

in the

ho

fatta.'

morn,

the sound of laurel thou wert born

Wrapped

thou shalt be,

in roses

Daughter, daughter, dear to me,

A
And

'
'

this child

have made of

fairy I

thee.')

was the Goddess of the Four Winds.

questa

fu

la

fata detta la dea dei quattro

venti."

This marvellous and mysterious story can hardly

folk-lorist.

Friedrich {Symbolik

roses.

Wind, ^Eolos, has

Andeutung

The

his

in

Windrose

einer

d.

home
"

the

Natur) observes that

first

refers to the colour.

We have
"

in

it,

Greek myth, the

in the

wohl

poppy

or corn-flower, but the

die altesle

name

rose

however, a connection of roses with the wind,

The anemone

rocked by the wind in the cradle of a rose."

or wind-flower sprung from the blood of Adonis, that

as a spirit of the wind.

to every

rocked in a cradle of

indication of the wind-rose or anemone."

real rosalaccio (rose-lace) is the red

and of the dew-drop,

is

sons and six daughters

six

much

to suggest

fail

wind

First of all the infant goddess of the

Adonis, the

is,

in the flower

he

lives

again

the same with Favonius,

spirit of spring, is

"the Greek zephyr, the sweet and fructifying south wind who comes with the
swallow and the spring."

It

can hardly be denied that

all

this

seems to be

indicated in this strange Tuscan tale.

The burning of laurel twigs so that they shall make a noise is of ripe antiquity.
" There was a special divination or foretelling the future by burning laurel leaves,
and

it

was regarded

(TlBULLUS, Eleg,
ardente

" Noisier

Trinum Magicum

ii.

as a
6,

good sign

(A.D.

1611), "

But the chief aim of

the infant Triptolemus.

of laurel boughs.

Et

lauri

if it

made

proverb, Clamosior lauro

are told

by the author of the

quoque ramis divinatio sumebatur, and

which if it made a loud sound was

laurel,

show how

"

it

was that the babe was made

also

employed a

laurel, as

fire,

Friedrich

but

declares,

life

neues Leben im Tode.

"

Among

do with

do not know that

it

was

was not only consecrated

to prophecy or magic, and, as an evergreen, to immortality, but

symbol of a new

a loud noise

into a fairy or goddess, as Ceres attempted to

She

But the

we

burned out quietly

this story is to

mere mortal

Or, as

laurel."

by a branch of

a good sign, and the contrary

to pass from a

Hence came a common

81).

than burning

there was also divination

they crackled and

if

the

it

was peculiarly

Romans

a.

the corpse in a

THE GODDESS OF THE FOUR WINDS.

was sprinkled with water from

funeral

laurel

boughs

and

175

in the early

who

Christianity the dead were laid on laurel leaves to signify that those

Christ had not ceased to

also symbolised

by

die Kunst,

MANN

iii.

c.

the baptism, or the

new

life in

died in

CHRIST, was

(WlNCKELMANN, Versuch einer Allegorie, besonders fur

Hartung, die Relig. der Rbmer, part p. 46). WlNCKEL-

laurel "

also

i.,

also mentions that

Verus,

And

live.

times of

on a rare medal,

Lucilla, the wife of the

Emperor Lucius

woman

represented as holding a branch of laurel, near her kneels a

is

drawing water, and there stands by her a half-naked child awaiting baptism.
This has a special application to the Tuscan
case there

is

a baptism by

and

fire,

tale,

with this difference

by water.

in the other

that

in

In both the babe

one
is

to

be prepared for a new

There

is

life by means of the mystic laurel.

some obscurity in this myth, but it may be remarked

that the zephyr,

the dew-drop, and the rose, were mystically combined in ancient fable, and that

they reappear

in the birth of the

Goddess of the Four Winds.

usually retain, or relate, only fairy stories, whereas this

real sense of the word, but

say,

worshipped

an explanation of the origin of a

youth

Wind

is,

we may

appears as male and female.

is

a magician (mago) and Corina (Romagnolo, Curend)

youth had a sweetheart and believed she had been

in his

sorrow

fled far, far

" Then she went

away so

to a wise old

that

It is as

(Here there

is

woman, who

"And

a manifest hiatus.)

to a city, they put her

down

before the

Now

for

was ever true

me

me,

home,

have come,

In two hours' time

v

to thee,

didst leave thy

unto thee

is

travelled here,

Yet 'twas the journey of a year.

The wild wind bore me

And Curena

like a cloud,

whistled loud,

They have put me on thy

Thou from me

Now
Thou

track,

wilt ne'er turn

back;

our sufferings are o'er,

shalt leave

they were united,' and, lived happily ever

me

nevermore.'

after.''

'

the morning

false to

'

his sister.

divined

'

in

any way),

her go to the Wind, and to his

of her love, and she sang

" Love, thou hast been

While

is

him while she was innocent.

consulted the cards (that

woman bade

they departed with her

window

Thou

false to

But the

he might see her no more.

she would ever find her lover again, and the old

"So

who

" The Wind

"A

spirit

in the

all

in a plant.

In another Romagnolo legend the

follows

Again, peasants

not a tale at

is

to

sister

know

if

Curena."

had just dawned when they came

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

176

is

who blows

ever hunting, and

"

Curena we have the Teutonic

It is possible that in this

a horn which

bride,"

allied

to Coronis, the

who

Corinth,

indicated in cor or curen.

is

Corinna, and Curena seem to be certainly

Wind's

wind

raven

typical of the north-west wind, or Skiron.

As

regards the rosalaccio

herb which

have described are confused and intermingled with those of the poppy

or red corn-flower, which

flower.

And

flower,

which

those

evident that the names and associations of the

it is

there are those in Ireland

white,

is

who have

and has a

who

maintain that the so-called wild wind-

work than

better material wherewith to

Out of all which

may make what they
is the true shamrock

shamrock.

triple leaf, is the real

There are some also who assert that the red

can.

anemone or wind-

the true rosalaccio, and the red

is

I,

sorrel

it,

even as the blood of Adonis

all

legends of a people in which

because the blood of the Saviour dropped upon

dropped on the anemone.

Of which

confusion there

is

a great deal in

old tradition has long since run into decay and

to pardon

me

if I

cannot clear

it

Madonna del
" Sic in igne praeter
specie ignis

alia

beg the reader

Fuoco.

elementa, sacra omnia insistebant, quod

Deus Mosen primum

is,

credo, proximus ccelo

sit,

quod

in

Elias Schedius, De Dis Germanis, 1648.

allocutus."

was formerly a custom

It

new growth, and

up.

at Forli in the

Romagna Toscana

to give annually

a grand procession, the occasion of which was the showing an image of the Virgin

This extremely heathen ceremony

seated on a dragon surrounded by flames.

is

now

discontinued, so far as Forli

concerned, but

is

it

is

kept up in the

still

neighbouring small town of Civitellaj

I

have looked over a rather large Latin work, profusely

two hundred years ago, which

about

Madonna
festival

wizards, either guided

by asagacious

as one of their

them, and placed

own heathen

to

published

describing

this

Madonna was

" She was a

spirit

('..,

heathen)

who has been

On

unjustly filched from

which subject one of the

sister-

amount of righteous or pious

the Lady of the Fire was a great spirit before the

ever heard of

her la donna miracolosa del fuoco.

remarkable that the witches and

intuition or ancient tradition, regard this

pantheon.

in the Christian

indignation, to the effect that

It is

deities

hood expressed herself not without a

other

illustrated,

devoted

of Fire and Dragons, from which I gather that once upon a time the

must have been very magnificent.

Madonna

entirely

is

certain

her words being, in part, as follows

who indeed worked many

miracles,

and so the

priests

took her and called

LA CAVALLETTA.
" But
ad

knew

in truth the priests

fallen dead, before they

known

claimed or

" The

Madonna

was known of her was

is

Civitella there

was an ancient and

One morning

kept sheep and was dumb.

it

And

rich family.

the lady

came

to

and send

it

to

all

was a very small boy who

who was mute began to speak
Thou art a miraculous virgin. Tell

in their fields there

to

'

me, and that by doing

and so

him, and this child

'

was

was Our Lady, or the Madonna.

said
Lady, I could never speak before, dumb I was from my birth.
me what I must do to express my thanks.'
" And she replied
Go to the great family and tell them they must go

and

and revived those who

miracles,

that she did all this before she

that she appeared as a beautiful lady in a certain garden,

the neighbourhood began to talk of her and said

"In

Fuoco did many

del

(The sense here

as Christian.)

that

first

that this

had ever done anything.

177

this their race will

never end, but

if

Rome

for a certain large stone

they neglect

their troubles will

it

never cease.'

" This he

did, but

g ran

flashes of fire

was treated

fiaccole del

and as soon as the lady had

and placed

it

there

and

she ascended

it

misero nome, la

e le

they
it

peasants

when they have any

knew

it

festival

del Fuoco, la

with miraculous

bad crops, or any

illness or

appeared before them great

this there

was the Lady of

So they sent

Fire.

Madonna Miraculosa
fire

for the stone,

So they bore

and remained there as an image.

Madonna

Lady of Fire and the Miraculous Madonna.

" And this family left it by will that the
all

Yet while they did

as a lunatic.

fuoco

it

and

to a

church

called

the

it

And

should be continually kept up.

trouble, attend this ceremony."

Ottfried Muller and Preller observe from good authority that the Etruscans

paid very great attention to thunder and lightning, and that

all

their principal

gods and goddesses were believed to wield, during certain months, the terrible
power.

Traces of

the reader

may

del Giuoco.

Madonna

del

Le Romagne,

as

find in several places in this work, such as the tale of the Spirito

think that

Fuoco

goddess of

taken in connection with the witch belief that this

this,

one of

really

is

Madonna

origin for the

Roman

reappear in the legends of

this continually

del Fuoco.

fire,

refers possibly to the flint

converted

from which

own

their
It

may

spirits, indicates

a pre-Christian

be, indeed, that she

is

Vesta, the

The miraculous

and Christianised.

stone

fire is struck.

La Cavalletta.
"Thou

La
is

Cavalletta

neither, but

what

is

holdest the Cicada by the wings." Archilochus.

defined as " a locust or grasshopper," but as

is

known

in

resembles the Oriental locust in

is

of a clear green colour,

the locust, but

much

superstitions of the
1

its

America
its

general shape, but

wings being quite

louder.

It

understand,

it

as the Katydid, a cicada which indeed

is

somewhat

like leaves.

larger,

and

Its cry is like that of

appears to play an important part

among

the

Romanga. 1

" That animal which the French

call sauterelle,

Latines locusta, and by ourselves a locust.

we a

grasshopper,

is

named

Aspic by the Greeks, by the

Again, between a cicada and that we call a grasshopper the

24

! !

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

178
I

was

dinesca, about

by hearing a woman sing a song, alia contaRomagnola, which I wrote down, and then received the

induced to notice

first

it,

in

following account in Italian

" The
augurio.

Cavallctta

When it

is

it

an insect of a green colour with long

comes

there should happen to be sleeping children in bed, so

leg of the Cavallctta and the other end to the bed,

"

It is

legs.

a sign of good luck

a room one should at once close the windows to prevent

into

much

Then one should

the better.

and say or

sing

its

tie

e tanto

di buon

escaping, and if

a thread

to the

Cavalletta che tanto bello sei

'

E
E

da per

buona fortuna

tutto la

quando va via tu

porti,

la lasci,

Percio sei venuto in casa mia

Per portarmi

E
La

buona fortuna,

la

neppure non riportarmela

via,

buon' fortuna lascia in casa mia

specialmente

Che

ai figli miei,

pure in vita una donzella

eri tu

Bella e buona e piena di talento,

cosi

E
E

prego se tu vuoi

ti

se cosi farai

ne sarai sempre benedetta

ben vero che ora tu hai

La forma
uno

Sei

("

di

una

bestia,

spirito della

Oh, Katydid, so

venire

far'

miei di gran talento,

I figli

Who

bringst

ma

buona

fine

and

una bestia

tu

non

sei

fortuna.'

fair,

good fortune everywhere

Leave good luck

in this

my home

Since into the house you've come.

Bring

it

And do
Bring

it

Most of

unto

to
all

In

life

Of

talent,

Let

me

me

I pray,

not take the least away

me and every
unto my son

you were a

lady, full

good and

pray, as this

You'll give

my

one,
;

beautiful,
is true,

children talents too,

And where you fly from East to West,

May you in turn be truly blest
Since though an insect form you wear,

You

differences are very

and Muffetus.

are a spirit

fair

')

many, as may be observed in themselves, or their descriptions in Matthiolus

Aldrovandus
is borrowed from the Saxon Graest-hopp,
which our ancestors, who never

... Our word

beheld the cicada, used for that insect which

Errors), by Sir

good and

Thomas Brown, London,

we

1672).

yet call a grasshopper" (Pseudoxia

Epidemka [Vulgar

LA CA VALLETTA.
"Then when
a Katydid

the child shall be of an age to understand

this,

179

he should be taught to sing, when he sees

"

Io son giovane e vero,

'

Ma
Un
Ma

un gran

lo tengo

gran

uomo

la cavalletta posso ringraziare,

Per che nella culla

Mi

talento,

io saro,

gran talento

il

e venuto a porta mia,

Portato la buona fortuna per la cavalletta.'

("

I am but little, as you see,

And yet I may a genius be,
And if when grown I should be
And make a name in Church or

'

I'll

As

great,
State,

not forget that one fine day,

I in cradle sleeping lay,

How
Was

all

my

wit, as

brought

me by

" But when the Cavalletta has been tied one hour
window opened, and it should be allowed to depart

mother bid,
the Katydid.')

to the cradle of the child,

not

driven

away

but

it

must be

freed,

and the

suffered to leave at its

own

free will."

It

is

altogether impossible to separate the ancient folk-lore of the locust, grass-

hopper, and cricket, or cicada.

Friedrich remarks

that in the magical practices

of the ancients the grasshopper was supposed to possess such powers of divination
that

it

was

called

amulet against
a grasshopper

But the

or the soothsayer.

One which

evil.

is

the song which

/jluvtk;,

close

by on an

have

It often

occurs on

monuments

as an

represents a Cupid holding a butterfly, while

ear of corn, seems to

me

to set forth the spirit of

cited.

cavalletta

is

properly in legend the same as the cicada which was

regarded as the emblem, and almost as the genius, of song and poetry, or the
highest forms of intellect.

The Greeks and

old Italians loved this insect

more

than the nightingale, they associated it strangely with a higher genius and stronger
powers of magic and prophecy. It was to them the herald of spring, a song
of rivulets and fountains sparkling in the shade, a calling to green

of the flowers.

Thus Anacreon
"

sings:

We

praise thee auspicious Cicada, enthroned like a king

On

the tree's summit, thou cheer'st us with exquisite song,

Living on dew-drops, and

As

the sweet prophet of

all

men bestow on

the

summer

Muses

thee honour
all

love thee,

So does Apollo the golden who gave thee thy song."

fields,

a voice

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

180

Ulysses holding a cicada to Cerberus, as

power of

it

occurs

in

gems,

these insects

so enchanted or enraptured that they could think of nothing else

all

signifies the

by genius or song. The old story was that

were once men and women, who, having heard the Muses sing, were
captivated

evil or horror,

yes, they forgot

earthly things, including eating and drinking, and so starved to death in pure

which,

absence of mind. So the Muses turned them into the beautiful cicadae,
when they have sung themselves out in summer shades, return to the

Muses.

Therefore the Athenian ladies wore golden cicadae in their hair as a sign

aesthetic

of culture and refinement, also to indicate their patriotic attachment to their small

country or
i,t

is

The whole
prophetic
ballad,

how

because

city,

it

said that the insect never quits the place

is

where

born.
spirit

which

is

of the ancient belief in the cicada, or grasshopper, as a

and the genius of song,

spirit,

in reality a

is

rough but very

perfectly reflected in this

fine

For

diamond.

the refined old classic feeling that the cicada

is

little

in

it

talents or genius, or

There

is

make

of

something very antique

so that, taking

its

is

tie

the incantation or prayer

little

and

beautiful,

doubt that

this

to us from the early spring-time

why there

say, stone-old,

is

nothing of the kind

among

the mountains of

Every idea there which has a form, took

or certainly bronze times.

same

the Greek

a poet.

Ancient

Germans

not, as the

La Romagna Toscana.

made

in all this, as well as original

may have come

song,

of Latin, Greek, or Etruscan song.

here given which

it

it

others into consideration, I have very

all

ceremony, as well as

believed to

her hair, that induces the Italian mother to

a cavalletta by the leg to her baby's cradle, and sing to

to give

it is

It is absolutely the

bambino.

idea or inspiration, but in a far sweeter and nobler form, which

maiden wear a golden cicada

beautiful to see

it is

the spirit of genius and poetry

has survived among these humble peasants, and how as a mantis

be capable of bestowing genius on the

Romagnolo

it

in neolithic

This of the cavalletta can at least be proved to be

almost prehistoric.

The

original

monotonous

air,

Romagnolo which was sung

like

all

contadino songs to a

which, like the words, gave the impression that

improvised, was as follows

"

spirit la cavaletta,

Le un

sla

Nola

spirit et

ven
fe

bona fortona,

in ca' vostra

mai scape.

Sla ven in ca' vostra

Piutost lighela a

una gamba

it

was being

LA CAVALLETTA.
E
E

po

181

lighela a e let de vostra bordel

quella lav portera fortona

Ai vostre

fial.

Lav portara fortona

Ai vostre

La

la vi librara

En

fial

lai

portra

fortona pur et gran talent,

pur dal regiment.

fen caiari pze an pense mai,

quant chi andara a

Ma

quan chi e grend

fer

solde

e chi belle aloe

Per vo o sara un gran dalor.

Per cio pensei sempre per temp,

Arcorder ed
Per che se

Da
It

may

once human, just as

That
it is

is

vostre

to say the insect

set forth in the

fiol,

is

me

as

Lo

Spirito la Cavalletta

The modern

recognised as a spirit which was

Latin or Greek legend.

declares that the cicadse were once very

turned to insects by the Muses.

was

a pregari

solde ai librari a punti ste sicur."

be observed that this was described to

the Spirit Cavalletta.

myth

feri

la Cavalletta,
le

much

The ancient
who were

refined maidens,

incantation says that the katydid

in life
" a lady full

Of

Of those who
and

"

attribute

development under

all

talent

good and beautiful."

of these identities in tradition to chance coincidences

like causes,"

one can only say, as did the old orthodox

Christian of the doctrine of atoms, and fortuitous combinations, that

the back of Chance more than

it

would

bear.

it

put upon

CHAPTER

X.

CUPRA.
"

Ex

eo tempore

ilium sic concubisse secum, ut viri

simul in lecto essent." Bodinus,

cum

fceminis Solent, nee percipiente viro,

cum

lib. 2, capit. 7-

know

spirit all that I

is

given in the

following strange story

" Cupra
se

or spirit,

is afolletto,

who when

prende a sinpatia una donna, he takes a

liking to

a woman, and inspires her with

follows her about all the time even

it,

by day.

" There was once in a town in La

Romagna a girl of extraordinary beauty,
who was moreover strangely fortunate in all
things

quello che desiderava e quello die

Now

appariva.

in the night she

it

came

to pass that

waking

found that she had by her

a very beautiful youth, and this happened

often,

till

at last she told

her mother of

it.

" Her mother bade her carefully close

the door, and not to go to

bed

till

morning.

And he came all the same ; but the mother,

who was secretly watching, saw no one.
Then she strewed leaves all about, thinking
that when this mysterious lover passed over
them there would be a

rustling.

And he

came and made a great noise with the

and laughed

Then

the mother, being angry, said to her

daughter
side

'

Go

" Then
:

to bed,

and

I will lie

but I do not believe that there

one here save

sang

leaves

loudly, but not a leaf stirred.

by thy
is

any

us.'

Cupra

laughed

aloud

and

CUPRA.
"

'

Si

sono a

Con

tua

183

letto,

figlia,

incinta

D'un bel bambino

Son' un spirito folletto

Che

la tua figlia voglio

molti

Molti

amar,

voglio creiar,

figli

figli io 1'avro,

tua

figlia

Sempre amero.'
("

'

Yes

am

lying

Here by thy daughter

She has by me,

A
I

am

Who
She

And

spirit

loves her

after this

you'll see

children to me,

your

fair

Long loved

Now

many

will bear

More

"

too, unborn,

beautiful boy.

nobody would marry her

daughter

shall

be

yet she was

')

happy and contented,

she had

for

she desired,

all

being long and well loved by her amante."

There

in this

is

as

little,

it

doubtless grew out of some rude and simple old story of a

I

have no doubt that the

Red

Indians,
It

and

find loose pieces of stories,

fail

sometimes

to strike the reader that there

much

very

beyond

all

like the

is

worship of Bacchus and Venus, and of Pan

Jove himself down to the Satyrs,

-woman who came

in their

set the

this thing well

tales of the rest of

of

by

their old

names.

And

all this

of whom, from great

is

but

little

this

Tuscan

worth dwelling on, that while

Europe there

they

Dryads and Oreads, and a

divinities, all

is

who

still

inter alia

lore.

in the folk-lore

and

fairy-

account of fairies, brownies, elves, and

sylvan goblins seducing maidens and abusing wives,

present day their chief mission or amusement.

does not come

whom

example of embracing every pretty

strong confirmation of the heathen antiquity of

deem

from

a gay

when not

way, could hardly be wanting among people

actually invoke these deities

one another.

folletti are all,

spirits of yore,

the

In fact the spirit of Dyonisia, the

doubt, legitimately descended.

multitude of hard-drinking, free-loving, rakish

fitted into

spirit lover.

As among

a very loose moral tone

These

Fauns and Sylvans,

and a

girl

mere fragment.

tale as here given is a

festive sensuousness evident in these tales.

terrible,
are,

we

cannot

myth

were, of Cupid and Psyche, which beautiful

it is

in the

A ringing

Romagna

melody of

more surely from the Waldhorn of a hunter

at the

forest glee

when sounded by

"

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

184

some

woodcraftsman than a

skilful

sinners,

tale

which

is

" naughty, but nice," to youthful

comes when conversation turns on these mysterious beings.

made a very

acquaintance indeed

distinguished

had

Chancellor

published in a book

all

almost the only kind of abilities

whom

minor or sylvan gods, of

from here

informs us

City of God, that

'

it,

still

live in the

by the French

from a

common

not far off

book of the

in

may

to

falls,

be,

effect.'

it

fears

and half

meet with a handsome, roguish,

among reedy

rocks, will rise

from the

Mache

irresistible Elf.

volete

This Cupra tale

self is the lover,

is

went about continually

Dusii,

ad effetto

whitening water of the headlong stream some

Girls will be girls

whose tomb

There the contadina maiden half

it

which

all

putting into
chapters on them Fauns, Silvani, and Dusii

hopes in the forest shades, as twilight

leering, laughing lover; there,

In

Fauni have many times sinned with women,

mettendola

have shown

Romagnola.

to be

the end thereof being that they lay with them.

that certain demons, called

seem

of their ancestors, the dii minores, the

Pico della Mirandola

seeking such carnal iniquity, and

manifested by these "geniuses."

the Silvani and

All of these, as

which

that " Saint Augustin declares in the fifteenth

who, however, greatly desired

And

now

steel to the traditions

Lord

of the

the Merrie Tales of the kind which

have, or could have, heard of such "shoking" culpabilities

they are true as

could have

namely, that

much

is

and a

girl

like

one

in

Bodinus, where, however, the

of twelve his bonne fortune.

devil him-

They may both have come

source.

According to Preller {Romische Mythologie), there was on the coast of

Picenum a goddess named Cupra, who

is

supposed to be a Juno, of Etruscan

Her temple was renewed by Hadrian. " But the name is probably to be
explained by the Sabine word Cyprus (good), whence the Vicus Cyprius in Rome
origin.

and a Mars Cyprius

in

nection between these

names and

Umbria."

on any positive identity of any of

have been,

for

these names.
will

aught
I

do not

that of the

my

feel

authorised to suggest any con-

Cupra

in the story.

Nor do

discoveries with ancient ones.

I insist

There may

know, mistakes or misunderstandings as regards any or all

have simply written down what I gathered, and I dare say there
I

be correctors enough

in

due time to verify or disprove

it all.

All of the old Etrusco- Roman deities were in pairs, male and female, hence
possibly the
another.

"

modern confusion

as to certain names.

They

also " crossed

Thalna, or Cupra," says George Dennis {The Cities

Etruria, 1878),

"was

to have been

at Veii, Falerii,

the Etruscan

Hera or Juno, and her

and Perusia.

and

"

one

Cemeteries of

principal shrines

seem

Like her counterpart among the

Greeks and Romans, she appears to have been worshipped under other forms,

WALNUT

WITCHES.

185

according to her various attributes, as Feronia, Uni, Ettithya-Lucothea."

incident of the leaves connects

Cupra with

Btrusker,

descriptive of

We

light.

40) thinks Thalna

p.

learn the

Vergers says

in

is

name of Cupra from

L'Etrurie et

les

Gerard {Gottheit

classic lore.

Cupra

Strabo,

Etrusques, Paris,

The
der

as a goddess of births

and

Of which Noel

des

241.

v., p.

862, that

" Junon, que Strabo appelle Cupra, bien que nous ne trouvious pas ce nom sur les monuments ceramiles miroirs, avait comme Jupifer ira temple dans l'arx ou la citadelle des villes Etrusques."

ques ou

Walnut

Witches.

" In Eenevento a nut-tree stands,

And

by night from many

thither

lands,

Over the waters and on the wind,

Come witches flying of every kind,

On goats, and boars, and bears, and
Some upon

Howling, hurtling, hurrying,

Come

cats,

broomsticks, some like bats,

all

to the tree at the master's call."

Dom
" Sott'acqua e
Sott' 'e

Piccini, Ottava delta Notte.

sotta viento,

nuce

'e

Veneviento."
Neapolitan Saying.

It is

probable that one of the earliest supernatural conceptions formed by

was that of the Tabu, or Taboo.

It

was that

man

the witch, or shaman, or conjuror

if

wished to guard, or keep, or protect a certain property from depredators, he by

magic power or
chief
it,

spells

caused the person trespassing to

had a valuable weapon or ornament,

and

if it

little

were stolen some mysterious disease soon

came

to be firmly believed in

extended to trees bearing valuable

in

Pacific islands at the present

to a chief,

and dreaded.

to protect

fruit, fields

and

Naturally enough

their crops, wives

day where the natives have not been

man who has

though he did not know

of mere fear.

and

it

By

after attacked the thief.

and

time everything belonging to priests and chiefs was tabooed.

often happens that a

and

If a sorcerer or a

suffer.

were pronounced over

judicious poisoning here and there of suspected offenders, the taboo of

course soon

Then

spells

The laws of

eaten

life.

cattle.

In the

civilised, it

it

was prohibited,

will

soon die

and many other places were so numerous

would make a work quite as extensive

master as Blackstone's Commentary.

into every relation of

was

or even touched an article belonging

at the time that

taboo in Fiji

intricate that if written out they

difficult to

fruit,

it

Wherever the power

25

Little

of the priest

by

little it

came

and

entered
it

went

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

86

everywhere

there

was the

man when he awoke

by every

It sat

terrible taboo.

in the night

fireside

it

was with

there were kinds of food which must not be

must not be assumed, thoughts which must not be

entertained.
There were words which must never be spoken, names of the dead
which must never be uttered and as people were named from things, therefore
language was continually changing. Over all and under all and through all was
eaten, certain positions which

the taboo, or will of the priest.

is

the portrait of

fifty

years since, in

In Catlin'S great work on the North American Indians there

a Chippeway emaciated to a living skeleton.
his country, in a

remote place, a vast mass of virgin copper, which was regarded

The

with superstitious reverence.

sorcerers of the tribe

who should guide a white man

One man, tempted by

Indian

There was, about

accursed and die.

to this
gifts,

nugget would surely be

great

and

had decreed that any

an hour of temporary

in

thought, broke the ban and led a white trader to the mysterious manitou.

came

He

the reaction.

something which belonged to a

An

chief,

and learned that

it

was

taboo, died in a

few

accurate and impartial history of the development of taboo, or prohibition,

property

it

and of the human

religion

became known

The exempla

as sacrilege

the

As

race.

regards church

conversion of sacred things to secular

Ages show us
RABELAIS ridiculed

of the preachers of the Middle

taboo carried to the extremes of absurdity.

gances, but the shafts of his wit

fell

the doctrine of

these extrava-

back blunted, even as the arrows of the

missed the mark when shot at a leaf taken from the Holy Decretals.
yet strong everywhere.

unwittingly

this

was

can remember that once when

who was
aghast, for

reproving me,
I

felt

New England

in a

which had been lent by the

local clergyman.

" that

that

"

to Dr.
if

a pamphlet or book

"

And

was

the injured property had

for the natural limitations

among

the influences of the Church

and

enforced celibacy

it

necessities of Evolu-

also of great evil.

At

enlightened people, the bad

it

was so

it

or

present,

is

freely, so recklessly,

pulously applied that millions of lives were crushed by

It

was a very small boy

injured

is

Don't you know," exclaimed a lady

book belongs

was productive of some good but

mission being worked out

miserable.

scoffer

But taboo

laity.

Making every allowance

tion, taboo

village

that the crime was far greater than

belonged to one of the

Under

having once by mere accident touched

terror.

would be the history of

uses.

Then

believed himself to be accursed, and so pined away.

traveller in Fiji has recorded that a native

days from

free-

its

old

predominant.

and so unscru-

made

needlessly

compelled injudicious charity, which enlarged

the area of poverty instead of relieving

it

it

made

idleness, coloured

by

super-

WALNUT WITCHES.
stition,

holy

it

exalted in every

the productive citizen

on no

offences,

it still

the worthless idle shaman, or sorcerer, above

curses and

eternal

damnation on

and on the exercise of natural human

offences,

And

privileges.

way

laid great

it

1S7

contrives to

do so

to an extent

which few

is

That which

injures others.

And what

defines

to

as

not in

itself

wrong,

is

are injuries ?

But what

taboo.

Firstly, those

For the

when it is
is wrong ?

which the law

person and property, directly or indirectly, in law or equity.

Secondly, those which are conventional and spring out of our

These are mostly of the

ditions.

and

rights

realise.

prohibition or punishment, or causing suffering in any form whatever,

applied to anything which

trifling

becomes us to exercise the

or sentimental

feelings,

strictest

artificial social

regarding

con-

which

it

discipline over ourselves,

and to make the

and sentimental wrongs

in social relations,

utmost allowance for others.

It is as regards these conventional

and

in

really artificial matters, that taboo, be

tyranny most keenly

Not

felt.

say that a vast amount of

to

it

religious or secular,

wander too widely from the

its

subject, I can only

social injustice does not spring,

all

makes

as

is

generally

assumed, or supposed, from unavoidable current causes, but from mere custom and

He who

use derived from tradition.

will look carefully, honestly,

and above

all

how powerful still is the old shaman

The demon of the Threshold he who

boldly, into this, will be astonished to learn

of the very earliest stage of barbarism.

lay in wait at the very entrance of the
thine though thou seest
It

him

hut of humanity

first

and bedevilled

regarded as being dear to

meeting.

owed

their

repute

evil

if it

Among

the

demons and

lurking

Romans

it

by

beginning to taboo.

the

by

typified darkness or evil,

was

witches as a place of

hence

it

was believed

stood near an oak they mutually injured one another, because the latter

symbol.

On

a custom spargere

earliest

Garden of Eden

mythologies the nut was an

among

nuces to scatter nuts on such occasions.

declared that the devil chose

people never to sleep under

it,

it

(Rom.

iii.,

3,

"

it

God
was

But as sensual

a demoniac symbol.

for a favourite resting-place,

and advised

because every twig thereof has nine leaves, and on

every leaf dwells a devil" (FRIEDRICH, Symbolik,

BUNSEN

the Jews praise

and among the Romans

allied to sin, it is plain that the walnut-tree is also

The Rabbis

(NORK, Realworter-

principle of light

the bridal night the married pair

for planting the nut-tree in the

is

in

earlier times, the walnut-tree

specially chosen

was sacred to Jove, the god of lightning, the

Friedrich). In the
buch, vol. iii., p. 387.

passion

still

not.

During the Middle Ages, and indeed from

erotic

is

would be interesting to know how many objects which were regarded as

accursed

that

p. 315).

210), tells us that there once stood in the

Piazza

della

ROMAN REMAINS.

ETRUSCAN,

188

Chiesa del Populo a great walnut-tree whose leaves were so infested

Pope Paschal the Second cursed

had stood

it,

had

it

by

devils that

cut down, and a church built where

"

Be thou d

dicta sis o nuce

und

you

to hell vit

d,

it

Male-

an act quite becoming a shaman or voodoo in every respect.

oh walnut-tree, root and branch, nuts and bark,

"
!

All of this rubbish of eroticism, diablerie and darkness, doubtlessly gathered

many

about the tree from

sources, but the beginning of

it all

was that some early

was

sorcerer, to save his walnuts, informed his neighbours that the tree

and that

on

devils sat

to

it

torment those who should rob

it.

tabooed,

have heard of a

German preacher of the mob who explained the origin of evil by the fact that,
" Eve did rop a Baumgart" (or orchard), and I know a perfectly authentic case of
theology in the nursery, in which a small girl, being asked why God forbade Adam
and Eve to eat the apples, replied that He wanted them for pies, but was corrected
by another, who told her, "No that He wanted to keep them for his winter

apples

"

that kind

was the

on record

created of a heedless curious

invalidates the

human

by hundreds of

many

INGERSOLL argue

nature,

it

Which

millions.

abound

contains a great truth

disobedience are a great source of

it

resist Satan,

have been damned

cheerful

myth

in

the Bible, aS

in

any case

in

and Eve had been

and not wise enough to

their descendants

evil,

great truths which

nay,

Adam

and because simple

the incarnate spirit of genius and

eternally to hell

However,

being usually prohibited to children.

taboo

first

that idle curiosity

no respect

PAINE and
and

childish

The Jews regarded unflinching, unhuman weakness, as the law of laws.

was going too far to make it all in all.

evil.

conditional obedience, with no allowance for

them

It

was well

It

had held Egypt together

who was

for

as they were, but

in

it

good condition

a great student of laws, applied

it.

for

But

thousands of years, and MOSES,

it is

not applicable to England,

or America, or indeed to any republic, or semi-republic, to-day.

now

and

has

its rights,

But

to return to our trysting-tree

is

the walnut.

As

all

the witches of

were accustomed to assemble on the Blocksberg, so those of

rendezvous or sabbat,

or, in Italian,

This terrible tree

to

it

detail

are very
till

is

common

have elsewhere

written.

composed

on

Germany
had

their

mentioned by many writers on witchcraft, and allusions

in

Italian literature, but I never

met with anything

in

De Nuce Maga Beneventana which is by PETER

supplement to his work De Effectibus Magicis, of which I
In which, as

an excess of information that

being

Italy

all

treguenda, at a great walnut-tree in Benevento.

found a pamphlet

PlPERNUS, and forms a

Freethought

a law like others.

the

it

never rains but

had some trouble

picturesque,

but

not

in

lucid

it

pours,

met with such

condensing
principle,

it,

the work

followed

by

WALNUT

WITCHES.

189

Pr^etorius, of writing down anything whatever about everything which comes

into one's head, on slips of paper, which are then thrown into a basket without

numbers, and set up by the printer as they occur.

So, after eight pages of

skimble-skamble, including a short essay on the sins [of keeping bad company

and of

telling indecent stories, or comicas fabulas de stupris virginunt,

gleam of coming day

assurance that, as a

bad

qualities

albeit not a

is

endowed by Nature with both good and

number of medical and other

no wonder that

word

is

it

was supposed to be

said in

it

the walnut really does possess

if

virtues ascribed to

by PiPERNUS,

it

in the highest degree supernatural

Could the men of old have

of catsup or pickles.

foreseen the sauces of to-day, and the part which walnuts would play in
all,

see a

a chapter on Nuts in general, with the comforting

the walnut

of which chapter we may note that

the extraordinary
it is

in

tree,

we

them

Heaven only knows what witchcraft they would have ascribed to them
Finally we come to the fact that from the testimony and traditions recorded
!

in the

manuscripts of an old witch-trial, and from information gathered by

holy Inquisitors, that

it

was believed

in the fraternity of sorcerers that

many

not only

from the times of the Lombards, but even from those of the ancient Samnites,
there had ever been at Benevento an

immense walnut-tree which was in leaf all the

German oaks), the nuts of

year (the same tale was told of old Druidical and

which were of a pyramidal form, "qua tragularibus

sold

for

These nuts

lineis emittebat."

a high price, people believing that they protected

against accidents,

earthquakes, and cured epilepsy, also that they were sure to produce male
spring, retentis

intra

matricem

And

nucleis.

against witchcraft, though used

by witches

off-

they were also valuable amulets

much

in

deviltry.

we

think that

have here a hint of the curious triangular nuts which come from the East, and
of which such numbers are sold

in

carried singly as magical amulets.

Florence,

There

which exactly resembles the head of a

is

made

These are

into rosaries.

also

a variety of them found in China

buffalo,

horns and

all.

have specimens

of both kinds.

Next we have the topography of the region where the tree grew for
PiPERNUS approaches the enemy very graduallyand finally of the field in
which this King of Darkness stands, as our author puts it very neatly, " more
Which pun of darkness casts, however, not a
like a Nox than a Nux"
little

light

on the tenebrific nature of

suggestion that

it

this tree,

why

its

noxious nature, with the

was the mere resemblance of name which drew to

tion with the powers of the underworld.

causes

and

the nut-tree was dreaded

sensible one of which

is

that

it

by

was of

PiPERNUS

Christians,

an associa-

gives us a long array of

and loved by witches, the only

yore, because of

Proserpine, Night, and the Infernal Gods.

it

its

dense shade, sacred to

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

190
Well, as
tree
is

it

happened that the good people of Benevento had a great walnut-

where they worshipped serpents, or

" divinity in the likeness of

a beast, which

vulgarly called a viper," and what was also horrible, held horse-races in which

the riders caught at bunches of sumach suspended in the tree

game of

of the profane and ungodly

whom these

after the fashion

and hand-organ which we have

flying horses

seen at irreligious, worldly-minded, country

saint, Barbatus, to

There was

fairs.

goings-on of the heathen

in

Benevento a great

with their great

moral show

of snakes and races, and the rest of the circus, were a terrible annoyance

The

him, the soul of business.

And Barbatus

a heathen.
a button.

Rom

flourish

must have been a gypsy.

cock won't

For

fight."

of the truth of

By and by

and

that there

it

in

is

could almost fancy that

effect that " that

that he kept

also recorded

is

et miraculis

his miracles
I

His only reply was to the

must mention that

race-horses and game-cocks

he did not convert worth

and coruscate

of this impenitent mule

the head

for

was ROMUALDUS, who was

ruler of that region

tried to convert him, but

BARBATUS

In vain did

round

coruscans

Competition was not, with

two of a trade did never yet agree.

then, as now,

bad Latin mournful evidence

it all.

there were rumours of

war

Constantinople

in the land.

mean

CONSTANTIUS the emperor, was coming tnnumera multitudine suorum. collecta,

army to wipe out Benevento. Romualdus v/as a hard fighting man,
but as Saint CHRYSOSTOM said, "There is no use in a goat's trying to buck
with a vast

against a bull."

CONSTANTINE,

He was

like a true

reduced to extremes, and

he would take the city and put every human being

Arrepta occasione

BARBATUS saw

grand public meeting,

and

in

the

telling
turf,

them

that

if

was

finally

found that

it,

all

it.

He

held a

these troubles to that nasty Viper,

and wicked walnuts.

but of

utriusque sexus, to death.

and improved

dare say, too, that they

And

this the history says nothing.

he ended

they would raise their eyes above vipers and walnuts, and

up to heaven, they would

would save the town,

in

his opportunity

which he attributed

their heathenish horse-races,

had wine with their walnuts

by

it

and gentle Christian, had decreed that on a certain day

he, for one,

CAESAR CONSTANTINE and

be saved. Whereupon Romualdus said

all

would

raise

and, to

his

that

cut the tale short,

army, Beneventum non penelrabit

his

if

"

did not take

Beneventum."

And
killed

then

Barbatus had

a beautiful time.

He

cut

the snakes, stopped the horse-races, confiscated

all

down
the

"

the walnut-tree,

poultry " of the

cock-fights, threw the gaffs into the river (" they used slasher-gaffs in all pits in

those days," Alectromackia,

vol.

burying, got to be as rich as a Jew.

i.),

and what with baptizing, confessing, and

WALNUT WITCHES.
It

not

is

how

to see

difficult

A chief

penetrate to your Beneventum.

by

to fight to the death

When you

miracle was worked.

this

correspondence with your CONSTANTINE,

191

..

are in

easy to arrange that he should not

it is

who, like Romualdus, might be obliged

when it was only a question of

The entire history of the progress

force of public opinion

war, could nicely compromise on a miracle.

of Christianity in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark,

a chronicle of heathenism

is

extinguished by brute force, or marriages, or by this same old trick of BARBATUS.

The

nut-tree

was cut down, but the king never

PlPERNUS, that there

in the hollow of

bones and

is

now

in the

which three men might hide

dies.

It

true,

is

adds

and great walnut-tree,

tall

and near are sometimes found

banquetsprobably chosen to take
this

bits of flesh, the signs of witches'

As appeared by

the place of the ancient one.

who

same place another

being interrogated

the testimony of one

probably with a rack and red-hot pincers

said that she had been
devil he was only adored

in

manner of 15 19 (that being the date)

There they worshipped Diana (not the

VlOLANTA,

the Christian

at such a tree.
in

Germany)

or Herodias, the goddess of dancing, who, however, as before said, appears in

Rabbinical writings as

and held high

witches,

may be

It

who was

Lilith,

revel

"

and

observed that PlPERNUS declared that

simply by means of the nuts from

Very

in this matter.

tale,

whatever.

It

or mother of

regarding which

was written out

There

this tree.

is

if

walnuts, and was promptly told the

in

had made no suggestions and given no hints

me, not by any means

for

under a walnut-tree, and there were so many

felt

herself

ill,

was any

there

in choice Italian.

"The country of Benevento is in the Romagna, and that is the real posto delle streghe, or
One evening a gentleman went to walk with his daughter whom he adored. And
when she

the

no mention of male assistance

witch meeting-

place.

eaten one

all

women became pregnant

recently, as a write, I inquired in Florence

account current of magical properties

following

Hebrew Diana,

the

had a good time."

alio stomaco,

and went

at

And

once home, and to bed.

as they passed

But hardly had she

them.

fine nuts, she desired to eat of

all

her family were

in despair, because they loved her tenderly.

'
'

Nor was

and began
beautiful,

it

long before they saw her body increasing in

to treat her harshly,

till

and her parents knew not what

to whether she

that she

this

had ever had a

felt ill after

" Then the

to think of this

lover, but she

this

'

This

is

the lover

whom

hearing this mystical tale

? "

"

Sicuro

And

phenomenon.

had never been the

and she

who touched

incinta, or with child,

little

lamb

it

was very

they questioned her closely as

and knew nothing beyond

case,

certainly,"

ate another nut

the lamb,

when

it

and so

remarked,

was the

reply.

shall she

"

Then
Here

when

all at

once the tree

became a handsome young man,

you would not permit your daughter

enter and leave her (sortire dalle sue viscere),

On
himself

swore

father took his daughter to the tree,

the witch said,

made him

and thought she was

having eaten the walnut.

vanished, and there appeared an old witch,

and

size,

end of nine months she gave birth to a

at the

to

marry.

by

my

sorcery

be compelled to wed him.' "

the lover became father to

I

might

tell

the story of the

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

192

nun who became possessed, or

or

a lettuce

little devil, in

leaf,

But what

tree of

is

say, enceinte,

by swallowing a
first

diavoleti

praying, an

by meditations on immaculate conception not beir

is to show that the idea of the walnuts of tl

so on, such tales, suggested

rare.

some

as

she having taken her salad without

to the purpose

Benevento producing such

The

and widely spread.

results is ancient

stoi

seems to be a witch parody of the birth of Christ.

The

witches of Benevento do not seem to have been by any means a bad lo

In this story they appear as succouring

unfortunate lovers, which

ladies.

And

in Spain, Ireland,

which

credit of a tale

lang syne. This

is

is

STENTORELLO
Florence, there

is

it

in

of Benevento.

have taken from them

fairies

and which was attributed to

Hunchback who

lost his

but

PlPERNUS.
I will tell

night, returning

their

'

is

.founded on th
a

rusty-

little

with interpolations.

it,

who was

Alutarius,

home by

a hunch-back, gay and cheerful, popul

Walnut-Tn

the light of the moon, he passed near the great

" 'Ben venga

il

in fine array, dancing

for

it

was merely

and

singin:

Giovedi e Venerdi.'

Welcome Thursday and Friday

" Thinking they were a party of reapersputans

catching the tune, sang in rhythm

tw

the time

all

memory may be

Perhaps your

song was strange and somewhat monotonous,

("

tr.

thei

Among the

hump.

which are played at present

There he saw a great assembly of people, men and women,

jolly as sand-boys

<

comediettas in which good-natured, honest dummklu

little

" There was a man named Lambertus

One

to their credit,

the hero, and

anyhow,

with everybody.

way to be sure a pair

human benevolence to most youn

a strange

one called The Witches of Benevento, which

is

legend, and I find

nulladimino

in

and elsewhere, the

much

very

the story of the

or three hundred jolly

certainly the ideal of

is

')

by way of helping them

esse messores

Lamber

on,

"'E

lo Sabato, e la

("'And Saturday

Domenica.'

Sunday

too.')

"

Which was so well done that the dancers all burst out laughing, and feeling respect for such an admirab
him out, made him dance and feast with them. And then a merry devil " (Pipernus calls him
diabolus, but he must have been a jolly one) "jumped up behind, and with one tremendous jerk, which was lil
poet, pulled

drawing a tooth, causing great but momentary pain

At which Lambert screamed

lights, plate, dishes, all the

feeling of

out,

Jesu, Virgo

when

and he found himself a magnificently

'

tall,

unfortunate nobleman

" He went home and knocked

straight figure
'

was

took

away

his

humj

Still

Lambert had not exactly

the hump had gone too with

when witches do do a thing, they
for

all
'

th

the witchei

does

it

hanc

in the habit of saying.

in the early

Lambert looking out bade him begone. Quis

dolore

the whole spuk, or enchantment, vanished-

splendour and glory of the festival had gone.

one who treads alone some banquet hall deserted

some,' as a certain

momentaneo

intenso sed

Maria

dawn, while

est iste

was three-quarters dark, and

it

temerarius ?

'

Who

is

that cheeky

vagabond ?

la signoi
'

was he

WALNUT
iignant ciy. Lambertus

tuus" Thy Lambert

you re not the man.'

at

lations,

who,

And

him on as

The voice indeed

and many

us,'

the next day

writers record

when he walked

adds in an

them quos

airy,

as

have before remarked

and kind.

:nerally benevolent

omittimus

brevitate

She

is

nothing to speak

is

Horace

make

The
[lurch

exists,

still

men

that in Italy there are

and the

This

priests.

id festive society,

whom

" There was

am

at

the ladies,

in this witch-

the loathsome abomi-

Italians

seem

to

have

due almost

entirely to the

Diana

is

all

its

the efforts of Saint

still

believed to be a beautiful, gay

with very

little

of

Hecate-Hexe

by the same authority

in her.

as that

but

One day

their living

by going about the country

the youngest son was roaming, trying to see what he could find,

one so beautiful che era una cosa di non credere

'twas

hardly credible

it

thought he had a good thing of

beautiful

dance

who

after him, the old genial classic associations

Benevento a poor family whose members gained

little

lady

who

evano occhi di soleibsy seemed

a

it is

very curious that despite

supplied with another legend

which they sold.

were on

came a

is

whose queen

en he beheld a Walnut-tree

" Truly he

is

fie,

obtained the tale of the lamb.

i getting fruit,

at nuts

It

and the witches of Benevento are

this

the true old

the kind which caused the witch-mania, with

is

and an army of theologians

proof of

is

French

There
all

The

hell.

of the diabolical sort, and

is

irbato,

survive,

One

could do that abundantly well for themselves, without help.

other current

and burnings.

'twas a fine festa

at

it,

but as he gathered the nuts they opened, and from every

once grew

to life-size.

like eyes of the sun.

They were gay and merry, and

Sweet music sounded from the

so fair

leaves, they

made

bread,
all that forget why he had come there, and that the family at home wanted
who were fairies (fate), knew this, and when the dancing was over they gave him some of the
And they said 'When you shall be at home open two of these, keep a third for the king's daughter,

"But he

did not for

:s.

omit for want of

There are good witches and bad, the old Canidia

evil.

rtures

?m

Such cases are very

I

but though she lames donkeys and blasts vines, she does

a specialty of getting people to

:lieved that

merely a sorceress or enchantress,

of selling souls to the devil, and

of,

only for

itions of living

'

which

really a fata, like the

always a lady, loving children and helping poor men.

ill

the neighbours and

the streets of Altavilla even his

very remarkable

atin-Etruscan legend, in which the witch

)t

all

should like to have seen some of those " numerous cases."

It is

aft

Lambert's,' she answered,

impudent manner,

very distinct and contradictory currents of Witch-lore.

ro

is

raising a rowshe called in

But the change in his personal appearance must have

all right.

'

To which he

creditors did not recognise him. '

with

he replied.

193

duly examining him and listening with awe and delight to his tale of the adventure

after

the great Walnut-Tree, passed

mmon

'

then alta voce proclamans

en very great, for our author states that

st

WITCHES.

take this

[nut

till

little

basket- (papierina)

full

to the king.

And

tell

the queen's daughter not to open her

she shall have gone to bed.'

"And when

he had returned and opened

his nut there

poured from

it

such a stream of gold that he

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

194

And

stones.
it

built himself a castle of extraordinary splendour, all of precious

So he

found himself richer than the king.

opening the second nut there came from

monarch

replied that

he was very

the princess had no love at

"

So she accepted

man who had asked

"

And

this

whom he had
and

what should come out of

it

but the young

had no

special

and suffered him not only to remain, but to return, which he did,

it,

'

something must be done.'

She went

to her father

and said that she would never marry the prince

So

these appeared her

one,

she came to her

own

lover

to the other of those

own

was done, and there were

it

young men.
quel giovane delle noce

dressed like a poor peasant, and sat at the table

went from one

till

of

as she could not help herself, and, moreover,

she would, they would support her choice.

princess

him

this other

with the natural result that in the course of events the princess found herself

was arranged.

whom

"Among

at

Now

and declared that

at last a great assembly of

And he was

princess, the

For

to

betrothed her, and that there should be a grand assembly of youths, and they should agree that,

her choose

let

hand of the

his daughter to another prince.

wonder

the nut, and went to bed, but oh

time

incinta, or with child,

for the

when he put

but she was enamoured a prima vista with the youth.

all,

her in marriage

many a

zealously, full

But when he asked

he had promised

sorry, but

be helped, she made the best

desire to

such a magnificent suit of clothes that

it

on he was the handsomest man in the world.

" So he went to the king and was well received.

lover,

and

said

who wished
'

That

is

among
marry

to

the one

'that

young man of the walnuts.'

the humblest

And

her.

whom

feasts, balls,

who were

there.

Then

the

she found some fault in every

choose,'

and threw her handkerchief

which was the sign that she would marry him.

" Then

all

who were

present were enraged that she should have selected such a pezzente, or beggar, nor

was the king himself well pleased.

At

last it

was arranged

be a combat, and that

that there should

if

the

young man could hold his own in it he might marry the princess.
" Now he was strong and brave, yet this was a great trial. But the Ladies of the Walnut Tree helped
Never a sword or lance touched him

their friend, so that all fell before him.

life,

and the opposing knights went down before him

"Fu

il vicitore.

He

was the

she gave birth to a bel bambino

And

Benevento.

all

so they were

feeling

rhyme

who can

Red

And he wedded

the daughter of the king

and

few months

after a

called, in gratitude to the fairy ladies,

The Nut

of

happy and contented."

this

poem

for a

and expression, and yet there was

sing.

poem

in

it

was, as I heard

it

it

neither metre to speak

It

'tis

does not seem to be

known

to all that all Italian fairy

as were

poems, and often sung by the contadine

Indian traditions.

but

he bore a charmed

to mention, only such as the beautiful Italian language supplies to

tales are really

fairies,

in the fray,

sheep before a wolf.

a beautiful babe who was

have done scant justice to

sung with
of nor

victor.

like

all

one

The

all

the American

witches of the Walnut-Tree appear in this tale as

they are

the same charming souls as those

Lamberto's hump, and make the young

man

his

own

father.

who remove

cannot deny that

they certainly do manifest a decided disposition to play the most eccentric erotic
tricks,

and confirm what William Grant Stewart says of the Scotch

" their appetites are as

wicked

"

wicked

" vara leecherous."

is

that

keen and voluptuous as their inclinations are corrupt and

here meaning what

It will

once heard another Scotchman define as

be observed that the walnut which produces a child

effectively given in another guise in this tale,

assertion of

fairies,

Pipernus, induces

me

and that

this,

coupled with the

to believe that in substance these

two

tales are

WITCHES AND WITCHCRAFT.

extremely ancient.

They

are also valuable in proof of the fact that, in spite of

the incessant efforts of the

xcvi. 5, that " all the

195

monks

gods of the Gentiles are

which the beautiful and benevolent

Hebrew-Catholic calumnies.

It

made

to carry out the declaration

spirits

devils," there

were exceptions

in

of the ancient time survived the

worth noting that the

is

Psalm

in

last half

of this tale

corresponds exactly with an incident narrated in an Icelandic saga.

But to return to our Walnut-tree.

tells

us in her

SCHINOSI gave her the following from a MS.

that Monsignor

by Nicastro

Janet Ross

history of

Benevento

" In the time of Romuald the Longobards worshipped golden vipers, and the

had promised

Land of Manfred

Bishop Barbatus that he would embrace Christianity, had an

to

Duke

he

himself, though

on which

altar in his palace

stood a winged two-headed golden dragon, with two sphinxes in jasper on either side, and various idols from
the temple of

This angered the bishop, who, helped by the Duchess Theodorada, his

Isis.

Of

with an axe and broke the dragon and idols to pieces.

He

chalice for his church.

may

It

be

all

and Egyptian
look can

went

made a

the tree."

as true as the other tale, but this account of gold vipers, dragons,

idols has a bric-a-brac shop-look

come

Non

right.

down

then cut

disciple,

the fragments of the winged monster he

from

the rococoanut of

nobis tantce componere

some

which seems to have come

later writer.

But

it

may

if

be

all

lites.

Witches and Witchcraft.

"

Oc

era ther hiner mestu flaugd konur, ther

kanna Galldra oc nolkyngi, so ecki

standist noytt vid

them."

("And there are many

Ulf Uggason's Saga.
" It

seems to

me

women who know

evil

strange,"

incantations and magic, so that no one can

remarked one day,

" that

harm them.")

no men seem to practise

witchcraft!"
"

Oh, but there

though," remarked

are,

a priest here in Florence

"

Santo

Now,

if

who

you want
I

si.

GESUALDA

Head-Collectress.

"

Why,

there is

a streghone."

you had told

But he

not have been astonished.

"Ma

is

my

there

me

there was a thief in the police

should

can't be a real wizard."

knows him.

And you

can see him yourself

if

to."

thought on the whole

did not want to.

For

knew

that, in the first

be introduced as a stregone Inglese, and then something came into

head about one Cato, who marvelled that one agur could look another in the

place, I should

my

face.

Not

that I had

any

fear of

mutual smiling or winkingthe confessional

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

196

command

gives a

of countenance beyond words.

who

admiration of a priest

But

was seized with great

could be honest enough to

call

himself by his right

name, and asked how he came to practise our noble profession.

Ah

"

become

know

one.

with

'

Then,' she cried,

'

say a word she was dead and

Some

to

He was called in to confess a witch who was dying, and did not
whom he had to deal. So she got her confession, and then said
Would he have

she had something to leave him.

sicuro.

He had

the witch, with a smile, " he couldn't help himself.

" cried

time after

leave you

my

And

'

Si,

before he could

and he found himself a wizard."

off,

had written the foregoing sentence

Oh, wouldn't he

it ?

witchcraft

received from another

source the following additional authentic information regarding this goblin priest,

of whose real existence

have not the

least

doubt

" This priest was called in to convert an old woman, who, saying that she had something, continually
repeated

world

'

till

that

have no relations

Then

is left.'

to whom

'

small key to a certain box or casket, and died.

And

so the spirit of witchcraft

"

And when
But

die.

it

comes,

if

whom

shall I leave it? to

the priest said

Leave

it

When

to

me

shall I leave it?

Then

'

the old

woman

the priest opened the casket he found in

came on Mm.

but for

or

Praetorius, in his

possible

to

harm

little

Anthropodemus Plutonicus,

marvellous story of a witch whose soul came out of her

which idea Goethe uses

sorcery,

as

extremely interesting from the mention of the mouse.

is

soul of the witch.

hood of

So he did

As my

in Faust.

mouth

This
tells

as a red mouse,

informant was herself in the sister-

have no doubt that she made out as strong a case as was

prove that

all

power

the

and

sanctity of the

Church

and

not avail to remove the awful might of stregoneria.

Christianity could

as

he could not help being a wizard."

all this

This story

was the

away

being a good man, would not touch or embrace people at such times, but, going into

this priest,

possible

him a

a mouse.

it

the witch touches any person, he or she will be bewitched, and waste

the country, touched trees, or grain, or maize, and whatever he touched dried up.

was

I cannot leave this

at once gave

she believed what she narrated to me, and

it

is

interesting to

know

of

But

that in the

month of January, 1891, there were people who believe

Shamanism which is stronger and mightier than that of the

city of Florence in the

in a

prehistoric

Church.

Ages have lapped over

and Christian

cults

ages, the Etruscan

have succeeded one to the

and Sabine- Latin and

other, but

through

it

Roman
all

the

witch and wizard, humble and unnoted, have held their own.
But, in

fact,

as

became

religion of witchcraft in
after all in a priest's

Or

it

bear

found that there

being a wizard, for witchcraft

may come upon you

it till

familiar with the real, deeply seated belief in a

Tuscany,

you can give

it

like love, or

is

is

no such great anomaly

a business, like any other.

a cold, or a profession, and you must

or your practice to

somebody

else.

What

is

pleasant

WITCHES AND WITCHCRAFT.

on

lect

is

that there

no devil

is

and you cannot die

you

If

in it

you get

till

rid of

lose

it

a Christianly, pious possession, but in some strange

of Theology.

but the latter

stregke, et cetera,

was

It

We

met

never

raged in Italy

witness

all

whom

ever

were

good.

all

the fact that

all this is

by PICUS DE MlRANDOLA,

the rubbish written

landus, Peter Pipernus, and scores more.

and

jefore this Hell carnival,

the time

among

after

ther witchcraft which had nothing to

and

And

it

absolutely true

is

and deep, deep under

it,

it,

there was

the people the old ante- Etrusco- Roman sorcery, and with

/thing Hebrew-Persian-Christian

do with

and

it

hell or devils, or original sin

unheeding learned men and

lived,

their piety.

and the Church

'he witch-mania died,

tchcraft without a devil or a

later

the Strega works

Middle Ages witchcraft, supposed to be based on a compact with the

y the

once become

at

and enemies who were

their rivals

Vhat seems incredible and utterly contradictory to

ill

way

True, there are witches good and bad, but

)elonged entirely to the buone.

lette

you

not considered by any

It is

it.

197

Etruscan-Roman

indicates.

The knowledge

lature of the

god

colouring,

the

still

dying

and yet

fast,

Shamanism of

survives-

as

here, in Tuscany,

oldest times with a

indeed everything in this

inspires a very strange reflection as to

Northern Italian can be

tes character.

is

The conservatism

For such a capacity

like.

Roman was

of the old

what the

for survival

his peculiar trait.

not a blind adherence like that of the Egyptian to an established order of

>

for

:,

of

it

was based on common

Cato and

of

Varro on

it all

This

agriculture.

nay, they even taught spells,

Rem

sense.

much

They

nisi Conpititalibus in

strictly

observed

all

the old

But

like the incantations of the witches.

CATO

there was a spirit of independence.

divinam,

strongly manifested in the

is

says (De Agricultura,

conpito aut in foco ne facit

am, hariolum, Chaldseum ne quern consulisse

velit,

c. 3,

haruspicem,

segetem ne defrudet,

nam

:lix est."

taly has never

wanted

those of the Borgias

in her darkest hours

CAESAR BORGIA aimed

for

:iavelli was a true patriot

laturalism which

is

will

its

own

So

it

It is blind,

seems to

and

me

despite the Church, there

not yield to the Church, that

too powerful.

Crescentius,

at a united Italy

a few enlightened minds.

ven in this peasant witchcraft which held

nd of conservatism which

as in the days of

is

to a form of

humble, and ignorant, but

it

kind of vitality and of independence which indicates great power,

i

not so very absurd, in the face of hypnotism and the known influences of

agination (whatever that

may be),

for ignorant peasants to believe in a limited

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

198

Cato

amount of spells and magic.

What

ever lived.

held
It

its

may

own

that this limited

it is

amount of

as

superstition has

against the stupendous, subtle influence of a far greater superstition.

be as Marcellus says, Venerium veneno vincitur.

When

have been asked by people of average ordinary minds " In what do

gypsies believe
just

wonderful in

is

man

did as much, and he was as sensible a

what you do

"

it

me

often occurred to

that

is,

in

nothing at

would be

that the proper answer

For the mere

all."

"

In

unthinking

indifferent,

admission of the truths of a religion, or the existence of a God, does not constitute

and there are very few persons,

faith,

religion should

as to

its real

become

nature.

us say in London, who,

let

fashionable,

would not

But a question

in science,

fall in

be

it

to

it

if

with very

new kind of

of chemistry, political economy,

public health, navigation, or morals, cannot be thus easily acquiesced

demands
easily

active intelligence.

by

to be

drawn from

hard to prove his point.

may

indifferent Christian

his general course of life

be, there is

which shows the

faith in

always that

which he was

born, and so as regards Tuscan or other witches and wizards, while they
profession

several curious

The

and very

original points,

They

it

now

exists in Italy

with

its

But

diabolical, appears.

is

utterly unlike the

Sometimes the

this is all Christian.

and especially of Tuscany,

is

or heaven.

it,

principle of selling the soul to the devil,

pacts with Satan, or

in

which were doubtless at one time taught

are as follows

represented to be in Northern Europe.

and

spells

reader will have observed from several passages or anecdotes in this work

that witchcraft as

priests,

make no

of any doctrines, one can deduce from their traditions and

or believed in with great zeal.

for it

cannot clear his client by merely expressing

He must work

But however lukewarm an

in,

priest settles a disputed point in theology very

his ipse dixit, but a lawyer

his conviction of his innocence.

thought

little

hell,

When

it

was or

is

was taught by
vile

real stregoneria of Italy,

It

has nothing to do with

the devil, or devils, are mentioned

they are under false colours, for they are simply

beings solely intent on destroying souls.

latter as it

as

and as a thing entirely

The

in se absolutely heathen.

same

spirits,

perhaps

Roman

According to

evil,

but not

and I
add early Protestant, doctrines there are incredible swarms of devils (far
outnumbering the good spirits), who are all the time occupied in tempting and

may

Catholic,

truly

damning mankind, in most cases succeeding with great ease.

The Italian stregoneria is like an endowment. It may be voluntarily assumed
by keeping company with witches, studying their lore, and taking part in their
enchantments.
case

is

But

this

the soul to be

may be done

damned

for

it

either in a

in

good or

evil spirit,

a Christian sense.

The

and

in neither

witches evidently

are not so far advanced in humanity and the religion of illimitable Divine

mercy

WITCHES AND WITCHCRAFT.

and love

99

as to conceive that a soul can be sent to hell eternally for a forgotten

Ave Maria, as is beautifully illustrated by a number of well-authenticated Catholic

The gift of witchcraft is not indeed for every one. Many long for it, but in

tales.

fact very few attain

it till

in its

it

some other person

upper or higher grades.

will take

But one who gets

itin which case the witch

is,

as

it

it

must keep

were, absolved

and washed clean of all her sins. Nay, she can cunningly induce an unsuspicious
person to take the power, by pretending to leave her a legacy the precious
legacy being her stregeria. For as she cannot die while she is a witch, and very

often desires to do so, either to go to heaven or otherwise occupy herself,

sometimes requires

all

mentioned, there

now

witch,

who

is

her ingenuity to work off the commodity.

a priest in Florence

after getting absolution

who was
him

an

it

have

thus taken in by a dying

into a wizard.

runs about town, alternately confessing and conjuring

like

from him, ungratefully swindled him by offering

a legacy which he accepted and which turned

suppose "in either form,"

As

eclectic doctor

giving

who

And now

he

the sacraments I

treats his patients

either

allopathically or homeopathically, just as they prefer.

Italian witchcraft

of blood while she

at

is

may be

lost, in

Venice,

by the

witch's spilling even one drop

exercising her supernatural power, or even

In a Florentine story, told in another place, a girl

it.

violently detained

from going to the sabbat.

different kind of witch from the

is

by being caught

?^-witched by being

All of this indicates a radically

one described by Sprenger Bodinus, Wierus, and

a thousand other writers.

But what

is

most remarkable of

when they

all

is

the belief that very great wizards and

become great spirits, who sweep over the country in clouds

or vapours or storms, or wander on earth disguised as mortals. This is precisely
the doctrine of North American Red Indians, among whom one hears continually
witches

die

of Glooskaps, Manobozhos, and Hiawathas, once human sorcerers, but never a

word of any Great

Spirit,

except at treaties with the Government and interviews

with missionaries, such a being having been quite unknown to them

of him from the whites.

and makes

It is also believed in

faith die,

doctrine,

when,

In the shamanistic stage,

his departed friends or great

the

men

man

is

till

they heard

always Euhemeristic,

into spirits.

Romagna that those who are specially of the Strega

human forms. This is a rather obscure esoteric
A child is born,
families but not much talked about.

but reappear again in

known

after

in the witch

due family consultation, some very old and wise strega detects

in it

long-departed grandfather by his smile, features, or expression. So

Shamanism of the Grand Lama of Thibet is maintained that strange and mys-

the world-old

terious centre of the world's

earliest " religion."

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

200

W. HOLMES

Dr. O.

has shrewdly observed that

when

a child

is

born,

some

person old enough to have triangulated the descent, can recognise very often the

grandparent or great-uncle in the descendant.

more frequent

But the

mother.

in the matter,

is

spirit

cling

discoveries of

In one of the strange stories in this book relating

palingenesis than in others.

to Benevento, a father

who

In the witch families,

together and intermarry, these triangulations lead to

born again as his own

and then marries his second

child,

of the departed wizard has at times certainly

and he occasionally

some choice

be born again as a nobleman or

elects to

prince.

Hence the now and then startling phenomenon of a count or marquis with an un^
amount of intelligence, for which nobody can account, not even on the ground
of a clever and handsome German tutor, or a season in London or Paris. There
are always some wise men in Italy who are true and honest patriots, and
according to the doctrines of stregeria we owe them all to the very ancient and
usual

learned

not quite respectable college of wizards, to which, however,

if

doctrine be true, the country owes

original,

and

it

might be adopted to advantage

if

this

At
rate the idea is
some other countries where
any

salvation.

its

in

the statesmen are certainly no conjurors.

Since writing the above

obtained the following information regarding the

transmigration of souls, and the reappearance of ancestors in their descendants.

And

a precious time

a hint to those

had

who come

path straight for them, not to sneer at him

was not wanting

Indian

who

in faith or zeal,

sense of

it

which may serve as

such a wilderness,

for " inaccuracy."

who has made the

Truly

my informant

but she was far inferior to a Passamaquoddy

has been trained in tradition in the art of understanding one's

" Spmetimes
to live again

make

to disentangle or

after the pioneer in

in his

But

!
'

ingly to witches

life

it is

man may

my

say, 'After

not necessary even to declare

death I
this,

may be born

because

if

again a wizard,

(for) I

self.

would

like

he has said such a thing, even unthink-

they hear and observe

senza neppure pensami aistregoni

it.

So

it

will

come

to pass that

he may be born again even from the children of the children of his children, and so be his own great -great
grandson, or great-grandson, or grandson.

" And when such a one

is

born he or she

eyes (con occhi burberi), very lowering or

such a one was

bom

in a part of the

evil,

Romagna

mind, and a hard heart, or rather no heart at

is

known

as wizard or witch, for such an one will have fierce

all.
And
who grew up with a wicked
had none for her own children. And

very thick hair, and such are the most malignant of

called Castrocaro.

all,

so that as a

This was a

woman

she

girl

she said one day that she would be born again as a witch to be revenged on those

meant everybody, for she loved nobody.

" And so it came to pass many years
bad

eyes,

and heavy black

after,

the wife of her

hair, the very picture of a witch.

"

'

nephew gave

And

in a

This thy child

Is not thy child,

But an

Who

evil

will

be

witch
full

wild

whom

she hated, which

birth to a daughter with lowering

dream the mother heard

'

'

WITCHES AND WITCHCRAFT.

And
She

" And

so

turned out that she was re-bom a

it

before long everybody in Castrocaro was

become a witch, and obey her

dared confess

" The
festivity

it

to

what may

befal

do much

will

befal,

to all

ill

form, but really a spirit of evil and revenge

girl in

terrible daughter,

and do

all

The poor mother was

for

obliged to

the wicked deeds which she

commanded, and

He

arranged a grand

no one.

father of this terrible being at last understood the whole,

and

and the children bewitched.

ill

201

ball in

And he assembled
were many priests with

a great open public place.

victims of the witch, while

on the other

But the

supper, and at twelve the witches wished to escape.

daughter to cure, or unbewitch,

all

"

her victims.

'

Tutto

Tu

And

At eleven

holy water.
priests

who had been

all

held them

o'clock they

fast,

the

had

and obliged the

ai fatta,

lo possa riparare,

non possa andare,

in cielo tu tu

Ne
Tu

they bound her with ropes and sang

male che tu

il

and acted thus

there on one side

in

forma di gatto

e di

nessuno animale

possa tornare

Requia semi

Amen !

tinpace.

(" 'Every sin beneath the sun

Due

to thee

must be undone

Happiness thou ne'er shalt know,

Unto heaven thou canst not go,

As a cat no more thou'lt glide,
Or in such form on earth abide,
Neither shalt thou vex or slay men,
Requiescat in pace.

" And then

the witch-spirit,

making a

terrible

Amen !

sound as of

')

rattling chains,

fire,

disappeared

or sorcerer,

by being

and spreading

and was never seen again."

In this
re-born,
is

we may

trace the process

by which the witch

to the higher stage of a spirit.

becomes more powerful, and passes

extremely interesting, because

it

This

gives a clearer understanding of the method

by which the man or woman who is feared is developed to a god. It is quite the
same in Brahminism, or Buddhism, or Tibetan Shamanism. New incarnations in
human form give greater power. This story is the more remarkable because the
narrator was perfectly convinced of

In connection with this

tale,

its

truth.

the narrator observed that there are witches

vulgar or
very good as well as very bad, and an aristocracy far above the
kind.

She, in

fact,

impressed

it

on

me

that there are

the same

common

distinctions in the

world of sorcery as in this of ours.

"The

belief that

men

could

become

"
of Etruria), is very old Etruscan.
translated by Labeo, there were certain

{Hist,

27

gods," writes

Mrs.

Hamilton Gray

In the Acherontic Books of Tages,

rites

through which the souls of

men

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

202

human

could become gods, entitled " Dii- Animates," because they had been

These were

Which

Penates and Lares, before they could become superior divinities."

first

modern

agrees accurately with the

What

very peculiar

is

belief as here set forth.

that these devotees believe in two distinct sets or

is

systems of supernatural beings

celestial "

one

of the saints, angels, and the " hierarchy

of the Scriptures, and the other of " the

which

spirits,"

made

additions as have been

both

to the spirits,

whom

from

obtained

perhaps have been

in

which

what

is

and

it

spirits,

it

among

or

when

by the deaths of distinguished wizards. As

power of a promise or vow once made
which is the more curious because the woman

the belief in the

give a curious story,

this

to

latter,

such Shamanic

examined, turns out to be the old Etruscan mythology, with

illustrating

souls.

absolutely believed in

the Spirits, as

came

folletti,

it

its

truth.

Its

was given me to

into existence

but

proper place would

illustrate

the manner

has a closer relation to

it

discussed in this chapter.

Zanchi.
" Zanchi was a man who was
had

first

one wife,

who

died,

generally loved and esteemed, and

and then another, who did not

His heart was, however, passionately

more sons by

this third wife, at

set

died save two.

And he

Now, of

continued to pray for a daughter, and appealed not only to

he could only have

also to the ancient spirits of the land, declaring that if

that

is,

provided he could

Now

"

this

vow

revisit earth

long after he had a daughter,

vow was

called for,

and see the

did not pass unnoticed

whom

and the father

for

" And one

that

it

was the

who had

but

much

of her husband.

Zanchi, from his vow, became a

spirit,

And

the saints, but

he would gladly die

when

as her

the

Now
own

it

little girl

his

not the

spirits did,

was eight months

and not
old, the

widow was a tender-hearted and

daughter.

And

every night she prayed

passed away.

night she saw a form bending over the

spirit

all

he could

his children

child.

world for another.

devout woman, loving the sons of her husband as

before an image for her son and husband

his desire

though the saints heeded

he loved dearly

left this

and had two

again,

tutto disperato, or almost desperate, to think that

not have so small a favour granted, which would have been such a great one to him,
all

He

to his family.

and by each of these he had a son.

Then he married

on having a daughter.

which he was

who was devoted

live long,

so he

and continued

sleeping

came night

daughter, and as

after night.

it

looked up she saw

In time the widow died

but

to visit his children, especially the daughter."

Here we see that a man, by a prayer to the heathen spirits of old, becomes
one of them. There is no indication that he is punished he simply is transferred

entirely into another region.

It

may

be observed from

all

the incantations in this book, that even the

worst of the mischief-making by Italian witches

In

German

is

based on individual

ill-feeling.

or English witchcraft the sorceress acts from " pure cussedness," on

general principles, not sparing friend or

please the devil.

The

foe,

and doing anything which would

Stregone or the strega, acts from jealousy, envy, or personal

ZANCHI.
Or he

hatred.

third person.

203

do

or she injures a person because of being paid to

The

never bless them,

or

folletti,

or,

worse

do mischief, but

spirits,

still,

exceptionally of Spulviero that,

it

speak disrespectfully of them.

when

alive as a wizard,

that he injured every one indifferently.

it

to please a

because the peasants

is

It is said quite

he was so evilly-disposed

This would have only been his duty,

according to the pictures of his class as drawn by the old ecclesiastical witchdoctors.

In Italy revenge

lands of America

is

hence we

human nature.
The following

almost as deeply cherished as

find a great deal of

sketch of witchcraft

the counter-charm against sorcery.

mured
" In

is

it

in

is

in witchcraft

the frontier
is

mere

fullest

form

but this

very curious, as giving in

was partly

It

it

recited, partly

sung or mur-

the Tuscan

Romagna

are always

many

witches, and twice a

" Witches great and

Meet

in council.

small,

to consider

What

On
On

week they meet

they must be doing

Friday and Tuesday.

Friday and Tuesday

Then they hold meeting

In other forms, changed

To

dogs, cats, or mules,

Of goats there are many,

And go forth to follow
The tasks which are set them.
"
old.

Now
And

it

happened two years ago (1889) that a poor woman had a very

one morning, after having attended to

it,

turning round, she saw a strange cat leap out of her door.
injured her child, grasping the cat in a great rage, she tore from

" Entering
Sought

On

And
it

in the

chamber

for her infant

the bed, under,

But nowhere could

When

find

it,

in the fireplace

She heard a strange wailing

And

On

in the fireplace,

coals hot-glowing,

'Mid the wood flaming,

She saw the baby,

As

in a glory,

Quietly seated,

Harmed

in nothing.

feeling

a handful of

the house,

She sought

beautiful baby,

she went forth to work out

that
fur.

it

of the

two months

house, when,

was a witch who had

'

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

204
" So she took her

child up,

and being sure that

" For she

was

this

witchcraft, she

made

a charm.

put the cat's hair

In a red scarlet bag,

With

the juniper berries,

Frankincense and cummin,

crumbs of bread,

Salt,

Many

iron filings^

Horse-scrapings in powder,

With a witch-medal,
Three black-headed
Three

pins,

and three yellow,

red,

Three cards from a pack

From a pack which is Roman

The seven of spades,
Which causes confusion
;

The seven of
Which makes

And

all this is

'

for the witches.'

put under " heavy weight let

"

and sorrow

tears

the queen of spades,

Ordained

"Then

clubs,

it

be as heavy as possible and then say:

All of this I do

For the accursed witch,

That she may not

Nor

And

live,

nor drink

eat,

peace)

(in

put not this bag

Under

the weight,

But the body and soul

Of

that witch accursed,

That she may not

live or stand

Until she gives health

Again

to

my

child

" Then the witch will come again to the door every day in the form of a cat, wailing and imploring

And

peace.

threw

so this one

and so there was an end

It

there
to

came

three times in the air.

it

seems as

is

make

and then the woman took a skein

Then

the child recovered

if,

by the putting the

immortal.

who

unless this be the cause of

In the original
I

am

classical

" Che

child in the

and
;

si

it.

If

it

fire,

where

it

sat

unharmed,

did the same with the infant Triptolemus,

Perhaps the witch did

no explanation of the reason, and

one may say as

(gomitolo, a bottom) of thread,

health and the mother burned the cat's hair

to the bewitchment." 2

a reminscence of Ceres,
it

its

it

to

make

a witch of

it.

There

is

seems altogether misplaced and mysterious,

we

take

it

altogether, this story

is

as strange

as any of Roman times.

battezza per la strega "

that

obliged to omit the original text for want of space.

is,

baptised or consecrated for the witch.

ZANCHL
Witches of a certain

have

class

their

205

homes

wild and strange places.

in

Thus

I have been told that

"

When

one passes by a cavern where witches dwell

.goblins or fairies

one makes the sign of

"

'

sian folletti,

and repeats

la castagna,

Strega maladetta

siano

le

or

fate

it

may be

Che da me

tu possa stare
"
distante ! '

Sempre
("

Oh

'

witch accursed

Mayst thou ever be

me

Far away from

'

")

me

Information on this subject was often given to

manner with wild sounds

that

it

is

following was half-sung, half-recited

but the

sung, and sometimes with a strange laugh

" Witches make boats with

And

" In a minute they

With

a minute they

in

if

by

writing.

The

was always

fly

si!

si,

you make children's beds with

And

it

" si, si," or " yes, yes,"

fly

rivers

But you must beware,

How

such a mad, eccentric

the feathers of birds.

Over land and

in

convey

really difficult to

one has children,

feathers.

si,

si!

the feathers of beds they will do them great harm.

And

you'll find within them, si, si!

Crowns made with

feathers in the form of a capon.

And look out for

Dal farci dormir

Se non veli

fare stregar.

If

volete

that,

you want the children

And

si!

si,

bambi

to sleep,

not have them bewitched,

You must keep them away from

And now it is finished,
Tell your story,

my

For mine has come

feathers.
si,

friend,

si!
si,

to an end,

si!
si,

si!"

In this wild song, which was not improvised but repeated as if it were well
linown, and a part of some longer narrative (my informant was very particular as
to

my

putting

classical.

si,

si in the right places), the allusion to boats

So the Muses were

flight

and

capons

is

made

of feathers

is

"Feathers," says FRIED RICH, "are a symbol of flight and inspiration.

rapture."

represented as having feathers on their heads to express poetic

"

They had won them from

the Sirens."

The

explained in the chapter on the Spell of the Black Hen.

allusion to the

! !

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

206

But there was

in

that

mad

this

all

Perhaps the

were, unexplained.
feathers

witch-song a something mocking, and, as

unless we would have them become

But the reader cannot

it all.

many of the incantations which

have given there

is

There

those of other countries.

hardly a trace of

is

Book of

of Wlislocki, or in those of the English

As
good or

find himself indiavolato, or bedevilled, ere

she

woman

gypsy incantations

he knows

it.

If

not be eaten, or he

man

one has unwittingly

dried chestnuts, or nuts,- or almonds,

a witch, they should

is

in the

it

from

Fate.

but these must be accepted with great suspicion, or a

accepted from some old

suspects

differs entirely

good and bad, so they give presents which may bring

there are witches

evil fortune

to observe that in

fail

an inexplicably wild mysterious

which seems derived from unknown sources, and which

spirit,

it

recommendation to keep children from

final

from poetry and inspiration

is,

witches or lunatics, explains

may

'

may

and then

find

himself

bewitched.
" In such a

case, let

him wait

exactly at noon or midnight.

the suspected witch, and say

gifts of

Tuesday or Friday, and then take green broom-plant

till

Then make

"

broom

into a cross,

and put

it

on the

fire,

(ginestrd),

and on

it

the

Se

'

the

una Strega

sei

Strega, Strega, Strega

Tu

sia maladetta,

per

sia

il

camin

Maladetta, tu possa saltare

Come

queste nuoce

(O qualunque

altra cosa sia)

Brucciata tu possa restare

("

'

If thou art a witch

Witch, witch, witch

Cursed shalt thou be

And
I

if,

like these nuts,

can see thee jump,

Jump up through the chimney,

And burn away from me ')
!

" But the witches are

picks this up, and puts
this,

it

must make a great

and say

One

crafty.

on a

fire

finger,

he

of their tricks

is

to let fall an enchanted ring.

will begin to waste

away

like a

burning candle.

And

if

any person

Then

he, finding

of broom (ginestra), and barracocolo di ginestra and put the ring

close by the

"

'

Se questo anello e stregato

Su per

il

cammino possa

saltare,

Incompagnia della granata

Che

io

ho appogiato,

Appogiato

al focolare

'
!

fire

"
:

ZANCHI.
("

If this ring should

'

May
With

broom which

the

Have leaned

"Then

the ring be bewitched

if

castagna with both hands, else

There

is

it

fly

peace

I for

against the mantlepiece

')

up the chimney, but be prompt

will fly

it

man be

back and the

will fall

be bewitched,

up the chimney

it

207

at that instant to

make

the

as bewitched as ever."

when one has received any gift of eatables

Take a broom and put it by the fire, and throw some of the

yet another incantation

from an old woman.

suspected food into the flame and say

"

'

Se

robba

la

Che

tu o vecchia indegnata

Mi ha

data,

Lei

stregata,

e'

Nel tempo

stesso che la butto,

Nel fuoco o vecchia indegnata

Tre colpi possa

fare,

Uno

sopra

Che

tu possa accetare,

Uno
Che

dalla finestra,

quella sempre arda e la tempesta,

Ed uno
Che

cammino,

il

della porta

in casa

mia entrare

Piu non possa

Strega, Strega, Strega

Vile e nera, brutta Strega

("

'

If these things

By

In the

fire

'

which here I

thee, vile witch,

And

see,

bewitched be,

the things I throw,

as sign to let thee

Three blows

know

I strike, to let thee see

One on the chimney, straight at thee,

One on the window at thy form
And may it stir thee like a storm
And one at last upon the door,
That thou mayst never enter more

Witch, witch, accursed witch,

Vile and dark and black as pitch

It

spells
in

may

'

")

be here observed that witches of the wicked kind work their worst

by means of giving

food,

Italian sorcery than in

any

and that
other.

much more prominent feature

Thus they make people into animals or
this

forms a

compel them to believe themselves changed into persons of another

they were famed of old as Fulgosus

(lib.

8,

cap. 2) relates

"

sex.

There are

For
in

this

Italy

'

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

208
certain

women, who by

certain kinds of food, act on

what they are

believe themselves to be
firstly

by

human minds

and secondly by administering certain poisons,

suggestion or hypnotism,

Fulgosus, indeed, suggests

such as stramonium which causes strange delusions.

and that probably the turning men into pigs by Circe, and

that these are delusions,

the Egyptian girl

were

who

mare and was cured by Hilarion,

In which the reader will no doubt

believed herself to be a

cakes baked from the same meal.

all

so that they

These ideas were probably produced

not."

agree with him.

The

and

street-boys

have a very easy method

Should you see one

(a fig,

Zident

The

"

is

Romagnola,

witch

much

hence

when a

fact,

they utterly dread.

What

in

But she

is

broom

rite as

born, to free

child

keep away

who

love

spirits,

which

is

across the door to prevent

as regards witches

is

as a thing

pestle, or the three principal

have

which

symbols

it

have learned the following, which proves that

described

by VARRO

is still

observed.

from witches one should take a hatchet, a pestle, and a broom, and

'

Tutto questo l'ho incrociato

Perche voialtre strege maladette,
II soglio

Non
("

anciently a

was born, the threshold was

on the threshold of the door, and the one who does

"

as a steed, as in

kept away or exor'cised

fertility.

Since writing the foregoing

is

Silvanus (regarded as a mischief-making spirit) chiefly

of culture, cleanliness, and

these are to be put in a cross

you may be

The broom was

pestle, to

dreaded was the broom, the hatchet, and the

the whole of the ancient

"

every one of the instances which

broom

collected the only allusion to the

Fico

word, and not with any other.

Romagnola custom of laying a broom

In

you

to

a magic protection against evil spirits

that

relates

the entrance of witches.

" When a babe

Bad luck

this

rides a goat.

touched with a broom, a hatchet, and a

quite like the

Witch, witch, witch

of very old Latin origin.

is

purification

Thus VARRO

!)

sign of the

she turns round and answers

if

"

a witch.

is

making the

identified in Italy with the

She generally

with a broom, which

symbol of

in Italian, Accidente

not so

is

And

castagna).

woman

whether an old

at her, "

But she must reply with

a witch.

Northern Europe.

dirt.

for ascertaining

the street, you must follow her,

in

meaning the sign of the

sure she

are as cruel in Italy as in other countries,,

and cry out many times aloud

castagna,

"

who

canaille,

'

With

della

mia

(casa)
"
!

potete traversare

'

these things a cross I make,

Cursed witches, for your sake.

That ye may no further come,

To

trouble

me

in this

my home

'

")

this

must say

all

HAIL AND CLOUD MEN.

The pestle,
Witches

some

for

reason,

209

regarded as being very effective in magic.

is

Danubian provinces love

in Italy as in the

to dance and rock and fly

wild mazes, chasing one another on the summits of waving branches, and when
these move much in but little wind you may be sure that they or the fairies are
in

there.

"

On the tops of waving trees,

When they're bending in the
That

breeze,

where the witches dance,

is

How they caper,

Up and down to

and they prance

a piper's tune,

Frisking in the light of the

moon

"
!

Hail and Cloud Men.

" Hast thou entered

into the treasures of the

Snow?

or hast thou seen the treasures of the

Hail?"

Job. xxxviii. 22.

"

Fleeting clouds

think

"

sailors of the air

Schiller.

WASHINGTON Irving who

it is

describes a

man who wished

were superstitious because he fancied that such a person must

fairy-land.

Scotch

Walter

common

Scott,

was always wanting

too,

sense, fortified

by education,

to believe

rejected.

And

if

live in

what

that he

a kind of

his strong

the faith of the

Middle Ages had not taught men that every supernatural conception whatever not
included in the teachings of the Church was hellish, and

men might

certainly in

fairies

days of belief have been

the old

and

much

elves, devils,

happier, and

surrounded themselves with ever-varying, many-wreathing, golden-starred canopies,

recognising a

hand

spirit-artist's

dew, decking with liquid pearl the bladed

in the

grass, seeing eyes of light in rain-drops,

worth considering that though

It is

"

Now

Yet that the instant the

Chaucer wrote

can no

curse,

and hearing love-whispers

man

or

see

non

elves

in

the breeze.

that in his time

mo,"

ban, of the Church

was removed

from

poetry by the Reformation, Fairy-land revived and flourished in the works of

Shakespeare, and indeed

In truth, although

ment
in

that its real

one

becomes

place,
in a

golden-spotted

its

in those of

first causes

hundreds

were dying

power was greater than

sends out

its

few removes
fruit.

if

out,

it

ever, like

tendrils to another,
fertile,

not thousands of other writers.

received such a great develop-

a strawberry-vine, which, dying

and from being barren

at

first,

bearing abundant ivory blossoms and coral

Which indeed

holds well, because the strawberry

eminence the fairy-fruitJerome Bosch in a picture gives

28

it

is

par

the power of changing

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

210

men
a

This has been

into strange beings.

considered.

little

The

Elf,

who had been

and yet very limited, or almost commonplace being to the peasant,

literal

became apotheosised
worship of Elfland as

Drayton, and

in

sance called to

and cultivated minds of the golden age of

to the refined

And

English literature into an Ariel.

is

in sober truth, there is

to be found in the works of

no such exquisite

Shakespeare, Herrick,

innumerable ballads and legends which this fairy Renais-

Bishop Corbet was quite wrong when he said that the

life.

fairies

"Were

They were

or Catholic.
delightful

sidering

how

beautiful,

damned under

devils

all

the Church, and only

may

be new to

many

of

my

readers, but

very valuable a highly cultivated sense of

preserves

men from

evil

day do not quite

Italy to this

and revolting

and stone has

it

its

is

art,

or an instinct for the

The peasantry in
Germany

Their chief

is

not the dirty

Herein we have the result of a

which even the monks could never quite extinguish.

true that a

indwelling

worth envying, he

worth seriously con-

influences.

to worship the devil.

vulgar Devil but beautiful lady-like Diana.

certain refinement of art

it is

identify witches with the horrible hags of

and England, who meet simply

Not only is

became

deities to the Protestants.

little

This view

of the old profession,"

man who

spirit, is

believes

like a

Red Indian

that every tree

always in a kind of fairy-land, but what

When

never alone.

he

sits in

is

also

woodland wild 'neath green or

knows the presence of the Elves, or sees by many a sign where they
have passed. Every relic of the olden time, arrow-heads, pottery, and hollow
flints, have been touched by fairy hands, much more those older relics of
an older
time, rocks, rivers, and forests.
russet tree, he

There

is

to the truly refined or cultivated

if its

possessor

land,

and

is

very familiar with such

" By a

We
I

mind an

lore, for

spell to us

with

infinite field for this feeling,

it

fairies,

but

am

too can live in Fairy-

unknown,

can never be alone."

do not think that Shakespeare or Herrick

existence of

we

really "believed " in

the

very sure that no peasant of the tenth century

ever peopled the forests and fields with more beautiful fairies and
associations

than

they did.

And,

fairydom and spirithood

after

all,

who knows how much

really lies

and laws underlying laws not

hidden

as yet

in

known

life

and mystery and

naturewhat elements and senses

to us?
Sleep on, and dream it

HAIL AND CLOUD MEN.

is

man

not yet time for

211

to be quite aroused from his rest

you

may

lie

little

longer

It

of

Read, master, and inwardly digest, oh reader, all this folk-lore of the olden time.
will do you no harm though your mind were as full of fairy fancies as ever that

Don

poetry

Quixote's was of the dreams of chivalry.

is

none the

less,

very great value.

induced you to
past

we

learn

There
lieved,

is,

You

have read

will

on the

reflect

For while the

how much

fact that

of them

still

how few

it

be true or

false.

if it

man

has

not

errors of the

of us realise

however, a distinct charm in knowledge of what

whether

teaches are of

it

this book to little purpose

by studying the stupendous

remain, and

charm or

childlike

the historical value and the lessons which

it.

has really be-

love to look at the knurls or knots in trees,

and remember that they are caused by the heads of witches buried near them, and
forcing themselves again to

my

sight,

air "

and think of the

And this

recalls

the olden time

where the

life

or to peer through a

and perhaps see Elves.

" treasures

with a hole in

Or watch the clouds like

" stored in them

of hail

to help

it

ships

" sailors

of the

one of the strangest and most daintily beautiful conceptions of

that there

hail is

flint

is

afar in

Cloudland a mysterious

manufactured, and whence

it is

Magonia,

city called

carried in ships which look to us

like " clouds sailing along in golden sunset green."

The monks who

bedevilled, belittled,

and

dirtied everything,

added to

this

fancy that these ships were loaded and manned by witches and devils in order to
destroy crops, and that for return cargo they were freighted with the
injured or destroyed.

of

On

which subject the tenth-century Archbishop

Lyons delivered himself as

follows

by

hail

and storms.

are paid

And

sailing through the air,

that the sorcerers

who

thus

AGOBARD

" Most people are so stupid and unintelligent that they believe and declare that there
Magonia, from which come ships

fruit

which receive on board

all

is

a land called

the fruit which

is

destroyed

cause the storms are in connection with the ship-people, and

by them."

The same bishop relates that he himself once saved the lives of four human
men and a woman, whom the populace wished to stone to death
because they believed that they were people from Magonia, who had fallen from
beings, three

a cloud-vessel, having been " shipwrecked

1

Des Deutschen

Mittelalters

by Jean Paul Richter,

for

his age, quite free from

Volksglauben

Berlin,

1815.

"

during a thunder-storm.

und Heroensagen, von

F. L. F. von

It is to

Dobeneck.

be

Preface

This Bishop Agobard was a noble-minded man, a miracle

vulgar superstition, and determinedly opposed to that kind of Christianity

which believes that there are a million of devils tempting man where one angel comes to his aid, and that
the devil is far superior to God in power, since he gains more souls than are saved. For such views the
bishop was greatly persecuted by the Orthodox believers, and died in misery (vide Horst, Dcemonomagid).

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

212

deeply regretted that the bishop did not give us some account of this quartette
how they looked, and what language they spoke. I fancy myself that they would

have proved to be gypsies

"

Like ships

conception

and out

far off

and

will

it

may

forgotten

city

recall

'

when you

sit

charm

at evening

in

this

and look

you two could take passage therein

for the

whose walls are of

aerial

Magonia,

for

amethyst, and citadels of vapoury emerald

'

it

there not a

is

be at the trysting-treeand see the cloudlets

steering in the fiery sea, and wish that

far-away,

Reader,

"

you not sometimes

at the rosy, golden sunset

beautiful,

at sea

All over doth this outer earth

An
And

inner earth enfold,

sounds

Over
There

its

may

reach us of

pales of gold

spirits live,

its

mirth,

unwedded

all

From the shapes and lives they wore,

Though oft their printless footsteps fall
By the hearths they loved before.

We

mark them not, nor hear the sound

They make in threading all around,

Their bidding sweet and voiceless prayer

Float without echo through the air

Yet often

in

unworldly places,

Soft Sorrow's silent vales,

We

mark them with uncovered

faces

Outside their golden pales

Yet dim as they must ever be,

Like ships

With

Floating away, away, and ever on

blending in darkness, glittering in

mingling and changing

and

oft in

far off

and out

gleaming

very truth, and there thou wilt be

Sic vita.

But

in glory

on the heavenly plane

hail-diamonds seeking earth again,

rain, or in

like all things for ever

or ever Eternity shall end

at sea,

the sun upon their sails."

Thou hast been there many a time

many

time, thou Child of the Mist,

learn

from Pr^etorius,

in

Anthropodemus Plutonicus,

his

that these Graupenmenschen, or Hail-men of Magonia, are rare elfin-artists,

now and then they

fashion their ware in strange forms,

work themselves, or

else

by magic might cause small

and that

and even enter into

fairies to

appear in

it,

their

in order

to mystically forebode strange things.

"Very memorable

is

that

which happened

pebbles, wonderful hailstones on which were

those of men.

them

faces,

both male and female.

The female bore long hair and veils, which were

Cranzius declares in Wandal, lib. 9, c. 3.

in his hands, as

when there fell, like a rain of

The former had beards like
by a very credible man, who also had

in the year of Christ 1395,

human

seen

HAIL AND CLOUD MEN.

"And

in

Cremona, in the year 1240,

be seen, as

if

most carefully engraved, the form of a

Jesus Nazarenus.

As

And

Nauclerus,

in the cloister of Saint Gabriel, there fell a hailstone

cross,

one of the drops of water from

appears by the Writer

also

213

Vinsich, Histor.

lib.

on which could

with the face of the Lord Christ, and the

letters

man caused him

to see.

it

wetting the eyes of a blind

and from him Majolus,

138,

30, u.

p.

torn.

15. d.

Gener. 41."

Which well-authenticated
Magonia were good Christians
" M. Heinrich Gobald

show

fact should of itself

"

that the inhabitants of

and wider."

in Breviar. Histor., p. 473, declares that in 1650,

announced from Presburg, there was a

terrible hailstorm,

on the 18th of June, as

The

such as no one had ever beheld.

stones were

of very varied forms, and some of them were like Turk's heads."

From which
and

soon came wars, famines, revelations and revolutions, adulterers

harlots struck dead,

"

A Child

and from

this

it

was deduced that

of Midnight will ere long reign, and his rule will be hard as iron and

pestilence, hunger,

and war

become a mighty monarch.'

Which

is

will take the

upper hand.

Yet

and

it

he govern

will

full

of grief;

Moscow with much

by

followed

may be you

stuck together, so as to

and wild prophesying as to what

forty pages of grim

also,

by the

hailstones.

oh reader, have seen a great and a small hailstone

much resemble

a Turk's head with a turban

but truly

We

never occurred to us that there was a volume of political presage therein.

not even think of the Child of Midnight which, by the way,

might serve

for the title of

far sailing in the sky,

and when
that

hit

by a

a novel or poem.

you may perchance

hailstone regard

it

as

is

it

did

a fine term, and

Yet when you see the cloud-ships

mysterious city of Magonia,

recall the

done

in sport

by the

fairy artisans of

famed town.

What

appears from several

" fleeting clouds

spirits,

land

when

peace, and

will take place in the year 1666, as foreboded

I,

first

"

sailors

of the

authorities

air,"

is

that

what seem

hastening across the sky, the ships and sailors of

bent on errands far away

to us

to be

are in reality mysterious barks, or very often

of which there

cloud-land gorgeous

a very strange story told

is

Firstly be

Meteranus {Niederland Histor., b. 28).

Norse heroes of Valhalla meet every day to rehearse

"

it

by

remembered that as the

their ancient duels,

and

fight

and be killed, and then revived, so the mysterious dwellers in the land of air
return to earth on the anniversary of

some great

battle of the olden time, just

as in America the battles of Bunker Hill, Concord, Saratoga, and others, even as
late as that of Gettysburg, are celebrated

the conflict o'er again.

So

France, in December, 1608,

it

came

many

by

spectral armies,

who

to pass that in the land of

small clouds

came

fight by night
Angoul^me in

drifting o'er the sky, looking

"

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

214
like the pebbles

on the strand moved by the

two by two, they began to

by one and two by

two, they to a mighty squadron grew

ground they suddenly became warriors.

very

tall,

else

cerulean

into

two

they

all

But

armies,

it

is

mostly in the

we

who
who go

see these beings

eternal

soul),

To

are corpore aerea, tempore

Sometimes they pause, however,

a sorcerer's

spell,

and build up,

who

those

and no wonder,

For Magonia truly

"A

all

made

seem

to

like clouds

high

humanly

to

delude

is

its

lights

the golden greenness of the

hills,

And

in

The

purple dropping skirts of thunder-cloud,

domes, pearly

like giant stairs until

are " gifted," these appear to be actually

great strange city, lovelier in

Than

sky on

a time, either of their

for

in the setting sun, pillared

they are only

for

fleeting over the

at a thought, cloud-capt towers

and rows on rows of battlements, repeated

lost in the air.

mankind.

mountains, in hidden places

silent desert or in lonely

plain, that

free-will or at

as they touched

as Meteranus declares, " were

and gorgeous palaces, rosy and golden

built

One

vanished."

mystic errands bent

citadels,

and

"

handsome men, having blue weapons, flags, and everything

and of them all were 12,900.
And they divided
and fought from five o'clock in the afternoon till nine, when

or sky-blue

eterna (airy of form, yet with

own

" All,"

"

straight,

beyond the

far

Then, one by one and

rising tide.

and gently as snowflakes, to earth

softly

fall,

its

shadows glorious

city of all colours

And gleams

and

far

fair

beyond

shapes,

of falling water day and night

Lit up with rainbow fountains in the day,

up with

Lit

rain of coloured stars

by night

And

out beyond and sleeping in the light

The

islands

And
And

upwards, through a labyrinth of spires

turrets,

The

city rises

and the azure of the

and steep alabaster

all its

Shining to seaward

sea,

walls,

jewelled fronts
.

Until at last through miles of shadowy air

The

blue and violet mountains shut the sky."

I had written the foregoing in the city of Florence in May, 1891, when
was conversing one day with a woman who came into the house just as a
storm was raging without. And she said " I was going to the post-office, and
I

as

went some one said to me, Truly thou

up from beneath thy

'

art a witch, for the hailstones leap

feet.'

The

Disciples,

by Harriet E. H. King.

"

HAIL AND CLOUD MEN.

Then we

all

answer, which

laughed, and

asked

and

this

was the

wrote down, word for word, in Italian

" People say that when the weather becomes bad (quando
begin, that

made hail
:

witches

if

215

il

tempo

si guasta),

and thunder and lightning

a storm caused by wind, and that the dark clouds are water, and the wind bears along those
clouds which shed water. But really it is a very different thing.
For up in the sky there are cities made by
it is

the witches and wizards

made

who were once

for themselves another

driven out of paradise or

who

left this

world, and they have

world in heaven.

" But even in heaven they keep those evil feelings (tengono sempre i suoi rancori) which they ever had,
and so they choose the worst weather, so that they may do much mischief to men. And then they enter a
vessel (bared) and load it with hail ; and all the clouds which we see are not clouds of air, but boats.
Then
their leader takes a hailstone

and throws

"

'

it

a witch, and so they

at

all pelt

one another and sing

Tiro queste granate,

Ma
Le

non

tiro le granate,

perche

tiro

devono

si

Convertire tutte in grandine

voglio sperare

Che

tutta la

campagna

male voglia andare

cosi tutti di

fame

In terra dovranno andare

This spell was sung also

Romagnola, and

in

"

throw these grains of

"
'

it

means

hail,

But not merely these grains,

I

throw them that they

may

convert

All (the rain) to hail

And

I wish,

That

all

May

suffer

And

all

May go

Of

this Hail-land in

a few details, but which,

heaven

For there

is

hope,

from

their graves

sky another world

the weather

is

wizards and witches,

this

dark, and clouds

who throw

" The

light,

spirit

which has a sea

before the storm, those clouds are boats

it

falls to

full

more

in

them

when they

died,

rain, but there is

wizards and witches who,

for themselves,

different in

is

and a sign of

made by

the hail at one another, and so

happens one should invoke the

and children

fly

another history, which

in air say it is air (vapour)

in the

from hunger

not less interesting

were not admitted to heaven, and so they made a world

when

it,

the people therein

I received

I think, is

" People when they see clouds

than they suppose.

the country

(lake) in

of hail, and in

it.

And

them are

earth and does great harm.

When

of thunder (Tituno or Tignia).

small clouds which pass along in sunlight in fine weather are small boats in which are girls

whom

the witches have taken and keep as prisoners.

send them out sailing in the

air."

But sometimes when

it

is

pleasant they

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

216
I

MS. devoted

have, indeed, a third account in

six readings

have been obliged to give

There

additional testimony.

it

up as

something to the

is

to these captives, but after

unintelligible.

It is only-

have

effect that the witches

mirrors with which they flash out signals to the boats to return, or with which

they

make

lightning.

Witches on earth sometimes pay

visits to this

Magonia, or Cloud City land,

but they run a risk of being caught or killed in the storms of their

Thus Friedrich Panzer

own

us in his Bavarian Tales, that during the

tells

of the last century there was such a tremendous tempest, with

hail, in

raising.

first

half

Forchheim

Upper Franconia, that the people feared lest the whole town should be
Then the Franciscan brothers met in their cloister garden, when,
just as the first blessing was pronounced, lo
a beautiful woman, stark-naked,
in

destroyed.

was thrown headlong from a passing thunderstorm on the grass

and the holy
sight,

drew

brothers, greatly

near,

amazed

when they recognised

in their

midst

at this, doubtless to them, utterly novel

who had indeed dropped in on them

woman long suspected of witchcraft.

in her

so suddenly, the wife of the town miller, a

Whereupon one of the monks threw a garment over her, and she was brought
into the cloister
" By means of which," says the account (somewhat obscurely),
"they averted from her the death by fire."
Which means, I suppose, that she
made so favourable an impression on the Franciscans that they protected their

Moyen de Parvenir) from being

proie inattendue (vide Le

The conduct

of these sorcerers and witches, unfit for heaven and averse to

and rose-red

earth, building for themselves starry palaces

glory

Dream

to genius

yields,

me

reminds

of Shelley, and that very markedly indeed

"

The

real world-existence as

which we see around us

The

solid earth

tolerate.

roasted.

nor

it

he did not care

is to

other minds he recoiled from

Heaven

for.

So, as Mr. Hutton has said, his

earth, equally remote from both

of what Professor Shairp remarks

from the unseen world of Righteous

less

some
'

moral heaven

mind made

citadels with all the

for itself

interstellar region,

some

shrank from
Law and

there was that

in

own dreaming

Once

in

a dwelling-place midway between heaven and

clear, cold place

Pinnacled dim in the intense inane,'

J.

fantastic, all

woven out

phantasy."

a while one of these dwellers in the violet Nifelheim, or Magonia,

escapes and comes

that Mr.

we apprehend.

him which he would not

which he peopled with ideal shapes and abstractions wonderful or weird, beautiful or
of his

the dull, gross earth

Will which

down

A. Symonds

to earth,
is

really

and

is

born as a Shelley or a Keats

one of them

or

Heine, or Carlyle, or Victor Hugo, or anybody else

think

a Swinburne, or Ruskin, or

who

is

splendidly rhapsodical, sublimely egoistical (or subjective)

magnificently

men

illogical,

whose thoughts

HAIL AND CLOUD MEN.

are streamed and dashed with startling hues, and

The

scarlet light

torch of

who

think showers of stars,

new

and who, when they do teach us something

" Shoot out a

217

which seems as

some explorer shone

if

them,

in

Revealing mysteries of caverns deep

Which had been hidden from

So from
mammoths in

Siberia, to the world

So
all

my heart

it

some

till

trenched in

if

like

ice,

discoverer reveals them,,

into time old time returns again,

and the ancient medals,

the more beautiful for their rust. And it went deeply to

had read the story of Magonia, and thought it was a tale
dead on earth and embalmed in a chronicle, to find a sorceress in whose

thus disinterred, are

faith

unknown

marvelling here and there that such things could have been,

is

so long frozen up.

to me,

Time."

old days these hardened stories live as

and then there

utterly

the birth of

that after

lives.

was

It

and told

me

as

mummy,

an Egyptian

if

had suddenly spoken

revived,

a tale of Thebes, or declared that Cloud-Cuckoo land was

known when he beheld

a reality which he had

" Against an orange sky a purple

And

cloud,

cloud that did not change nor melt nor move,

there were faint shadows in the cloud

still

mystery of towers and walls and

And

the

shadow of a great dome

hills,

in the midst,

All purple."

How

deeply

by the

are

one

(or

following from

"

Roman

The schoolmaster
which

bells,

terribly)

is

impressed the Italian peasantry

When

last

left

It

priests

effect

week, and indeed

it

is

it is

of the weather.

lucky for him that he does not hold

However, the

the belfry this summer.

of his flock, and stopped the ringing, telling the people to

upbraided him for causing the hail by stopping the

bell.

'

Give

it

him

!
'

Marca then

fled,

Government on spelling-books and a

woman,

less

our climate,

priest

has the misfortune to be far too

come

into church.

said to

As soon as the bell

named Marca bitterly
priest,

who

be Marca's mother, meanwhile

and has not yet been caught.

little

This was duly

office in

Producing a billhook, he attacked the

parried one blow, but presently received a fearful gash, a

Italian

as

the practice to ring frantically one of the

on the temper of the clerk

ceased the hail began, and no sooner had the priest reached the altar than a peasant

calling out,

curious

is

bells as devil-drivers

good account by the

a storm comes on there

supposed to have good

or he would scarce have

1891.

power of

belief in the sacred

but very moderately abroad in Italy, as the priest of Montalto in that country

is still

done by the sexton one day

much ahead

how

caused by devils and witches appears from the

in later times turned to such

has too good reason to know.

church

say

is

London newspaper of September,

involving the ancient

which was

may

belief that hail

little

more spent by the

on ironclads might possibly prevent such unpleasant

contingencies.''

Truly Marca was much more of a heathen than a Christian.

of old

Rome

was great

in

him

he

would not yield

29

to feeble

The

modern

spirit

faith.

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

218

Storied of Witched and Qoblij^.

Tuscan Romagna

Story-telling in the

The

an institution with observances.

is

may

be twenty or

with due solemnity a

rosario, or five

peasants in winter meet together, " perhaps ten, there

thirty,

around a

fire,

and

of

first

all

recite

paternosters with the aves and other prayers, and then begin to raccontare, or

generally observed.

some old man gives a

First of all

own

on, eliciting from the hearers their

and

so the folk-lore

is

kept

is,

with

which

story,

same

the

Neapolitan

of

very

commented

is

suggested,

1808 there was published in

trifling difference,

translation

is still

is

reminiscences, then another

In the year

alive.

which
peasants speak a

Bulgnese, or Bolognese

which these

This very ancient custom

and folletti."

relate tales of fairies, witches

dialect as that

fairy

which

tales,

main taken from the Pentamerone of Gian Battista Basile,

Hence the same stories,
is very much varied to suit new surroundings.
now known all over Italy, have penetrated to the Romagna But they have, in

appears to be

in the

but which

the Bolognese region,

many

of which no traces are to be found in the usual range

of Italian legends, and very often even the latter have here either taken of later
years, or derived from very ancient sources, elements

are quite peculiar, and often bewildering

future will doubtless duly consider

The following are a few of

many more several do indeed
been too much occupied with

and

sift

all

and

which

characteristics

of which the folk-lorists of the

even to powder.

the tales which

have heard.

could have given

occur in other portions of this work

but

have

other subjects, nor indeed would space or the

publisher permit further addition.

The Witches and the

" There were two witches, mother and daughter,
ful girl,

who had a lover, and

who

lived

they were soon to be married.

Boat.

by the
But

sea-side,

were given to sorcery and had wild ways, and some one told the young

So he resolved

such a wife.

when, he knew,

and

sat

till

it

if

to see for himself

by going

sucked

was

all his

after eleven,

and when they

blood from his veins, and

whom they had put

Now

of

it,

women

and that he should not take

to their house, but intending to

remain

till

midnight,

And he went and made love,

bade him go home he replied, Let me sit a little longer,'
'

made

it

their witchcraft into a

to sleep, for he

to be invisible

that night,

had long suspected them, and

he had a boat, and as he observed

for

deep sleep, and with a small

into a blood pudding or sausage (migliaccino),

And this gave them the power

was another man on the look-out for them

they carried with them.

" But there

man

they were witches they could not remain longer at home.

and so again, till they were out of patience.

" Then seeing that he would not go, they cast him by
-tube

and the younger was a beauti-

began to be reported that the

it

it

some time every morning

till

which

they should return.

and that was the brother of the youth

was he who had warned

that

it

his brother.

had been untied and used by

''

'

LA VENDETTA LI PIPPO.
some one

in the night,

he concluded

and waited and watched

"At

They wished to go to Jerusalem to get garofani (clove

And when they got into the boat the mother said

midnight the two witches came.

much

" But the boat did not move.

would make three."

Then

'

it.

Then

tre,
!

Per quattro, per cuanto tu vuoi

("

'

Go
For

" Then

the boat shot

where they gathered

that the

flew

away

flying

as he

an arrow,

witches, and went

So he went

And when he had

like

two or three or

many

four, as

as

still

you

will

')

like lightning, like thought,

eaten

home

to the witches

it, all

his blood

arose, over the

to tell his brother,

whom

and threatened them,

and

life

to Jerusalem,

the boatman was well satisfied

he found nearly dead and almost out

they gave the youth the migliaccino.

till

was well

returned, and he

house-tops, and over the

and they soon came

Then

their flowers, and, re-entering the boat, returned.

women were

of his mind.

away

for

child

Vai per due, vai per

'

" Perhaps you are with

the mother cried again

Boat, boat, go for two

did not move, so the mother cried again

"

the mother said to the daughter,

But the daughter denied

"

Still it

Boat, boat, go for two

'

gilly

used in magic).
"

"

carefully,

well.

flowers, or the clove plant,

that

219

So he hid himself on board

was done by these witches.

it

as before.

But the witches

and unless they have stopped they are

hill,

still.

BERNONI

tells

perfectly, since

this

story in

his narratives of

In the classical tales of

blood was the chief occupation of the

may be

less

he makes no mention of a lover or of the witches sucking and

restoring his blood.

the earliest version of the

to Alexandria

Venetian witches, but

APULEIUS and

striga, for

tale.

fresh dates

his adventure.

clove flowers gives a far better reason for the voyage.

a story in which a boat

full

think that this

In the Venetian story the boat goes

and the 'boatman while there obtains

he exhibits on returning as a proof of

others, sucking the

which reason

The

and

leaves,

which

obtaining the mystic

HAWTHORNE

of witches, in the form of cats,

has written

make such a

trip to

obtain rosemary, also a witch-herb.

La Vendetta

di Pippo.

" There was a man named Pippo, and he had not been long married
he was obliged to go on a long journey.
nor did his

letters

And

reach home, so that his wife,

it

to a

young and beautiful wife when

so chanced that this journey was by accident prolonged,

who was young and

very simple, believing

mischievous hints of everybody, soon thought that her husband had run away.

Now

all

the gossip and

there was a priest in

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

220
the village

who was

bastanza furbo

husband had abandoned

not a

little

of a knave

" At this the priest looked very grave, and said that

done ;

yes, that

was a mortal

it

and

him she

to

bitterly

complained that her

her, leaving her incinta, or with child.

sin for

it

was very wicked

in her

husband to act as he had

which both she and PlPPO would be damned, even

to the lowest

depth of hell, because she would give birth to a child which had only been begun, and not finished, for that
it

would probably be born without a head or limbs, and she would be very lucky

And

the eyes were wanting.

that all

women who

if

only a hand and foot, or

bear such monsters would be certainly condemned to

the worst.

"

Now

the wife, being only a simple contadina, was very devout, and went frequently to confession, and,

believing every

yet

still

and

when by

all this to

was

said,

and

to

remedy

it,

he would try

power as a

priest,

be freed from

so she could

and asked him what could be done

which he should most unwillingly employ,

terribly frightened,

was a way

for the child's sake,

his miraculous

would be perfected

word of

priest

replied that there

to save her soul,

night with him,

infant

word which the

Then he

in this case ?

sin.

And

it.

and by

this

his prayers,

was

that she should pass the

he would so

effect

it

that the

But he made her swear an oath not to

any human being, and especially not to Pippo,

else all

would

fail.

tell

So she assented, and

the priest had his will.

"

Now

no one knew

was going on

at

it,

but Pippo was a streghone, or wizard, and casting his mind forth to

home, learned

all this fine affair

house, he put on the form of a beautiful nun, and went to the

famous
brother.

for

Pippo was very kindly received by them

extraordinary beauty, and

their

And when he begged

for

know how

all

Then returning, instead of going to his

The priest had two young sisters,
priest's.

which had passed.

a night's lodging, the two young

girls

as well as

by the

bade him sleep with them, which

he did, of course seducing them thoroughly.

" The next morning, being alone with the

priest,

at the chance of sinning with a nun, he plainly asked

Famore.

At which the

priest

was enraptured

form, which was a terrible one, and said

'

but

am

he

before God, thou false priest

all

the time

many

spirits

if

ogled him, and as the other caught eagerly

they should not go into the cellar, per fare

when they were alone

together Pippo assumed his natural

Pippo, whose wife thou didst wrong with thy

lies.

Evil

now thou art accursed

And the prele could do nothing and say nothing. And there came before
who mocked him, and he had to leave holy orders. And this was the revenge

hast thou done to me, but I have done worse to thy sisters,

him

first

him

and worst of all

to thee, for

'

of Pippo."

should have omitted this very Bocaccian tale had

illustrates

it

not been that

it

very strikingly the antipathy of the believers in witchcraft and the

spirits of old for the priests.

A merely loose, licentious story makes no such

deep

moral or immoral impression on the Southern European mind as

it

Northern, but the distinctly placing wizard against

sorcery against

Christianity,

is, if

the reader will

reflect,

a strega, and

priest, or old

a very singular incident.

does on the

It is in this

most remarkable as showing that such

antagonism between Shamanism and the Church should still exist, as it has
that the point

lies for

it is

undoubtedly existed through the ages.

received after this
in

which a

priest

work had gone

to press

I
is

may add

spirit.

among

the

tales

one entitled The priest Arrimini,

becomes a wizard, manifesting,

heathen or anti-Christian

that

like this

narrative, a

marked

THE WITCH

CAT.

221

Pispi.
" In a

district

away

carried

of

La Romagna,

vast treasures

was a man named Pispi, who was a great robber

there

He

and yet was never detected.

he had plundered immensely, and on departing he would

would go

say,

am

Signori, I

'

one who

yes,

and meet gentlemen

to a cafi

whom

Pispi, the famous robber,'

but nobody could catch him or lay hands on him, and when they met him they did not recognise him

any time,

he changed his face and form continually,

for

until at last

it

at

was generally believed that he was

devil.

" But he really was a wizard.

And

at last

he lay dying, but could not

implored those present to take his power, but none would accept

At
left

some one put two brooms under

last

Now

a treasure.

his bed,

Pispi was really a good

and so he

spirit,

died.

die.

And he

groaned, and

because he was believed to be a devil,

it

But his

had no peace,

spirit

for

Then he sought about for some poor and deserving man, and finally found one in
who was condemned to the galleys for life, and he said to him, I will by my conjuring deliver

deal to the poor.

a prisoner
thee from

'

Then go

thy sufferings and set thee free.

Istia, buried

art rich

and

one yard's depth you

free

do not

into the

will find

forget the poor

woods

a treasure,

And

'

he had

because he robbed very rich people and gave a great

in such

it is

so Pispi

a place, and there stands an oak-tree called

in a boot

and

in

an earthen pot.

And when

had peace, and the poor prisoner became

rich

thou

and

happy."

It

had

it

would not have been worth while to give

not been for the

the mandrake, which

brain,

name

is

of

its

hero.

Pispi

there supposed to

&c, on the gallows,

is

pisdifje can enter all houses,

This root was called by

all

and rather

a typical thief,

and

flat

little

brain-thief.

He who

such as mandrake, mandragora, alraun,

offerings or a kind of worship.

philological connection between the

tion of associations between these

thief's

has this

doors, and rob freely, without being detected.

many names,

gallows, mannikin and earth-mannikin in Germany, and was regarded as a

and received

tale,

Holland

in

grow from the droppings of a

called Pisdifje, or

open

this vulgar

is

names of

There

Pispi

and

names and the

is

of course no

Pisdifje,

thief

who

demon
rational

but the conneccould

never be

detected, and the root-demon who enables a thief to avoid detection, is very
It may be remarked in this connection that the Vocabulario delle
curious indeed.

Lingue FurbescJie
in

or Vocabulary of Thieves' Tonguesindicates much intercourse

common between

the thieves of Northern Italy and those of

The Witch
It

half

Cat.

has been well said that one half the world does not

lives,

Germany.

and while collecting these instances of strange

know how

the other

superstitions, I

am

tempted to think that almost one half does not at all understand how the others
what is the moral atmosphere which they breathe. We know that

think, feel, or

there

is

no truth

in

anything supernatural, but these others who appear to be

so ignorant and indifferent live in a different

they see and hear

ghosts

and marvels and

life,

all

and see and hear

strange things.

or believe

Witness the

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

222

woman who

following, which the

witnessed

When

'
'

told

me

to

it

she had

believed

certainly

was a small child

went frequently

to the house of a

woman who had

and we often made a noise when playing together, but woe to us whenever we did
for the child's
it

'

'

mother said that

cats are all wizards

As

also a little girl

and witches.

a bambino.

baby

girl

playing with the cat,

so,

indeed learned only too soon

how

true

was.

"There

lived near us another

woman who had

my

day while we three were playing together and making a tumult,

ran howling to her mother, and the

and, per troppo fa vero,

it

woman

was only too

said to the mother of

For

true.

after

this child

friend

gave

One

was very impertinent.

this other

one a

So she

cuff.

my friend, I will be revenged for this

my little friend fell ill and no one knew
;

'

a few days

what was the matter, nor could any doctor explain the malady.

"Then

always remained standing

it

" Then the

be

it

cat spoke with

But

well.'

that a cat

came by night

So she watched, and when

bed and beat

to the child's

shall

woman who had

her mother began to think that the

was sure of it when she observed

with

a human voice, and

at that instant there

said,

was heard a

were about, and the mother instead of letting the cat

And

blessing.
cat

at

'

'

Cure

my

free

child or I will kill you

can endure no more.

horrible roar

became nothing more nor

;

non divento

less

and

went and called the

Let

altro

than the

it

me go and

priest that

when the
woman who had vowed

the neighbours seeing her naked,

all

she

and bound

and clanking of chains as

the mother clipped the hair from the cat, and in the morning

could no longer be a witch

And

and that Mt, instead of lying down

midnight the cat came again, she took

her might, saying,

all

threatened vengeance was a witch.

into her house,

if

your child

many demons

he might give his

church-bell rang the

revenge.

and without a hair

left,

And

so she

knew what she

was, and so she practised witchcraft no more.''

This

is

interesting

because

shows plainly the belief derived from pre-

it

Christian times, that the witch once detected, or stripped

Here

her disguise, can no longer be a witch.

it is

of

in this case literally

not a question of a soul sold to

the devil, but only of power held on a very precarious condition.

Apropos of

Owen

The negroes
you never can
soundly.

this subject,

have the following

in a letter

by Miss Mary A.

in

tell

Missouri say some cats are real cats and some are devils

" which

The voodoo does

is

which," so for safety

not whip her

strange black cat that runs in

at

own

cat,

it

is

well to

whip them

all

but she excepts none other.

one of your doors and out

at another,

somebody in the house. A grown-up black cat which comes

and cannot be driven away voodoos the whole house in spite of blows.

puts " a trick " on

The Dwarfs.
" Von wilden Getwergen

Han

ich gehoeret sagen,

Sie sin in

Holn Bergen."

Das

One day
and

was

at

inquired

if

there were

Nibehtngenlied.

any Elves, or

once informed that there were,

little

in these

dwarfs, in

words

La Romagna

\.

'

THE DWARFS.
"Deinanil

223

Dwarfs!

There are many. They dwell in lonely places, far away in the mountians, deep
among old ruins, and rocks. Sometimes a contadino sees one or more he may behold
away, going home very early between night and day, hurrying before the sun rises to get into their
They live like other people, they are good and bad like other people, but they are folletti, really.

in them, in caves or

them

far

homes.

I will tell

you an

old, a very old, story about

them

" Once there was a girl who had been betrayed by her lover and abandoned
wild fit, determined to go in search of him.

" Over

for another,

and so

she, in a

the high blue mountain,

Over the

rolling rivers,

Through the wet

grass,

Along the hard highway,

Into noisy

Where

cities,

in churches,

there were people or none,

Si mise in cammino

D'andare in cerca di

She

set herself

To go

" And when she had

among the

And

travelled

many

in search of him.

days and longed for a

rocks and knocked at the door.

she answered

lui,

on the journey

There came out a

little rest,

she came to a small house far away

dwarf,

little

who asked

her what she wanted.

"

Good

'

friend, a little lodging,

beg

it

in charity,

my feet are weak and weary

am seeking, seeking my lover,

For
I

Whom
Yet

wish to

hope

Because

love

" Then she entered and supped and went to bed.

room swarms of

frolicking into the

seeing her.

And

little

kill for his falsehood,

not find him,

I shall

him

And

still.'

at

dwarfs or goblins

midnight there came leaping and laughing and

tutti

uomini

piccioli

who

pushed and beat them and gathered them up and threw them as she could against the

mind

it

when

she

"

in the least, but climbed in

fell

shouted for joy at

they pulled her hair and danced on her, and tweaked her ears and nose, and she, in a rage,

crowds like bees on her bed

till

wall, but they did not

dawn came, when

they disappeared,

asleep.

And waking

she rose and went her way,

'
'

'

when from

a hill

Stop and talk with

I

can truly

Where

tell

came out another dwarf, who

me

thee

to find thy lover,

And if thou would'st find him

Come to me at midnight,
And I'll truly tell thee
Where to find thy lover
!

said

'

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

224
" Then

the girl replied

:
"

'

Dam mi

("

mono,

la tua

Pegno de

'

parola

la

Give me, then, thy hand

'

Pledge that truth thou speakest.

" But the dwarf answered

"

'

cannot give

As
For

am

swallow, and he

said

went

spirit,

were the goblins

this night did tease thee,

For thou
at midnight the girl

hand,

thou didst well please them

Still

Then

spirits

Who

my

given by mortals,

'tis

And

"

')

didst

show

spirit.'

and he gave her a

to the dwarf,

feather,

and she was turned into a

"

Fly upon the wind

'

the wind directs thee

As

Follow, follow, follow,

And thou'lt find thy

And when thou hast
Then thou

Two

lover

found him

have travelled

wilt

months' distance, but

By my

incantation

Truly shall have made thee

Fly

it

When

in a minute.

thou seest thy lover

Touch him with

this feather,

Then he'll love thee

Nor think upon the
"

Then he

grotto and say

will

wed

only,
other.'

thee after three days, but during the time thou must

"

'

Grotto, grotto, grotto

By

the incantation

To

call

on

Enchant,

So

all

good

I pray,

at

noon to

my

spirits,

that three days over,

He may
" And when the

lover,

he may never

that

So

my

Love another woman

by

come every day

be

three days had passed she touched

my

husband

him with

the feather, and resumed her

his side

"E
A
E

si

incominciaro

baciare,
altre

Non

donne

potiede piu amare

own

form, and

THE APPLE-TREE.
La

sua prima amante

Le

tocco sposare.

Tutto e

Non

225

finito

voglio piu narrare."

" Then the pair began

Kissing as before;

women

Arid to other

He made

love no more,

But married her

Now

The swallow

as the bird of spring brings luck]; hence in

feathers tied with a red string form an amulet.

one

in

in the

country without the

this

become

as stories

narrative alone

when

that state

is

This

truth,

as

In fact

among

the case

is

had

all

enters into every-

Germany, but

in

stories are all in

will tell or sing

any story
at

in

them

just as

rude metre as well as

metre are unmistakable, and

in

make

it.

form as near to the original as

in a

two or even three

is

cannot

primitive people in the magic epoch, and I

pleased, have given

have given them

in the original,

naturally disappears, and the

it

have often tested

Sometimes the rhymes and attempt

modulated to

be observed that there

incantation.

These Romagnolo

then the subject of interest.

might with

may

Tuscany swallows'

only a variation from

The magic song

latter.

fairy tales for children alone,

the narrator

requested.

such cases

it

is

This was probably the case in ancient times

thing of the kind.

But

This story

Grimm's Kinder und Haus Mahrchen, but

Tuscan tale more of chiaro-oscuro and

imagine one of

prose.

the story

is fairly o'er."-

lines

I could

are often run into one and the voice

suit the variation.

The Apple-Tree.
Had
I

found the following story

might have passed

it

by

This

" Once
his heart

was a

there

was

is

the

beautiful lady

tale,

who

her

money on

a maid-servant in her place.

her hands cut

off,

And

in this region the

which

have somewhat abridged

married a wealthy and handsome lord.

rage, threatening her with the worst ill-usage

all

But

peasantry

new, that novelty in their legends and customs

is

to have an heir, but as his wife bore

time in prayer and

any country save the Romagna Tuscana,

as possibly modern.

have learned so very. little that

very exceptional.

in

And

is

the great desire of

no children he became almost mad with disappointment and

and torture unless she became a mother. And she spent all her
Then her husband hated her altogether, and took

the poor, but in -vain.

finding her one day giving a piece of bread to

so that she could no

more give alms.

And

she lived

among

some poor person, he had

the lowest servants in great

distress.

"One day

there

came

to the castle a friar,

who begged

30

for

something in charity of her; and she replied

':
!

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

226

that she had nothing to give, and that

learned

how

she had aught she could not give

if

she had been treated, for she said

"

Because

'

My

being without hands.

And

so he

have not bore a child

husband

is

with anger wild,

For giving alms, the truth

He

it,

my

had

I say,

hands both cut away

Heaven help me, and help the poor

I can give them nothing more
!

For
" Then the
said

looked a long time

friar

her in silence, considering her extreme misery and goodness, and

at

"

'

Lady, in the garden go,

Where an

apple-tree doth grow,

Fairer one did never see

Lady

And

fair,

embrace that

as you embrace

tree,

say

it,

These words as closely as you may

" " Pano o mio bel porno

'

con grande amore,

te

Ti voglio abbraciare,

Che mio marito

letto

possa portare,

E
E

cosi possa ingravidare

che

Mi
("'"

con se questa notte,

In

Mi

il

mio marito

possa amare

"

'

Apple-tree, fair apple-tree

With my
I

love I

come

would be to-night

to thee.

in

bed

With my husband as when wed

May I so become a mother.
Grant
Still I
.

" And
'

so

it

came

to pass,

she bore the two children

had been

and another

earnestly implore

May he

love

me

as before

done, take from the tree two apples and eat them.

this

you and take you to his bed, and you

" And

this favour

unfaithful,

will in time bear

two

"

')

And go

to your husband

and he

will love

beautiful babes.'

and the husband

bitterly regretted his cruelty and the loss of her hands.

And
who had been a servant and his mistress persuaded him that his wife
were not his. Then he took a donkey, on it were two panniers, and he put

but the girl

and that they

a babe into each and sat her in the middle, and bade her ride away.

" So she rode on

or to drive.

But

in utter grief

at last she

came

and sorrow, hardly able with her stumps of arms

to a well

and stooped to drink.

And

lo

to

manage

the children

as soon as she did this her

hands

Then her heart grew light, for she felt that

And indeed all went well, for she came to a castle where no one was to be seen.
fortune had not left her.
And she entered and found food on the tables, and wine and all she required everywhere, and when she and
grew again,

for

it

was the fountain which renews youth and

life.

DEL GIUOCO.

IL SPIRITO
the children had eaten, at the next meal there

was food

Now

again.

227
belonged to

this castle

fairies,

who,

seeing her there, pitied her and cared for her in this manner.

" And considering her case they

told

him

all

how his

the truth,

sent a

Dream

to her

And he

how

sought far for the castle

till

the gate they saw before

a statue which had never been there.

be turned to stone

if this

husband and the wife

he found

it.

be not true which

they hear

fairies (spirits), for

The

it

early

story

Juno,

of

who

mass of myths

So

birth.

in all

truth

in

v.

of

that

from

253).

apples

guarded by the Scandinavian

a

as they"came near

the words were

May

'

remembered by the
But the

the

Griselda and

many

suffering

suggests

apple-tree

Genevieve
wife

in

story

the

Mars without the help of Jupiter from the touch

golden

the

recalls

And

the statue was the figure of the girl turned to stone.

conception

the

conceived

(OVID, Fasti,

flower

also

And

wife.'

him by night and

the wicked servant had said,

the widely spread one of patient

is

But

times.

of

Now

to

lived together happily ever after."

Brabant, and was perhaps

de

Dream came

the

he had done. Then he rode forth and

evilly

took her and the children home.

have said of thy

And

all things.

And

husband.

wife had been true to him, and

of

The

fountain

the

Hesperides,

of

youth

and

this

story

especially

those

in

Iduna, which kept the gods young.

There

is

countries connecting the apple-tree with generation and

in this story, as in all

which come from

this country, there are through-

out sketches and touches which are possibly copied from more ancient pictures.
It is

worth observing, that even

the tree before

it

exerts

"

He

is

is

SPIRITO DEL GlUOCO.

an

a curious and evidently very ancient

evil spirit

now growing had begun

ate olives,

and more

some men spend

And

at last,

as

now

one may

to sprout, a

vines than

all their

of

left

"

jolly

all

young lord

would

yes,

fields,

give

him

When my

life

sell,

Yes; he might

And

my

soul to boot

comes
kill

to

me

an end:
with lightning.

a roaring crash of thunder

Bursting up from the earth,

If,

when

went, I could burn

All the crops of grain,

Vines, mulberries,

And

the olives

figs,

blast

ago, before any tree which

and he was mad

Yes, and to the devil,

And

he had as many olive-trees as

his, quarrelling, cursing,

he had but some barren

This, too,

probably modernised

but he wanted more, and so he gambled.

way, but he wasted

which remained and said

'

tale,

but he was once long

rich

ever drank glasses of wine

patrimony in a

when nothing was

say, a devil

handsome and

with, he looked at the wretched farm

must be spoken to

power.

its fertilising

IL

This

in this story the incantation

them

is

I ever

Now

and blaspheming.
for

money

to play

':

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

228

Which X see all around and afar

Once they were mine see the grain
!

Shining like gold in the sun

hadgold

Gold

Gold

is

What
Power

And
To

our only

if

life

the devil could give

win

to

me

at playl

when

then

I lostl

won

hear the thunder roar,

With a

As

flash of lightning,

the card turned

Burning the crops,

Homes and all,

Of those who once stripped me.
Aye; and when dead

quando saro morto

would haunt the gambling room,

And if some fellow won

Make him hear thunder
And see lightning to fright him
(Of course burning his crops).

But

some poor

if

Would

When

pray to

he has

devil

me

like

me

for aid

lost at play,

Then I would gladly give him

The devil's own luck at cards,

And burn up the crops of his enemies,

To whom he had sold his lands
!

"

And

When

the young

man

home he found un

returned

bel signore

fine

gentleman

waiting to see him.

the stranger said, very politely :

"

'

You wish

to sell, I think,

That

little

And

You

estate of yours,

am

buy

willing to

are a bold, brave fellow

Galante di print ordine.

I like to please such

For

know when

For them

to enter

They make the

Well,

All your

Luck

men,

the time shall

my

come

service,

best of servants.

agree to your terms,

demand you

at cards for

shall

have

life

Thunder and lightning included

You
Le
"
last

So

it

came

to pass,

and

for

shair have your riches again

richezze torneranno.'

a long time he won.

And

it

was observed

that

when he played high

card there always was heard a clap of thunder, and a great storm raged somewhere, near or

far.

at

he

Years

;;

when

passed, but one day,

lo

his time

the gambler appeared

once like a glowing coal from head to

"

"

said

'

That which was asked

regretted him, and

granted to fulness;

This

is

thy

last

This

is

thy

final

hour

hast

had

hast

it

Now

live in its fire

didst ask for the lightning

it

now
!

in trouble

and needed

And

they remembered what he had said,

And

on him.

his help they called

they

"

'

and lightning

Spirit of thunder
Spirit of help

Help

us

For of thee we have great need

As thou wert
Aid

us win

Else ruin

Thou

We

There

is

apparent in

ancient rock.

coming

this tale

As no one can
to a spirit,

indicating the process

come

wilt

something of a modern

listen
all

of composition,

spirit

But though the form may have been

liberties.

under the mosses and flowers

reason to believe that

is

man

abandon us

play in our company."

to meteoulin, or sorcery, so

mation of a

before us

wilt not

had been subjected to

changed, there

much money,

hope that thou

And

if it

is

as are we,

us, aid us in our play

Make

as

which lighted the room

and a voice exclaimed

day,

Thou
Thou
Thou

when they were

fire

foot,

for

Was

E cosi sprafondo netta terraand so he sank into the ground.

and many

229

had come, there was a tremendous burst of

all at

DEL GIUOCO.

IL SPIRITO

and

'

Romagnolo

these

tales turn

on the

and are therefore myths, and extremely

by which myths were

was

first

made.

in the old Latin,

'

nature

Gambling

every

and

that

tickets every year

spirit

placed in a popular pantheon.

there has been a legend of

main

vice

of play would

Therefore

is

it

play.

It

naturally be one

so deeply

ten

lottery

of the

first

Giovanni di Tenorio, whose

remarked, indeed, that in a

great proportion of Italian tales gambling, and not drinking or

to be the chief cause of moral destruction.

is

probable that from an early time

or Don
may be

some Don Juan

was not women but

transfor-

man, woman,

it

population buys, on an average, at least

the entire

an

interesting as

seated in the Italian, as

child in

is

long to an Algonkin Indian story without

lust, is

supposed

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

230

Patana.
" Patakna protected the growing or shooting

In Germany such a deity was called

corn.

the

Roggenmutter, whence the saying to children

"

Leave the flowers standing

'

Go

not into the corn

There the Roggenmutter

Stands from night to morn

Now adown
Now all up

She

she's ducking,
she's looking,

will catch the children all,

Who

look for flowers, great or small.'"

Friedrich, Symbolik.

The

following story

" Patana was a beautiful

very curious in several respects

is

girl,

who was a

but she had a stepmother

witch, and malicious too, so that

One day

city to sell milk.

she passed by the king's palace.

he loved so much that there was nothing

" The young prince was

came and

sat

down

else in the

world

opposite, putting her pitchers of milk

'

Tu

sei

io

Che
'

faro vedere, ai

ti

And

have no joy

shalt

Patana

" Then the prince had no more

"The

was

old

me,

still

in life

thy wife,

shalt never

come

to pass,

have the

lass.'

rest nor

happiness by day or night.

till

'

rest

replied,

angry, cried to the youth

And at last he went out into

one day he met a poor old man who begged something
The prince gave him something, and said, Thou art not so wretched as

starving.

man

is

that will never

the world to seek for Patana, travelling far,

can have no

woman

have more power

For thou

for I

old

the king's son thou mayst be,

Till fair

And

am,

woman, being

The

the young prince, out of

can show thee, and I will,

Thou

And

think thou hast more power than me,

That

to eat for he

hand some pebbles.

saro piu potente assai.'

Though
I

which he cared.
his

crederesti di esser piu potente di

Ed

"

old

every

whom

old

del re

figlio

il

Now

on the ground.

The

heedless mischief, threw a pebble and broke a pitcher.

"

for

window, and held in

at the palace

woman went

the king had a son

The

she kept Patina shut up in a tower, into which no one was allowed to go.

day into the

till

I shall

'That

"

can

'

have found the beautiful Patana, and I know not where she
tell

Go
Till

thee

along the road

thou seest a tower

Rising in a forest

is.'

'

''

patAna.

231

There Patana dwells

With her stepmother,

But be sure to go

When

the witch

And be
Food

is

absent,

sure to give

to everything

Which is in the tower,

Even the smallest pot
By a magic spell
Will

the old witch

tell

Unless

Take

all,

has been fed

it

this

pebble too,

power

It will give thee

To speak
And then

with the witch's voice,

cry aloud

" Beautiful Patana,

Fairer than a sun ray,

down

Let thy tresses

And

me up

then draw

"
!

" So he did, and was drawn up into the tower, where Patana received him with

made

a great pot

full

pappa (bread crumbs

of

and he

boiled),

And

one earthenware pot, which he forgot.

utensils, all except

he thought,

fed, as

all

was the chief spy, and

this

Then

joy.

they

the furniture and

betrayed

it

him.

" Then Patana took

tower opened, and they
flying after

Then

And

a comb, a knife, and a fork, and said,

them, for the pot which had not been fed had told her

beautiful Patana

stuck the fork in the earth, and

the witch, not recognising her, asked her

sacristan replied

Let us be

This

'

To

and the door of the

all,

and the way which they had gone.

became a church and she was

it

the sacristan.

And

girl.

the

is

not a time

answer idle questions,

bell has

rung

For mass, come in and hear

" Then the witch went away in
again.

the gardener.

'

she had seen the king's son go by with a

if

Twice the

them

:
"

after

free

But before long beautiful Patina, looking behind, saw her mother-in-law

fled.

Then

When

rage,

*.

came up she put

"

'

If

But before long they saw her

and they proceeded.

the beautiful Patana threw

the witch

it

down

the

comb and

same question

the

it

as before,

flying

became a garden and she

and Patana answered

you wish to chase them,

You'll have need of horses

I

have two to

Fine ones

at

sell

you,

a bargain,

Pray come in and see them

"

Then

a comb and

the witch in a rage went

that the gardener

flying after them.

or reservoir),

Then

home

was the

to the tower,

and the prince a

fish

and the pot told her that the garden was only

beautiful Patana.

beautiful Patana threw

swimming

in

down
it.

So she

set

the knife, and she

But

this

out again, and they soon saw her

became a vasca

(basin of a fountain

time ere she made the change she said

'

'

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

232

"

'

Here

take this knife

And

plant

it

in the ground,

may become

That

Now

a sparkling fountain,

And my love a fish

May he swim so well
That the witch now coming
May never, never catch him
" And
cried

the witch coming up tried and tried to catch the

fish,

'

kiss thee

Thou'lt forget Patana

" So she departed.

go and see

And when

his marriage,

and

but he avoided

so,

he, being weary, fell asleep,

" So time passed, and he was about

for the

the palace and said to the cook,

wedding dinner, and

wood go

into

it,

and

it

that

table everybody

replied they

"Then

it

shall

went in of

and there were two such

that.'

to

and then

was amazed

at

am

it.

Then

lady.

fishes.'

When

Then she had

it

beautiful

bride.

Patana heard

the oven

made

make

And when

this

fire

and came

they were carried to the

them, and the cook being called, when asked where they were caught,

who was

castle as a gift.

herself something of a witch, said,

"Oh,

But the wood did not obey her, and when she entered the oven

it

that

is

nothing;

can dp

blazed up and she was burned

to death.

" And

as this

she

a present

ready, and bade

burn, and then went into the

no one had ever beheld.

she,

made for
When he awoke he saw

the lady of the castle, and I wish to

and then bade

And

every preparation was

mother kissed him.

his

had not been caught but made by the lady of the

the bride,

Patana there for a while

remember anything about the

marry another

be two

itself,

fine fish as

'

left

however, that his mother should not kiss him.

things got ready for wedding, but he could not

to

they came to the castle the young prince

his parents, being determined,

being overjoyed to see him, tried to do

out,

at last in a rage she

returning

Once thy mother

the

So

in the castle,

home

If to thy

went

but in vain.

Mayst thou leave Patina,

Leave her

all

:
"

to

'

was done the two

fishes

"

'

on the

table

began to converse one with the other, as

Dost thou remember

How

the king's son

Entered the tower?'

"

'

he

With

beautiful Patana.'

From
'

fled

away

Dost thou remember

How

"

remember

Well

How

Well

she preserved

him

the wild sorceress

remember

The church and the garden,

The fish and the fountain.'

follows':

PATANA.
"

'

Dost thou remember

His mother's

"

'

233

kiss,

How

he forgot Patana

Well

'

remember

All the strange story,

But now he remembers.'

is

"Then the prince, who heard

now the Queen of the Fairies."

This

perhaps the commonest of

is

known

it is

over Europe.

all

heroine, Patdna,

So he married the beautiful Patana, she who

all.

all

Roman

have given

it

Thus

and

Patella,

came

some of the

some form

name of

goddess who appears with greatly varied names,

and sometimes as

deity,

was Patelena, who opened the husk of

grain, Patellana

the grain to come forth, or presided over it when it

She was the goddess of the sprouting grain or of growth ( Vide

p. 160).

"Thus,'' says

Preixer

(R. Myth., p. 592),

"she was

the goddess of the harvest, the blonde Ceres

known under

of the Greeks, and, in fact, as the goddess of crops seems to have been chiefly
in ancient Italy.

At

least the Inguvinic tablets

my

had asked

authority

made a

are of

some

pop. Ro.

she

grow.

crops, trees, or the like, to

tale

if

knew

She

the

at

name of any

once suggested

little

Preller] mentions that

cited in

this

tablet a

that this

who caused
Patdna, who in a
spirit

These

garden, a church, and a fountain spring out of the earth.

value taken in connection with the name.

name

this

mention a goddess Padella, and the Oscan votive

Patana, which are most probably identical with Patella, as is the deity Panda. It even seems
name was the common one for such a goddess instead of the Roman-Latin Ceres."
I

the

of the

incidents

who induced

to light

Bughin,

there

in

here because the

sometimes as a derivation from Ceres or a Cerean

Ceres herself.

and

Italian fairy tales,

interesting as connected with

is

Patdna was a

story,

remembered

this,

Varro

Panda, or Pandana,

\De vita
"

whom

AELIUS thought was Ceres, had a sanctuary where bread was given

to those

who took

is

to

all

the

dead are
receive

refuge in
articles

pacified

In the

daughter, so

it

the stepmother.

by food

tale bread

here the furniture

boiled in water

may mean

has been confused with Ceres, and

is

given

the refugees,

who

made

into her minor, or

possible that the heroine of the story has changed place with

In this case

Persephone, or

make him immortal (which

herself enters

we have

Proserpina.

mother-in-law pursues the

Patdna

Italian

pap or boiled bread.

As Patdna

suing

it."

of furniture and utensils to eat, even as the spirits of the

the

In the one, as in the other, a mother

fugitives,

occurs in
fire.

a very curious parallel to Ceres pur-

In

Ceres puts

Triptolemus on

the

fire

to

a Romagnola witch-tale), in this story

Rome
3i

Ceres was regarded as a foe to

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

S234

marriage, "Alii dicunt Cererem propter raptum filire nuptias execratam (Serv.

V. A.
for

iii.,

And

139).

is

it

no apparent reason.

evident that in our legend she opposes the match

Ceres in the Latin legend

is

mocked by a boy, the

by changing him to a lizard, the witch

son
mother of Patana is angered by the young prince and inflicts a penalty.
It is perfectly true that with some ingenuity parallels like these may be
established between almost any fairy tale and some ancient myth. But where
of Metanira, and punishes him

we have a

leading

name

common

in

with corresponding incidents,

almost assume an identity of origin.

and

his cat

But

there.

among South American

we may

we found the story of Whittington

we might suppose it had originated

If

Indians

as

the hero was called Whittington, or even Vidindono

if

bably would be

we

might very well assume transmission.

pro-

it

Till within

a very

few years the apparent coincidence system as a proof of origin was extravagantly
overdone, and has since been succeeded by an opposite one, which has
turn been carried to as absurd
these

Romagnolo

The

extremes.

traditions, as remains of antiquity,

is

myth and

Latin

legend.

may be

There

error

however strong the identity may appear to

regards the aesthetic or historic spirit and

be,

in

we know
any one

of Etrusco-

minor

detail,

none as

but there can be

character of

of

them

to carefully study

as a whole, and compare them as a whole with what

in

value

best test for the

a great number of

incidents taken together.

It

may be added

in reference to the tell-tale

the forgotten or neglected fairy

We

'ancient origin.

find her

who

first

pot which was not fed, that

revenges herself for the slight

in Discord,

who was enraged

at

is

of very

not being

invited to the marriage of Tethys and Pelius (LUCIAN, Dialog. Marin.,

v.

cf.

COLPTHUS, De raptu Helen, v. 60).

This incident reappears
Middle
Ages
in
the
fairy
in the
who was not invited to be present at the
birth of Oberon, and therefore condemned him to remain a dwarf.
This is
HYGNI,

fol. 92,

not necessarily derived from tradition, but

may

incidents
aside

by a

nothing

in folk-lore

large

left,

class

of the

which

critics

forgetting that to have

removing the rough outside

the

fact

leaves.

it

who
any

may

much

is

have

away

peel

its

the

result or profit

There

is

value, as indeed all

too frequently and rudely set

spirit

onion

till

there

one must stop

is

after

in tradition as well as

letter.

Schedius in
seu Patula."

an enumeration of minor

Roman

deities

includes "Patellana

'

THE WITCH LEA.

235

IL MORO.
" There was in the Romagne a rich lady who was unkindly treated by her husband because she had

no

And he often said to her that unless she gave birth to a son or daughter, and that soon,
he would leave her and take another. So the poor signora went every day to the church to pray to God
children.

He

that

would be so gracious as

her a child

to give

but

it

was not granted

therefore after a time

to her,

she went no more to church and ceased to give alms.

" One day she stood

no

return,

window, because she loved her husband and met with

quite disconsolate at the

a Moor

when, from a window opposite, a dark signore (Signore Moro

and

called to her,

she, raising her head, asked

him what he would have

" The Moor, who was a wizard, or magician (uno streghone,

replied,

'

husband

Look me
shall

and then

steadily in the eyes,

embrace thee think steadily of me, and thus thou

uno

sia

go well with

all will

or Negro, as in

magliatore,

And

thee.

maliardo),

when thy

this night

be incinta, or with

wilt

German)

child.'

" This came to pass, and the poor lady was very happy to regain the love of her husband, and at
the

same time become a mother.

bom

it

was dark

But joy

flies like

the clouds, and so did hers, for

Moor

the Moor, yes, and looked altogether like the

as

abandoned both wife and

himself.

And

saying that the infant was none of his.

child,

when her child was

Then the husband
lady reproved the

the

Moor, saying that he had betrayed her.

"But

the

thy husband.

Moor

to

when
on
'

good

let

go whither

it

any church, but, hearing that there was

the lady put the

its little feet,

Babbo, ferdona

God

miracle of

little

and go

that I

innocente

have come to

the father, being

make peace between

still

friar shall give

Now

the lady did.

famous preacher

and embrace him with

'

this day,

And

thee.'

moved by

thee and

thee benediction,

her husband never

And

he was present.
it

rise

and run

hands, and say, in distinct words

its little

mamma,

Papa, pardon

had come to the age when children usually

" Then

can

So

will.'

it

to be a

and when the

babe on the ground, what was her utter amazement to see

to its father,

mamma,

lady, for

charity sermon will be preached,

put the child on the ground and

went

'Grieve not,

replied,

To-morrow a

she

innocent

is

and thou

seest

is

it

from that time the babe never uttered a word

till

he

talk.

the miracle, was reconciled with his wife, and they returned

home

together and lived happily."

This will suggest much which

Tamora, and Aaron, the

What

is

effected

for

wrought

in a church,

The
but

it

is

all

remarkable in

chiefly

religion,

is

familiar to the reader, such as Othello,

sorceress

and

is

it

her negro

in

the

in

Arabian

queen and the black

that sorcery

by the Moor, though

is

made

superior to

the end the miracle

is

so to speak, given to God.

is,

incident of a babe's speaking

remarkable that the

Etruscan infant Tages,

and

mysterious story of the French

Nights, and chiefly the

page.

beautiful

is

earliest

is

found in the folk-lore of every land

instance of

who was ploughed

out

it

in

Europe

possibly

in

is

that of the

the place whence

I derived this tale.

The Witch
" This witch was a wealthy

lady, very self-willed

she would keep one for a time, and

which there was a trap-door

in

when

she

was

and
tired

Lea.
licentious,

of

who

often changed her lovers.

him she would lead him

the floor, through which he would

fall

into a

deep

into a
pit,

room

So
in

and into a

'

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

236

And

subterranean dungeon, where he miserably perished.

"But

went not thus with one of her

it

to pass the secret gate,

he replied

victims,

and the more she

sorceress, insatiable in lust

who knew

lovers,

had many

so she

was a wicked

sacrificed the better pleased she was, for she

and murder.

And when

her nature.

she asked

him

'"Thou,

women,

of

vilest

Thinkest because thou art rich and powerful

That

all

must bow before thee?

Rich and powerful, and beyond that

and coquette,

harlot

To

Vile thou art.

Thou

Makest thy lovers

" But
'

so thou wilt not do with me, for I too

than thou

And

art.

at once thou shalt

hide thy dishonour.

many

sendest

God

to

die.

am

of the wizards, a son of a witch, and

have proof of

"'Three times
Lea, Lea,

I call thee,

Lea

Thou art cursed from the very

By my mother and by me,
For thou didst
For that

more powerful

it.

kill

come

to

my

heart,

brother;

condemn thee

serpent thou shalt become,

Every night as a serpent

Thou shalt suck the blood of corpses

The corpses of thy dead lovers
But

first

of

all

Unto the body

Thou

thou shalt go
of

my

brother,

shalt put life into

him,

Breathe into him, revive him.

Henceforth

all

men

shall

As an accursed witch
" And

so

it

came

was always a serpent

It

ac

thee

dead brother was revived, but the beautiful Lea

to pass that after three days the

witch.''

would seem as

goddess of

know

if

there were an echo in this tale of the Libitina, the

lust itself, as well as of death.

Venus Libentina

et Libitina"

(Varro,

1,

"Ab
i,

vi.

lubendo

libido,

lubidinosus,

47; apud Preller,

p.

387.)

She was

also the generally recognised

PRELLER

quotes several instances to illustrate the fact that death and luxuriant

life

schwellendes

single

Leben

were

person, and that the

Persephone, and
Proserpine.

Flora.

goddess of corpses and of the dead.

thus intimately connected in one myth, in

Sabine Feronia was

There

are

also

paralleled

the affinities

with

between

the Greek

Venus

and

WIZARD SAINTS.
The

237

story has a great resemblance to one of Odin, which has been set

German poem by

forth in a

"The

Herz.

recalls

It also

proud and stately queen

By whose command, De Buridan

Was thrown

That

at midnight in the Seine."

Tour de Nesle.

to say, the well-known legend of the

is

that this

a very old Italian

is

between

and death

lust

tale,

But

That Lea

it.

given the form of a serpent in order to revive the dead cannot

who

every one

but

Libitina

was

(Preller,
been

still

known among

also

the

Romans

to strike

The

more abbreviated.

is

derived from

two are the same.

and as a goddess of

as Lubia,

nomen ab libidine" (August,

581), "cut

cases that the tale

Lea

certain that the characteristics of the

is

it

iv. 8),

lust

and the name may have

step from Libia, or Li via, to Lia, would be in

We

peasant dialect almost inevitable.

must always remember the

fact in

such

from the same country as the ancient characters.

is

Wizard
It

fail

is

familiar with classic serpent-lore.

is

too bold a conjecture that the word Lia or

It is far

Libitina;

believe

and possibly archaic, because the connection

so strongly and strangely marked in

is

was the most natural thing

Saints.
world that there should be certain

in the

witchcraft,
Roman mythology and
and

blendings, compromises, and points of affinity between the Stregeria

or

"

the

old religion," founded on the Etruscan or

Roman

incantations,

Catholic

rites

both were based on magic, both used

and had recourse to

spirits.

In

some

fetishes,

amulets,

cases these Christian spirits

or saints corresponded with, and were actually derived from, the same source
as the heathen.

How

perceive this.
to-day,

may

The

sorcerers

among

the Tuscan peasantry were not slow to

deeply rooted the old religion really

whatever happened, never neglected to bless the

deities.

As

traditions

for the families in

and songs

even Christian.

is

That

which

preserved, they
is

folletti

stregheria, or a

older, if

any aptitude

mother or aunt takes them

That

is

occasionally, even

to say

it

was

meaning

so,

is

in

for

do not among themselves pretend

observed in them for

hand, and

now

the rural

knowledge of charms, old

to say, they maintain outward observances,

the children up as Catholics, and " keep in " with the

grow

is,

be inferred from the story told in Fqflon, of the peasant who,

initiates

all this

is

priest,

but as the children

sorcery,

them

passing

to be

and bring

some old grand-

into the ancient faith.

away

rapidly.

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

238

Certain saints are regarded as being

almost any kind of

for

are

all

by

called

word.

this

There

name.

which includes

at Asti (1864),

folletto is

a generic term

Fairies, goblins, spectres,

not Christian.

spirit

folletti.

nymphs,

a Manuale di Spiriti Folletti published

is

vampires, undines, and comets under this

devils,

The

chief of the

goblin-saints

is

Antonio, Antony, or Anthony.

Saint

This character was remarkably familiar with strange

he was beset and tempted by devils

priests represented that

knew

that

dear and beautiful gods, or

all their

and Bella Marta of the Morning

They

ideas on the subject.

were

The

spirits of all kinds.

folletti

but the sorcerers

their Faflon-Bacchus

and so had

called devils,

their

by these

did not object to being tempted

own

."devils"

when they came as beings of enchanting beauty, to fill their wine-cellars and
Even the
give them no end of good luck in gambling and naughty love.
devils
and
of
it
very
prominent
all
kinds
priests made
that Antony commanded

ergo

he was a

folletti

themselves.

me,

"

we always perform

because

This of course

what

is

conjuror and

and "in the business,"

streghone

very conclusive

this

is

in a

to repeat every sentence twice.

spirit

in

This

double quick time

Antony, and bears

his

cellar

and never to

spirits,

by

night."

But

saints.

decidedly a matter of witchcraft, and most

It is

them

incantations to

always done to heathen

is

un-Christian, to say the Lord's prayer either backwards, or

heathen

like

"Saints Antonio and Simeone cannot be saints," said a Strega to

the pater-noster a
and

doppio

that

will call

peculiarly addressed

is

it

"double"

is,

any

to Saint

name.

Thus when one has

anything

lost

quando

a double paternoster to San Antonio, thus

si perde qualche

cosa

you

say

Pater noster!
Qui es in

"Pater noster
Qui
"

Ma

dire

Cattolica " ("

es in coelis

coelis

"

&c, &c.

paternoster cosi e della stregheria, e non della vera religione

il

But to say the paternoster thus,

Catholic religion").

So

is

of witchcraft, and not the real

one who had received a

said

liberal

education

in

the

art.

Quite as heathen does this saint appear in the following ceremony, every
detail of

which

is

reclaim a lover,
1

or,

taken from ancient sorcery

indeed,

if

According to PlTRt (Usie Custome, &c,

kind of spirit non

se

When

girl

at

vol. iv., p. 69) the folletto in

ne pub ammettere pih oTuno.

part of Dusio, or Puck, a trifling airy

anybody wants anything

This

Robin Goodfellow, or

is

all,

wishes to win or

he

or

Southern Italy

generally

is

only one

a Imtm diavoletto, and the exact counter-

fairy of

the Shakespeare and Drayton type.

WIZARD SAINTS.
she

puts

two

239

San Antonio, one on

flower-pots, containing IVrba

an open window at midnight, with a pot of rue in the centre.

bound with a

red-scarlet

made

ribbon,

turning to the window, say

three knots, and

in

with pins, as a tassel {fatto con tre nodi

puntati con tre

either side of

These must be

pierced or dotted

spilli

per Jiocckio), and

"Sant' Antonio, mio benigno,

Di

non son digno,

pregarvi

Se questa grazia mi

farete,

Tre fiammi

per

Una

di fuoco

me

facete;

sopra la mia testa,

Che per me arde

Una

e tempesta,

canto al mio cuore,

Che mi

da questo dolore,

levi

Una

vicino alia

Che

di questa grazia

mia porta
non

se

Se questa grazia mi avete

ne sorta

fatto,

Fate mi sentir tre voci

Porta bussare

Uomo

E
English

fistiare,

cane abbiare

("

My
I

benign Saint Antony

am

This grace

modestly require

me
And of these the
On my head may

Pray

not worthy to pray to thee,

three flames of

light for

first

fire,

in turn

storm and burn,

my heart,
me depart,
And the third beside my door,
That it may never leave me more.
One

That

I pray within
all

pain from

If this grace be granted

me,

Let three sounds be heard by me

A
A
Or

"When

this

knock

at

a door,

whistle, before,

the bark of a

dog I

ask no more.)

prayer shall have been uttered, wait attentively at the window, and

door be heard, or a man whistling, or a dog barking, then the request

alone of these sounds will suffice to

make

a hearse, bearing a corpse, then the prayer

" But
shall

if

it

is

known.

But should a dark

grazia

will

if

a knock at a

be granted

(nero) horse or

mule

one

pass, or

refused.

a white horse goes by, the favour will be conceded

ma

con molto tempo

after

some time

have passed."

It

may

always be borne

in

mind

that though this be addressed to a mediaeval

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

240
saint, there is

every probability, and, judging by every analogy and association,

a certainty, that San Antonio

For

disguise.

vination

some Roman

is

or Etruscan spirit in Christian

the details of the ceremony are old heathen, as

all

is

the di-

by sounds.

Antony

Saint
witchcraft.

many

protects his friends from

troubles, but specially from

Therefore they say to him in Romagnola:

" Sant' Antogne, Sant' Antogne
Sopre came, liberez dai sase
Liberez dai asase

dai streghi chliiivengu,

In camia a stregem
I

mi burdel

chi 'e tent bel

Sant' Antogne e santa pia,

Tui lontan

So ven

Streghi da camia,

el

el streghi in

Ai buttar dre
Chi vega via

In Italian

camia

la graneda,

"
!

:-

" Santo Anto

super (sopra)

il

Liberate

ci

dagli assassini

Liberate

ci dagli assassini

dalle Strege che

cammino

non vengano

In casa mia a stregare

I miei bambini che sono tanti belli,

Santo mio, Santo pio

Tenetemi lontano

Di casa mio
Se viene

le strege.

le strege in casa

mia,

Buttatele dietro la granata

Che vadino
(" Saint

via

"
!

Antony on the chimney-piece

Let our fears of murderers cease

Free us from

all evil

which

specially from

Round us
Who come

To

enchant

in our

my

Saint Antonio

Keep such
If you'll

This

is

pretty children

I pray

creatures far

away

throw the broom behind 'em,

mind 'em

not very beautiful poetry, but

"

witches

minds bewilderin'

I at least will never

not in either form

is

it

written in choice Italian."

is

")

as

The

good as the
reader

may

original,

which

is

judge from them

WIZARD SAINTS.
what trouble

241

have sometimes had to disentangle an incantation from the

bristling dialect in

which

was surrounded.

it

In allusion to Saint Antony on the chimney-piece

he

specially the folletto, or spirit, of the fireplace.

is

same

as the Russian

Domovoy, and

was informed that

Which makes him

which

him

gives

is

quite the

worth noting

distinct

place as a Lar or spiritus domesticus, lar familiaris.

Santo Eliseo

is

unquestionably at

appears as the destroyer of bad boys.

when

Tartar

we look

into

young lady

scratch

He

a Russian and you find a

Christian

he appears to be sadly

midnight and curses,

style

going astray, she, after the fashion followed in

is

" Santo EIisko dalla testa pelata,

Una
I

grazia

mi vorrete

fare,

da un leone

ragazzi

Li avete

fatti

Spero di

me

mangiare,

non vorrete dimenticare

vi

Stanotte a mezza notte,

Dentro

alia cantina,

Vi verro ^ portare
I peli

del

amor mio

Perche una paruccha

Ve ne

potrete fare,

nel posto dei peli

Del amor mio

Tutti diavoli e strege

Li farete diventare,

Che non

Non

possa vivere,

possa stare,

Che non abbia

Ne

pace,

piii

a bere ne a mangiare,

Fino che l'amor mio

Alle porte di casa mia,

Non
Non

fanno ritornare
le

con

Non
In English

When

some of the hair of her lover, goes into a cellar at

blasphemes, and conjures after the following good old

the blackest witchcraft, takes

Tuscan

has a bald head, and

a distinct trace of Jupiter in him.

is

finds that her lover

But

interesting

this

heathen, even Jovial, for there

sight Elisha.

first

dianb pace,
altre

donne

la facciano parlare

"
!

" Saint

Elisseo,

bald-headed one

For a special favour

pray

'Tis said that boys once

Were

by a

eaten for you one day

32

lion

'

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

242

Therefore I trust from your

memory

I shall not pass away.

Here

in this cellar at midnight

Ever devoted and

I

true,

have brought some hair from

To make a wig
And for all the
Which

May

my

lover,

hairs

have taken away,

just as

many

About him ever

May

you

for

he not

devils

play,

live,

Or stand or think,
Or know any peace,
Or eat or drink
Until he shall

Again to

With

my

come

door,

true love returning

As once before,
Nor with other women

Make

love any mor.e

"
!

Truly a curious invocation, and a nice occupation

who was
;

this Elisseo, or Elisaeus ?

but

leave

of miracles,

and

Saint Elia
invocation

who was

established

He

Saint Elias.

known

well

in this

same Tuscan

Elisha of the Bible was a wonderful worker

him

as a magician

among

the Tuscans.

appears in the following prescription and

" To cure an
and then say

may have

this
is

to others.

all this

But

There was of yore a certain Jupiter Elicceus

or Aelisaeus, not unconnected with lions,

land

a Christian saint

for

the eyes, take three roots

affliction of

bound with a red ribbon, three leaves of

trefoil

"

Stacco queste trefoglie per Santo Elia,

'

Che

il

mal d'occhio mi mandi

via.'

(" 'I take these three leaves by Saint Elias,

That he may banish the pain from

" Then
all to boil in

over

it

my

eyes.')

take three peppercorns and a bit of cinnamon, three cloves, and a large handful of
a

so that

new earthenware pot, and let it boil for a quarter of an

the eyes may be steamed, and keep making la castagna

fingers) into the pot

and say

hour.

'

Per

(Then

che maladetto

spit thrice

sia

behind you)

Per Santo Elia, Santo Elia, Santo Elia

Che
"

And

this

must be done

il

male degli occhi mi mandi via

for three days."

this

(the sign of the

"

During

salt,

and put

time put your face

thumb between the

VECCHIO SIMEONE SANTO.

IL
Another

sorcerer-saint

iago, there

cannot

imon the Magician

uch

above

be
in

the

least

fact,

average

the

of unavoidable occurrence.

is

om

me

"

(This

But

"

it,

following was taken

a heathen

i.e.,

spirit

Simon

for

Roman

call

in

sell

sorcery

way

and

actually

more goods where

down word by word

spirit.

And

There are many of these

this

is

not

For

all.

as

you

repeating

other spirits faccendo la Novena

the

Catholic incantation, a copy of which was purchased

and rosary shop.)

You

"

simply substitute the

name

of a folletto

you want.

himself,

But you must be

when you go

to bed

you must repeat

'

fearless {bisogna essere di coraggio), for

afraid

however he may change

Novena

his

me

-three

numbers

thus

his form.

will

come

in

with a long

Then he

will

where a

What do you want, that you

it may be that you require
hidden treasure is concealed, or how

woman

qualunque fortuna si desidera

Cosa volete che mi avete scommodato

ouble

may

he

figures, dressed like a priest in white, or like a friar

But do not be

:ard.

rer

is

any

any forms or

du

opposing

shall

nights in succession at midnight.

iree

ik,

The

in witchcraft are called saints.

in a cross

Simeon

from

mistakes

conclude this chapter I

Vecchio Simeone Santo.

a folletto

is

voke Simeon, so you may

ovena."

far

education,

little

saint

who

regarded

as

Bible, such

on the principle that you can always

it,

" II

priests,

rival in competition.

" This

people

a complete confusion in Italy between old

is

and that the

a witch

>irits

But before

with

confused

quite

is

much from a witch who was

are not encouraged to study the

icourage and aid

lere

he

that

common

the

when people

hristianity,

doubt

sometimes called Simeone

is

ascertained as

of

or

low that there

As he

Simeon.

is

243

'

('

Then answer promptly whatever

')

in the lottery, or

get the love of a certain

what-

fortune you desire.

"

But be very

id to repeat

it

careful in repeating the

with a fearless mind

om him what you

"

But

if

jur face

mente molto ferma), and so you

and sometimes they never disappear."

The Novena

will get

and prompt to answer, he will give you a

so that the five fingers will remain marked on

[fearless]

sound slap or cuff),

yes,

to err in a single syllable,

want.

you are not

iaffo forte (a

{colla

Novena not

itself is as follows

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

244

"

Simeone che meritaste ed aveste

gloriossissimo S. Vecchio

nella vostre fortunate braccie

furono sante veriti

This

il

Divin Pargoletto Gesu

Oh Santo concedetomi

che

la grazia

le

vi

bella

la

sorte

addomando.

gown

represented as clad in a grey skirt to the ground, a scarlet

Simon

is

to the knee, a

quite such as

was worn by

priests of yore
whence it came in the second
mass of other Oriental properties and wardrobes to the

magi and sorcerers and Egyptian

or third century with a

portare

Amen."

the inscription under a coloured print in which Saint

is

yellow sash and girdle, and a kind of high mitred cap

Roman

ricevere e

di

annunziaste e profetiziaste e le vostre Profezie

Catholic manager of the Grand Opera of Saint Peter.

This

is

the account of the spell as given

heathen Tuscan magic.

or the magician Simon,

In

it

we

believer in this

have, plainly and clearly, an old heathen spirit

who changed

contrast this with the following

by one who was a

his forms like Proteus.

Roman

It is

very curious to

Catholic method of working the oracle, as

given in the Libretto di Stregonerie, a halfpenny popular, half-pious work.

" Il buon Vecchio Simeone.
" Procure an image or statuette in plaster of this great saint,

who presided

at the circumcision of our

Jesus Christ, with the old Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary, both being the very
the Lord
'

It

'

God

difference if the

image of the

Oration (Novena) dedicated to him, and

it is

certain that after the

praying his request

" There
is

so

is

saint

Novena, the good old

but what he principally bestows

no occasion to

be of plaster or a picture,

according to the instructions in

if

is

man

will

it

we

if

we

repeat the marvellous

recite the

customary prayer.

appear in some form, and give to the one

lucky numbers in the lottery.

fear, for the saint generally

appears in a dream while you sleep, and his form

good and benevolent that there is no danger of awaking trembling and terrified.
" The whole difficulty is to know how to decipher the exact meaning of the words and signs which the

saint will give.

it

Lord

progenitors of

the Redeemer.

makes no

" And

much beloved

to decipher

Many

people miss their meaning, according to what

and unravel the problems or

'

There, reader, you have the two

grim old heathen

classic

take

" Ransacked the tombs

And
the other

is

all

falchions

'

It is

is

is

the downright

the courage of an old

of heroes old,

wrenched from corpses' hold,"

rose-water

should have seen the sorceress

experienced, so difficult

One

your choice.

who requires
kind who

Proteus Simon,

Norse hero to face him, or one of the

while

many have

figurations.""

who

sucri

and

light

pink ribbons.

prescribed the allopathic spell

But

you

She looked

a fact worth noting that in all religions of all ages the inspiring spirit of oracles, like Martin

Van

Buren, the American President, seems to suffer from a decided inability to give a plain straightforward

answer to a plain question.

or

Thomas Nixon,

or

The

prophecies of the Old ..Testament, like those of the Pythoness, or Merlin,

Mother Bunch,

or

True Thomas, or Nostradamus, are

all frightfully

muddled.

believe that no theologian has ever accounted for this divine inability to speak directly or to the point.

VECCHIO SIMEONE SANTO.

IL
her part.

One day I said to her that

woman professor of the art, but

old

you want her

THIS

to look like

245

wanted a photograph of a certain other

she must look animated like a witch. " Oh,

my oracle. And

" cried

she put on for an instant

the witch-look and, as Byron says of Gulleyaz,

it was like a short glimpse of

seemed to be another person. Then I realised what the
Pythia of yore must have looked like when inspired or the old Etruscan sor-

She

hell.

actually

The Last Days of Pompeii who was possibly an ancestress of

photograph of that ! Why, it would be like the likeness of a devil

ceress described in

my

friend.

with the hydrophobia.

One day
"

For

Her

for luck.

that," I
"

Simeone."

gave a young

woman

an amulet

question was, "Will

first

you must put

replied, "

Sisi,"

it

a stone

in the

form of a mouse

enable me to win in the lottery?"

under your pillow, and pray to San

it

she eagerly cried, "

know

When

the Novena."

met

her some time after she declared that the mouse (which she was wearing in

red bag

little

hung from her neck, but

What we have
and the other
the

first

was

Magus.

here are two forms of sorcery

Roman

modification under

its

in the

hidden), had promptly brought her a

and much other unexpected good

prize in the lottery,

luck.

one the old Roman-Etruscan,

Catholic influence.

beginning purely Etruscan, but modified to agree with Simon

have other forms of diabolical or heathen

spells

ably ante or anti-Christian, and which agree with

common

origin.

will

now proceed

it

so

which are unquestion-

much

as

where the established Christian

religion itself

men who had

slain

many

In

witchcraft.

victims were invoked above

old times those

all

belief being that they carried into the other world the audacious

they had won by blood.

to-day in

full

may

we

others, the

power which

This foul and atrocious worship of dead criminals

is

action in Sicily with the cordial sanction of the priesthood, as the

learn

in

detail

popolari Siciliane, edited

if

prove a

makes extraordinary and frequent

compromises with common sorcery and black

reader

to

to "further instances."

not remarkable that there should be saints half heathen in a country

It is

souls of

suspect that

are told that

from a chapter

in

by GIUSEPPE PlTRE,

when murderers and other

the Biblioteca dette

vol.

xvii.,

Tradizioni

Palermo, 1889.

In

it

atrocious criminals have been beheaded,

they do but confess and receive absolution before death, they are believed to

become a

specially favoured kind of saints, who, if invoked

danger of being robbed and

And

this is carried

decollati (a "

slain,

when any one

come down from heaven and

so far that there

is

in

aid the victim.

actually a chiesa delle anime de corpi

church of the souls of beheaded bodies

pictures of the holy miracles wrought

is

by the

")

in

many
M. Pitre has

Palermo, with

sainted murderers.

246

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

devoted twenty-five pages to this subject, showing the extent of

of superstition and witchcraft, the zeal of

which

encouraged by the

it is

Sacred Discourses,

Assissi,

There

priests.

sham-second-hand

in

fervour,

worshippers, and the degree to

is

a work entitled Saint Francis of

commended and

is

wretched

that

succeeded

in

make

sculptor attempts to

rendering spasmodically

in Jesuit churches of the last

holy-sentimental but has only

There

silly.

of writing, which

style

fervid

reminds one of third-rate plaster statues of saints

century, which the

FORTUNATO MONDELLO,
exalted with much

by the Rev.

delivered

Palermo, 1874, in which such worship

form

this- vilest

its

according to him, some-

is,

thing exquisitely tender and beautiful in giving "to these pilgrims of eternity

when about
penitence

to rise to heaven, the refreshment of that sublime word,

fly

fly to

when they take the

glory "

"

So

the stream of such holy commonplaces

What

this really

is, is

and

sanctifies their

death

&c, and so

forth, as usual,

when

religion ennobles

cross of the Redeemer,"

is

"Sons of

once turned on.

These

devil-worship.

saints

have been the very scum

of Sicilian brigandance, outrage, robbery, and wickedness

incarnate

fiends

and

now, because they went through a mere form of words and were sprinkled and
oiled,

they are adored like God, are prayed

them.

No

In

all this

there does not appear a

to,

and

their relations are

word as to

because these latter went straight to

hell,

proud of

their unfortunate victims.

having mostly died "in

sin,"

without confession.
" It

to hell
it

if

is

believed about Naples or in Sicily, that a

he

will

on the

take some

altar near the

tion " {Ibid., p. 142).

similar ceremonies

woman

flour, roll it

cup and renders

still

after

to a priest

who

lays

many

but there are

in 1638,

Thus

which she repairs to Saint Anna,

Roman times, and

Oh dear nothat is

repeats a prayer or spell.

quite a different thing!

and Anna

birth,

in

Florence

if

may

San 'Na who was

la

And

this

all

Thana was

is

not

in fact the

be derived from

this.

another old heathen in disguise.

He

identical with Losna.

Saint Lawrence, or San Lorenzo,

grilled

on a

gridiron.

children visit his church

it

be safe not to go

will
it

potent with the words of the consecra-

practised with the aid of priests.

Etruscan Lucina, or goddess of

was

it

man

a paper, carry

This practice was condemned

Lucina of

She was

in

wishes to be with child, she goes to a priest and gets from him an

enchanted apple,

sorcery!

up

thrice for

good

His day

is
is

the 10th of August,

when innumerable

and turn three times round before the

luck, reciting orazioni, incantations,

altar,

and prayers.

or go round
"

ciascuna

volta far mostra d'uscise di Chiesa."

This turning or going round for luck

is

a remnant of the old worship of

"

SIMEONE SANTO.

IL VECCHIO

To

Fortune, and of the turning of her wheel.

knife or spinning a chair

To

is

this

day

247

in Sicily the turning a

an invocation of Fortune according to

recur to Simon, one can hardly

fail

him

to inquire of

Pitre.

as the Christian

Saint of the Circumcision, since he performed the deed and Christ submitted to
it),

giving us thereby a divine example, and since the circumcision

every church, and in thousands of pictures, as in this Novena),

Catholics submit to

it ?

form to that which they

"

glorified in

is

why do

not

all

Surely the Pope, cardinals, and priesthood should con-

and

glorify,

example

set the

of.

"

Or

why

if so,

not

Matter of breviary, quoth Friar John."

that

Simeone as the Saint of Dreams has taken the place of Somnus. It may be
Somnus, who became Somno, may have been called Somnone and so coalesced

with Simeone.

This

is

mere conjecture, but by a guess hypothesis begins, and

The

then in time a place as theory wins.

Santo Somnone

not tremendous

is

difference between

and Simeone

is

While these sheets were going through the

documents which

the Saint of Dreams.

press, I received several curious

The

regret that I cannot give in detail.

a spirit or sorcerer,

who was on

Santo Simeone and

a legend of

first is

named Arrimini, who

earth a priest

hid in the

magic walnut-tree (probably of Benevento), and acquired magic power by means

of a cat-witch's blood.
rivalry of

The second

is

a strange and interesting tale of the

two witches named Meta and Goda,

by
Tuscan Romagna,
Peppino,

on the

stress

their

which

that of Arrimini

which the

latter

tales

comes from Premilcuore, and

has been several times referred to in this book.

fact that these witch or sorcery legends

own, being

tales, in

this,

who

in

Both of these

endeavouring to bewitch the king's son.

all

harsher, cruder,

latter there are,

however,

many
I

is

made up

The

prince.

have a

fairy,

far

story of

may

by

here lay

Italian fairy

traces of the former.

mention

have received with the others the

fair

Fiorlinda,

of the usual nursery-tale elements, or the cruel stepmother, the

the ugly envious daughter of the stepmother, and the

real witch tales are told

among

it is

young

witches and grown people, and

grimmer, darker, and more occult tone than the

Arrimini

written

is

have a marked character of

tale of // Fornaio, or of the baker Tozzi and his daughter the

benevolent

to grief

are from the

and more uncanny than the usual

because in marked contrast to them

which

comes

latter.

not the narrative by any means which forms

Thus
its

in the

strength,

but the description of the magic means and materials obtained, which would

be of no interest to any one save to adult

"

professionals."

PART SECOND.

PART SECOND.
INCANTATION, DIVINATION, CHARMS
MEDICINE, AMULETS.

AND

CURES,

CHAPTER

I.

LA STALLA DI MAIALE

DREAMING
PIGSTY

IN A

AND SWINE

LORE.

are

told

in

the

Heimskringla, an early
history of Norway, that

when

Ragnhild,

the

King Halfdan
the Swarthy, was with
wife of

she

dreamed

marvellous

dreams.

child

Once she seemed

to be

standing in a garden
trying to take a thorn out of her chemise, but the thorn grew in her hand until

was

like a long spindle.

One end

of

it

it

took root in the earth, while the other shot

'

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

252

up

into a great tree, so high that her eye could scarcely reach the top of

lower part of the trunk was red as blood, further up

They were

the branches were white as snow.

it

was green and

The

it.

fair,

of very unequal size, and

it

while

seemed

kingdom of Norway.

to her that they spread out over the whole

King Halfdan hearing this wished to dream also, to further explain the mystery.
He consulted a magician, who told him that the sure way to have truly prophetic
dreams was to sleep in a pigsty. The king did so, and dreamed that his hair grew
and

to be very long

beautiful.

bright locks about his head and shoulders,

It fell in

but they were of unequal length and colour

more

and one lock was longer, brighter, and

This was interpreted to mean that a mighty race

beautiful than the others.

The

of kings should spring from him, though they would be unequal in fame.
largest lock

was

The

for the

queen she bore a son, Harold, who became famous

whence he was

his long locks

Snorro Sturleson, supposed to indicate

in after days, according to

As

Olof the Saint.

called

Harold Harfagr,

or,

for

Harold the Fair-haired.

dreams can be secured by sleeping in a pig-pen is

The Roumanians and so-called Saxons, and probably all the

belief that prophetic

widely spread.

Slavonian and gypsy inhabitants of Hungary, are familiar with

my

not astonished when on asking

whether people ever slept

per avere un vero sogno

fortune-teller

in a stalls di maiale, or pig-pen,

to have a true dream

known, and proceeded to explain how

" To learn the

future in a

by a maiala incinta o gravida

crouched up, or else

flat

it

dream one must sleep

sow with young.

on his back, but not on his

'"Mi

it.

Therefore

was

she at once replied that

was the most approved method

it

should be done, in these words

in a pigsty,

from the Tuscan Romagna

and above

all

be sure that the pen

is

And he must sleep alia boccone, that is on his

side.
And before going to sleep he must say

occupied
face,

and

addormento

Per fare un buon sogno,

Sant' Antonio che siete

Sopra

Fate mi

maiale,
la grazia

Che possa

Un

Secondo
("

'

fare

buon sogno,
il

mio

sleep that I

Have a

de.sidirio

may

propitious dream.

Saint Antonio

who

art

Placed over the pigs;

me

Grant

That

Such as
"

And

know.''

doing

this

the grace,

may have
I

desire

a good dream,

')

he will surely see in a dream that which will

set forth or

explain what he wishes to

LA STALLA DI MAIALE.
"

De

In Germany," says

Christmas

Day in

It is

"

common

the pigsty, hoping to dream there

The new sun

of good luck.

Gubernatis,

born

is

253

people often go to sleep on

and

this

dream

is

the presage

in the sty of the winter hog."

worth observing that as everything which was connected with generation

or begetting, such as

life,

was associated with

light

as a wild boar a

love, revival, birth, fruitfulness,

symbol of death and darkness, yet because

"and one of the most

libidinous of animals,

vol.

ii.,

In fact the

p. 6).

though

pig,

enormously

it is

was sacred to Venus, and

men

reason, according to the Pythagoreans, lustful

(De Gubernatis,

and coupling of the sexes,

and reviving springtime, therefore the

it

was

prolific

for this
"

are transformed into hogs

pudendum

fern, itself, as

a symbol of

THE ATTITUDE FOR DREAMING.

fruitfulness,

charm
was

was known as a

for luck.

The

also called a pig,

a charm against the

" Nuptiarum
maritus
nostrse

and

is

evil eye.

initio, antiqui

pig,

cowrie

and has

shell,

from

for this reason

its

always been worn as a

resemblance to the same organ

extensively used at the present day in the East as

In Varro {De re Rustica,

ii.

4)

we

read

reges ac sublimes viri in Hetruria in conjunctione nuptiali nova nupta, et novus

primum porcum immolant prisci quoque Latini et etiam Graeci in Italia fecisse
mulieres, maxime nutrices naturam, qua foeminae sunt, in virginibus appellant porcum,
;

significantes esse

As

dignum

videntur,
et

sleeping in a pigsty gives true dreams, so the pig seems of old in

swore by

it

et

insigni nuptiarum."

lands to have been closely allied to truth, for Romans, Scandinavians, and
all

nam

Greece choiron,

{Livius, i.,24

Mome,

Geschichte des Heidenthums,

Paradinus Symbola heroica (Antwerp,

1583), p.

8.

Also

Heidreck swears by a boar, the symbol sacred to Frey.

in the

The

i.,

p.

259

many

Germans
Claudius

Hervor Saga, King

pig was so generally

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

254

and was so closely connected with mysteries and holy rites, that
a German, Casselius, published a work on the subjectDe Sacrificiis porcinis in
For much erudition on the subject of swine
cultu deorum veterum, Bremen, 1769.
in ancient mythology and legend the reader may consult Die Symbolik und Myth-

used

in sacrifices,

Natur, von

ologie der

Wurzburg, 1859.

B. Friedrich.

J.

It is

that the reason which the Turks give for not eating pork

were converted to Mahometanism except the

in

pig,

refers to the

accounting for
"

When

it

"

all

living things

Jews refraining from "the unclean beast," and

a story

tell

Christ once went to Flanders the Jews ridiculed His teaching, and to test

He

answered, "

His wisdom they hid one

A pig."

So they laughed

Him

Him

to scorn.

the barrel, there was their friend changed into a hog.

forth

and mingled with the other swine, and because the Jews could not pick him

lo

And

a heathen.

the pig under the barrel,"

of their number under a barrel, and asked

But

known

not generally
that

who remained

the Netherlands the peasants have a proverb of

which

is

when they

lifted

what was there ; and

out, to this

And he

ran

day they have

eaten no pork for fear of devouring him or his descendants."

There

is

fleeing (A.D. 995),

he went with a single

his

a slave

thrall,

named Kark, who had been

And

his

playmate from

she hid the two in a deep ditch

This was covered over with boards and earth, and the pigs were

under her pigsty.

it.

" Then came Olaf Tryggvesson, of the

And

from his subjects, who had risen in rebellion,

boyhood, to his mistress Thora of Rimul.

over

When

another old and curious Norse story of dreaming in a pig-pen.

Haakon was

Earl

calling his

men

together he

race of Harold the Fair-haired, to Rimul to seek and slay

mounted a great stone

close to the pigsty

and declared

Haakon.

in a loud voice that

he

would give a great reward to any one who would find the earl and slay him.
" The earl heard this, and saw that the thrall Kark was listening eagerly.

" 'Why
wilt betray

"
"

'

'

art

me ?

thou

now

so pale,' asked the earl, 'and

now

again as black as earth?

Is

it

that thou,

'

No,' replied Kark.

We were both born in

" They sat in silence.

the

At

same

last

night,' said the earl,

Kark

slept,

'and our deaths will not be

far apart.

The

but he tossed and talked in his sleep.

waked him,

earl

and asked what he had dreamed.

" I dreamed,' answered Kark, that we were both on board a ship, and that I stood at the helm.'
" That must mean that thou rulest over thy own life as well as mine. Be faithful to me and I will
reward thee when better times come.'
" Once more the thrall fell asleep, and had a nightmare. The earl woke him again, and asked him his.
'

'

'

dream.

"

'

I thought I

"

'

The meaning of

seek him.

was

at Hlode,' said

Kark,

that,' said the earl,

'

'

is

and Olaf Tryggvesson put a golden ring about

that Olaf will put a red ring about thy

neck

my
if

neck.'

thou goest

to-

Therefore beware of him, and be true to me.'

"But when

the earl

fell

asleep

Kark slew

his master with his knife, thrusting

it

into his throat.

Soon

he came to Olaf with Haakon's head, and claimed the reward promised.
But Olaf verified the
murdered man's prophecy. He put, not a ring of gold, but one of blood round Kark's neck, for he beheaded him.
after

"

LA STALLA DI MAIALE.
" For though Haakon Jarlo Earl Haco had been
long, he

liked

little

And

kindly.

" Oc

it

that so great a

as the saga ends

Enn

and done him great

whom

evil all his life

he had ever treated

fyri sin

Hakonar

han threlnum, oc bad han uppfesta, oc

Jarlo, tha reddist

Drottin svik.

Hakon

Sveik hann

Jarl, svikia

mann hann mik,

ef

sua skal leida drottins svikun."

English

" And.when Olaf knew

to be hanged, and said,

would he betray me

As we

his bitterest foe,

should be treacherously slain by a slave

er Olafr kiendi thetta var hofut

sagdi hann hofa skild maklig Iaun,

han ma.

man

255

if

'

that

was the head of Earl Haakon he was enraged

it

He shall have

he could

evil

boot for betraying his master.

and so shall

all

For

and ordered him

at the thrall,

if

he deceived Earl Haakon so

treason to a master be rewarded.'

by surroundings, it is natural that certain places should

have been chosen to dream in. " We have read," says Pico de Mirandola in his
Witch, "that the physicians of Calabria and Taurus were wont to sleep in the
sepulchre of Podalirius, and others in that of Esculapius." A pig-pen is, however,
are influenced

several degrees

It

may be

As the former seems to

Romagna from the Lombards.

removed from a temple, or even a tomb.

be distinctly Northern,

it

observed that

ceremony are given.

may have come

it is

The

into the

only in the Italian traditions that the minutiae of the

presence of the sow with pig

significant.

is

was by

It

a prediction referring to such a sow that Odin caused himself to be suspected

by King Heidreck
But not long
passage
1847),

after I

Hervor Saga.

had written the foregoing remarks,

Symbolik of Creuzer (whom, by the way,

which seems to cast much

temple.
"

in the

in the

light

I came across a certain

knew in Heidelberg in

this connection of the pig-pen

with the

Unto Demeter

Cornutus, the Stoic,

or Ceres pregnant sows were specially offered in sacrifice, as

who

lived sixty-eight years after Christ, informs us, as does

Arnobius {Disput. adversus Gentes,

because of the great

were kept
" In

on

fertility

edit.

Elmenhorst,

Therefore

of this animal."

in the cellars of the

honour of these goddesses the Bootians put

Ceres was pre-eminently a goddess of

by Roman

hence

little

ladies,

fertility,

little

meadows

and Clemens Alexandrinus speaks of the same thing

it

adding that

came

Pausanias

as observed in other places."

therefore of

L.

Pausanii De.

de natura deorum, 21

Gracice, lib. ix.,

c. 8.

1,

pigs into subterranean

of Dodona.

good luck and

insure pregnancy, and partly

Annaus Cornutus

was

to pass that pigs

gold and silver pigs were offered to her, and

partly to

it

temple of Ceres and Proserpine, as Creuzer relates

chapels, which the next year were seen in the

influences

p. 135),

for

luck

pub. by Fr. Osann, 1844.

all

also

genial

worn

custom

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

256

which was revived as a fashion a few years ago

was when adopted by unmarried

some note has been taken

virgins.

in Paris,

Of which

a French novel, entitled

in

and a very funny one

Le Cochon dOr.

remarkable that the Italian superstition requires that there must be

It is

the pig-pen a

sow with young.

it

gold and silver pig-norance

According to Aristophanes, the

sacrifice

in

of the

sow must be made when any one was initiated into the mysteries. For information
on this subject consult also Bayerische Sagen und Brauche, Beitrag zur Deutscken
MUncken, 1848.

Mythologie, von Friedrich Panzer.

From what

is

here cited

it

appears that of old people slept in certain temples

of the gods to have true dreams, and that these temples were used partially as

And

pig-pens.

this

much seems

means of dreams, and that

to be certain, that Ceres

was greatly consulted by

dreaming was specially in her temples

this

in

which

pigs were kept.

The Spell of the

" Cur hedera

Hoc

and the Statue.

Ivy

cincta est? hedera est gratissima Baccho,

quoque, curita

sit,

dicere nulla

mora

est.

Nysiades Nymphse puerum qurerente novera

Hanc frondem

cunis apposuere novis."

Ovid,

The
follows

first ol

iii.

Marcellus

of Bordeaux

in capite stature

cujus libet nasci solet, ea decrescente luna, sublata capitique circumligata

(" If grass growing on the head of any statue be plucked in the waning of the

The

sixth

is

it

much

the

same

stature cujus libet nasci solet, ea si in

mirum remedium hemicranise

it

will

panno rufo

ligata capiti vel

temporibus

vel heterocranire prestabit."

(" If grass or ivy grows on the head of any statue and

or temples,

moon and taken away,

removes pain.")

" Herba vel hedera in capite

alligetur,

be a marvellous remedy

for

it

be gathered and tied in a red cloth to the head

headache or neuralgia.")

inquired for a long time in Florence before I found the following cure for

a headache.
"

as

tollit."

be bound about the head,

is

"Herba
dolorem

the medical magical cures of

Fasti,

When

It

was not only repeated to me, but also written

you take grass from the head of a statue to cure a headache you must say

THE SPELL OF THE IVY AND THE STATUE.

"

'

Non

Ma

prendo

"

And

then you must

That

make

to say, cast

is

English this

is

la

magia

mal

di

capo mi vada

il

chi

II

diavolo la porta via.'

mi ha dato

la

Roman

in the old

via,

malia

of the horns oxjettatura) behind you."

le cortte (the sign

it

l'erba,

prendo

Che

257

fashion over your right shoulder.

In

"

do not take the grass or

But

ivy,

magic power,

I take the

That the headache may leave me,

And may

the devil carry

The one who gave

Now

may

it

it

to

away

me

"
!

be observed that whenever any of these magical prescriptions

are wanting, as regards an incantation, they are always imperfect.

MARCELLUS,

as the imperial court physician, probably did not obtain his

prescriptions very accurately from the people.

incantation
others

is

far older

but what

is

most conclusive,

it

am

than the third century.

quite sure that this Italian

the

It is in

same form

many

as

assumes, as a matter of course, that even

a headache must be the result of evil magic.

This

is

the very oldest form of

sorcery.

have no doubt that Ivy was the original plant used

religious symbolism, as wreathing the

very deeply and significantly.

statue,

Therefore,

borrowed much from the Dionysiacs

it

symbol of new

life in

it

in this cure.

meant

was found growing of itself on a

The

effective.

among other things, the

Roman

symbolism.

It also signified

on any head

poetry, inspiration, or active genius.

As

early Christians

Ivy.

They

laid it

as a garland, a

" Hedera quoque

vel laurus et hujusmodi

quae semper servant vivorem in sarcophago corpori subster-

secundum corpus, tamen secundum animam vivunt

c.

fillet,

appears from the following

nam licet mundo moriantur

Durandus, Ration. Div. Offic.,

nantur ad significandum, quod qui moriantur in Christo, vivere non desinant,

vii

In early

and that

Christ. 1

from Ovid

lib.

life itself,

have said that ivy on the head of a statue was especially typical of health

life in

or wreath

when

was of course supposed to be very

it

in coffins as a

and

head of Bacchus,

et reviviscunt in

35.

34

Deo."

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

258

"

Siquis habes nostris similes in imagine vultus,

Deme

meis hederas Bacchica serta comis,

Ista decent lsetos felicia signa poetas,

Temporibus non

est

apta corona meis."

Tristium,

Of which crowning with

we know very little

said that

which attached to them

It

remarkable

is

tradition,

ivy or roses, and

as regards

in the

aerial nature,

mysteries.

many

i.,

6.

cl.

other customs,

it

can be truly

the feeling, sentiment, and associations

days of yore.

according to the very ancient and widely-spread

that,

any plant which grows

have magic or healing

all

lib.

off,

away from,

virtues, or to

or above the earth,

The

be spirit-haunted.

believed to

is

mistletoe,

from

its

became almost the centre of Druid observance, and moss has many

The

house-leek

in

German Hauswurz

guard a house from lightning (Grimm, D. M., 2

believed to
the
mountain-ash

445)

or Donnerkraut

ed. B. i,

s.

is

being also dedicated to Thor, or thunder. But remember that whenever you see grass
or herbage, ivy or flowers, on old walls or ruins grey, there the owls wone, and elves

and

fairies delight to

dwell or dance, or pass the time, as has been so well approved

by much observation that to deny it were enough

So rest ye firm in the faith that wherever

deny

to

all

testimony of tradition.

" High on the towers

Grow beautiful flowers,
Wall-flowers, ivy and grass

There

in the light

Of a moonshine night
You can see the fairies

pass."

The Spell of the Hare.

" Flevit lepus parvulus

Clamans

Quid

feci

altis

vocibus,

hominibus

Ut me sequuntur canibus?"

German Latin Song, Twelfth Century.

" First catch your hare

."

Attributed, wrongly, to Mrs. Glasse.

There

is

among

the spells of

Marcellus one

(84,

Grimm)

dolorinflammation of the colon, possibly here the colicwhich

to relieve the coli

is

very curious

" Lepori vivo talum abstrahes, pilos ejus de sub ventre tolles atque ipsum vivum
dimittes.
vel lana filum validum facies, et ex eo talum leporis conligabis corpusque laborantis prsecinges

De

illis pilis

miro remedio

; !

THE SPELL OF THE HARE.

subvenies.

Efficacius

stercore lupi inveneris,

tamen
quod

erit

tum cum

ne aut terram tangat aut a muliere contingatur, sed nee filum

leporem vivum dimittas

Hoc autem remedium cum

ulla contingere.

quod

et dicas ei,

si ita

dum

uni profuerit ad alios transla-

Filum quoque, quod ex lana vel

volueris, et quotiens volueris proderit.

solus purus et nitidus facies,

tulis,

casu os ipsum, id est talum leporis in

ita ut incredibile sit, si

ita custodire debes,

de lana leporis debet mulier

lllud

remedium,

259

ventri laborantis subligaveris

dimittis

" Fuge,

eum

quos de ventre leporis

proderit, ut sublata lana

fuge lepuscule

'

pilis,

plurimum

Et tecum aufer dolorem

"

'

{" Take from a live hare the ankle-bone (or heel-bone), remove the hair from his belly, and

From

alive

that hair, or fur,

see a wonderful cure.

that

bone

in the

make a

thread,

and with

But the remedy will be more

dung of a

a woman, nor should any

And when you

woman

shall

touch the thread

have shorn

you

away,

it

made

let

Jhe

" Take

following prescription

is

that

it

But

sufferer,

let

him go

and you will

yea, incredibleshould you by chance find

shall not

it

touch the earth nor be touched by

of the hare's wool.

will.

But the remedy may be

wash the thread, every time,

carefully

the hare run away alive and say

"'Run, run little

And carry the

Florence

efficacious

In which case so guard

wolf.

ferred from one to another patient as often as

avail.

bind the bone to the body of the

it

trans-

for

more

hare
colic

with you

")

!
'

given word for word as

it

was told me

in

or catch a hare without doing

it

the least

" Lepre
'

vi

harm and say

prendo,

Ti porto a casa mia,

Che tu mi porti
La buona fortuna,

Fa

("'Hare,

porti via la

di

.'

take you,

bear you to

male

my

home,

That you may bring me

good fortune

Bear away the

illness

of

[Here the name of the patient

"

And when

the hare

is

carried

home you must

is

cut, or shave,

.")

mentioned.]

away

done, hold the hare towards the invalid with a third person, and put

Then

let

the hare run away,

making the

il

e la

malora

male tu possa portarlo con te;

lasciarci noi

Tutti in liberta,

Colla buona salute

the form of a cross.

And

on the neck of the one who

sign of the chestnut (or la fica), saying

"'Vail

E
E

its fur in

it

this

suffers.

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

260

("

'

Go

and mayst thou bear

All the trouble and

And

With good
" Then

spit

behind you

mid

thrice,

with thee

ill

leave us free
health.')

look not behind vou,

and go not out from the house

for three-quarters

of an hour."

have no doubt that the incantation on catching the hare

but was unknown to Marcellus.

The

evidently modern.

and formed a part of

prescription

cutting the fur

spitting thrice

all

away

as old as the rest,

is

in the

form of a cross

and the sign of the castagna are old Roman,

such ceremonies.

It will

be seen that

all

of the

at first hurriedly noted

Grimm,

from the notes.

bear evidences of copying.

It

down, and transcribed a long time

in fact, points out, with

is,

much

sagacity, that they

indeed, not in the nature of things that such a

troublesome task as catching and shaving a hare, and extracting the

should have been

who have
is

is

Roman

suspect that Marcellus really abridged most of his accounts.

They may have been

There

is

given in the Italian version, the concluding incantations being

is

almost identical.

after

The

worked

"

off,"

talus,

&c,

or dismissed, so abruptly as Marcellus describes

not a negro in North America, and

it.

suppose very few white men,

not heard that the fore-foot of a rabbit (the hare being there unknown),

The

a charm for luck.

overtaking the bearer.

fore-foot brings fortune, the hind-foot prevents evil

This world-old, widely-spread belief owes

faith in the talus, or ankle-bone.

its

from

origin to a

possess specimens of these amulets, or fetishes,

which were obtained from Voodoo sorcerers by Miss Mary Owen, of Saint Joseph,
Missouri.

All mediaeval magic, as well as

Roman, abounds

in allusions to the effect that

while engaged in incantation the operator must not look behind him.
traveller

him

be followed by an
"

evil spirit or fiend,

until

he

The

injunction not to look behind one involves

ancient

lore.

in departing

And

if

the latter will have no power over

turns around his head."

some very curious and very

In Tuscany

if one gathers ashes or other objects for magic, he or she

must not look round. So in Theocritus (Idyl 91), on gathering ashes

such retrospection

is

forbidden.

" Fers

Also Virgil (Eclogue

cineris

8) writes

Amarylli foras, rivoque fluenti

Transque caput jace ne respexeris."

Hildebrand

(Theurgia,

p.

297)

tells

noble birth was tormented by demons.

he would pray

a marvellous

tale,

how a young man

His guardian angel promised him that

to God, not drink with the devils,

of
if

and not once look behind him,

THE SPELL OF THE SPIDER.

bey Verlust seines Lebens

be

subject "

they
p.

Which

all right.

on

his

life,

Why witches

when
it

not turning round

cock-crow, he would

riding on their

brooms must not look behind them lest

a condition of broom and goat-riding {Blocksberg,

which seems
very shrewdly conjectures

414)

till

Pr^etorius, who gives several pages to the

so happened.

off"

fall

and could hold out

261

is

that Satan got the idea from Lot's wifk

This

probably connected with the unbroken attention or uninterraitted thought which enters largely into all execution of spells.
When the witch's
attention

the time

is
is

is

distracted

by

by

intricate patterns, grains, or

songs, her evil

power

for

suspended.

The Spell of the

Spider.

" L'araignee est un signe de bonheur et annonce particulierement de l'argent pour la personne
sur laquelle
est trouve."

As

is

very. natural, the spider appears in Folk-lore as both

From

lucky and unlucky.

"

hatred.

The Tarantula

its

ugliness

causes by

and poison

typhoid fever

by dancing."

Violent exercise often works off

physical explanation.

may be

averted by hard labour.

by a rattlesnake must drink

he drops with fatigue. Thus

all

ill

For

this cure there is a

humours

in the blood.

In Western America a

man

bitten

the whiskey he can swallow, and run or walk

the Tarantella

superstition assigns to witches.

bad and good,

an emblem of enmity and

a species of madness, which, according

its bite

to popular superstition, can only be cured

it is

It is

is

till

a well-known dance, which popular

the awakening dance at their Treguenda, or

Sabbat.

There

a legend which states that this Tarantella dance originated as follows

is

A priest bearing the sacrament

it.

So he caused them

passed by a party of dancers

to dance on

who

did not salute

and more madly than ever (Naturgeschickte

zur Dampfung des Aberglaubens (Hamburg, 1793), p. 102). But while there are
many legends of evil spirits appearing as spiders, on the other hand the extraordinary

instinct, or

ingenuity displayed by the insect in making

habit of always being

weather, have

made

it

in

one place

at

"there

thrift

is

web, or
-adorned

and wealth

money coming."
in

its

If

Therefore

it

its

its

industry, cleverness,

a spider creeps over you and you do

Again,

web, and

brings good luck, and

it

is

no harm

wonderful perseverance in re-spinning

getting to a predetermined place, has pointed

many

its

foresight as regards the

a generally recognised symbol for

-domestic steady habits, and prophecy.

type of

home, and

its

many a moral and

own times.

a tale from the days of the Bruce to these our

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

262

Of course

it

found a place

gives the following

" Araneam

MARCELLUS

magical medicine.

in

(cap. 14, p. 104)

nomen

quae sursum versus subit et taxit prendes, et

ejus dices cui

Sic cito subeal uva ejus

quem

chartam virginem lino

ligabis et collo laborantis suspendes die Jovis, sed

nomino, quomodo aranea haec sursum

medendum

repit et texit, turn

dum

erit, et adjicies

ipsam araneam

in

prendes araneam vel phylacte-

rium, alligas ter in terram spues."

Which

is

to the effect that

when you

your invalid, and take the spider, and put

see a spider weaving upwards, you

bag

in a

it

of virgin linen,

name

and hang

round the neck of the patient, but while taking and bagging your spider,
thrice

it

spit

on the ground. 1

All of which

same

nearly the

is

nounced the following incantation

in

" Ragno, o mio

bel ragno

Benedetto che tu

La

che tu

tela

Tuscany, but with

it

there must be pro-

sia

fai,

Lascia la in casa mia,

La

tela che tu fai,

Falla con buona fortuna,

E
E

con malissima fortuna,

che

la fortuna resti in casa

Quando

Thai

la tela

mia,

fatta,

Vattene o ragno mio

Ma

non

di casa mia,

Vattene dalla

Che

Mi

tela,

mi hai

tu

fatto,

hai fatto con buona fortuna

prendero

io la

In un sacchetto di lana rosso la mettero,

E
E
E

dentro un marengo d'oro

cosi

oracolo la terro,

dentro al seno,
"
lo lasciero !

la terro

mai piu

(" Spider,

O my

pretty spider,

Blessed be thou

The web which thou

Leave

kill

The

spiders that

come

it

in

my

house

weavest,
!

to your house (so says the negro), indicate the

a spider you will certainly lose a friend.

supposed to cause death.

io l'avro,

questo sacchetino

Come un

E
E

vi uniro,

sempre piu buona fortuna

"A spider

found on the bodies of feeble babies.

At the same time,

number of your

certain kinds of spiders

in the dumpling "is a name

Note by Mary A. Owen.

friends.

If

you

cooked in the food are

for secret poisoning.

Spider-webs are

"

THE SPELL OF THE SPIDER.

263

The web which thou makest

Make

it

Or with

lucky (with good fortune),

the worst fortune.
in

my

for

me,

And may the luck abide

When thy web is spun
Leap out, O my spider
But not from my house.
Go from thy web,

ouse,

Which thou
Which thou

And

put

made with good

in a

it

bag of red woollen

I shall

this

ever have good luck,

bag

I will

always keep as an oracle,

I will

keep

And

luck,

it,

there with a golden spangle,

Thus

And

woven

hast

take

I will

I will

And

hast

it

within

my

will never leave

bosom,

it

")

This incantation speaks of putting the web and not the spider

But MARCELLUS

woollen.

spitting thrice

on the ground,

incantations.

ad

libitum with

There

is

incantations

no

may

may
all

bag of red

in a

As for the
many Tuscan

other cases orders the red woollen bag.

in

it is

say that

it

common

formula at the end of

and the sign of the

fica, also of the jettatura,

proof, but there

is

always a possibility, that

be translations from the Latin, while

it is

these

all

modern

almost certain that the

Latin were in turn taken from the Etruscan, or Oscan, or some early tongue.
so, future

As

researches into the earliest languages of Italy

regards the

the Virgin

summer

web of

Mary ascended

torn to pieces

go

of them.

the spider, there

to heaven, her

by the winds.

is

may

a pretty

If

verify the assertion.

German fancy

that

when

was carried about and

spider-webs which are seen in

veil, falling off,

Therefore the silvery

floating in the air are called Mariengarn, or

Mary's yarn, or that which

is

spun.
It is

worth noting that

in

Scott's novel of Waverley,

braiding differently coloured threads in a charm

sings

Meg

which custom

Merrilies while

still

exists in Italy

" Twist

ye, twine ye even so,

Mingle threads of joy and woe

And

that this

is

almost exactly the same with a passage

incantation to the spider

in

the Tuscan

"

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

264

" La

tela

Fa

che tu

fai

con buona fortuna

la

"
con malissima fortuna

The spider is, according to several learned authorities, often carried in

Germany in a walnut-shell as an amulet, and then, after several years, it turns to a
gem. The explanation of this is that, as the yolk of a very hard-boiled egg, if kept
becomes almost

for several years,

mass of substance from which

like a stone, so the

web hardens to a semi-transparent

a spider spins her

Here

ball.

may remark

we find any such superstitious custom followed without an incantawe may be sure that it is imperfect, for in early times nothing was " locked,"
made sure, without its charm. In Tuscany this spider spell exists in its ancient

that wherever
tion,

or

form, and I here give

Do

"

you want a charm

you believe

in

it

literally in nuce

it

to bring

good fortune or much money ?

the better your luck will be

a walnut-shell; and,

you can get

if

put with the spider, comigno

a bit of iron magnet.

in a nut-shell

it, let

Take a

close the shell, glue

it

Non

'

Ma

salt,

up, and say

and a

This
does

is

is

una nuoce a

the
put

more
into

it

tre canti

and

of a red (woollen) garment,

and

! '

it

I carry the

never

may

good luck,

leave

me

!
'

")

an extremely curious and ancient formula of declaring that whatever one

Thus

insures that

to find

all will

By means

of

it

almost any action

and pick up anything, at once converts

go well with

naming the object

is

little bit

it

you

porta nuoce,

not to stop at a certain point.

magic.

make

porto la fortuna,

But

That

to

do not bear the nut,

'

way

Che non mi abbandone mai

("

the

is

be a walnut-shell of three pieces

this

"

This

Si mette in una nuoce

great spider.

cumminfrankincense, and

Then

" I

it if

turned into

into a fetish, or

"I do not pick up "

which may never abandon me " It

we say when taking

pick up good luck,

it

is

it

an incantation of universal application, enabling one to secure a wish out of

every chance occurrence.

The
book

spider

is

also used in divination.

"// Ragno

the following in a popular chap-

In the Book of Dreams, and in the works of the famous cabalists Rutilic-

Industrioso.

Benicosa, Casamia, 1'Indovino,

find

I find

methods of divining the

II

Palmaverde, Nostradamus, and the ancient Sybils or Haruspices,

secret of getting

experiments made, the most singular

"Take one

of these insectslet

is
it

that

numbers by the

lottery.

Among

and give the spider time

to

weave a web.

many

we

often

extraordinary

by means of the spider.

and put

be very large

it,

without hurting

bottom of which are many small pieces of paper, numbered from one to ninety.
veil,

the

it,

in a little box,

Cover

it

on the

with a transparent

THE SPELL OF THE GREEN LIZARD.

" Naturally the insect in going here and there
this three times,

and then

let

will turn

up certain numbers.

Many have won

the spider go.

265

These must be noted.

Do

lucky numbers in the lottery by means of this

experiment."

may be

It

we
in

let

observed that

So

the spider go.

it

necessary to the success of this sortilege that

is

in several of the

such spells must be dismissed in safety

The

spider,

as for lucky

up

turn

may be

it

numbers

you an

for

charms of Marcellus, the animal used

Ecce dimitto

vivam !

te

observed, can also be used for other divination as well

Thus,

in the lottery.

you write

if

affirmative or negative for

"

Yes

any question, or

"

or " No;" she will

names of

select the

friends or enemies, or pick out lucky days.

But there

is

an appalling and revolting side to the character of the spider.

whom we

All the spinners

very often devours him as

irresistible

number of
one
sept

is

little

insignificant

who, indeed,

he were a midget.

if

eaten whole

is

may hear it
hommes "

women

in Paris

is

But he

is

impelled by an

is

revolting.

She

cannibal of her kind, and always horribly

significance in the fact,

which

web

so that every

really a

is

Tour de

Of whom
is

" Elle

the type

is

Nesle.

higher law than mere chance, or our

and discordant things show

poisonous, crafty, remorseless, a

morallyugly.

own

mangle

the spider.

There

is

a very deep

speak of in anothei chapter, that there

is

eats a

not unknown elsewhereof any one of whom

ruined seven spendthrifts.

Therefore the spider

Sometimes the Arachne

her irresistible sorcery of charms,

said, in tribute to
i.e.,

dessert.

for

suitors before yielding

a class of

repulsive,

size or strength to his mate,

impulse to couple with her, and, when she consents, and the liaison

accomplished, he

There

The male

see are females.

no proportion as regards

creature, in

associations, in this

their nature

by

human in the expression of not only flowers, but

From which it may justly be inferred that there are

is

some

making poisonous,

certain signs, or

agree with the forms from which they came, and that there

is

why sounds

something strangely

of innumerable phenomena.
in all objects certain

phases

we have as yet
how we know not.

of sensation, feeling, emotion, or a kind of thought, of which

no

real conception.

There

are spirits in all things

The Spell of the Green

" An
stones

but

Lizard.

old lizard said to me, 'Nothing in this world ever goes backwards.

become

plants, plants

become animals, animals become human

beings,

All [pushes ever

onward-

and human beings gods.'

" ' And what becomes of the old gods ?

" 'Twill all be arranged,' quoth the lizard." Heine's Pictures of Travel.
'

'

Among

his prescriptions for disorders of the eyes,

35

MARCELLUS

gives one to the

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

266
effect that

we should take

a green lizard, blind

with a copper needle, and put

it

into a glass vase, with rings of gold or silver, iron,

then

etiam cupreis

plaster

updeinde

it

Then you

again.

let

the eyes with them

Open

vas gypsabis.

it

on the

with

seventh day, and you will find the lizard

sanis luminibus

him go away, but keep the

rings

it

aut

amber, or even copper

fifth

or

his eyes well

and wear them, and touch

but especially you must look sometimes through the hole or

circle of the ring. 1

When
" Yes,"

woman

an old

adding that

This she supplied

" Quando

it

in

Florence was asked

"

words

'

vaso e

si

When

manda

via, si dice

Lucertola, va via

Che

'

she said

this spell,

E il veleno
Ma indietro

"

knew

she

was, however imperfect, because the incantation was wanting.

in these

la lucertola si leva del

In English

if

portate lo via,

non

rivoltare,

ti

mal d'occhi non mi debba

il

ritornare."

the lizard runs, say

"

'

Lizard, run

away

Carry the poison (disease) away,

And
May

There

is

thou comest again,

till

the trouble of

my

eyes never return

very good reason to believe that this spell

Firstly, there

Marcellus,

are other incantations in

'

"

is

in

old Roman-Etruscan.

which some animal

caught and made to bear a disorder, and then dismissed with an injunction.
secondly, Marcellus gives another medical charm for liver complaint

is

But,

" Take a green lizard et de acuta parte camuz jecur

black bag, and hang
vide ut ego

whenever

it

on the part

quemcunque hinc
touch

this,

may be

afflicted

tetigero

free

then

let

epar non doleat

from pain in the

All things considered, this

is

('

'

liver.')

quite

ei

tollevnA put him in a red woollen or naturally

the lizard go

but say to him

'

Ecce dimitto

Behold, I send thee away alive

te

vivam,

see that I,

"

enough to form almost an identity with

the Italian charm.

It is certain that

'

a cure

Mr. Neville told

for sore eyes.

me

by

rings

Marcellus

here means also beads.

the Cingalese kill a lizard over a slow

Note by Mary A. Owen.

fire,

What

and the froth that runs from

renders

its

eyes

is

THE SPELL OF THE GREEN LIZARD.

this certain

is,

and

eyes,
I

it is

all

essential that they should

There were twice as many, but the

in Pennsylvania, suffering

myth makes

carried

very remarkable

is

by people

weak

for

least

one hundred and

fifty

years old.

were given away, one by one, to people

The

old Etruscan spell of the lizard

but the belief in the amber bead survives.

connection of amber with the eyes

be wept by the sun

later

rest

from their eyes.

has been forgotten, save in Tuscany

it

be looked through, to strengthen the sight.

have a string of fifty-two amber beads, at

The

Now

some may be of amber.

over the world, amber beads are

that he says

that to this day,

267

very ancient.

is

was supposed to

It

A
i.e., it came from the eyes of the Eye of the Universe.
come from the tears of the Heliades, who so regretted their
Moore refers to this in his poem, " Farewell to thee, Araby's

it

brother Phaeton.

daughter."

Lizards are sometimes found with two

Pasha with many

Tuscan Folk-lore

lizard with

It is sure that if

win, and be lucky in

all

Marcellus
:

as

find the following in

is

mentioned

my

Maryatt's

in

manuscript collection of

" If one can have a

immensa fortuna.

Tales.

tails,

two

tails,

and

always carry

will

he plays he can never

lose

mai

it, it

altro

will

be very fortunate

-porta

quite the contrary, he

una

always

will

things."

gives another prescription

relating

to

the lizard, as follows

(cap. 29)

" Lacertum viridem, quem, Grceci aavpov vocant, capies per ejus oculos acum cupream
longo volueris
dicens

trajicies, perforatisque oculis

eum ibidem

cum

loci ubi ceperas dimittes, ac turn filum

licio

quam

prxcantabis

"

'

Trebio, potnia, telapho.'

" Hoc, ter dicens filum munditer recondes, cumque dolor

colici alicujus urgebit, prsecinges

eum totum

super umbilicum et ter dicas carmen supra scriptum."

In this the eyes of the lizard are blinded, as before, with a copper needle and
thread, then the lizard

words.

The

thread

the three words

spell

is

is

mean

is

dismissed and the thread

is

enchanted with three magic

then bound about the patient suffering from

I

do not know.

But the manifest conclusion

of old Etruscan origin, and the modern Tuscan charm

identical with

" Lacerta

is

that the

on the whole,

it.

MARCELLUS

semper manu

is,

What

colic.

(cap. 23, p. 166) gives

viridis viva in ostio splenitei ante

sinistra et capite contingat,

quo

another charm with a green lizard

cubiculum ejus suspenditur,

facto mire

ad sanitatem

ita ut

proficiet."

procedens

et rediens earn

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

268

That

is,

the lizard must be

hung up

from the spleen, so that he

sufferer

may

alive in the

touch

it

door before the bed of the

while going out or

"

in.

Which

being done, wonderfully conduces to health."

The same
condition

The

thing

done at present

is

here wanting.

is

why

reason

For

is

Madonna

Malerei, 1837, vol.

who

whence

xii.,

46

was because the

salamander, which

was

not, however,

and

lizard

to be found

common

book on

as an old

should turn to Christ

sin,

its

Geschichte der

i.,

20).

light,

Galeotes (lizard), the Sicilian

light.

on Themisto

divinat,

who

lizard with the Virgin in

Prophecy

or

(Oe{ii<rreia),

Hence the connection with

use as a cure for the eyes.

was anciently a symbol of heat and

light that the

a yellowish brown lizard, was supposed to live in

is

De

Cicero,

also

is

became old and

was also a type of divination as well as of

was begotten by Apollo

" the tears of the sun,"

amber,

lizard

(Kugler, Handbuch der

was a symbol of Apollo, the god of

it

soothsayer,

(jElian,

It

told that the chief

And

its sight.

blinded by

is

delta lucertola

p. 248).

i.,

was

tails.

For which reason Raphael painted a

the true Sun."

the celebrated

two

connected with the sight and light

went into the sunlight and recovered

it

It

Tuscany, but

lizard with

was believed that when the

it

animals deduces, " Therefore man,

is

in

must be a

the lizard

in ancient symbolism.

blind

It

This

fire.

salamander, such as Heine, when a boy, once burned,

but a very different and spiritual kind of creature, of the same form, which dwelt
habitually in the flame, and such as was seen once

by Benevenuto

Cellini,

who

tells

us that on the occasion his father gave

him very solemnly a good whipping

make him remember

Of

it.

which, as

my

have remarked in

to

translation of

Heine's Germany? the same flagellation to prevent him from lying would not

have been misapplied.

As

the lizard

flitting like

is

such a bright, uncanny,

strange intelligence,

it

is

not remarkable that

sometimes takes human form.

follows, as

lively,

odd, and wild

a green gold-spotted ray of light over grey rocks, as

watched them to-day

" As

many have

Which came unto me

in the

seen in
in

little

if
it

creature,

endowed with
an

elf

which

a waking dream as

garden at Via Reggio

rode by the night o'er the brown heath bare,

In the bright moonlight stood a castle fair;

Lords and

ladies, great

Were crowding

and small,

in to a festival,

Grass in the wind a-waving.

Vide Germany, by Heinrich Heine, translated, with notes, by Charles G. Leland.

Heinemann.

1872.

London

W.

THE SPELL OF THE GREEN LIZARD.

They bade me

and

enter,

my

in I went,

drank good wine to

laughed and danced with ladies

Ne'er in

my

had

life

heart's content,
fair,

I such cheer;

Grass in the wind a-waving.

When

all at

Haro

by yaro

once
!

heard a cry:

Asleep

Seemed

like

I,

fell

While the lady dancing by

my

side

a lizard away to glide

Grass in the wind a-waving.

I

woke

in the early

morning

In an old grey ruin on a

still,

hill,

Over the rock and in the sun,

I

saw a golden

And

lizard

grass in the

run

wind a-waving

"
!

269

CHAPTER

II.

Birds and Treasures.

No

one knows better than a bird of the

Where

air

treasures are concealed."

Aristophanes, The Birds.

was an ancient

knew

the birds

that

Ovid

all

announce the

says,

many

countries

things,

and, as

belief in

because they are near them

fly

And

are

it

that

Seneca

to heaven, or as

" Birds

of the gods,

will

by

inspired

they

expresses

the

was especially an

is,

it,

divinities."

Etrusco-

old

Greek conviction, that

Latin, as well as a

they knew where treasure was concealed.

Thus Aristophanes

"When

that

precious

metals

The Birds says,

in

man

asks

birds

they always

hidden,

are

where

indicate the richest mines."

In

Rocca
t

relation

to

Casciano,

this

the

appears to be very old

" When one would

find a treasure,

by night,

"Then he must
;

fepfeffi

speak with a human voice

colla

una

wait

till

which

he must take

the door of the house in which he dwells,

forth into the fields

from

have,

following,

till

and carry

he come under a

many

it

tree.

birds fly over him,

and when they come he must throw down the door,

making a

'great noise.

and

voce diranno dove e nascosto

tell

Then

the birds in fear will

where a treasure

is

buried.'

BIRDS AND TREASURES.

So

the birds are concerned this treasure-hunting

far as

le mysterious connection of the

Thus

untries.

271

GRIMM'S

in

s house, and by means of

iking a terrible noise

that

is to say, by throwing it down and thereby

away a band of thieves, who leave behind them

frightens

The same

eir treasure.

Stupid Catherine carries away the door from

Stories,
it

Etruscan and Greek,

is

door with finding treasures appears in other

story

common

is

in Italy,

where

it

is

told with very

arse incidents of a stupid youth.

The

reader will find by careful study and comparison of the whole which

have given in this book, that these Romagnola traditions have a very archaic

imp, and do not seem to have borrowed from other sources, but, in perhaps
ses, to

have been

original.

my

iw extremely ignorant

all

have been very much astonished, indeed, to find

living

were of the

authorities

traditions, popular

vthology, and folk-lore of Southern Italy, as given in the collections of PlTRE.

lere
id

is

no

parallel case in

belonging to the same race,

d Neapolitans, or

There
vian

is

but with

but, after

all,

so

little

La Romagna,

tradition in

common

as Tuscans

It

as in the language of the people,

not exactly German or Scandisome strange primeval race, like them and
may owe something to the Lombard, and possibly to the

and Northern

harsh, simple,

traces, as

not the same.

:lt,

who have

Sicilians.

in the folk-lore of

is

mething which

Europe of people, speaking almost the same language

it

were, of

these traditions and sorceries are neither Lombardic nor Celtic.

hat they seem to be by every analogy

is

Etruscan, allied to Sabine.

This finding a treasure by means of birds agrees wonderfully with the very

Atta Navius,

cient Latin legend of the seer

Once, while he

>me, kept swine.

faking he could not find them.

ther's anger, but,

slept,

At

some

first

who, when a child

of his herd

he wept

in his

Sabine

wandered away, and on

bitterly,

being afraid of his

plucking up heart, he went to the chapel of the Lares, in the

xt vineyard, and prayed the guardian spirits that he might find his pigs, praising
e

them

if

he did

so, to offer

found the pigs, but

them the

how was he

itched for a flock of birds, and

largest

bunch of grapes

they led

him

to

it.

in the place,

bunch of grapes ?

to find the largest

Then

his father,

knowing

He
this,

ok him to town, and put him to school to the masters of divination and other
irning.

If

we

substitute for the largest

re the spirit or essence of the

ght,
i

Tuscan

bunch of grapes, a
tradition.

treasure,

we have

Divination not only

by the

but by the voices of birds, formed one of the most important elements of the

Etruscan soothsaying

cond of the

The

bird

the

augurium ex avium volatu

vel garritu being the

five principal classes.

who

specially indicates treasures

by night

in old

Latin lore

is

the

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

272

"

Picus Martins, or great woodpecker.

p. 298), " as a wood-bird

hews and knows

^Elian

He

always appears," says

in forests,

where he

(Hist,

lives

Preller

{Myth.,

alone and digs and

His Umbrian name was peiqu,

hidden secrets and treasures."

Romagnola

at present in
this

all

and digger

His connection with the door appears to be

it

is

piga.

of An.,

i.,

45) and

Pliny

(Hist. Nat., x., 20)

mention that

if

the hole or door of the woodpecker's nest in a tree be closed, the bird will bring an
herb,

which at once removes the impediment.

any door.

But

coincidence

is

As

a goblin, or a god,

named

sometimes revealed them.

elves with red caps,
if

be secured

it

will

open

In any case the mere

worth noting.

in very early times, therefore, the

And

If this herb

only as a mere conjecture.

offer this

Picus,
It is

who had

the

red-headed woodpecker was regarded as

who knew where

same

among

myth were derived the

attributes.

Picus was the origin of the red-cap goblin

Europe, and even

who

is

found

all

the Eastern Algonkin Indians of America (as

wess), I also conjecture that research will yet

show

Northern polytheism or fairy mythology

either derived

source, or else has

common

and

treasures were hidden,

probable that from this

origin with

is

it.

either that all the

over

Mikum-

Teutonic or

from an early Latin

But as the Latins and Etruscans had

attained great culture while the Northern races were in a very barbarous state,
I prefer

the former theory.

It

is

indeed beginning to be admitted that the

Scandinavian mythology, far from being autochthonic, exhibits throughout traces

of Latin influence.

The Spell of the Falling

" Such meteors,

or falling stars,

which men of yore could not explain, were held to be divine omens, or

intimations of the desires of the gods, and according to

should be war or peace."

Star.

Friedrich

Homer

that one signified to the other that there

(" Meteore"). Symbolik der

Natur,

p. 100.

All over the world people say in joke or earnest that

or "

falling star," dart across the sky,

that wish will be granted.

in the

Among

and can

the old

if,

when we

utter a wish before

Norsemen such a

line of

heaven was believed to be caused by a dragon flashing along

frequent mention of the appearance of such beings.

CELLUS the

body

sight of such a heavenly

for lippitude, or blear eyes, as follows

is

disappears,

headlong

afar,

fire

hence the

In the Medicine of

MAR-

applied to working a celestial cure

" Ut omnino non lippias, cum stellam cadere vel transcurre

enim annis, quot numerabis, non lippies."

se condat, tot

see a meteor,
it

videris,

numera,

et celeriter

numera, donee

"

THE SPELL OF THE FALLING STAR.

(" That your sight
quickly, ere

it

may

never be dim, when you see a star

disappears, and so

when you

In Tuscany,

one should say

many numbers

see a star

quando

fall

will

si vede

the sky, count, and count

you be clear-sighted.")

una

stella chi

cadde

" Non

Ma

casca la stella

casca 1'amante mio

Che venga o

di giorno,

di notte,

battere alle porte di casa

al

punto di mezza notte,

Che non possa

Non
Non
("

alia porta di casa

not the star which

It is

my

lover

may he

falls
fall

he come by day or night

'Till

Or

at midnight,

To

beat at

my

Nor may he

door.

nor stand,

live

he knocks

Till

an enemy

mia

viene appichiare

But

else this for

mia

vivere,

possa stare,

Finche

Or

fall or fly across

you count, so many years

as

273

at

my

door

")

" Non

Ma

casca la stella,

casca la maledizione

Che

di giorno e di notte

Non faccio altro che maledire

La maledizione che casca
nome

In

di

(" 'Tis not the star which

But

my

That by
1

night, or day,

do naught save

curse,

That the curse may

On

falls,

curse,

fall

(Here the enemy

.")

is

named.)

The conception that as a star falls from the sky, so may your enemy go
downward headlong with your curse pursuing him, is brilliant, original, vindictive,
and replete with

"

a "good hater"

it

pure cussedness."

have no doubt that to a true believer and

must be an immense

relief.

It

is

suggestive of Lucifer, the

Star of the Morning, plunging headlong to hell from the height of heaven, while

an Arab sees

in

it

a daring djinn

who has attempted

paradise and been repulsed by the angels.

36

to

scale

the walls of

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

274

The Spell of the Acorns.

" Men of yore devoured one another,' says Diodorus Siculus, but Jupiter forbade this, giving them
Hence these are called the daughters of the Oak, since they so resemble female heads with
hair bound in ancient fashion."
Preller.
'

'

instead acorns.'
the

There

is

Marcellus (Grimm,

given by

16; M.,

p.

c.

111) a curious

15, p.

forward and backward song and ceremony to cure soreness of the

as follows

tonsils.

It is

" Glandulas mane

continens eas, dices

carminabis,

ad vesperam,

dies minuetur, si nox,

si

et digito medicinali,

ac pollice

" Novem

glandulse sorores,

Octo glandulse

sorores,

Septem glandulas

sorores,

Sex glandulse sorores,

Quinque glandulse

sorores,

Quattuor glandulse sorores,

Tres glandulse sorores,

Duas glandulse sorores,

Una

glandula soror.

Novem
Octo

fiunt glandulas,

fiunt glandulse,

Septem
Sex

fiunt glandulse,

fiunt glandulse,

Quinque

fiunt glandulas,

Quattuor fiunt glandulse,

Tres

fiunt glandulse,

Duse

fiunt glandulas,

Una

fit

glandula,

Nulla

This

came

is

and holding them

The whole
by one) with

acorn

little

sisters (or girls),

Eight

little

acorn

Seven

little

acorn sisters,"

sisters,

on, diminishing to
1

Then begin with

Nulla

made.

think he here means counting them, one

(I

" Nine

is

to take nine acorns, either just before sunrise or

is

the middle finger and thumb, say

and so

glandula."

preceded by another charm, to which reference

to this, that the patient

sunset,

fit

fit

glandula

"

"

"

Nine

And

One

little

little

acorn

acorn

girl."

sisters,"

then there was no

and count back

little

acorn

girl."

till

you come

am

to

sure that

THE SPELL OF THE ACORNS.

form

in its original
is

in

this

was Ten

from ten

little

acorn

little

girls,

song

is still

used

Tuscany, though

in

But

specially applied to the cure of the tonsils.

time of

Marcellus

charms

in

He

to these.

word

There

game which

could not learn that

was not limited even

it

himself gives (19, 20,

which nine grains of barley are counted

also a

for a

runs

Indian boys to one, and then backwards.

This incantation

And

following the fingers.

child's " counting-out "

America and England a

275

blood

(21, Ibid) to stop the flow of

Grimm,

p. 13)

in nearly the

it

is

in the

two other

same manner

"Si cycuma, cucuma, ucuma,

Curaa, ma,

Which

is

like another

English nursery song

" Constantinople,

a.

stantinople, tinople, nople, ople, pull

Pull, ople, nople, tinople, stantinople, Constantinople.''

In which

The

we have

the counting or addition and subtraction in a different form.

game

spell or child's

and runs

as follows

as used in

Taking ten
" Tu

Tuscany

is,

however, applied to good luck,

acorns, the actor sings

lo sai la voglio fare,

Per

La

mandare,

l'indietro io voglio

verita in

mia mano

la

deve dare,

Queste diande per l'indietro io contero

uno

Fino

al

mai non sbagliero,

se

La

vittoria io la vincero.

Adesso

Da

io tornero.

io incomincio

uno, due, tre quattro,

Cinque,

nove e dieci

sei, sette otto,

Died, nove

otto, sette,

Sei, cinque, quattro, tre

Dueuno

Senza mai sbagliare,

La

E
La

Or

in

English

vittoria io la

devo

mai nel contare

fare,

io sbagliero

vittoria io vincero."

" You know what

I will

The

work

it

want

back

to do.

for you,

truth shall be at

my command.
my hand

I will

count these acorns in

There

shall

no error be.

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

276

Thus

I'll

gain a victory,

And so I now begin, you see

From one, two, three, four,
Five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

Ten, nine, eight, seven,

Six, five, four, three,

Two one.
So without the

Now
I

have counted well and

To me

was

mistake

least

the victory I take.

the victory

is

due

at first disposed to regard this as a

wards, or counting-out rhyme, as

is

it

true,

"
!

mere counting forwards and back-

used, not having read

But
Romagnola

carefully.

it

on discovering that the word diande, which I did not know, was the
for ghiande, or acorns,

Marcellus.

The

saw

it

was

same with the incantation of

idea which runs through the spells of Marcellus

cure depends on the counter not

version, that
is

essentially the

then learned that acorns were actually used in the count.

if

that the success of the

in different

modern Tuscan

in the

one undertakes anything, or wishes to know

to infer the result in like manner.

was applied

is

making a mistake, and,

he

if

will succeed,

he

very evident that, as the same principle

It is

ways, there must have also been some Hauptpunkt, or

head-central invocation by counting, to divine luck in general, and I hazard the

conjecture that
is

we have

to say, that there

would

this transferred to us in the

was an Etruscan chief

from an undertaking

result

And

disorders, &c.

which

as divination as

to

very beginning and formed the bulk of

would be very remarkable

of the

This

rest.

is

modern

spell to divine

spell

That

Italian spell.

whether good fortune

was modified

to apply to certain

the success of undertakings was the

Etrusco-Roman augury and

all

if this Italian spell

rites, it

should be the chief one, or nucleus

only conjecture, but I entertain no doubt that

case as old as the time of Marcellus, and therefore in

all

it

is

probability

in

any

Roman-

Etruscan.

According to Johannes Meursius (Be Ludis Grcecorum), there was among

the Greeks a game with acorns called Tropa.
The description of it is not given.

But
for

conjecture that

good luck and

it

was the same as that of the

also a child's counting-out

game

Italian

which

is

at

once a

the object being, as

in

spell

"Peter

Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers," to repeat a difficult formula rapidly with-

out an error.

There

is

yet another species of divination relating to this nut.

acorns as there are letters in any person's name, plant them, and

up

or

grow

well,

he or she

will prosper, or

you

will

win

his love.

Take
if

they

as

many

all

come

THE SPELL OF THE SWALLOW.

The

reader

who

work

subject in the

rhymes

interested in counting-out

is

of Carrington Bolton

277

much on

will find

the

also in another recently published

by

D. Nutt, London, and in the English-Folk-Rhymes, by G. F. Northall (London

Kegan

Paul, Trench, Triibner, and Co.).

the subject of divining

rare work, of which

by numbers and

amount of ancient

vast

similar matters,

may be

Basle, 1692.

of,

how

rude old German version of

poetical lines

The

this.

chapter

is

Only counting out by numbers

And

evident from the context.

is

Mauritius

the lives of certain

and those of certain Talmidim

to be cast into the sea were lost,

saved by judiciously managing a counting-out song.

by

MARTIN MAURI-

or allied to, counting-out rhymes.

quotes from the work of Rabbi Ben Ezra a curious tale of

Sorlibus poeticis.

very

in a

does not seem to have been observed that the Sortes

It

Virgilianae were in the nature

men doomed

erudition on

found

possess a copy, entitled, Tractatus Philologiciis de Sortitione

Veterum, Hebrceorum inprimis ex S. Scriptura Talmude, &c, by

TIUS.

in

There

is

a curious and

connection with the one

De

described, but the counting

is

it is

evident that such counting

out to save lives would be regarded as cabalistic or magical.

The Spell of the Swallow.

O

"

rondinella bella, tu sei un' incantrice."

Canzoni Popolari cCAgrumi.

MARCELLUS
by

of Bordeaux, in treating of disorders of the eyes, informs us that

the aid of the hirundo, or swallow,

as follows
"

all

such trouble

may

be effectually averted

Cum primum

aqua oculos fovebis

hirundinem audieris vel videris tacitus

et rogabis

deum,

et

illico

ad fontem decurres vel ad puteum,

eo anno non lippias, doloremque

omnem oculorum tuorum

et

inde

hirundines

auferant."

Or
"

in

When

English

you hear or see the

your eyes and pray

God

first

swallow, go, without speaking, to the

that that year they

may not be dimmed, and

first

well or fountain and there

so the swallows will carry

away all

wash

trouble

from them."

In Tuscany at the present day the sufferer does the same for sore eyes, and

then repeats the following

" La prima rondinella di primaver' e arrivata

La buona

Ad

fortuna

mi ha portata

una fonte sono andata

gli

occhi

mi sono

lavata,

"

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

278

Che da

tempo ero amallata,

tanto

E nessun medico mi e riuscito,

Ma la prima rondinella che e arrivata
me

Questa grazia

l'ha fatta

Benedette siano sempre

Le
("

beate rondinelle

The

le belle,

spring swallow I have seen,

first

lucky thing

was, I ween.

it

ran to where the fountain

And

in

Which were

so long

my

It

may

be observed that

prescription, and, what

is

may

cure to me.

the swallows ever be

this incantation contains all that is in the

more, supplies the spoken spell which

Et rogabis Deum " And pray God

"

In the Italian the swallow

grief,

relief;

swallow which I see

first

Has caused a happy

Blest

eyes,

pain and

Yet no physician brought

Yet the

flies,

my

water washed

its

is

with the very ancient hymns, Greek and Latin, in which

Marcellus also teaches us again that though
a

summer"

it

rules

the spring, whether

and

"

ad aquam nitidam accedes

finger of the right

hand

in

it

"

which

is

renewing

fortune.

mentioned.

swallow does not make

be of weather or water, and

my

in rostro iterum

non doleant

as

before

non

erit

toto anno."

swallow,

teeth pain

if

me no more

may

year.")

always have sound

modern Tuscan

swallows

for

make

MARCELLUS
Grimm) :

it

brings

gives

many

another

teeth.''

All of

spell.

nests in a house

it

brings good

but

Ma guai a distruggerle perche portarebbe molte disgrazie

disturbing them, for

may

never be in thy beak,

annually you

Tuscany that

it

essentially identical with the

It is believed in

it is

first

dico

tibi

this will

this

the

your middle

(" I say to thee,

And by

"

perfect keeping

is in

go to pure shining water, and dip

Sic mini dentes

"

it.

your tongue

Quomodo hoc

So may

in

hold

and say

" Hirundo

As

it

For when you see

thereby prevent toothache.

Roman

wanting

certainly an early Christian interpolation.

invoked and thanked, which

itself is

is

beware of

troubles.

prescription

for

the eyes, as follows

(p.

n,

'

THE SPELL OF THE SWALLOW.

279

" Si muleris saliva, quae pueros, non puellas ediderit, et abstinuerit se pridie viro et cibis acrioribus, et

imprimis

si

pura et nitida

erit,

angulos oculorum tetigeris,

omnem

acritudinem lippitudinis Ienies,

humoremque

siccabis."

Which

is,

that

if

your eyes pain you, you must take the saliva of a

has given birth only to boys, not

And

girls.

union and stimulating food for three days.

anoint your eyes with

it

In Italian the cure

" If a

woman

and they
is

she must have abstained from sexual

Then

if

her saliva be bright and clear

be cured.

will

as follows

woman who

has given birth to a child of seven months, take her saliva and milk mixed and anoint the

eyes with them, saying

"

'

Bagno

occhi

gli

questa donna,

Non ne

bagno

lo

Col mio sputo,

Ma

bagno

lo

Coll' innocenza

la purita,

Del mio bambino.'

("

'

bathe

From

my

this

Not with
But

eyes

woman

my

saliva,

bathe them

With innocence,

And

the purity

Of my
" Then

make a

sign of the cross on the eyes,

"

'

child.')

and say

Bendetta che tu

sia

Per l'innocenza

Del mio bambino,

In tre giorni,

Possa guarire

('

" Blest be thou

By the
Of my

innocence
child,

In three days

May
" Then spit thrice behind you.

There

is

on the whole
(67,

And

this

I recover

Grimm) Marcellus

')

must be repeated three mornings

indeed some confusion in

identical with

this,

as I have given

the spell of Marcellus.

declares

that

fasting."

" Mulier

quae

it.

But

it is

clearly

In another prescription,

geminos

peperit,

renes

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

280

dolentes super calcet, continuo sanabit,"

on the

when they pain

reins

"

them.

will cure

it

woman who

if

seems to be a detached fragment to cure the gout

" Venenum veneno

"

has borne twins will step

Also very obscurely

Dices

quem

illius

in

what

peperit

ilia.

vincitur

Salva jejuna vinci non potest.

"

You must

say of that which she has brought forth

"

'

Poison

conquered by poison,

is

Fasting spittle cannot be conquered.'

" Say

this thrice

and

spit every

time on your soles (footprints) or of him

who

to

is

be cured."

Taking them altogether we may say the Roman and modern

spond very generally

There
"Take
cross,

is

elder (zanbuco,

and say

if

not exactly in every

also another
i.e.,

Tuscan

it,

and with

("

'

bathe the eyes, making thrice the sign of the

it

Be
this

'
!

Santa Lucia, to you

May

the pain in

away

driven

must be done by a man or woman who

I pray,

my

eyes

')

is

a seven-months' child."

All of these cures for the eyes refer in some

allied to these.
child,

To

cure a pain in the ear go to a

and while the child sucks

milk into the ear of the

sufferer,

and say

thrice,

La

il

is

to a

woman who

has given

yet another Tuscan

woman who

is

remedy

nursing a seven-

one should put three drops of her

" Le butto questo

Perche

way

There

birth to only boys or to a seven-months' child.

latte

male del orecchia

possa passare

"
!

return to the swallow in Tuscany, the feathers of this bird are an amulet

as follows

rosso

as follows

mal degli occhi

Gli vada via

To

is

Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia,

'

II

months'

which

"

"But

detail.

spell for sore eyes,

sambuco) and boil

spells corre-

una grazia

Quando

si vuole

when

one desires some favouring fortune they are bound up with a red

ribbon and carried.

And

for this

una fortuna, sono

portati, legati con

purpose they are also put into beds.

un nastro
There

is

MINOR CURES FROM MARCELLUS.

a

Roman

ballad (Agrumi,

281

pop. songs) in which the swallow

Ital.

is

addressed as

an enchantress.

'*

rondinella bella

Tu

The swallow
because

it

is,

is

like

and of sunshine

"
!

believed to be good for troubles of the eyes (as was the lizard),

an emblem of

it,

it

sei un' incantrice

As

light, or sight.

was naturally associated with

nature ran the golden chain connecting

all

was the herald of spring

it

So through

clear vision.

all

things in poetic vein.

Minor Cures from Marcellus.

(

Marcellus
headache
"

Cum

With

modern parallels.)

their

informs us (cap.

p.

1,

35,

Grimm,

10) as follows, regarding

p.

intrabis

tecum ipse ad

urbem quam

capitis

dolorem

te

ante portam capillos qui in via jacebunt quot volueris collige, dicens

libet,

remedium

ex his

tollere, et

unum

capiti alligato, ceteros post

tergum

jacta,

nee retro respice."

("

When

you enter any

before the gate as

city, collect

many

hairs as

you

will of

any which may

lie in

the

road, saying to yourself that you do this to remove your headache, and bind one of the hairs to your head.

Throw

the others

On

away behind you and do

not look back.")

inquiry I was assured that this was

not find any special variation from

hair.

not

And

known

sacrifices

to

(MARK

Very much

ix. 49).

Salt
It

was an

Tuscany, but

in the ancient

'

which
fire,

is still

the one

anima buona

Se

sei

Va

in pace

Se

sei

una

Strega,

Scoppia, che tuoi colpi

Si sentono da lontano,

che

il

diavolo

Si possa sentire
Si possa scatenare

Per venir'
'

If

te appigliare

ti

'
!

thou art a good soul

Go

in peace

If thou art a witch

May

you burst so that the sound

37

did

charm, but was

was considered as binding and perfecting them.

" Whenever hairs are found they should be thrown into the

("

in

should be thrown with the

essential part of all ancient offerings

allied to this is the following,

"

salt

was included

incline to think that this

MARCELLUS.

known to-day

except that

it

in use

who does

this

saying

and

"

"

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

282

May be heard afar

May the devil note
And burst loose,
So

Of

human

the use of

as to

it

come and catch

you.' ")

do harm

hair in spells to

I shall

speak in another

chapter.

Marcellus

gives us (cap.

8,

67) a cure for the eyes which

nasty though none the less curious for that

" Mel Atticum

et stercus infantis,

permiscebis, et sic inunges

caminis

est, ut earn

Take

("
first

quod primum

eum

sed prius

mirifice

non

cannot endure

it,

dimittit, statim

ex lacte mulieris, quae puerum

allactat,.

tam prasens

possit, cujus beneficium

est, ut tertio die,

visum reddat incolumem."

Attic honey and the

feces of a babe, mix

first

the patient to the stairs (or a ladder) which

tie

peculiarly-

qui curandus est, erectum ad scalam alligabis, quia tanta vis medi-

nisi alligatus patienter ferre

omni macula,

abstersa

is

is

it

with the mother's milk and anoint (the eyes), but

bound he

of such medical power, that unless he be so

the benefit of which will be that on the third day,

being wiped away, the sight

all stain

will-

be perfect.")

The binding
"

but

to the ladder or stair

is

found in the following Tuscan spell

bewitched, bind him, or his clothes (the latter are preferred) on a scala

If

any one

is

it,

or they,

must be of wood

"

then take a knife, and, while sharpening

Non

'

Ma
'

say

(stairs

or ladder>

lego questa robba

lego la strega

Che non abbia piu bene

("

it,

do not bind these

'

things,

But I bind the witch

That she may no more have good luck

We have here
charm
In

all

part,

is

often found in another, in

or the sine qua non

erit

Marcellus,

as well as in the

ipsam picem capite suo

ejus

by

modern charms.

far the

most important

remedium.

(No. 30, cap.

" Picem mollem cerebro

limiti

")

only the binding to the ladder, but a part of one prescription or

these cures the ceremony and the incantation form

Marcellus

'

14, p. 103) gives

impone, qui uvam dolebit

the following for the throat

et

pracipue ut super limen stans superiori.

adfigat.

(" Put a piece of soft pitch on the head of him

who

suffers

from a sore throat, and especially see that he

does this when standing on the outer edge of the threshold.")

In Tuscany

much

taking of magical medicine

This

also plays a part in other sorcery.

the place inhabited and the outer

life

is

where

because

is
it

done on the threshold

is

spirits freely

roam,

it

no hauntings of houses.

it

being an under-

stood law of demonology that they cannot enter a room until called on.
are evidently, however, numerous

the line or limit between

exceptions to the rule, else

There

we should have

MINOR CURES FROM MARCELLUS.

In chapter
" Serpentis

19,

page

130,

In the

tells

us

that

senectus, id est exuviae licio alligafee et vulso circumdatae mire prosunt."

serpent's skin bound to the girdle

lie

Marcellus

283

Romagna Toscana

must say

That

that

is,

"a

of great assistance."

is

believed that

is

it

if

any one

finds a serpent's skin

"

Ho

trovato la pelle

Di questo serpente,
Che possa portare
La fortuna a me ;

Non
La

portero

pelle di serpente,

Ma

portero la buona fortuna,

Che

sia

sempre in casa mia."

(" I have found the skin

Of

this serpent

May
Good

bring

it

luck to

me

I will not carry

The

skin of the snake,

But

I will

That

it

bear the good luck

may

ever be in

my home

")

Out of the immense amount of learning which has been

subject of serpent symbolism one thing

among

And

undeniable

in this sense that

it

appears, both in the

incantation, as a cure or amulet.

For a

physician.

form, cannot

fail

in fact the

As

careful

examination of

to convince

most important part of

Marcellus
"

it

Si arista vel quselibet sordicula

carmen

si

ter novies dicatur

leviter

oculum

Roman

to the

sine

qua non,

all.

is

still

existing in the

Romagna,

may

painted on the wall for good luck or to

must always be with the head down and

gives the following

medicinali ac pollice

unknown

these prescriptions or charms, in any

all

a curious instance of serpent-lore

avert the malocckio, but

in this

conjecture that there was of yore an

any one that the words were always a

mention that the picture of a snake

digitis

collected on the
this creature was,

work of MARCELLUS and

incantation pronounced on finding the skin which was

and

that

the Etruscans, Greeks, and Romans, a type of health, longevity, and fortune.

it is

Tuscan

is

tail

up.

fuerit ingressa

obcluso alio oculo ipsoque qui dolet patefacto et

pertracto, ter singula despuens dices

etiam de faucibus hominis vel jumenti os aut

Os Gorgonis basic
si

quid aliud

Hoc

hseserit,

item

potenter

eximit.

That

is,

that

if

a grain or mote be in one eye, close the other one, draw the

middle finger over that which pains, and say,

" I kiss the Gorgon's face"

Which

is

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

284

repeated thrice, and the charm

throat of a

man

"

If

so powerful that

is

will

draw a bone from

the-

anything be in the eye or in the throat of

"

'

("

'

man

or beast spit thrice and say

baccio

ti

il

volto

'

great Serpent

I kiss thy face

To which my

grande Serpente

Io

"

informant added,

")

'

But you must

look on the

ground when you-

this."

On

referring to

irritated spot

Marcellus

afterwards

found that to remove a small

from the eye (varulus) you perform a ceremony which ends by touch-

Of course touching

ing the ground thrice and spitting.

at

it

or of a mare.

In Italian they say

say

the ground implies looking

it.

Marcellus

gives as a cure for sore eyes

" Qui crebo lippitudinis vitio laborabit, millefolium herbam radicis vellat, et ex ea circulum
per ilium aspiciat, et dicat ter,

'

excicum

acriosos,' et totiens

ad os

sibi

circulum ilium admoveat et per

facit, ut

medium

exspuat," &c.

Which is to the effect that the patient shall pull up a plant of millefoil or
yarrow, make a ring of it and spit thrice through this ring. And further that the
herb shall be planted again, and should
In Tuscany there

the

is for

accordance with a portion of

grow, the patient will recover.

it

same complaint a remedy which

It is called

this.

La

is

perfectly in

Corona della Ruta, or the Crown

of Rue.
" When one
una

prepared by a

who

suffers

with sore eyes take a branch

corona, with red ribbon.

binds

it

woman

must say

The

room, and

in another

coccha

patient should be in
it

of rue and

tie it

'

Preparo questa corona

Per metterla sopra agli occhi

Di quella ammalata,
(O ammalato, che sia)
Che degli occhi possa guarire

E
("

'

mal d'occhi non

gli

possa ritornare.'

I prepare this wreath,

To

place

Of

that sufferer,

That

And

it

on the eyes

his sight I

he

it

must be always

must not be seen by children or even by any animal, and she-

"

round in a wreath, in forma di

bed and not see the garland made

may

may

never

restore,

suffer

more

')

'

MINOR CURES FROM MARCELLUS.

"

And when

she gives

it

to the invalid

"

he must look through

it

Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia

'

Del mal d'occhio fatemi guarire

" Then he must spit through

Which

three times,

it

285
and say

'

three times."

on the whole, very much the same as the old Roman-Etruscan

is,

formula.

Santa Lucia the modern Catholic saint of

light, is

probably the direct descen-

dant of the Etruscan Losna, goddess of the moon, also of the sun.
(

Vide Losna.)

Our

recommends

author

Grimm)

14, j?. 100; p. 14,

one

toothache

the

(cap.

that for

should

carry

"salis granum, panis micam,

car-

bonen mortuum

alli-

gabis

''

("

phcenicio

in

grain of

salt,

a crumb

of bread, a dead coal tied in red

In Tuscany quite the same

cloth").
is

made

up,

for health

and borne as an amulet

and good

Marcellus

also

use of earthworms

vermis terrenus

luck.

prescribes the
lumbrici, or the

for local pains. In

one of these he declares that the

worms

are to be put into a bucket

or receptacle of

possible,
iron and water

wood

one hooped with

if

poured on them, which

In

drunk.

remedy

Tuscany

is

this

.^

is

yp

Af^4^==^H

to be

the
LOSNA.

" For one

suffering

headache take earthworms, also a

"

'

Lombrici che per

Tutte

Come pure conoscete

Da me .il buon piede

il

of spirits, and say

la terra strisciate,

Ie stregonerie le

Vi prego

litre

conoscete,

buon piede

di raccatare

dentro alio spirito lo potrete lasciare

i/%
>

'

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

286

("

Earthworms who

'

slip

through earth below,

Secrets of sorcery ye know,

When

Transfer

Now

good foot doth o'er you tread,

the

Or when

it

passes overhead,

power and

its

its

pray you to this

merit,

spirit,

To do such virtue as it may,

And let this headache pass away

(The allusion to the good foot

! '

")

to that of the sorcerers, or persons possessed

is

of a peculiar power.)
" Then

in the evening, before the patient goes to bed,

"

'

Mi bagno

he must bathe his head with the

spirit,

and say

capo

il

Collo spirito di lombrici a fare

Perche

" And
I

il

mal

di

capo mi possa passare

the next morning the pain will have quite disappeared."

nearly missed

this,

or earthworms, since in

my

because

incantation explains what

know

the word lombrici,

are called ronbricati.

This very curious

informant did not

Romagnola they

Marcellus

does not

why earthworms

chthonic creatures, or of darkness, they are supposed

The

secrets of the under-world.

renders

certain that this

it

Marcellus

cure

as

for

curant vermes terreni pari numero sinistra

manu

triti "

("

Earthworms

an

I
salt,

recipe, the

lecti,

cum

"

Hemicranium statem

terra de limine

same remedy was used

This also indicates

for the

same

eadem

left

hand,

that, as

in the

disorder.

have already alluded to an amulet given by the same writer, consisting of

bread, and a coal in a red bag, or cloth.

of the special virtue of a cure

constat
I

spell.

headache

manu

As

with the

foot of the sorcerer

equal number gathered with the

powdered with earth from the threshold.")

modern

and to the

an extremely ancient

is

also gives

allusion to this,

are used.

to be familiar

ut quadriga

suspect that his

equis

salt,

&c,

the following was given to

of four articles in

made

me

8, p. 63),

he speaks

of four ingredients, " quia ex quatuor rebus

constat, et
in a red

In another (cap.

celeres

bag

is

in Italian,

effectus

habet,

barma

dicitur."

imperfect or wanting, because,

when

something was said about the value

it.

Le quattro cose della BUONA fortuna.

"The
silk or

four things of

cotton

good fortune.

Take a

little

red bag, and sew

it

with red woollen thread

the bag, too, must be of woollen, and of coarse cloth, and while sewing

it,

sing

not with

MINOR CURES FROM MARCELLUS.

"

'

287

Chuco questo sacchetino,

Per

E
E

buona fortuna

la

della

che

mia

ci

di

me,

famiglia,

tenga sempre lontano

Dalle disgrazie come pure

Dalle malattie

"Then

take a crumb (midolla) of bread, and a

keep repeating, while making

it

up, the

"

1
'

little

coarse

salt,

a sprig of rue, and some cummin, and

And when made,

same charm.

the charm must always be borne on

the same person, by night as well as by day."

The

translation of the incantation

is

as follows

" This bag I sew for luck to me,

And also for my family
That it may keep by night or day,
Troubles and

illness far

La Formicola.
Once when
admired

it

like

It

it.

away "
!

The Ant.
MARCELLUS

read a certain prescription from

very much, declaring that she had never heard

was the following

" Ad dolorem

it

" Formica sanguen non habet nee

Fuge uva ne cancer te comedat
'

"

ant has neither blood nor poison

Fly,

"
over

When

it

one

pain, lest the crab devour thee

know

spits blood, take ants

in

'

Butto queste formicole

Dentro a questo sangue

Che

questo sangue

Possano

ripigliare.

a questo malatto

La possano riportare,
Che i suoi pulmoni

Non

si

ma

la

voglione guastare,
malattia

Avanti non possa phi andare.'"

it

on the

ceiling

'

")

some of the blood, and

"

of a cure for which ants are used."

and put them

'

The

" But," my informant added, "

anything

fel,
!

(" For one suffering from sore throat write on paper the following, and stick

'

before, or

uvse scribes in charta, et collo laborantis in linteolo suspendes

"

to a Strega, she

It

was

let it

as follows

stand

all night,

and say

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

288

("

'

put these ants into this blood

That

his

That he

And
May
And

MARCELLUS remarks

may be both well and good

may soon regain,

his health

be sound and sain

his lungs

soon be

his trouble

him no more

illness trouble

that the ant

o'er,
!
'

")

a bloodless animal, therefore

is

it

is

used

to stop bleeding according to a kind of rude and naif homoeopathy, which con-

As

tinually occurs in magical medicine.

rhyme of these

into

recipes,

my

regards

very indifferent translations

beg leave to inform the reader that though not

very good poetry, they will answer every whit as well as the originals to cure
disorders

if

he wishes to try them

as effective as

if

and that

yea,

purpose they are just

for this

made by Lord Tennyson

they had been

himself.

Verbena
MARCELLUS recommends

verbena

authority in stregoneria hearing

" it is

but," she added with animation,

Then she gave me the

on the person

as

this, said

a magical cure
" I

do not think

for

it is

a tumour.

An

used in medicine

admirable in scorcery, and for a charm."

on the

following, laying stress

fact that

it

must be carried

" Verbena
note

you

if

an old

(i.e.,

is

an herb which brings great good luck, and

woman

wishes to

you some, when she

sell

You must always buy some, and

bewitch you).

"

'

Non compro

Ma
("

My

'

buy not

buy

it

compro
this

it

offers

say

must always be borne upon you.

it

you must never

questa verbena perche e erba,

la

fortuna che essa porta!'"

verbena as the herb which here

she doubtless had a great

'

")

when she declared that Verbena was

Had she known and read Latin she might

many more

Latin, and perhaps the tradition

all stregoni,

or wizards

The Verbena was

Greeks, and

it

called

was regarded as

Venus

gave, as

Friedrich

was

writes

came down

could talk

ever had

in the family

always

spirits

away

since she says they

holiest of all in sacrifices,

believed, great

drove

However,

who

par Eminence the holy plant

during invocations of

it

classical authorities.

ancestors than

and witches

especially

as

me

witch was quite in the right

admirable in magic and for a charm.

I see,

as the fortune which I trust 'twill prove to

have supported her assertion with a great array of

were

Especially

might curse

refuse, else she

and predictions.

by the

hiera botane

where
It

it

power of procreation, and, above

evil spirits,

was burned

was the plant of

all

others

and destroyed witchcraft and

all

MINOR CURES FROM MARCELLUS.

289

'

such influences.

Ambassadors carried it as a symbol of peace. "Semper e legatis

tmus utique Verbenarius loquitur" ("One of a band of legates was called the
Verbena-bearer ") (Pliny, Nat. History, xxii., 3).
"

For there dwelleth

in the

fortune on those invoking her."

remember that
"

Ex

you take a

if

Verbene a certaine fata, or

Think of

bit of

who bestoweth

when you smell Verbena

this

from a church

it

faery,

it

ara hinc sume verbenas tibi atque

Our author gives two remedies for hordeolis oculorum

eas substerne " {Terentius,

Also

bring you good luck

will

Andr.,

iv., 4).

" grains in the eyes "

both of which he prescribes nine grains of barley to be treated in a magical

for

manner

such

nipping off the points, one by one, and repeating a Greek

as

incantation every time.

or " for the

"Take
Boil

them

"

eyes

In Tuscany

find the following for the

same

nine grains of barley, and put them in a black pot with nine flowers of elder and nine bits of rue.

for a quarter of

an hour, then

cool

let it

till it is

Then

tepid.

dip into

it

a piece of linen and lay

on the eyes of the patient, and then take the nine grains of barley and the elder flower and the

them

all

trouble,

on the

cloth,

and say

rue,

and

it

lay

"

'

Tutto questo l'ho fatto bollire

Per mettere sopra

agli occhi

Di questo malato che con

Di Santa Lucia prima

la grazia

di tre giorni

Possa guarire

It is
(all

worth observing that the modern method

except the nine grains of barley), while that of

For a very immoral bewitchment

venerio tardiorem
of wheat.

tin-pancation

confestim

as a black

pan

tin

Santa Lucia

also

Marcellus

may

is

Roman

be used

is

fieri

is

mere rubbish.

que cupies

in

usu

prescribes nine grains

may

as follows

here be called the

of this I have had boiled

To

put upon the eyes,

Of

this

He

is

quern coire noles,

enervabitur"

And on

There

Marcellus

should add that the English version of what

"AH

in ancient

" Si

good remedy

seriously a

is

poor

man

Saint

Lucy aid

the third day, by thy aid,

will in health arise

the saint of light, thereiore of sight.

The two were

identified

mythology.

a very great resemblance between the eat and the hare

between their skins.

when skinned,

This being admitted, with the addition that

Marcellus

gives several prescriptions in which cats, or the skins of animals, are employed,

we may

infer that the following is not without affinity to

33

an Italian charm.

"

ETRUSCAN R OMAN REMAINS.

290
" Pellem

leporis recentem in olla

pulverem redigere

possis,

quem

munda

vel tegula ita

cum

lana sua combures, ut in tenuissimum

cribratum in vaso nitido servabis inde

cum opus

fuerit

tria

cochlearia in

potione dabis bibenda, qu:e res sive calculos sine vessicas dolores continuo compescit."

Which

is,

that for the stone or pains in the bladder

skin of a hare in a small pot or on a

which,

when

pulverised,

so as to reduce

tile,

you must keep

you should burn the

to the finest

it

in a clear (glass) vase,

fresh

powder,

and give the patient

three spoonfuls in a drink.

The

Italian spell

" When you would do

is

evil to

any one,

understood) to a very, very fine powder

with

it

any one, or to do him harm

to bewitch

kill

a black

{si trita

and rub the skin (by burning

cat, skin it

fine fine), and

when

it is

triturated finely to a

pulverised horse-scrapings and pepper and earth, over which a toad has passed.

earth from under the toad, say

"

'

rospo, rospo, che siei composto

Tutto di veleno, del tuo veleno

Lasciane sparso un poco sopra,

A
A
("

'

questa terra che passo portarlo

casa mia.

Toad,

all

poison from thy birth

Shed thy poison on

" Then put

all

Give

me

That

this earth

of thy poison some,

may bear

my

to

it

home.')

together in a small bag, and at the time of mixing say:

"

'

Terra e polvere insieme

Lo

E
E

riunite, e polvere di gatto

la peggio,

per

me

ma

e la miglio,

perche mi deve vendicare,

Polvere di pelle di gatto,

Con

polvere di cavallo,

pepe unito a terra

di rospo,

Terra avvelenata e tutto

Un

immischia che molte persone

Voglio rovinare che non abbiano

Piu pace e ne bene, fino che

A me non si vengano
A racommandare, ed anche
Le concedero
('

'
'

grazia se

mi

all'ora

pare.'

Poisoned earth and powder fine

To

the powdered cat I join,

'Tis the worst,

For

my

and

vengeance

yet the best

for the rest

And

is, I

suppose,

powder, mix

while taking this

MINOR CURES FROM MARCELLUS.

Cat skin powdered

With

naught

is

worse

291

the scraping of a horse,

Pepper next,

to

make

good,

it

Earth well poisoned by a toad

when done,

'Tis a mixture which,

many a one,
know no good or

Will rack and ruin

And

they shall

Nor

shall their sufferings ever cease,

Until they

Se mi pare
word her

last

Does
is

this

was

reality

kill,

the

life

say truly that

not

grant

to

me

their knees,

should please.'")

if I

ot

Not

violent, but serpent-like

a scene in

could write

all

horrible, yet cold.

"

the

spirit

"

Macbeth

was poetry written

witchcraft of old, old times

is

Shakespeare's

to me, for his

Or

for the stage,

of the sorceress

death.

that I have seen in exploring this Italian

would believe me, and fewer

belongs to a world and a

all

it

of necromancy which

if I

witchcraft, few indeed

For

may

infernal

the

was

who would
I

Which

mercy on

This was chanted crescendo, and when the witch came to the

face

the incantation like his

and

for

remind the reader

this

humbly come

And beg

peace,

life

still

could understand

of which no cultivated person,

it.

whom

ever met, has any comprehension, and for which he can certainly have no

When

sympathy.

reflect that

how many more

not

Goethe and Heine and Byron, and

and great word-artists have

poets

know

over Italy

travelled

human romance, I
had they known what was

grasping eagerly at every scrap of magic and passion and

wonder what they would have thought or written

among these people, deep in their hearts. We may read

but we can never learn from it, or from literature till we get

living

ever,
it

what

the key to

a strange race was this old Etrusco-Roman

Under
a spark

history for

is

the ashes of Italy there

seen, but

it

is

burning a

fire

of which only

now and

then

has never been extinguished any more than that of Vesuvius.

Imagine an English or German peasant woman bursting out into such spasms of
sorcery and poetry I have known one in Italy, in reciting an incantation, to be

seized with convulsions.

And

which seems to be repressed

which

will yet

There

is

in all the people,

low or high, there

a genius as of stifled

art,

is

a something

or magic power

a science

be manifested when the time comes.

a very remarkable prescription in

MARCELLUS

his book, for a hip

complaint.
It

amounts to this that the remedy must be given to the patient super scabellum
:

vel sellam ita ut pede uno quern dolet stans

biberit saltu desiliat, et ter

uno tede

ad orientem

saliat, et

versus potionem bibat, et

cum

hoc per triduum faciat, confestim

"

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

2Q2

remedio gratulabitur. That

is

"

Standing, on a

little

stool or chair, so that,

one foot

being forward, the patient facing the East drinks his medicine, and then jumps

down, and hops three times on one

time."

will

be well

in three days'

In another he prescribes a potion to be taken standing on one foot on the

The

threshold.

" When one

gymnastic performance appear

chief elements of this

following Tuscan spell

utter

and so he

foot,

in

the

takes medicine, one should stand on a stool {sgabello), or on the threshold of a door, and

"

'

Prendo questa medicina

Perche sono ammalato,

Ma
Di

non sono ammalato

ma da

fisico,

morale,

Percio prendo questa medicina

Sopra a questo sgabello

Che mi

possa guarire di questa

Malattia, e

Dare

mi voglia
bene,

felicita e

Percio scendo da questo sgabello,

su questo piede sinistro,

Serfipre dallo sinistro piede,

Per

tre volte

mi

rigiro,

per tre volte io chiamo,

II

gran Salvatore e se ne

Non mi corrisponde allora,

Mi rivolgero alle strege,
Alle strege o

ai stregoni.'

am

(" 'I this medicine

taking

For a sad and serious

Yet the
Is of

And

suffer

mind more than of body,

I therefore

Standing on
It

illness,

which I

illness

may soon

take

my

this stool

relieve

physic

and hoping

my

troubles,

Therefore from this stool descending,

Now

I'm on

my

left foot

Ever standing on

my

standing,

left foot,

And

three times I turn upon it,

Three times calling the great Saviour,
But if He should give no answer,

Then

To

Which

last lines indicate that

to one's supernatural
well, that

I'll

it is

bow

turn

the witches

me

to the witches,

and the wizards.'")

devotion to the principle of having two strings

of faith which has enabled witchcraft to hold

possible that the stregom

may

its

exist as long as the priest

own

so

which

"

MINOR CURES FROM MARCELLUS.

not be long, to judge by the

will

Once the

least allusion

which

spirit

growing up among the people.

is

Now,

promptly punished and without mercy.

as

I write,

at every street-corner represents the departure of the

disreputable-looking attendants.

with the words,

"

The remedy
It

in the

for ever with a

bitterest satire,

Eppur

! "

si

gang of

and ends

muove.

much modernised

think

in form.

Roman, but it seems to be in a new bottle.

by MARCELLUS (cap. 28, p. 201) that " Corregia canina medius
qui dolebit ventrem, statimque remediabitur" (" He who suffers from a pain
is

stomach

will

superstition since

be relieved should he girdle himself with a dog-leash") (that

I

it is

wonder that Grimm should have regarded

rather

a well-known fact that a girdle

However,

gives great relief for such suffering.

dog's-le&sh,

may

" Take

bad rubbish

essentially ancient, but very

is

strap of any kind).

case

Pope

said

is

cingatur,

to

memory, was

the last great caricature

accompanied with

It is

good riddance

that this incantation

my own

on the clergy, within

reflecting

293

and no

other,

it

was undoubtedly

eg.,

was

if it

to be

superstitious

be inferred from the following Tuscan formula

afnnicella del cane

a rope which binds a

"

'

Prendo questa

Che

il

Che

Ed
'

this as

really

specially with a

and that

this

was the

funicella,

alia

mia

vita,

la voglio passare
il

mio male

Al cane

("

and say

done

mio cane legava,

Attorno

Me

clog

a Russian belt

is,

<i

se

di ventre

ne possa andare,

me mai non

possa ritornare.'

take the rope which held

Now

round

May

that

my

life

my

the cord

which makes

is

hound,
bound,

my agony

Pass to the dog away from me,

And

This

no more a

be

sufferer

'

")

MARCELLUS'S own

quite after the style of several of

is

prescriptions, in

which he shows how a disorder can be transferred from a human being to an

As

animal.

in the following (cap. 27, p. 190)

" Tormina patientibus multi ventrem

viventis anatis

adponunt ad firmantes,

transire

morbum ad anatem,

eamque mori."

("To

those suffering from a colic.

pass from the

This

man

found

is

incantation

to the duck,

in

Let them fasten a

and the duck

live

duck to

their stomachs, thus the disease will

will die. ")

Tuscany with the

invariable musical

accompaniment

01

an

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

294
" When one

suffers

from a pain in the stomach take a duck, and the body of the bird must be placed

against that of the invalid, and then say

" Anatra
'

Che

Anatra

male mio

il

tu possa

Pigliare, e di questo

male

Io ne possa guarire

tu di questa

Tu

male

ne possa morire,

Che a me questo male

Non mi possa mai ritornare
Fino che non tomi

Tu
"

'

a risucitare

Duck, duck, so may

That thou
That the

'"

it

be,

shalt take this pain

ill

depart,

and

Shall get well, while thou must die

And may

never feel the pain

Till thou shalt

Which was bad

me

from

have thy

for the duck.

life

again

However,

this

'

")

went

for very little with

whose most vaunted cures was to put a patient

physician, one of

in balneo repleta

humano sanguine in a bath full of human blood. Such a bath of the blood of
young children was once ordered for the Emperor Constantine, and because he,
being moved by the cries and tears of their mothers, resolved not to take it, his
extraordinary humanity was rewarded by a miraculous cure. As related by the
even by Christians as a great
early chroniclers, this seems to have been regarded
not
magnanimity.
It
does
seem
to
be at all understood that for
mercy
and
of
act

several centuries after the decay of the

Roman power

the world relapsed as regards

barbarism and inhumanity, instead of advancing with Christianity as

popularly

is

believed.

MARCELLUS
woman
" Mulierum, quam

manu caudem

curtabis

tu habueris ut

eamque vivum

mulierem, verendaque ejus

The Tuscan

fidelity

may

be secured

in

dum cum

recipe,

nunquam alius inire possit, facies hoc lacertaa viridis vivae sinistra
caudem donee inmoriatur eadem palma clausam tenebis, et
:

dimittes,

ea cois, tange.''

though very

regards the principal item, that

" When a man wishes
and then catch a
say:

means by which

gives the following as

his wife to

lizard with the left

be

is,

different in

details, is quite the

the lizard caught with the

faithful,

he should take sperma

hand, and put

it

in the

same

left

hand

illius mulieris

bottle,

same

as

and put

it

and cork both up very

in a bottle,
tightly,

and

'

MINOR CURES FROM MARCELLUS.

' '
'

Qui racchiudo

295

la fedelta

Di mia moglie che non possa

Mai
("

'

sfugirmi

Here

Of my

put the fidelity

may be

wife, that she

me

Ever, ever true to

" Then be careful not to lose the bottle, and always to keep

do not

clearly understand for

ing prescription

"De

but

quos

tribus tumulis terrae,

pugnos plenos,

it

in the house.''

give

according to

it,

talpse faciunt, ter sinistra

manu

Grimm

quot adprehenderis

follow-

tolles,

hoc

est

novem

temperabis."

et aceto addito,

("Take from

')

what complaint Marcellus means the

ad verrucas

nisi

three mole-hills three handfuls of earth thrice, that

nine handfuls, and mix them with

is,

vinegar.")

The

following

Romagnola charm

is

La

Terra dei Mucchi

" Take earth from three mole-hills and put

"'O

mucchi che dalle tarpe

tre

On

And

Earth,

ni pace

who

could almost believe that

like the
it

earthworm,

power

for

good or

as follows
"

one

As

suo capo

long hast laid

thee,

may

there be
!

my

its

head

'

")

Marcellus

has misplaced this

authority explained, " the

mole

lives

spell, in

applying

in darkness, and,

under the footprints of the stregone, or wizards, which give

evil

according

to their natures, but

it

is

generally most

In saying which she gave in a few words a great

powerful for bewitching."

amount of classic

al

disaster fall like lead

Evermore upon

is

ammuchiati,

terra

piombino sopra

Evil heaped on this family

For, as

siete stati

the hills which moles have made,

As they heaped

to a cure.

dispiacere di quella famiglia

tutte le sfortune

("' Earth,

it

and while removing the earth say

in a red bag,

Che non abbiano bene e

Tarpe { Talpi).

delle

come avete ammuchiato questa

Ammuchiate

bewitching or injuring any one

terra che di terra vi racatto,

Sopra

it

for

folk-lore unawares.

Friedrich

{Symbolik,

p.

386) writes on this

the mole

hostile to

is

subterranean he has a chthonic, demoniac reputation, as of

man, which

is

to be found in such old

Roman

beliefs as,

'

If

you

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

296

throw a mole into a house the grandmother

by means of

several to the effect that

especially to

Pliny
"

its

head." J

It

(Hist. Nat., xxx., 7)

He who

will

was of yore much used

swallow the heart of a mole,

was not aware of

the old

setting forth

blood cures weakly persons."

its

was

stress

Roman

spell

upon

laid

was given to me, but

its

Marcellus, but

value as illustrating the recipe of

as

Thus, according to

in sorcery.

quivering, will receive the gift of prophecy; a mole's

still

when the Tuscan

this

much

so

might be added

this

be wrought to a family,

tooth pulled from the living animal cures toothache,

now understand why

To

will die.'

disaster can

it

force in magic.

much more

is

can

has

its

interesting

The very

regarding the mole.

superstitions

It

ancient use of pitch in superstitious practices appears in the following from

MARCELLUS, which

here repeat for another illustration

" Picem mollem cerebro

ejus

impone, qui uvam dolebit

et praecipue ut super

limen stans superiori limiti

ipsam picem capite suo adfigat."

(" Stick a piece of soft pitch to the head of a

be done when he

is

man

suffering with sore throat,

and

this

In a Tuscan incantation to break love, pitch appears in

signification as
"

da

When

maid

sit.

And

The

an ingredient of witchcraft

you wish to prevent a young man from

and four

calzolai)

Make

nails.

" Carmen

idioticum,

summis

quod

lenire

talis et plantis

'

of

visiting

Marcellus

podagram

girl in

dicitur sic

praecantas, dices illius

in brief, spit in

hands from your

quem

'

peperit

ilia

Die

et dices

illius,

vincitur

non

potest.'

cui medebere, spues.''

your hands before rising

Zoologie der alien

your

'

Venenum veneno

soles to the ends of

'

In manus tuas exspues, antequam a lecto terrain

pedibus meis et omnibus membris meis

dices hoec et ad singulas plantas tuas, vel

is,

to the house."

to cure the gout

is

Saliva jejuna vinci

This

very ancient

any house, take shoemaker's wax (pece

no more come

ad summos digitos manus duces

"

" Ter

its

Fuge, fuge, podagra, et omnibus nervorum dolor,

De
si alii

means

the end will be that they will quarrel, and he will

"

" Aut

all

of these a cross, and put such crosses under the seats whereon the lover and

last spell, or recipe,

contingas, et a

should by

standing on the threshold. ")

fingers,

Romer und Griechen

in the

and say

morning, pass your

(Gotha, 1856), p. 85.

'

MINOR CURES FROM MARCELLUS.

"

Fly,

'

fly,

" Or

if

you chant

it

and

gout,

From both my

all

my

nervous pains

nor linger in

feet,

which she bore

for another, say of that

" Poison by poison

is

'

297

my

veins

conquered,

Fasting spittle cannot be conquered.'

" Say

this thrice

There

is

and

spit

on your

Tuscany a very

in

bad maize-meal, others

pellagra.

As

the

on those of the one

soles, or

bad

to

it

my

which

La pellagra

temperate peasants.
la gotta

this let

him say

make him

or gout,

say,

by eating

It is called la

was told that the

informant added, anche per la gotta

need not say

is

not so

common among

for three

mornings a small boy

causes madness.

To

o la pellagra.

(bambino) while fasting, and

doing

complaint

latter

some

and malaria.

living

name very much resembles podagra,

also for gout

" Per guar ire

you would cure."

terrible illness, caused, as

attribute

following was a cure for pellagra, to which

whom

cure gout or pellagra.

Take

on the place where the gout shows

spit three times

itself,

and while

"

Gotta, o gotta

'

Va

via dal

(o

mio

veleno vince

II

pellagra

il

veleno,

Come

pure lo sputo

Vince

il

Lo

!)

piede,

veleno, e

sputo mio d'un bambino

Innocente sara quello

Che vincera la gotta maladetta,

Che non torni mai piu

A
("

'

fare

Gout,

capo sopra

gout, to thee I say,

thou from

As

poison conquers poison, see

This infant's

And
spit

my

Go

That thou

" Then the boy must

alia tua persona.'

behind him

give

thrice,

foot

spittle

away

conquers thee

shalt ne'er return again,

me any

further pain

and repeat

this for three

')

mornings."

Of the one hundred medical spells described by Marcellus, and commented

on by J. Grimm, I have identified about fifty, with as many still in use in Tuscany.
And if we consider that in this collection of the Roman physician there are a
great many which run, so to speak, into one another, and how much there is in
them all which is to be found in many of the modern Tuscan spells, such as the
not looking behind, and spitting thrice, and, in

method of the

cures,

we

fact,

the whole system,

spirit,

and

should not be far from the truth in saying that probably

39

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

298
are

all

still

were old
of

reader to judge of

As

that,

beyond

which

question, a very great number,

all

But a general consideration and comparison

still extant.
modern examples given in this book will best enable the

in his day, are

the ancient and

all

and

in existence,

its value.

comment on

Miss Mary A.

this chapter

notes drawn from American negro sorcery

Owen

adds the following-

" Voodoo.

" Voodoos warn

owner of the hair
if

against throwing hairs about, for if a bird gets a hair and weaves

will

have

headaches

frightful

nothing

a person gets the hair of another and introduces

will

it

into a

go crazy as soon as the bark grows together over the

"You may call

can cure until the hair

slit

Within four days

The

headache and prevent sunstroke.

To

C. G. L.]

cure sore eyes, bathe

them

and placing

see,

Also,

tree, the unfortunate

[Also Hungarian gypsy.

it

own

hairs in

in the door you

time the hairs will have swelled into snakes) he must start

(for in that

towards you.
" The skin of the serpent worn around the waist cures rheumatism.
"

into a nest the-

a friend to your presence from the ends of the earth by putting four of your

a bottle of water, calling the bottle by the name of the one you wish to
wish him to enter.

it

found and burned.

growing

in the bark of a

hair."

is

The

rattles

worn

in the hat cure

heart swallowed whole cures consumption.

in water containing the gall of a

duck and a spoonful of syrup made of

boiled water-melon juice.

"A black hen split open and placed

" The right fore-foot
tied

of a mole

round the neck of a babe

will

is

on the body cures fevers and relieves the pain of cancer.

a good-luck charm.

make

it

cut

its

The

brains of a

mole put

teeth without pain or fever.

If the

in a black silk

gums

bag and

of a teething child-

are rubbed with a mole's foot the teeth will at once appear.

" The brains of a

rabbit tied in a black

bag and rubbed on the

child's

gums

will bring the teeth through,,

so also will a necklace of elder twigs.

"
this

If a child under a year old

may be

allowed to see

is

itself in

a looking-glass,

it

will cut its teeth

The Three Wise Men of the East and

" Die

heil'gen drei

Sie frugen in

'Wo

geht der

Ihr lieben

'the

There appeared

but

Kon'ge aus Morgenland

jedem Stadtchen

Weg

nach Bethlehem,

Buben ind Madchen?'"

in the

by David Mackitchie,
" the three

in

which he discussed an old opinion that the

LONGFELLOW

gypsy kings, Gaspar, Melchoir, and Balthasar."

been a mere popular fancy

Lieder.

Gypsy-Lore Journal of January, 1889, a very interesting

Magi, or Three Kings of the East, were often held to be, as

them,

'

Witch Medals.

Heine, Buck der

article

hard

'

prevented by tying a mole's foot above the glass."

but there

is

This

abundant evidence to prove

describes

may have

that,

whether

MEN

WISE

OF THE EAST AND THE WITCH MEDALS.

of Indian or other Eastern blood, there was

connect them with gypsies as regards their
If the three kings were Magi, or

in

and

it

lore.

Wise Men from the

the old Chaldaean-Accadian school of sorcery, which

changed

little

to facts,

it is

kings was "

bad."

not

is

" (that is,

much more than

neck Maria Theresa

dollars.

old

certain

especially for children.

conjecture

In the

" Quando
'

witches

albeit

si

ha una medaglia
'

('

lore,

Reduced

of the three
its origin,

ill,

there are " guesses good and

side-light

When

of

si

defence

it

it

by hanging from
an ancient

is

against

witchcraft,

have made certain medals,

name

of witch-medals

in relation to

mette questa medaglia

one has a witch-medal, and wears

In Hungary

it.

Tuscany there

current under the

delle streghe, e

upon

to seek to cure

Romagna

noted down in conversation the following remarks

libero delle streghe

and both of these were

wisdom," or

Roman coins are a sure

To combat this the priests

which, like the older articles, pass

" medaglie delle streghe"
I

survives but

still

really itinerant diviners or soothsayers.

But a very curious incident casts a strange

belief that

they were of

believe to have possibly

Romagna

is,

Indian or Persian), or perhaps Chaldee, in

have known gypsies, when a child was very

its

That

of the pre-Aryan dwellers in India.

possible that the "

more than merely

and that they were

This

of the Tuscan

Shaman magic

Gypsy

soothsayers, or diviners,

origin with that of the Etruscans, which

in the sorceries

the same with the

all

East,

they appear in Bethlehem.

in this capacity that

had a common Turanian

we may conclude
which there were many at a

They were

roaming about the Latin empire.

was

299

probability a great deal to

all

that they were of the Chaldaean, or Persian, order, of

late date

al collo,

them

con questa sara sempre

will

be always free from

And when

putting one on, one

on the neck, one

')

" These medals are put

should say

" Metto
*

from witches

On

chiefly

on children, but also on grown persons.

questa medaglia per liberare liberamus delle streghe

'

('

put on this medal to free

liberamus

')."

asking

faith in the

if

those

believed in " the old religion," or " witchcraft," put

who

new witch-medals,

received an account which I did not note down,

but which was to the effect that the Catholics believed in the old witch-coins, or in
witchcraft avendone avuto multe cose giustificate " as many things had proved it

to them."

And

that the believers in witchcraft accepted the

tionally for certain reasons, as agreeing with sorcery.

medaglie perche

le

tre rege

sulla

factio,

For

erano stessi grande

new medals, excep" si portano

queste

streghone " ("

They

").
carried them because the three kings on them were themselves great wizards
They are sold for a soldo,
I subsequently received some of these new medals.

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

300

made of

or halfpenny, are octagonal, and

brass,

and bear on one side the

kings worshipping the infant Jesus, and on the other the following inscription

S. 3.

Reges

Gasp. Mel. Bald.

Orate pro nobis

Nunc et

Hora

in

Mortis nostra.

Amen.

\
The

hung about the Magi, and the believers in w

friends.
It was a happy thought to put them on

reputation of sorcery

them as
new witch-money it was

craft accepted

from

" acceptable to all parties."

a Catholic, that this

scandal

among

compromise

true believers.

It

have, however, h
cause

the devil

with

saints

might be here remarked that

this mystei

by no means unknown long befor

forms and under other names to both Christians and heathens,

group of the
different

three

magicians was

that in later lore the three fairies

present

of

him with

who appear

but predict

gifts

his

at the birth of a child not

future.

It

is

noteworthy

also

frankincense, which formed one of the gifts of the Magi, enters into the
position of

all

the modern witch-charms

or fetish-bags of the

having been presented with one containing some

magic medicines, and that

all, it

if

that myrrh

was magical, and intended to avert sorcery and

Catholic Church

Tuscan

full

everywhere and everywhen, yet

further to prove,

who

great truth

it

any meanir
It

ma

himself would hardly

by the old Romans.

all

that

And

shall give, as regards

any unprejudiced reader that

it

of very

is

firstly,

this

very

fact,

on due

the vast probable antiquity of

reflection,

all

does but g<

widely-spread belie

legends, and, secondly, the likelihood that they were transmitted from

especially

For though superstitions spring up spontaneously and simultanec

antiquity.

since he

one of

also

evil influences.

Newman

rites

examination of

witch-lore, will convince

use of incense from the rites of

but even Cardinal

denied that incense was used in sacred

confident that a fair and

is

the offering to the infant Jesus had

alleged that the Tuscans borrowed this

Roman

Romagna

man

to

has the innate impulse to create will be the readiest to receh

much

ignored by those

by those who

be true that the use of

believe

who

incline to

there has been

one side or the other

little

frankincense as a " devil-driver "

naturally to an old Italian, or to a Hindoo, so

much

or no "borrowing.'

would occur per

the greater

is

st

the proba

MEN OF THE EAST AND THE WITCH

WISE

MEDALS.

301

if one brought it to the other, the other would accept it

Therefore, while we
admit that instances of spontaneous creation of myths, legends, and customs, may,

that

and

do, take place, yet,

even in prehistoric times

when we consider how extensively men have travelled,

is shown by jade relics and with what incredible

as

rumour will spread over an empire, and, finally, what a remarkably

and myth-mongering creature man is, it becomes evident that all

rapidity even a
story-telling

conjectures as to simultaneous creation from concurrent causes must be accepted

with the greatest possible caution after the severest scrutiny.

popular

tendency

accept as self-evident

to

is

probability that a " use " (be

influences," while transmission

without

proof

any form) sprung up of

in

it

At

present the

the

itself

slightest

Now,

subjected to the severest criticism.

is

" like

from

as

transmission may, in millions of cases, have been due to wandering apostolic

who took the whole world for

the Huron woman who was said

pilgrims,

such as

safe thing to challenge a proof

a route, sailors, strays, and cast-aways

to have been found in Tartary

which was perhaps buried

some old vagabond thousands of years

for ever in the

it

is

grave of

ago.

Myrrh, frankincense, and gold combined are an ancient and widely-spread

gift for children.

They were magical and

luck -bringing

among

the

Romans

and

whatever was connected with superstition, luck, and divination among them was
of Etruscan origin, for their whole

body of such

beliefs

had been derived from the

fabled Tages.

There

is

another kind of witch-money which

called

La Sega

taken

down verbatim

" The Sega

delle Strege, or the Witches' Saw.

:

delta Strege is a small coin

it

"

they do great harm "

The

spell against the

(..,

Saw
"

" Mulega
it is

is

Sega mulega

is

mentioned in the song

a witches' word.

let

as

or Fridays
earth,

and

It

means the earth which they take with

it

from

footprints.

not earth which they cut but a piece of flesh which will disappear from the soles of their

Then

it,

filano la seta.'

" If any one suspects that he has been thus bewitched,

ribbon.

give a description of

Sega mulega stregone e strege di Gaeta,

Che

that

It is

to those people).

of the Witches

'

very mysterious indeed.

They go with this on Tuesdays

With the coin they remove the

which witches have.

to the roads to cut or scrape the earth from footprints of people.

with

is

him be measured with

the ribbon,

let

firstly,

him stand

quite

It signifies

feet.

naked and take a black or red

the entire extent of his outstretched arms, and

then his height from head to foot.

This song of Sega mulega

making the

" cat's cradle "

is

a very

common

nursery rhyme, sung while

with a twine, which suggests the measurement with the

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

302
ribbon.

makes a
to

"

But

me by

once

it

seeing

also closely allied to witchcraft even in this

is

omens

other figures,

coffin, or

it

done.

It is

" Sega mulega,

La
Mi

it

for as the

cord

fully illustrated

was an incantation

It is in full as follows

stregoni e streghe' di Gaeta

had

as I

that, if properly understood,

must be sung while divining with a cord.

Che

it,

a nursery rhyme now, but

me

and a witch declared to

drawn from

are

it is

one now, and

filano la seta

ed

seta

il

bombaggio

piace quel giovane

Che

sbatte le castagne

L'isbatte tanto forte alle streghe,

Fa tremare le porte
Le porte sono d'argento,
Che pesano cinque cento ;
;

Cinque cento, cinquanta,

La mia
'

Non

'

gallina canta

era gallina che canta.'

Ma e un gallo
Ma una Strega senza
'

'

'

Se una Strega

Ma

che

il

'

Non

un

una Strega pur

e,

gallo che canta,

fallo.'

diavolo la porti via

sia

(" Sega mulega!

Wizards and witches of Gaeta

Ye who
There

is

He who

spin silk and cotton

who

youth
is

see

pleases me,

beating the chestnut tree:

Beating the witches with terrible shocks,

The
The

gates are trembling at his knocks

gates are of silver

Five hundred

fifty

Five hundred and

'

But

'tis

And, as
'

If she's

a cock

is it

so

'

I hear

fifty
'

Noa

hen

this

my

hen crow

without

doubt,

surely, a witch, without.'

a witch, a witch

let

her be

But the devil may take her away

Whether

hundred they weigh,

five

for

me

")

be a nursery song, or old incantation, there

a wild uncanny " Northern

" spirit, far

song which Goethe heard

in Naples.

surpassing that of the

"

is

certainly in

Ghurughiu

it

" witch-

CHAPTER

III.

The Exorcism of
Death.
" Begone,

O Death

I fear

"

Song of the
Reaper, " Des Knaben Wunthee

not

derhorn.''

" Carmen autem evocat

orium idem tradit
pestetn

suis

hastes ferret."

HE

fs.

spell

l\
"

qui
in

I. viii.

very

and uncanny

involves one of

the deep secrets of the

wise
]V

Livy,

following

singular

\)

aversam

C they

women

which

do

make

P known.

not

It is entirely

heathen, there being

1

<*<?%

\A

no

trace

tianity

in

of

Chris-

it,

though

used on an occasion when one would suppose that among Catholics all
the appropriate rites of the Church would be employed. It turns upon the very
it

is

30

"

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

304

may be

ancient belief that death

sorceress,

and

it

by an

averted

albeit there is

itself,

by a

very interesting in several respects, as showing the degree to

is

in the rural districts of

which the old Etrusco-Roman sorcery still prevails

incantation pronounced

no lack of

even within the shadow of the

it

Duomo

Tuscany

in Florence

as I well know.

am not

I believe that I

in fact the religion, such as

quite accurate

when

I call this

which forms the real

it is,

patrons, goes back to a time of which there

polytheism died before Christianity arose

" Etrusco-Roman."

For

and

their

faith of the strege

no record.

is

The

Grseco- Roman

before that was the Etruscan, Oscan,

Sabine, or Umbrian, and long, long before these, the simple sorcery of the Tartar

And

Shaman.
here and

" When one

;

is

very

main

there, but in the

which we have to-day.

thee

with more or less picked up, by the way, from Etruscans

it is this,

Romans

ill

But to the

and death

in a house,

death will not come to

my

spell

malato

feared,

is

sono venuto da

Perche tu bene

Death

'

tell

when death

me

me

What one must

the night

is

'

need a favour from

voglia far venire,

te

a sentire,

lo possa dire.'

will not take

Therefore

" Then on

go to a witch and say

invalid.'

'

("

was thousands of years ago,

it

" Al mio malato non

what

just

my

friend away,

as well

you may,

do, what one must say?')

expected, the witch sleeps, and Death appears to her in a dream, and

announces to her that on a certain day the invalid is destined for him, or will be in his power.
" Then on the night when Death comes for his victim, the witch takes a pumpkin and makes in

and nose, and two

And when Death is

and

si mette

holes,

and puts

in

them two pods of beans, with the beans

in them, to

seem

expected, the witch makes the sign of the horns (la kttatura, called in Tuscany

begins her incantation, thus

a scongiurare

"

'

spirito di

Da

Morte indegna,

questa casa tu ne puoi andare,

Questo malalto nella notte

Tu non
Perche

potrai pigliare,
le

corne a iettatura

Ti sono venuta a

("

'

fare

appena

II

ammalato piu non

dalla morte verra liberato

Spirit of

Thou

l'alba sara spuntata,

ti

Death, to thee

guadagnato

sarai
!

'

I say,

shalt not with thee bear

This suffering man, for at thee

The awful magic

sign I throw

away

now

it

eyes

like horns.
le corne),

'

THE EXORCISM OF DEATH.

And when

thou seest the morning dawn,

Without thy prey thou

This time

And

by an

from thy power

the priests

but that

Ovid describes
in

Rome

is

artist

he'll

be

for thee,

free

all

'

")

a very striking one, and

is

was assured that

the case with

it

may

be

kept a secret from

this is all

the spells described in this book.

a ceremony which

in detail

be gone,

shalt

be no gain

there'll

This picture of the Witch defying Death

studied as a subject

305

is

observed on the 9th, nth, and 13th of May, and

There was

essentially the same.

a feast of expiation to the Lemures, or

its

spirits

of death, which was

away

object was to conjure

death for the coming year.

" At midnight the
sign which spirits fear

(That

is,

he made

father of the family

Signaque dat

corne or la jettatura.)

le

walked barefooted through the house, making with

occurred

medio cum pottice junctis

digitis,

Then he washed

his

tacito

hands with pure well-water

mouth, and threw them about the house without looking behind him, saying nine times
with these beans I redeem

" Then he washed

his

me and mine

his fingers the

ne levis umbra

sibi.

put beans into

'

These

I give,

his

and

hands again, and

if

he did

this nine times, repeating,

'

Manes

exile patei~ni7

'

he

could look around, for then the ceremony was over."

The pumpkin-head
But

jettatura.

mony

is

not mentioned here, but there are the beans and the

Preller distinctly declares that with the course of time the cere-

of the Larvae was more developed into one of terrible apparitions, bugbears,

"They accompanied

or bogeys.

This

figures."

pumpkin

is

identifies the

is

with imitations of skeletons and ghastly

spell

with the

evidently meant to represent a skull.

pumpkin, with a lamp on a

eyes,

it

Tuscan

well

known

to

all

pole,

Roman

Even

in

ceremonies, for the

our times the hollow

being supposed to look like a skull with

rustics,

and Brom Bones employs

Legend of Sleepy Hollow to

Death is frightened away by his own

Irving's

it

frighten Ichabod Crane.

in

fiery

Washington

This means that

So among the Babylonian and

Ninevite peoples, as may be read in the Chaldaean Magic of Lenormant, the great
powers of evil among whom was Death, were more afraid of their own likenesses
than of anything else, for which reason horrible figures were placed here and there
to protect

all

houses.

likeness.

Mirrors are also a protection against demons.

really a fancy for the eccentric

have

and odd

no doubt that though there was

grotesque goblins
in the Middle Age, still the true reason for multiplying
kind
of homoeopathy
strange
everywhere was due to a similar belief. There is a
also

running through the lore of that time, a manifold application of similia similibus
curantur, the killing of witchcraft

the cure

by

witchcraft, the driving out of devils

by the weapon which gave the wound, which came

do

by

devils,

to perfection in

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

3 o6

This

Paracelsus.

not fortuitous,

is

and

result of correlative causes,

occurs too frequently to be accidental or a

it

believe that this primeval faith that

away by Death was the beginning of it

scared

believe, in fact, that just as lions

Death was

and monsters

for the

base of pillars can be

traced back from Byzantine to Babylonian-Ninevite architecture, so the placing

grotesque images of imps, demons, and goblins had a like origin in the same
It is certainly very
country, on the principle that the devil shuns his own likeness.

This belief explains the

Tuscan Exorcism of Death.

distinctly preserved in this

presence of such vast numbers in Christian churches of those diabolically odd

figures

They were meant

which have so long been a puzzle to antiquarians.

to

banish devils.

The Spell of the Cradle.

When

was born

witch, or, like

old

all

my

was

was missing,

as

last I

was found

my

but of this

necessary to secure

my

authorities declare that

am

success,
it

will

had

for nurse

an old

One day

familiar with occult matters.

cradle.

salt

Poel, who was supposed to be something of a

The house was

the

I,

searched in alarm, and at

There were lighted candles round

cradle in the garret.

an open Bible and a plate of

and money

in the city of Philadelphia

Dutch women,

babe,

in

was

it

Van der

Dutch woman named

on me.

it,

think there was a key or shears also,

was explained as a ceremony

Other and older printed
or future happiness.

not certain.

It

cause the infant to

rise in life,

the going upstairs

become an
From the Journal of American
adept in occult lore, or sorcery and magic.
Folk-Lore, June, 1892, I learn that among the descendants of German colonists
in North Carolina " the first time a baby is taken out of its natal room it must
be taken up " (stairs), " or it will not go to heaven. If the door of the room

being symbolical of ascent

steps

down

then the person carrying the baby must step on a chair or

book with the baby

On

in

her arms " (N. C. Hoke).

relating this to a

observance, and explained

" In the

know

that a

Romagne
babe

is

the babe, and carry

also that the person thus carried will

Tuscan witch she

how

it

at once recognised

was carried out

there are witches good and bad.

When

is

the

it

as a well-known

Romagna,

as follows

up

it

to the garret, or attic, that

is,

put at the

feet.

And

to the highest
it,

room under the

and puts

at its

roof.

head coarse

(culla)

Then

salt,

with

the witch

and the

Bible,

then four gold chains and four gold rings are put, one in every corner of the

bed, and two lighted candles are placed at the babe's head.
rafters (sospesi al palco),

they are attached to any family or place, and

born there, they enter the house as secretly as they can and take the cradle

takes the sack (saconcini) of the cradle, and lays the babe on

opened,

in

with the child in

it,

Then with

and the witch repeats

the chains the bed

is

hung

to the

DIVINATION WITH LEAD.

"
'

307

Io ho fatto questo

Non

per interesse mia,

Sola per l'amore che porto

questa famiglia che per quanto

Sono gran

di richezza,

Ma

suo

che

il

figlio

phi grande

Possa venire di talento,

se lo

ho messo sospeso

Cosi in alto lo ho messo,

Perche col suo talento possa venire

La persona

E
("

'

piu alta

piu importante di questo mondo.' "

This for myself

But

have not done.

for love to this little one,

Not because

his family-

Great or wealthy chance to be.

But that he

may

Brought him to

rise,

this

have

room so high;

Thus may he by talents thrive,

And be the greatest man alive

Truly a kind wish, and

in the world.

if it

always took

'")

effect there

would be no lack of talent

In the Italian ceremony the benevolent witch must, after repeating

the invocation, depart without looking behind her, and not return to the house that
day, which latter condition is of ancient Latin origin.
This incantation was

repeated in prose, not sung.

Divination with Lead.

The custom of divining by means of melted tin or lead dropped into water
FRIEDRICH remarks, of great antiquity, as may be inferred from the fact
that it has long been known to every race acquainted with these metals.
The
ceremony consists of melting the lead (wax was also used among the Latins),
dropping it into water, and inferring future events from its shapes. Then these
is,

as

were taken to bed by the person

influence of the image, a
is

barely possible that

it

for

whom

the oracle was destined, when, by the

dream would confirm what

its

appearance predicted.

might have entered into the heads of people

It

in different

by the shapes which melted metal would assume, but that they
conceive taking it to bed " to dream on is inconceivably less probable

countries to divine

should

all

than that

''

it

was transmitted

in superstitious times

from race to race.

This theory

of sporadic or independent invention of myths, customs, and superstitions has

been carried of

late to

such extravagance, that

if

we

accept

it all

we must

believe

"

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

3 o8

had thought of anything else, developed all

that he
all the folk-lore which we now have, and
which
ideas
the
For
own race, wherever he went

that barbarous man, long before he

alone, wherever he existed,

zealously confined

to his

it

and peasants are very few indeed, as those know who

seem
have lived among them, and as is proved by those of the Romagna, who
to have no superstitions which are not as old as the days of the Romans.
is of
Their manner of divination by means of melted lead is as follows It
some importance, because it is not only elaborate, but, as can be shown by

" naturally occur " to savages

analogy,

it is

cummin.

all

these together.

Then

with a (red) ribbon.

put the plate on the

and see what forms

"Should

it

three seeds of
take three seeds of a rose, three leaves of nettle, two leaves of rue, and

" You must

Put

very ancient in every detail

fire,
it

Then take

and

lead,

midnight light two tallow candles, binding them

at

take a plate, put the lead and the herbs on

it,

and the herbs

melted put the herbs on

it.

Then pour

and when the lead

is

last,

that

is

to say,

the lead into water,

takes.

take the form of a river (Jiume),

house of an enemy to do him

"

If the lead can

"

When

it

is

But

a bad sign.

this

may be used

to throw into the

evil.

be thrown into running water, and if it take the form of a baptismal font (fonte),
frame of the bed, or,
it is a very good omen, and should be kept in a red bag, and this must be bound to the
it.
one
touches
that
no
better still, be put into the bed, care being taken
the lead and the herbs are put into the plate one should say

"

'

Lo

faccio per vedere

Se verra

(O
("

'

This

la fortuna

sfortuna) in casa mia.'

do that

good

If

have another description of

may

see

(or bad) luck will

this

come

to

ceremony, which

me

is

!
'

")

more

" Melt the lead and put the seeds of roses, leaves of rue, and three seeds of
light

two candles connected with a red ribbon.

"

'

When

strege, strege

Che

la

granata non potete vedere

strege,

che di Venerdi

Siete beate,

Queste grazie

E
Se

me

potete fare,

questa grazia mi farete

volete,

Se questa

Che

il

mi

gra(zia) voi

mio piombo mi

Diu na

fonte

cummin on

it.

At midnight

melted, hold the plate out of a window, saying

lo ve la levo per farvi piacere

in detail

fate,

faccia la

significa

forma

'

'

DIVINATION WITH LEAD.

Andeianno bene
Si

piombo

il

309

cose mieie,

le

forma

fa la

Di un fiume e segno

Che
("

cose vanno molto male.'

le

O witches, witches!
Who cannot bear to

'

have removed

who

witches,

Which

ye can

it

be a

was chanted so

irregularly

you

if

all will

river,

'tis

That no good fortune now

is

will

take the form of a font,

a sign that

is

But should

you

happy on Friday,

are

Do me this favour
That my lead may

see a broom,

to please

it

go well;
a sign
mine.' ")

is

and so mingled with ordinary conversation

ould not clearly distinguish between the spell and the explanation.

rmant resumed as follows

the font into a red bag, and throw this into the house of one to

"

Non

'

Ma

vi butto

whom you

wish good luck, and

piombo,

il

la felicita

Che venga
(" 'It

Then

in casa vostra

not lead which here I throw,

is

But happiness,

That
to

harm an enemy, throw

it

into your house

may go

the river into his house, and say

"

'

Non

Ma

butto

il

')

piombo

la sfortuna,

Che vengha in chasa tua,

Che tu non possa avere
Pace ne bene
("

'

'Tis not lead

But

which here
ye

evil fate, that

throw,

may know,

E'er the spell of fate be

o'er,

Peace and fortune never more

the lead forms a river, or the

a the

fire

bad

sign, to avert

some of the herb which

is called,

:h causes great suffering to witches.

"

'

And

it,

in

while

')

put the lead on the chimney-piece or in some corner,

Romagnola felchsa,
it is

burning say

Bruccio questa robba,

Perche voi

Non

altre streghe maladette

potete avere mai bene,

Perche io vi cerchato una fortuna

Che non me

l'avete voluta dare

"

'

in Italian frecce (fern).

It is

'

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

310

("

'

This plant upon the coals

To do ye witches an
May every evil come

to ye.

and

I asked a favour,

burn

evil turn.

I see

me

That none from you has come to

is

'

")

formula 01 mixing the lead with the ashes of the herbs and

I believe that this

seeds

the true ancient Roman-Etruscan one, because rue, nettles, cummin, and

rose-seed entered into the oldest incantations with which

we

what makes the ceremony complete and most curious

is

leaves to destroy the influence of the witches.

that

was very powerful against

it

was

it

Friedrich says

me

specially explained to

sorcery and evil influences, and in every

all

Of

a mysterious and strange herb.

It

But

are acquainted.

the burning the fern

way

" There are very many

most of which are kept
because

many

associations of sorcery, marvels,

secret.

The

virtues are attributed to

invoking those which are good or

are called the

it

scale-fem

especially as

The

evil.

superstitions connected with this plant,

power against

on the

five scales

hand of luck, or John's hand, and

and

especially regarded

is

stalk,

by the people with great

respect,

Its roots are

used in

evil spirits.

which are supposed to resemble a hand,

are carried as a protection against misfortune or sorcery."

Should the lead and ashes, &c, simply amalgamate into one
special

piece,

it

has no

meaning.

Divination with lead means the making of forms or figures by the aid of
incantations,

and

it

is

therefore closely allied to the

same by dropping the white

of an egg into water, and judging from the shapes which

future will be as regards a question asked.
in

Tuscany

it is

practised as follows

" Take a glass of water

at

world-old and world-wide, but

is

Let

into

fall

it

the white of an egg, and say

quest' uovo,

Perche che tu maladetta Strega

La

fortuna tu possa darmi

Un

spiegazione

Sopra questo uovo,

Te

lo lascio fuori di finest ra

Venti quattro ore

Che

tu abbia

tempo

il

Di farmi vedere

La mia
("

'

show

That

On

fortuna

this egg, curst witch, to thee,

I in turn

my

fate

may

see.

a day at thy command,

P'or

the

assumes what the

midnight, exactly.

'"Faccio

This

it

window

That

my

That

it

it

fortune I

shall

my

shall stand,

may know

future

show

')

DIVINATION BY
After twenty-four hours consider

*'

it

means a death

in the family

And

Stars presage happiness.

if

closely.

it

If

shall

it

show a church and a

if it

OIL.

311

have taken the form of a burying-ground,

priest giving the benediction,

the lineaments of any person can be traced,

it

means a wedding.

it

means good fortune from

that

particular person."

The

witches

class of ladies.

who attend to the

They are addressed

egg-prophecies must be a singularly amiable

with a curse, and then modestly requested to

take the trouble to arrange a prediction

Divination by Oil.
'

enim evangelium signum pacis

Est

'

saluberrimum

et

Cocquius, Histor. ac contemplatio sacra Plantarum.

There are

in

in this

land where

relics

seems so strange as the new

darkness

felt

gratiae

misericordise

et

divinse."

the streets of Florence, not far from the Signoria, houses which

Dante

were, possibly, old in the time of

anything

Oleum

Vlissing, 1664.

my way

of even prehistoric culture abound, and nothing

Into one of these houses

upstairs to an invisible door

room only divided from another by a

light from a single

who knows or who knows the age of

I

entered

into

total

knocked, and entered a large

There was but a

large ancient arch.

half-

window, and the whole formed a very Rembrandt-like picture.

the table sat the fortune-teller, and before her was a glass of water into

At

which, with strange gestures while uttering incantations, she was dropping

oil

from

a bottle.
"

" I

am

how

learn

what art thou doing, daughter of a thousand witches

making an incantesimo an incantation with
Do

Che fai

Yes,

oil.

to do
I

was

in all

wanted

to learn.

oleique

The author of

knew

state,

the

1, tell us:

guttulam admiscent

Some

that the divination

even

in the edicts of

since

if

" Take
:

Charlemagne, and that

it

Trinum Magicum, sive Secretorum Magicorum

aquamin vitreum catinum effundunt,

et sic in

aqua mira

se cernere posse

putant" In English

Which was

all

he could have told more he would assuredly have done

oracle was, however, duly, sincerely,

presence, and

.saying

was prohibited by

again pour water into a glass basin, mixing therewith a drop of

The whole

my

oil

"Aliqui itidem

so think they see marvellous things in the water."

it,

by

times one of the secreta rariora which the witches kept for special

Opus, published in 161

"

you want to

"
it ?

law and gospel, church and

occasions.

"

it

runneth thus, as

the flask with oil

wrote

a small onemake with

it

it

oil,

he knew about

so.

and thoroughly consulted

down, step by step

thrice the sign of the cross

and

in

on the head and

face,

'

'

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

312

"

In

'

nome

del cielo,

Delle stelle e della luna,

Mi

levo questo malocchio (o altra cosa),

Per mia maggior fortuna

(" 'In the

Of

of heaven,

the stars and moon,

pass

name

For

away

this trouble

better luck

and soon

!
'

" Then with the same bottle or

vial, make three crosses with the right hand over the glass of water,
making the corna or jettatura with the forefinger and little finger of the left
hand extended, and the middle and ring-finger closed, or held by the thumb. And these extended fingers rest

exactly from side to side, also

on the edge of the tumbler.

"While doing

this the strega repeats

"

("

Befania

'

'

Befania

Chi mi ha dato

il

Me

lo porte via

Befania

Befania, Befania, Befania

Thou who didst cause

Bear it away from me

"Then

pour

or let

in,

friend, or

fall,

very carefully, three drops of

any question.

or an affirmative to

anything of the kind,

malocchio,

this trouble,
!

')

If they

oil.

combine

you wish to know whether you are to

If

all will

go as you

But

desire.

if

find

at once, it is a good sign,

what you seek, or meet a

the three drops remain apart

is

it

a bad or

negative sign.

" Then to thoroughly explore

throw the water and

oil

a woman, the omens are

the

thumb between

Roman

writers call

the right the

oil is

times as before."
"

And

may

But

still

unfavourable.

'

yet

terrible)

dropped

cross the

if

Befania.'

renewed three times.

the

make

first

And

to pass, all will yet

every time

go

well.

If

the castagna or chestnut, the sign of

more potent than the corna " (even the early

is far

on the edge of the

a cross of

oil,

head and face three times with the

glass,

with the

left

hand, while with

or spots of oil across the water (which has

oil,

repeating the Befania invocation three

was done with incredible quickness.)

Should the

drop into the glass about a teaspoonful of

turn of a whitish colour, this

oil

is

salt,

and repeat

a sign that the Befania relents and

go well."

she be deaf to every

the

last

This mixes the

forth with the fierce,

oil

spell,

nor heed the sacred

salt,

si

nequeo superbos Acheronta movebo."

and water despite of

all

the devils.

proud feeling that though every omen

by a strong

will.

But ere departing there

is still

express your gratitude to the Spirit of the Fire, which

heathen, and

then drop into the

desperate resource of diabolical recklessness.

" Flectere

You

make

is

is

man be

then once more

" note that this also

skilfully so as to

(All of this

glass a hot coal

to prevail

And

after all, the oracle is unpropitious,

if,

the formula of
that all

Should a

the fore and middle fingers, which

it

Then

been renewed).

the chances, this ceremony

all

into the street, or a court.

have no doubt very ancient

And
is

this

done you go

against you you are

something to be done.
is

short but extremely

DIVINATION BY
"

OIL.

313

fuoco benedetto,

Chi brucia immensamente,

bruce tutte le gente,

Ti prego

di brucciare

Questo malocchio,

E
("

chi

me

l'ha dato

"
!

blessed Fire,

Thou who burnest so immensely,

Thou who warmest all mankind,
I pray thee to burn

Then, as

This

evil spell,

And

the one

in old Latin rites, the coal

who smote me with

and

fluenti,

transque caput jace, ne respexeris."

parison that this charm has

must confess that

much

in

common

an

always had

")

"

Fers cineris Amarilli foras,

The

reader will find by com-

with the Divination by Ashes.

greatly admire this species of divination, and have

perfect faith in the last, or hot coal, portion of

scaldino

must be thrown into a running

all

stream, and you depart without looking behind you.

rivoque

it

earthenware brazier

in the

The witch had by

it.

form of a basket

her side a

just as her ancestresses

days of Virgil, and perhaps long before the time of Tarquin,

and when the coal went hissing into the oil and water her face had the beautiful
in the

expression of a sorceress defying a fiend.

was a

and a great artist

would have appreciated the flashing black eyes under a thicket of tangled hair
and my mind darted from the witch of Vesuvius to Virgil and Apuleius and

Theocritus

who

had

all

It

fine picture,

seen the same antique and terrible face

doubtless

in

the orgasme of the hot coal

Other oracles and incantations

are done with

But

it.

in this

"

say their say," give you a " yes " or " no," and

you begin amiably and smoothly with the

gentle, if heathen, incantation to the planets.

You

prodigal with magical courtesies, or ceremonies.

the reply be unfavourable.
salt.

Salt

is

polite too

is

You

all.

comes the red-hot

salt failing

devil.

it

up should

proceed to the greater piquancy of

an intimation

in

it

that there

is

an iron hand

will see the thing out.

Should the sky

coal.

and a

give Fate every chance, and are

But you do not give

that you mean business and

with your spear, and defy the

may

at

but there

under your velvet glove

then

Not

oil,

fall

you

will

hold

And
it

up

In other words, that which was to have been,,

be compelled to take another course by means of persevering in enchantments.

to prayer and penance in all religions whatever all of which

Which corresponds

teach that the future

It

may

may

be changed or formed to

not have occurred to

many

suit those

who

readers to reflect that what

4i

are " good."

all

such divina-

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

314

tions as this are equivalent to,

religious people

as

is

very often' done in America

certain object or purpose,

it

is

same

quite the

as

In the year 1859, when

and invoked Befania.

by

prayer, accompanied

is

if

hold

When

formalities.

meetings to pray for a

they divined with

and

oil

Theodore Parker was

salt

extremely

obnoxious to the rigidly orthodox of all sects, a number of very Presbyterian

pious ladies held meetings for the purpose of praying that he might be taken away
from this life and his death, soon after, was attributed to the fervency of their
;

No

zeal.

was

secret

was made of

this

at the time editor of Vanity

Voodoo work, and

satirising this

do not

was boasted of

it

Fair

New York,

in

drew

for

it

an

poem

which

illustration,

man

see wherein this piously praying a

newspapers.

in religious

a lady wrote a

gracefully

published.

from the very

to death differs

wickedest witchcraft described in this book.

Every

effort to

knowledge or
sorcery

call

it

beg or force from the Unknown or Supernatural certain

favours,

be

it

by

by what name we

prayer,

From

will.

ceremonies,

fasting, incantation, or

is

men have

the beginning of time

tortured and put one another to death for employing different methods of conjura-

has burned and imprisoned and made miserable to death literally

Mahometan and Brahmin and mild Buddhist have all done their best

tion, the Catholic

millions, the
in the

same work

and

not one of them has ever reflected that they were

shades or clouds of the same primeval witch and

There

is

a rising light which will

And

science.

in

time dissipate

This

it all.

what would the multitude do but

way, in

all

tude.")
its faith

which
their

is

my life

only

the sun of

on every side we hear petitions that the majority of men

be kept in the old darkness, somewhere or in some way.

religion

all

devil's darkness.

for a religion

"

shall

still

"There must be a
(I

never met, by the

man who really considered himself"as belonging to " the multi"

Or,
Would you take from man his tenderest belief from the little child
in angels and a God, &c ? "
To which the answer is plain and clear

is,

that

if

the parents

know enough

to

be exemplarily honest

in

all

mutual dealings, and how to teach the child to be likewise, the proper form

for instinctive sentiment of

There

is

into the

will

another method of using

but to bewitch, that

some of the

any kind

oil

is

to fascinate

of baptism,

if

never be wanting

oil,

men.

you can get

it,

the

man who

"Will be

it

if not,

will

that which

do quite as

kisses her

seized with

for

in

it is

It consists in stealing

lamps before the Virgin or saints

anoints her lips with

humanity.

not for divination or warring on witches,

a wild, strange love

He'll heed not the dark world beneath him,

He'll heed not the heaven above."

is

well.

from a church

blessed and put

And

if

a girl

DIVINATION BY
No all and

"

OIL.

315

everything will be lost in a delirium of devotion to the demoiselle

whom the best

expense. Now as it

a Vhuile before him, compared to

sardine

have her without regard to

is

much

Italian (and

men,

it is

English) woman-nature and

not remarkable that this oil-stealing

a very ancient, unholy custom, and

is

by the

rilegious

own

who

priests,

us,

all

make
"

It is

on to a great extent.

kinds of magic and sorcery

PAULUS GRILLANDUS who,

It

degree sac-

last

save their

in his time, as

he proudly

ordered the torture and burning alive of hundreds of heretics and

now

who

steal the

In his work, dated 1547, he relates that

love-charms.

not

all

to produce such feelings in

witches, tells the following tale, apropos of naughty girls

to

He must

as nothing.

the great end and aim of

life,

carried

is

is

regarded as being to the

is

look upon

as doubly damnable.

informs

holy wafer

a year ago since I saw and examined two shameless and lewd

women

(due impudice

mulieres) at Rome, who were held captive by the Reverend lord locum tenens of the Reverend D. Vicarii
Papse " (Griixandus was " in society " about that time and wished
show his skill) " and by examining"

(this

kind of examining meant rack and red-hot pincers)

anointed their lips while speaking these words

would love them.

But despite

abrenuncio

to

"

found they had taken the

tibi ;

which being done,

if

oil

of baptism, and

they kissed men, these

they atoned for their crime by suffering the extreme of condign

all their craft,

punishment."

This means, darkly, something worse than rack and burning

holy

et combusta, for to this

griller,

alive, or convicta

GRILLANDUS, such punishment was a mere

common-place.

However,
i.e.,

in spite of

stealing oil

and

church and stake,

no great wonder

girls in Italy

have kept on doing

and the

since the fear of torture

either,

it

certainty of hell everlasting would never prevent

any true daughter of Eve from

doing anything which would attract admiration.

And

me by one who was

worked, as described to

"

When

women

woman

it

way

familiar with the process

it

now

is

wishes to inspire sincere love in any man, she should go into church while the priests and

are singing the benediction, and from a

take from

this is the

three drops of

oil,

dish or plate (piattino), and say

which must be

lamp burning before a male

"

'

Non prendo

questo oglio

Ma

prendo

Da

questo santo

(Secondo il

la

benedizione

nome

del santo)

Perche questa benedizione

Vada sempre al mio amore,

Che non possa partirsi mai

Da

saint (pure che

blessed, but only with the forefinger,

questo mio cuore

'

non

sia

una

santa),

and put them in a

little

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

316

('"I take not

But

my

oil for

affliction,

I take the benediction

From

(the name is here

may move the man I love,
And that he may ne'er depart

That

this saint

While he

Then

the

little

no one may see

with the

it,

from

lives

this

'

heart

")

very carefully hidden so that

for three Fridays in succession the lips

And, kissing her lover on the

oil.

my

home and

dish should be carried

and

given)

it

" Io

baccio sinceramente,

ti

baccio di vero cuore,

ti
ti

baccio di vero amore,

questo santo

Che

the girl must say

sempre nascosto delle gente,

Io

E
E

baccio e

ti

lips,

must be anointed

tu pure tu

presto tu

mi

... mi

vorra aiutare

mi possa amare,
voglia sposare.''

and most

(" I kiss thee, love,

sincerely,

In secret, for I love thee dearly,

my

from

I kiss thee

I kiss thee, dear,

And may
The

...

Saint

my

witness be

very heart,

with truest love,

That thou mine own

And

for his part,

truth to prove
shalt ever be,

that, ere long, thou'It

For doing and saying which

marry me!")

thing young girls were torn with red-hot

by the rack, hot oil poured all over them
HORST, Dcemonomagia, SPRENGER, &c), and then were burned alive. That
trifling

pincers, their joints pulled out of socket

{vide
is,

Rome

at

before the Pope,

plenitude of

its

by

his order,

when

the

Roman Church was

power, infallible wisdom, and Christian philanthropy,

in the full
light,

and

sweetness, meekness, and mercy.

I

believe that this

modern

Italian

veritable details of the oil-stealing.

abrenuncio tibi were ever uttered.

ceremony gives the whole truth, and all the

I do not believe that any such words as

The

priests in their accusations always declare

that the witches were always renouncing and denouncing Christianity, but of
this there is hardly a trace in the practices of the witches, as truly set forth

all

by

and considering how they were treated, it is wonderful that they did
not abuse it on all occasions.
The object of stealing the oil was to get the
mysterious occult virtue or power of the benediction uttered by the priest, else
themselves

why would
denying

its

it

be stolen at

power

all,

and what sense would there be to take

True, there

is

not

much

sense of

any kind

it" while

in the

whole

PYROMANCY AND INCENSE.

proceeding, be

on the part of

it

woman, who wished

It is

witch, but

priest or

on

it

It is related that

during the

Cossacks not only drank the

oil,

But

his death-bed.

enchanted liquid to attract a lover

with the

is

to burn before a lamp, or touch

up a

takes a few drops of this

same

if

girl

a crime

it is

deadly mortal

&c.

of the street lamps, but that in the plenitude of

oil

which was

in those

by a

stealing only three drops of the oleum benedictum.

all

sin,

occupation of Paris by the allied army, the

first

their impiety they even drained to the dregs all

if

is

not magic, or sorcery, or witchcraft, when a priest pronounces an idiotic

sinner with

Now,

what there

nothing cruel or inhuman, but only to get a sweetheart

for

incantation or spell or benediction over

deserved

317

the tortures of the Sacred Inquisition

and

of the churches.

foolish

after

that

young

girl

a passage

"through flames material and temporal unto flames immaterial and eternal"

what should have been decreed to a

who

heretic of a Cossack

"

dirty, bristling savage, sinful-with-all-the-sins,

topped off" the whole lamp

When you

appalled before such tremendous wickedness.

have sent your

or servant-maid, or " female," to the Byss of the Abyss (as

of the hell of

And

hells,

me

in

the spirit

according to the general testimony of

it

in

all.

reader,

I,

milliner,

JACOB BOHME

what can you do with the greater malefactor ?

a strange moral lurks behind

matter thou with

Imagination shrinks

Let us

have been

calls

it),

reflect

and

for that

an unholy conventicle of witches where,

all

the great and wise and good

men

living

two hundred years ago, Satan himself was present glowering over us who were
" Seeking awfully by night

An

And we
all

infernal base delight."

performed ceremonies which are distinctly described as damnable by

the great authorities of both churches, Catholic or Protestant

you, such as Luther

Yea, with this

oil,

ourselves outside of
to &c.

Behold,

who

and

are yet to-day absolutely believed

coal,

all

in,

authorities,

mind

and deferred

to.

and hot water, and church-lamp business we damned

redemption, through

reader,

what

the colours of the rainbow from

all

went through

for

thy sake

"

Matter of breviary,"

quoth Friar John.

Pyromancy and Incense.

" Das Feuer

ist

heilig,

und wird

gottlich verehrt weil es ein reines

" Das Feuer,"

seine Priesterinnen auch reine Jungfrauen sein."

"

Sic in igne prater alia elementa, sacra

Virgil de Tnv.

omnia

insistebant,

Element

ist,

und deshalb mussten

J. B.

Friedrich, Symiolik der Natur,

quod

is,

crecto proximus coelo sit."

p. 60.

Polydort

Rerum.

The author

of the

describes minutely that

Trinum Magicum
by

fire.

He

tells

(161

1),

us that

referring to old
:

Roman

divination,

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

318
"There
it

'

also

is

Pyromantia, in which powdered resin was thrown into the flames.

was a good sign

much

lambent and divided, unfortunate

if

dispersed, an

death

ill

if

if

If the flame rose in one,

in three points, a glorious

crackling or snapping, misfortune

if it

eventum or

result

if

was very suddenly extinguished,

great danger.''

Resin here includes or means frankincense.

The identity of the modern pyromancy in Tuscany with that of the old
Roman, whether it be by observation of flame, or by putting grain, frankincense,
poppy

or

follows

leaves on coals,

They were

very remarkable.

is

narrated to

me

as

Flame.
" Let
little

old

the

flames,

men

say

if

well, all will

" If

side

wood be

it is

lighted,

and

if in

doing

this the fire ignites

a bad sign, either as regards events or what we

you would know how a thing

go well

and

if

ill,

will turn out,

with

difficulty, or

may have

makes ugly

in our mind.

you must study the

In the

(brutte) or

Romagna

fire attentively.

If

it

the

burns

they will end badly. 1

burn with one flame clear and

fine, it is a. sign of good fortune.

Several flames, or now on one
and then on the other, with a snapping, mean that relations or friends will soon come to visit you.
" And before consulting the fire, if you wish to get very decided omens, repeat this
it

"

'

Fuoco, Fuoco benedetto

Alia casa mia fortuna aspetto,

sempre a

Che

te

vengo sperare

l'augurio di buono,

Fortuna tu mi voglio dare

("

'

Fire, Fire, blessed Fire

Unto fortune

So

A
"And

I aspire,

hope that

That thou

still

may

see

wilt truly be

fortune-giver unto

me

')

coloured or varied flames are like broken ones."

This

recalls,

and that very

"

Tir.

Man.
Tir.

vividly, a passage

Quid flamma?

largus

from the (Edipus of

" The Voodoo thinks that

crackling,

indeed.

it

To

jamne comprehendit dapes?

Subito repulsit lumen, et subito occidit.

Utrumne

clarus ignis, et nitidus stetit,

Rectusque purum verticem coelo

Seneca

if

tulit,

you have any kind of burning wood before you, and there

indicates a serious quarrel.

If a coal or spark

flies

avert the threatened trouble run at once to the fire

towards you

and

spit in

it

is

is

snapping and

a very serious matter

it." Note by

Mary

A.

Owen.

::

GRAIN ON COALS.
summam

Et

An

comam ?

in auras fusus explicant

latera circumserpit incertus viae.

Et fluctuante turbidus fumo labat

Man.

319

Non una

facies mobilis

flamma

fuit,

Imbrifera quales implicat varios sibi

Iris colores, parte quae

magna

poli

Curvatae picto nunciat nimbos sinu.

Quis desit

Csemlea

illi

fulvis

quisue

sit

dubites color

mista oberravit notis

Sanguinea rursus, ultimum

Sed ecce pugnax

in tenebras abit

ignis in partes duas

Discedit

Immugit

aris ignis et trepidant foci."

This corresponds accurately to the modern omens and incantation.

Grain on Coals.
"

There was," observes the author of Trinum Magicum,

Captromancy.
coals,

For

either grains of

and from the smoke

rising

" Take from the crop a few grains

(scoppira),

will

it

is

This

is

poppies are used

now

is

lay

(ckicchi),

but

as follows

them on the

coals,

know

nothing about

and

if

they burst

And

or

pop well

they do not burst

it

perhaps the real method anciently followed.

Anciently wheat or barley, or poppy-pods were used, but as

The

following

is

" Take some grains of gran Turco

and say

if

that.''

in later times that Indian corn, or maize, exploded or "

substituted.

Dion Cassius

from them omens were drawn, as

a sign that the crop for the next year will be a good one.

And

be bad.

another kind of

sesame or of black poppy were thrown on hot

In Tuscany the divination

observes."

"

popped

'

was found out

a more detailed account of this augury

maize and

put them on a plate, and that on the

"

it

" better, it

Metto questo gran Turco,

Quanti diavoli

siete

Vi scongiuro che mi dite

O
Se

mi
il

fate sapere,

mio amore

Oggi mi viene vedere;

Mi amore mi ama,
Mi vuol benee mi sposera,
Questo gran Turco

tre

Tre cambiamenti mi

Se mi ama
Fara

la

il

cambiamenti,

fara

gran Turco

forma di un cuore,

has been

fire

at midnight,

'

";

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

320

Se mi sposera

La forma

Ma

fara la forma,

un

di

fiore

non mi ama,

si

Fate diavoli maladetti

Che

Ne
("

gran Turco non faccia forma

il

di cuore, e ne di fiori

'

I put this corn, devils, to see,

'

However many ye may

Me

if

my

if

me

lover loves

So make him come

And

be,

you that you may

I conjure

tell

well

this afternoon,

he means to wed

me

soon

make

Therefore I pray you

This corn a certain form to take

Should the grain be like a heart,

He

me

from

will never part

Should the shape be

Soon

will

come the

me

he love

If

Then

not at

the devil take

he love not,

If

like a flower,

nuptial hour

let

all,
it

all

there be

Neither flower nor heart for

me

'

")

Incense on Coals.
This

is

who

used to ascertain

has bewitched any one or to remove the evil

spell.

"Take

a scaldino (a receptacle of glazed crockery like a basket in form), with charcoal glowing hot, and

then take incense, and cummin, and put them on the coals.
scaldino being held in the right, go into all the

time the benediction.

repeat

And

with

knife

this

Then with

a large knife in the

the contents.

stir

And

as the

"

'

Non buco

Ma buco
E tutti
i

questo incenso,
corpo, l'anima,

il

sentimenti

Del corpo

di quella infame,

(O del infamo),

Che mi ha messa

La mala

fortuna

In casa mia
("

'

do not pierce

But

(or stir) the incense,

I pierce the

body, the soul,

And all the feelings

Of the body of the wretch

Who
Into

left

hand, the

rooms and above and below the bed, pronouncing

has put bad fortune

my home

')

all

cummin and incense

the

burn,

INCENSE ON COALS.
When

"

all

nails tied in the

the incense

form of a

is

burned, put into the scaldino a leaf of yellow paper (always yellow), and two
If

cross.

you do not know who has done the harm, throw the incense and coals

into a running stream or into a river.

carried into his or her house

Then

the crossed nails.

he

will

have no

It is

old

rest

till

and hide

it

But

if

you suspect any person, you have the scaldino and

under the roof where

it

cannot be found.

Do

this

nails

not forget to have in

the guilty person will be compelled, or impelled, to undo the

harm or

spell

it

she or

be done.''

understood

Roman

321

succeed the incense must burn freely.

in this that to

oracles ("

hue

In the

puto de Nymphae o prope Apolloniam ")

illud pertinere

the incense was taken, the prayer or incantation uttered, and the incense thrown

on the

fire.

of the

fire

If

it

was

all

burned the omen was favourable, also

and burned, or the flame followed

apply to probabilities of death or marriage

Though
that the latter

There

is

method and

different as to the

common between

was

was derived from an old Roman

with burning incense, intended to remove an

which

is

" And should

glowing
fila, in

coals,

enough

in

to warrant the conclusion

source.

of any kind, or to invoke good

evil

as the Befania.

" Take frankincense, both of the best and the inferior kind, also cummin seed.
scaldino,

This did not

well.
exceptis.

and evidently very ancient incantation

also another very interesting

known

still

snapped out

objects, there is quite

modern ceremony

the ancient and

fortune from the mysterious witch

all

it,

morte nuptiisque

if it

Have ready

new

kept only for this purpose.

it

happen that

any kind go badly,

affairs of

fill

the scaldino (or earthen fire-dish) with

then take three pinches of best incense and three of the second quality, and put them

into the burning coal,

and carry

"

it

'

the rest of your incense and the

Then take

a row, on the threshold of the door.

about, and

wave

it

In nome del cielo

over the bed and in every corner, saying

Delle stelle e della luna

Mi

levo questo mal d'occhio

Per mia maggior' fortuna

Befania

Befania

Che mi date mal

Befania

d'occhio maladetta sia

Befania

Chi mi ha dato

Befania

Befania

maldocchio

il

Me lo porta via
E maggior fortuna
Mi venga

("

'

in casa

mia

In the name of heaven

And of the stars and moon,

May this trouble change
To better fortune soon
!

Befania

Befania

42

Befania

all

cummin, and put

:

in
it

'

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

322

Should

this

Befania

Take

deed be thine

Befania

Befania

Into this house of mine

" Then when

door, and

go over

all is
it

consumed

away, bring luck, I pray,

it

')

in the scaldino, light the little piles of incense

on the threshold of the

and say

three times, and spit behind you over your shoulder three times,
'
'

("

Befania

'

Befania

Chi

me ha

Me

lo porta via

dato

maldocchio

Befania

Befania

Befania

I say,

'

Befania

il

Since thou gavest this bad luck,

Carry

" Then pass

thrice

it

away

')

backwards and forwards before the

fire,

spitting over the left shoulder,

and repeating

the same incantation."

There

is

in

Tuscany a

spreaders of evil reports.

" Against people who chatter
the two fingers and the

thumb

against gossips, backbiters, slanderers, and

spell

It is as follows

evil against us {Je

(con tre dita)

persone chi ciarlano sul nostra conto), take incense with

and put

it

on the threshold of the door and

put a distaff and a spindle with the weight (penzoloni) hanging down, and then set
say

"

'

Incenso, Incenso

Che bene

tu possa bruciare

Lc male lingue che

Tanto

Tu
La

ciarlano,

me, e appena

di

sarai bruciato,

rocca e

il

Dalla finestra

E
E

coso possono bruciare

fuso

me

ne andero a levare

anche quelle voglio bruciare,

cosi bruciare, e cosi bruciare,

Pure quelle male lingue

di

me non

Fino che

tornerrano piu

la rocca e

il

Come prima non tornera,

Non potra mai tornare;

le linguaccie

Male

E
("

'

di

ciarlare,

fuso

questo come prima,

indegne

me non

piu.

potrano parlare

cosi bruciare, e cosi bruciare,' " &c.

Incense, Incense

Mayst thou burn well!

And

so may burn, and so may burn

The tongues who speak ill of me
1

fire

at the

window,

to the incense,

and

INCENSE ON COALS.

323

Thou shalt be burnt,

Then will I take from the window
The distaff and spindle,

Them too will I burn,

And so may burn, and so may burn,
Those evil tongues may they ne'er return
;

Unto

And
May
And

There

their gossip

neither turn again

so

may

the vile, unworthy tongues

me

Never speak

ill

And

burn,'" &c.)

so

may

in tornerano

spinning and the tongues, which

it is its

the distaff

spindle turn as once before

of

again.

a certain classic Latin air in this invocation, a rude strength and

is

an ingenious expression

in

till

similarity to

turning and

But what

really poetical.

is

as

returning

An

an incantation described by Ovid.

us, conjures as follows to protect

all

is

most interesting

old

under

the threshold in

reel

and puts these

of dark colour, while moving seven beans

Finally she takes the head of a

mouth.

tells

Then, while murmuring incantations, she

a mouse-hole.

wraps woollen thread round a

in her

woman, he

present against slanderous tongues and the evil

First she takes with three fingers three pinches of incense,

eye.

applied to the

fish called

with pitch and penetrated with a bronze needle, sews up

its

mana (anima) smeared

mouth, and dries

it

by

some wine, and drinks the rest of it with the girls

This is the version of Preller, but from one line I understand that
present.
the reel means distaff, spindle, and the leaden penzolono. " Turn cantata ligat cum
a

fire

into which she pours

fascio licia plumbo."

Preller
However,

all

suggests rhombo for plumbo, but the weight

things considered,

it

is

is

generally of lead.

pretty clear that in both ceremonies

three pinches of incense, with the distaff and spindle

all

we have

against slanderers.

The distaff and spindle formed an important part of classic magic, and as
Preller remarks, "Spinning and turning round belong in their nature to
sorcery."

There

is

a curious illustration of this in the following

recipe for constructing a magical scarecrow

"To keep
" Take
Put two

Romagnola

Goblins and Fairies from stealing Fruit.

make an image like a little

make a cross, and say :

red rags, and with them, and with a distaff and spindle,

of these in the field or vineyard.

" Se

Che

Then put two brooms

uno

to

spirito a fare,

la frutta

tu vecchia

mi viene a

me

li

sinpare,

vorrai discacciare,

old

woman.

"

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

324

Se poi fossero strege ho granate,

Che

in croce yi

ho messo, mandate

Indietro tutte le strege e stregoni,

Che non vengono a mangiarmi

("

'

pomi

'

If thou, goblin, art a fairy,

Who

my

hast stol'n

fruit

beware

ye

The old woman there shall scare ye

Or should they perchance be witches,
!

There's a cross of broomsticks, which

is

Powerful, and with them grapples

When

they come a-stealing apples.' ")

Should the reader think there

remark that

it is

(Deutsche

are bewitched, a

the Italian incantation

my

in this,

he

may

made.

the

when the

person

Little

who

fire.

children of a peasant

Should the flames unite and form one

first

"

relates that

also

translation.

North that a witch can be discovered by means of

Mdhrchen und Sagen)

fire is

Herrick

apparent in the Italian as in

fully as

It is believed in the

Wolf

a ring of

is

just as in

enters the house will be the witch.

Lady Rosy-hood

In the fire-place

lives

Eating only coal and wood,

Heat to

all

she gives.

Bobbing up and dancing,

Merry

all

the day,

But when the wood

is

ashes,

Then she no longer flashes,

And in smoke she flies away."

The Spell of the Lamp.

" At the
salt
it

and

came

festival of the great

this signified the

new

mother of

life

all life,

of the year.

Neith, the Egyptians

For

salt

bumed lamps

symbolised the creation of

forth from darkness into existence; therefore this did well suit that festival."

in

life,

which were

and the

oil

and

light that

Friedrich, Symbolik

der Natur.

The picturesque Italian lamp, consisting of a long upright brass rod, up and
down which slides the cup with generally three wicks, the rod being supported
on a base, is of Roman origin, and well known to all travellers. It is used in
magic as follows, when a babe is bewitched, to find out who has laid a spell
on

it

" Take a lampada,

wicks put

it

detta lucerna, such a

lamp as

is

called a lucerna,

on a square table with a sharpened knife and three

pins,

and having lighted

all

three of

its.

THE SPELL OF THE LAMP.

" Then
to

you

at midnight, seated in

know

wishing to

a chair by the table, make the sign of the jettatura

of the person

first

who

repeat the following

blessed Virgin,

go" to sleep,

this

(le
it

And,

come).

will

be revealed

devil unchained

me

from

illness,

hell, extinguish

come

may soon

the favour that he

make me to know who was the cause of this illness, and if it be a witch that
I may find her in the form of a cat, and her life at longest may last only three
" And

and

the illness of this child (or other person) comes from any

if

he be bewitched by any one, then, oh

if

has bewitched anybody, you

Mary, blessed Virgin, I commend myself to you to do

in sleep.

But

But

in a dream.

" 'Mary,

name

the

325

me

to

recover.

one of these lamps and

may know

her name, and that

days.'

being done the one bewitched will recover in three days, and not be so

afflicted again."

This singular mixture of invocation to the Virgin and the devil was

further-

by the narrator's imperfect memory of the incantation.

There is another method of using the lamp, by which names are given or
signs indicated by the lights going out, each light being first named or numbered.
confused, apparently

This leaves the snuff of the wick smouldering, and magic used

Thus Marcellus

tions.

"Si quem

gives the following (94,

Grimm,

coire noles, fierique cupies in usu venerio tardiorem,

p. 25)

de lucerna quae sponte exstinguetur,

fungos adhuc viventes in potione ejus exstingue, bibendamque inscio trade

Which
him wine

"

is

to the effect that to deprive a

man

this also in incanta:

of his

confestim enervabitur."

virile

power you must give

to drink in which the glowing snuff of a wick has been extinguished.

In Tuscany there

is

When

a lamp be placed in his room, one burning

any one

se e possibile),

is ill, let

and when

it

the following, used for any illness

and small (una lucemina sempre

oil,

goes, or burns, out, take the long, round snuff (moccolaia)

give this to the invalid to drink.

Should he drink

and put

it

voluntarily he will get well, if he refuse

it

into wine,
it

it is

and

a sign

that he will not recover."

It is

here understood that the snuff

of the patient.
peculiar spirit,

is

put into the wine without the knowledge

should add to this that every lamp

who may be

antiquely formed lamps

and pronounce over

it

invoked.

though
in faith

That

is

to say, if

any old Roman lamp

supposed to have

is

its

you buy one of these

will

answer the purpose

and seriousness an invocation to a

spirit

or

some old woman who practises sorcery to do so for you, with

incensethen you will have by you a household spirit, elf, or fairy, who may be
And as people say in England that a fire, with its lifeconsulted in many ways.
what

like

is

better, get

moving

fairy

flames,

companion

Which

wick-fire

wrote a book on

is "

company," so the

in the mysterious

and

seemed so mysterious
it,

and on the blessed

Italian girl, as she sits

silent,

to the Rosicrucian
secrets of salt, in

Philosophy of Sartor Resartus was clearly anticipated.

lamp, reader, you must buy an old one, and

it

and sews,

finds a

yet animated light of the lamp.

will cost

Lord Blaize that he

which book the Clothes-

If

you want such a

from three to

triple

five francs.

CHAPTER

IV.

EVIL INCANTATIONS.

HERE

exist

among

witches a very great

spells,

the

Tuscan

number of

the object of which

is

injure or even kill enemies,

there

is

reason

to

and

to believe that

these are the most ancient of

all.

For the further we go back behind the genial embodiment of the forces of Nature

and Polytheism the darker and more vindictive does sorcery become.
be tested by races still existent. For just as the babe in the womb is

This

may

said to pass

through the stages corresponding to those of lower forms of animals, to the higher,
336

EVIL INCANTATIONS.
we may

so

see the primitive or prehistoric

327

man more

or less modified

by

soil

or climate, in the Fuegian, Papuan, or Australian, and specially in the African

Among

races.

all

these the horrible old witchcraft, which aims far more at death

and injury and revenge than

that there should
sorcery, in Italy,

destroy

life

found his
It

doing good, predominates over benevolence.

it,

employing the

an almost conclusive proof of

before they can enjoy

first

is

is

at

be so much of

still

man seems

so

it,

its

earliest

antiquity.
in his

And

known forms of

As

animals must

animal stage to have

great pleasure in injuring or killing others.

perfectly true that races in a low or primitive state of society, even

separate and without intercourse, would, under similar conditions, develop the

if

same superstitions or myths. But it does not follow from this that there has been
no " borrowing " or tradition. On the contrary, an impartial examination of all
such folk-lore with the most scrupulous comparative analysis, shows that there has

been an immense,
of innate ideas

if

or

amount of transmission, and that the theory

same thing must be very sparingly

often mysterious,

what amounts

to the

exercised.

may, however, certainly be conceded that the Romagnola

It

grow of themselves of
those

who now

who were
ancestors

be

late years,

For

but really sprang from ancient sources.

hold them live in the same country as the Etruscans or old Latins,

their progenitors,

as

spells did not

and as they

recorded by classic writers

innumerable customs of their

retain

none

but the most captious

critic

can

disposed to contest closely the possibility of their having inherited their super-

stitions.
I

have such a number of these

of them.

me by

The

first is

as follows.

spells to

It is

do harm

that I can give only a few

from a large manuscript collection made

was taken from the archives of the witches, that is to

say copied, as were many of these recipes from others which are jealously

for

an expert.

It

preserved from publicity, as the wise

wisdom viva

voce.

The

woman

" evil " in this case

done to the man's mistress by withdrawing

"To DO AN EVIL-perfare una

so that a

malia

naturally prefers to impart her

was naively explained as that which was

his love

man may be drawn from

loving another

woman, and

only be attached to his wife take three Indian chestnuts or wild horse-chestnuts (marroni d'Indi,
selvatici)

and powder them

fine, as fine

as possible:

(Marcellus

lays stress

on the same

trituration.)

marram
" Then

new earthen pot, and put into it the powder, and mix with it three drops of the husband's blood, or of
woman whom he loves, and put this blood with the rest, and, if it be possible, add to this as much more

take a
the

blood of either as can be obtained, and to

it

in a bagno

maria (balneum Maris),

that

this
is,

a half

litre

of spirits (a

full pint)

the pot in another pot of water, and

and some water, and

when

it

shall

boil

have boiled

a quarter of an hour, put the pot under the bed, and then at midnight, the wife, should leave the bed and
:
leave the head of the husband a little, in the form of a cross, also bathe sotto negli in testicoli, and say
for

'

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

328

" Non bagno

Che sempre
'

E
E
E

lasciare,

donne tu non possa andare,

donne non

altre

bathe not thee,

'

altre

tuo cuore,

il

mi possa amare,

quell' affare

Con
("

bagno

piu tu

non mi possa

piu tu

con

te,

possa alzare.'

si

ti

bathe thy heart,

me may ne'er depart

That thou shalt to me be true for aye
Nor with other women go thy way,
That thy love from

Nor

And

"
i.

this

must be done

running stream, saving

deal with them, be

butto via

("

contents into

il

pensiero

having thrown

it

Now

'

altre,

che io pure tanto l'amo.'

I cast this pot away,

With my husband's thought

to stray,

To others'
Him true,

see

into the water,

love that I

may

as I shall ever be

')

walk away without looking behind you, and

for three

days after

pass by that place."

"

Rivoque

back again."

fluenti

The next

jace

ne respexeris

This portion

that the whole spell

is

" To make a man

it

all its

che porti tutto l'amore

A me

boil

the pot and

Butto via questo pento',

'

Del mio marito per

And

Then throw

for seven nights, thrice in a night.

"

may.')

it

"

do not

as

it

or

"

by the running water

as old as the days of VlRGlL,

is

was ancient

entitled, "

"

woman suffer, take a peppercorn and

man or woman and repeat :r
Non

Ma

a [illegible], such as is found in the fields,

faccio bollire questi capelli,

faccio bollire questa robba,

Unita a l'anima e

Di

quello che

In mezzo

("

'

all

With

cuore
vivere,

stare,

alle strege

debbi sempre trovare

ti

do not

But

il

non possa piu

non possa piu

Tu

doubt not

with the hair of the

'

not

in his time.

To Injure an Enemy "

"

and

look

boil the hair alone,

these things together thrown,

his heart

and soul that he,

May

perish and for ever be

Only

in witches' company.' ")

and

EVIL INCANTATIONS.
The

success of such charms depends chiefly on the seriousness or earnestness

When

with which they are pronounced.

another, she does

one to shudder.

In a community where everybody

nay, he

is

may

Another charm
" Take a

and not

To

as follows

"
cut

To

away

As

is

common

put misfortune
all its skin, for

letting the cat go, say

(il

so

suffers the

it

enemy

its

Therefore

if

he

priest or witch,

Tie them to the

Such

is

male auguro) into a house, so that

much

as

suffers so

it

when

will suffer,

let it

much

left

man
is

believes

in mortal

But

if

and put

he

is

only

go."

by means of

the following

all

leg of the toad,

dies he will die.

it

sufferings to pass

in witchcraft.

may go wrong,

things

will the person suffer

whom

spells to a

take a black cat and

you would bewitch."

And

" Ti ho

tagliato

'

il

pelo,

Perche tu mandi
("

'

" Then name the one

whom

alia malora.'

have cut the skin from thee

That thou

figs

exorcism and

and cause

torture an animal

human being

by

it

remove the hair from the leg of the toad and

die,

very superstitious, and

even die of apprehension.

is

the animal into a covered pot.

to suffer

Voodooed, be

to be

Obtain some of the hairs of your victim.

toad.

is

to be expected that the ignorant

it is

dread the same in another kind of sorcery.

that he has been or

;

for herself or for

religion earnestly teaches the terrors of

excommunication and the virtues of amulets,

terror

them

the witch utters

with an air of terrible vindictiveness, such as would cause any

it

where even the established

will also

329

you wish to

shalt carry misery

Then take

suffer.

to

.')

the skin or hair, with nettles, skins of Indian

with the prickles, powdered horse-scrapings, pepper, wild chestnuts, carrots, and garlic, and with these

the hairs of the person, and pulverise all very finely

seed, seeds of melons
privy.

[fine, fine,

and pumpkins, and put them

Then take two candles

tied with black

all in

and red thread, and

the candles, and as soon as they are burned out renew them.
at midnight, put the pot

on the

and say

fire,

'

'
'

Non

Ma

('"It

Of.

A bad trick

has

its

let

it

And when

remain

for three days, first lighting

three days are passed, then, exactly

faccio bollire questa pentola,

il

corpo e l'anima

.'

not this pot which I boil,

is

But

Then take linseed and hemp-

faccio bollire

Di.

che sia possibile).

a black glazed pot, which place on the hole of a

body and

boil the

I
.

soul

.')

power greatly increased

if

the materials (red clover, sulphur, pounded glass, and red

up

flannel, or the red seeds of the Indian turnip) are tied

M. A. Owen.

43

in a bit of skin torn from the

haunch of a

live cat.

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

330
" This

liquid is then put into a small bottle,

harm, and from that time that person

This amiable pot-pourri

and thrown into the house of the one

interesting from the character of

is

species of rapum, rapa, or rapkanus,

quarrel.

Whence

curious tradition showing

A short and
the herb

known

want

"

throw

"

and

evil

And when you

into a house, and say

it

Take

buy some of

(no

uncommon

'

not this thing which I throw,

Peace in

" For an Enemy.

"

di roba,

But discord, that they ne'er

Also the following

to

is

possia dare piu

!
"

Pace in questa casa

It is

much

butto la discordia,

Che non

'

is

evil spirits.

wish for a vendetta

'

("

There

" Non butto questo pezzo

Ma

carrots as a

are allied to rabio, rabo, paina, to

simple method of setting people by the ears

:

you wish

ingredients, all

its

a symbol of discord."

connection with

its

as discordia

in Italy), "

by name

says FRIEDRICH,

it is,"

whom

Thus

of which are found in the ancient recipes for injuring enemies.

"

to

have no peace."

will

this

house

so

may know
go 1

let it

'

")

salt

and pepper and put

it

into his clothing, or in his house, and say

" ' Vi metto questo pepe,

questo sale,

Che

in vita vostra

Pace e

Non
("

'

vi

felicita

possa dare.'

I put this pepper

And

"

on you,

this salt thereto,

That peace and happiness

You

Pepper

is

supposed to cause

livres des songes," says

dent que

dans

la
I

may
"
flower,

le

never more

ill-feeling

De Gubernatis

")

and promote

quarrels.

(Mythologit des Plantes, vol.

"

Les anciens
ii.),

"

prten-

poivre vu en songe est de mauvais augure, et une source des querelles

maison

et dehors, et toutes sortes

have two

spells for

de

you desire that a

and put into

bride's back, saying

it
:

woman

deplaisirs."

bewitching people on their wedding-day, so that they

be utterly miserable, and never agree.

If

may know.'

One

is

as follows

shall never find happiness in marriage, take

little fine salt,

on the wedding-day an orange

pepper, and cummin, with sconcordia (discordia), and attach this to the

"

'

EVIL INCANTATIONS.
'

" Tu

maladetta

sia

Tu non

Un

331

possa avere

giorno di pace

quando

vai

Inginnochiarte

Avanti

Tu

l'altare,

possa essere gia pentiti

Del passa che

("

'

tu fai

Be thou accursed

Mayst thou never know

day of peace

single

And even when

To kneel before
Mayst thou

thou dost go
the altar,

feel forsaken,

And

bitterly regret

The

step

which thou hast taken

'

")

In another, si deve prendere del sangue menstruate chi viene alia donna, mixed

with rue and cummin, boil

all in

pure water, and

make

and groom on

their

wedding-day.

And

to the bride

repeat

it

" Faccio

queste confette,

Per che portano

La

maledizione,

scomunica,

la

Ai due spose

(E pronunciaro qui loro nome),

Che non possono

vivere uniti

Tutti giorni possono leticare

uniti

Non

un anno

possono stare

Questa e

Che

se

Basta

la

contezza

devono dare.

make these comfits, may they bear

Deep affliction, malediction,
Here upon this married pair

(" I

(Here the names are given)

May
May
May

they never be united

they quarrel every day

their marriage

Ere a year has passed away

This shall be the

Let that

Enough

life

")

life

be as

bond be

it

slighted
!

between them,

may

into comfits.

Give these

while preparing the comfits,

"

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

332

Which

word

last

me

limits forbid

those

The
Spanish

malediction

monk

Very

to give further cursing.

male or female, back to

say

reader.

have more of these

abominable to repeat, therefore

against witches, and

levelled

by the

doubtless repeated

is

spells of black witchcraft too

am

glad that

my

nearly allied to these spells are

intended to bring faithless lovers,

others

their forsaken ones.

Browning

the mainstay of witchcraft.

is

has

made

his

" If hate killed men, Brother Laurence,

God's blood could not mine

The
intense

strege believe, however, as

venomous

do

all

been awakened by a deep wrong, be

it

of destiny, and causes beyond our ken,

sooner or

above or

in

later

among whom they live,

it

there

if

is

"

a generally prevailing

wrong.

This

minority have no rights

past,

has

but

it

a state beyond which

and most biting

social

thou

often the arrow

wilt, neither in

whom

Dread him

the heaven

the

we have

thou hast deeply, deliberately

whom

popular opinion

man who

thou hast struck."

carefully

inculcated

seeks for revenge

by

always

is

victis

It

was

all

very pretty in a rough

injuries

For a very great proportion of the

passed.

which the cultivated

man

can endure there

This, like the precept to endure

is

against

a monastery, but

in

it

human

is

all

nature and Justice.

inapplicable to

life in

is

no

would be fewer of them

it

to the

bitterest

legal or

wrongs patiently
It

might possibly

general.

And

that the witch, the Shaman, and the lawyer and priest get a living.

have and give

account

in spirit, allied to the republican doctrine that the

or simply vce

or to turn the other- cheek

it is

if

how

cannot be denied that our laws, legal or social

punishment whatever.

be enforced

the hate has really

as religion
protect us only against the gross outrages, such as are incident to

at present

made them

is,

many

there are

up the account of Orcus

teachers of religion, to the effect that the

entirely in the

And when

die.

that concentrated,

And

kill.

wonderful to see

one on earth

wronged, thou shalt find thy Nemesis.

is

is

Believe in nothing

from conscience or the mysterious working

the earth below, but " cast

thereof cast up," and

There

you

hatred, or will, allied to spells can

who, believing themselves to be thus hated, do

strikes

kill

thus

There

we had less exalted ideals. If we were to sell all we

poor, we should, so far from doing any good, build up an
if

immense army of beggars, and the general application of the principle of turning
the other cheek to be smitten, would simply develop bullying, cruelty and
smiting,

beyond

all toleration.

It

was indeed very extensively preached by monks

during the Middle Ages, with the result of creating more cruelty, torture, and
outrage than had ever before been known in any civilised countries.
In due pro-

SPELL OF THE HOLY STONE AND THE SALAGRANA.

meek

portion, or rather out of all proportion, to

illimitable saintly charities,

rapine,

natural result in excess of

it is

all

rule,

with

were the squeezings of the

The
The

and murder.

torture

little

evil.

in

from peasants,

goodness produced

softer the light the blacker the shadows,

its

and

exception, that in galleries where Angelicos and Memlings, and

find revolting pictures of breaking

and

Beato Angelicos, and

last farthing

of excess

ideal

such works of " ineffable sweetness

ing,

virgins,

333

"

and divine tenderness abound, there too we

on the wheel, flaying

were dear to the hearts of

all in

One

those days.

alive, scalding, disjoint-

which shows that such subjects

roasting, executed with a genial strength

of the most horrible inventions

of legal mediaeval torture was in the likeness of the blessed Virgin.

The Spell of the Holy Stone and the Salagrana.

" Look through a holy

And

stone

see the fairies pass.

a violet blue

Is

a fairy shoe

Blue violets in the grass."

The

reader

is

probably aware that

if

well he can see the stars at noonday.

he can distinguish objects more clearly

he be at the bottom of a deep uncovered

Or

that

for

if
is

it

he look through a long tube

known

not generally

the properties of a telescope are not entirely in the glasses.

of cardboard like a funnel helps us to see pictures in a gallery.

roll

that

Nay, even

And

if

only look through our hand in a cylinder, or shade our eyes, or draw the

by keeping

together, we,

who

off the " side-lights,''

improve our

vision.

all

a small

The

we

lids

reader

wishes to preserve his sight unimpaired should never read by night facing a

Then he

light.

from the type.

It

will

have a double strain on the eyes, one from the

Let him read with

was the discovery of

his

back to

this principle that led to

through certain consecrated

rings, or stones

light,

and one

all light.

an old belief that by looking

with holes in them, or a wreath of

verbena, one could improve the sight, or see things invisible at ordinary times.

How

far the

imagination aided in this with people

dream dreams"
is

as follows

" To see

who

habitually " see visions and

But the ceremony by which

cannot say.

it is

effected in

Tuscany

spirits,

take a stone from the sea, one which has a hole in

go to a burying-ground, and, standing

at a little distance

with the other, through the stone, repeat

from

it,

it,

un

a round hole then

buco tondo

close one eye, and, looking at the cemetery

"

'

'

'

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

334

"

'

In nome di San Pietro,

San Biagio

di

Fate che da questa pietra

Io possa vedere che forma

Fanno
" Then repeat a de profundis thus

"

'

gli spirit!.

De

profundis clamao,

In te Domine, Domine

Et Domine,
Bugsein

et regina

Edognis Domine

English

et fiantatis,

materna,

"

'

In the

name

of great Saint Peter

And for Saint Blasius' sake,

By this stone I fain would see,
What form the spirits take
'

" Then you

may

see

by means of that stone the

persona chome quando erano vivi

wandering

white or black garments, some in black, some as

many who, being

these are

them no
'
'

say,

to obtain

easy

which have no peace,

friars or

life, left

an old

all in

were when alive

woman

flame, chaminare in

some like priests in

And

with a torch in her hand.

of

behind them hidden treasures, the thought of which gives

rest.

Then
it,

any one who

if

If in the

'

avaricious in their

spirits

in such forms as they

name

of

bold and brave,

so shall ye be saved

" Then

if

way

become wealthy.

to

is

God you would be

while they are talking

me where

among

themselves, speak out and

your treasure

is,

and what

must do

he be poor and would be

Truly, "easy enough

woman

will,

at rest (salvo) tell

if it

rich,

it is

be true"

with the torch in her hand

is

enough that he have no

and

fear to

this thing,

and

this is

an

would remark by the way that the old

But there

a classical character.

lore as regards stones with holes in

do

them which

apparently in India. There are found by the river

Salagrama, which are regarded as very sacred. 1

is

is

much

worth studying.

strange

begins

It

Gundak in Nepaul, stones called

Once when Vishnu the Preserver

was followed by Shiva the Destroyer he implored the aid of Maia (Illusion or
Glamour) who turned him to a stone. Through this stone, Shiva, in the form of a
worm, bored

his

commanded

that this stone of delusion {sala-maya) should be worshipped.

way.

But Vishnu escaped, and when he had resumed

they are found by Salipura or Salagra, they receive their

They
1

are generally about the size of an orange,

Nork,

Friedrich, Symb. der Natur,

Also a moEOgraph pamphlet by G. Oppert.

p.

124.

name from

really a kind of

Etymowgisch-symbolisch, Mythologisches Realworterbuch, vol.

Researches, vol. xiv., p. 413.

Rogen, p. 125.

and are

his

iv.,

p.

Temme,

198.

form he

the

As

latter.

ammonite.

Wilford, Asiatic
Pommern unci

Volksagen v.

SPELL OF THE HOLY STONE AND THE SALAGRANA.

Edda we

In the later

Hence

all

worm and went

stones with holes in

them were

his

way through a

There are many superstitions attached to them,

one who

is

as

what

at all familiar with British folk-lore, but

is

Hindu myth

is

What

when he goes

is

King Olof declares

it.

which were

It is

it

plays

from the

all

in

of a family in

which always

it,

Thor

that

all

fooled

is

even

Oddo

monk

the

in his

know

from the Norsemen.

that this reverence for the holed or holy

in

Once

Tuscany.

had sent

and the infant Jesus.

may

say,

worshipped

for a very

It

was a piece of stalagmite

value, because they were amulets,

full

and again

long time.

That

of cavities.
all

all in Italy,

saints

have since

proportion to their

common

any man

" really

it

England, but

had

there

is

not

much

"

He

can see through a

its origin in the belief that

through the hole in a mill-stone the sight was improved.

a hole through

in

therefore the stalagmite has been substituted.

without proof, that the English saying,

mill-stone as far as

sense in the

literal

As every

by looking

mill-stone has

acceptation of the proverb.

looking through the hole improved the sight, then he whose sight was most

improved would see

furthest.

Since writing the foregoing

have learned much which

is

very curious

relating to the stalagmites which are regarded with such reverence in Tuscany.

had found one

to

it

little

lost.

I conjecture,

if

me

found one which had been evidently

Flints with holes in them, as well as ammonites, are

But

to

as a remarkable gift from the witch-company, a stone, which

seen such stones for sale in a curiosity-shop at a price out of

not at

of

life

had been really reverenced was evident in its being surrounded by the
ornaments of coloured bread-paste, &c, which we often see on images of

and

it

the incredible marvels narrated in the old legends were

found in a very peculiar form

Romagna

was assured had been,

carried

by

the time like summer-lightning through

in all probability directly derived

is

know

quite as clearly enounced and illustrated in the Algonkin sagas

It is therefore interesting to

worm-stones

the

to be specially noted in the

that of Maia, or Glamour, or Illusion.

to Jotunheim

the midnight mysteries of Norse tradition

due to

is

is

a principle which appears very strongly in the Norse and Algonkin

This

mythologies.

shape of a harp with a hole

hangs behind the front door of their house.

to every

being lucky-stones,

in

they correspond exactly to the Salagrama stones of India.

in the

known

well

most important

is

an amulet against witchcraft or nightmare, and

Yorkshire which has a stone

hole in a rock.

called Odin-stones, or, in England, holy-

stones.

fact that as

mead of

read that Odin once, in order to steal the

poetry, turned himself into a

335

in the street which,

be an undoubted

on being examined by experts, was pronounced

excellent amulet.

But to make

it

all

right

it

was

re-

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

336

consecrated in a proper manner by having the appropriate incantation pronounced

over

and by

it,

its

certainly very

my
to

it

for such a stone is a Salagrana,

my

which

much resembles the Indian word Salagrama. I was particular in

many persons, and received the following statement in relation

it is

the

little hills

grottoes.
it

name

inquiry from

" Salagrana
or

But what was

being put into a red bag with cummin.

astonishment to learn that the proper

is

a stone which much resembles in form a sponge.

dung of the animals called

which take the form of a stone, or rather of a sponge, which

They keep away

gold and silver and a

body.

It is called

And

first

say

One

witches.

little

a stone, but

ronbrigoli (lombrki, or earthworms), which only eat earth

should

make a

They

petrify.

are

is

not stone,

and throw up

commonly found

small red bag, and put the salagrana in

it

in

and with

handful of concordia (an herb), and this sack must be kept a secret from every-

"

'

Questo sacchetino bello < preparato

Mi

e stato regolato,

sempro

Perche voi

Non mi

lo voglio conservare
altre strege indegne.

potete ammaliare,

Perche nella pietra che contiene,

II

mio sacchetino sono tante grane,

Che non potete

arrivare

contare

contiene pure tanti buchi

Che non vi fanno vacare,

La soglio dell uscio

cosi la malia

Non mi

potete dare,

Altro che fortuna in casa mia

Non mi puo

restare,

Fortuna d'interesse come pure d'amore,

Tutta quella che mi richiede

("

'

il

cuore

'

"

Here the bag I hold and see,

Bag presented unto me,
That no wicked witch may come

To do me

evil in

my

In the stone which

Are

so

many

it

home.
contains,

veins and grains,

That no witch can count them

And

so

many

all,

fissures small,

That she cannot

cross the door

And do me evil any more ;

May I have good luck and love,
Which

The exact resemblance

remarkable, and

it

I prize all things

above

'

")

of the stalagmite to the heap of an earthworm

was very natural that

it

is

should be supposed they were thus

SPELL OF THE SHELL AND THE TONE OF THE STONE.

made.

But curious as

something

far

more

the coincidence of salagrana and salagrama, there

is

many

so

many

when a witch

belief that

the world over

all

man

as among
And

she has counted every one.

ghost must eat her

rice,

so that

with

wildered
rosalaccio

by

grain

the evil

it is

believed that

When
its

not the

in the

Arabian Nights' Entertainment, Amina the

holes

the interlaces

all

and

As

veins.

the

made

of
is

design

and

Celtic

at once be-

have elsewhere remarked, the herb

corn-poppy, but a kind of small house-leek, otherwise called

witchcraft.

Amina and

from the gypsies

of

motive

following

the witch sees the salagrana her glance

" is

The

derives

its

name from looking

and when a witch sees

rice,

she has counted them, which

rooms from

them and

on

resting

the

unfolds, like confused grains of

impossible

is

reader cannot

therefore

"

it

it

ere

she cannot enter

is

used to protect

the Tuscan word

may have come

a suggestion by Senator D. Comparetti.

In addition to the resemblance of the words salagrana and salagrama

fact that the

be made by worms, while the holes

made by

a worm.

it

to observe that this recalls the

fail

That

also the salagrana.

have the very curious

former

is

we

believed, though erroneously, to

in the latter,

according to the tradition, were

Thus, quite apart from the similarity of names, we have the

more singular coincidence of worm-stones worshipped in both India and

The

if

number of small grains of some kind in

Then the witch coming cannot get to him till

Rice of the Goddess of the Four Winds

story of

grain, with a bodkin.

eye,

This was

power.

its

Norse designs.

till

and

she has counted them every one.

till

the negroes in America

Persia has observed that the patterns of carpets are

traveller in

intricate,

loses

all,"

hag-ridden, he must put a great

is

the form of a cross about his bed.

them

This involves a very ancient

confronted with a great number of seeds

is

or grains, she can go no further in her work

Thus

is

the passage which

is

grains that no witch can count

holes that she cannot cross the door.''

and mysterious

This

in the incantation.

interesting

declares that " there are so

"

337

Italian salagrana has not always, literally, holes in

granulated hole-like or corrugated appearance which

is

it,

but

it

far

Italy.

presents that

supposed to bewilder the

evil eye. 1

The Spell of the Shell and the Tone of the Stone.

" Shake one and

it

awakens, then apply

Its polished lips to

your attentive ear,

And it remembers its august abodes,

And murmurs as the ocean murmurs
1

there.

This chapter on the salagrana, somewhat extended, was read as a paper before the Oriental Congress in

London, 1891.

44

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

338
" Fingebantur autem

ille

cecinisse

" Quod

quod

tuba,

Quodque

epigrammate de cantu Sirenum.

ut est in veteri

quod cornua rauca quarantur

litui

leves calami

quod suavis cantat."

Johannes Pr^etorius.

Few

persons are aware of the ease with which the ear

may

and

if

by means of hearing must be a very credulous

If we only believe, and have our attention called

we can imagine that we hear words in it, and if the

experiment

he

for himself

will

be astonished at the success of the

an audible draught of wind be blowing and six persons

in a

who

fairy
little

imposed upon.

easily

continuous sound,
will

be trained to

The

apparently conduce imaginary sounds to the perceptive faculty.

supplies us with images

1665.

lady,

to

any

reader

Thus,

trial.

room hear

it,

and

of them converse together to the effect that they can distinguish in the sound

five

certain words, they can bring the

sixth to

firmly believe that he

also

hears

them.

The
that
is

by

gypsies in

Hungary

listening to a shell

always heard

Gypsy Sorcery) believe, or make others believe,

{vide

words

may be

Then he

in a large shell.

The dupe

heard.
is

blindfolded,

which has a hole at one end, to which a long tube

One

gypsy speaks.
a gypsy

woman

Very

from a Tuscan witch

shell

and a

attached.

shell substituted

Through

this the

of these shells with the tube attached was shown to

me by

near Budapest

closely allied to this telephone-tube

" For the

is

hears the sound which

the following, which I learned

is

you take a thread or cord which

or more, but always in uneven number, and an end

"

'

is

is

tied to a tree,

tied to a shell,

it

must be three or

and you say

Spirito della Conchiglia

Una

cosa a te vengo demandare,

Purche tu mi possa dare

Soddisfazione

Che

Tu mi

Da

si

questa grazia

io desidero,
farai,

questa conchiglia

Al mio orecchio
Tre cose mi

farai sentire

Gallo cantare,

Cane

abbiare,

gatto miolare.

Si queste tre cose io sentiro,

segno che la grazia

Che

io desidero,

Sicuro io avro.'

"

five braccit in length,

SPELL OF THE SHELL AND THE TONE OF THE SJONE.

"

O
A

'

Spirit of the Shell

favour I desire,

me

pray thee give to

339

The

thing which I require,

And

in this thy shell,

Which

hold to

my

ear,

There are three sounds, and one

Of them I fain would

The crow of a cock,

dog barking

The mew
If

for

me,

of a cat

one of the three

I shall clearly hear,

That what

This

be a sign

'twill

I seek shall ere long be

obscure, but one thing

is

hear

is

that

So they work the

In a

Book

little

the cord

clear

used to convey the voice of the sorceress, just as

mine

is

it

'

")

is

a telephonic line

carried through the tube.

oracle.

work

of Witchcraft

auricular deception.

called // Libretto di Stregonerie, printed in

"

another method of divining by sound, or

I find

Lamante

It is called

The
really by

Florence

"

nel pozzo, or

" The Lover in the Well.

"Take
best

if it

Jracasso

"

a stone of rather large size, as round as you can get

were in the middle of some

field or

And

garden.

listen

with care to hear the sound produced by the

to a covered well;

to

Although

of the stone.

fall

little

it is

it

may be

little

patience and attention one can detect

sound which the stone makes in the water the name of the person

answer

whom

one

is

to marry, or else

an

any question."

From

may

and go by night

with as much noise as you can makeinto the water.

Then

obscure or confused, and not always very intelligible, yet with a

in the

it,

just as the clock strikes one, cast the stone, con gran

much

that

better

is,

from a living

authority,

Go

be so executed as to injure an enemy.

stone as violently and spitefully as you can, saying

" Non

Ma

I learn that this

butto questa pietra,

butto

il

bene e

Delia persona

la fortuna

che

il

bene

Gli vada nell'acqua corrente

E
(" It

cosi

is

But

non abbia piu bene."

not a stone which I throw,

all

the fortune here below

Of (here the name) as

And as they roll from

May

his

charm

to a running river, and cast in the

the waters flow

this river's shore,

happiness pass for evermore

")

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

340

There was an ancient way of divining by means of stones thrown into water,
but

it

appealed to the sight, and not to the

Magicus (161 1) gives

it

The author

ear.

of the Tractatus

without reference, but his authorities are almost

from

all

classic writers.

" Variae

ejus sunt species divinationis per aquas

alia conjectis in

aquam stativam

tribus lapillis et

observatis gyris, qui trifariam invicem implexi circa lapillas sumitur."

That

is,

throw three pebbles into the water, and judge from the rings which

make how matters will go. Which I have done with only this conclusion that
it may
circles are much like men's reputations for deeds which are very great

they

the

be at

first

in

one place, whence they soon vanish

thinner as they spread.

Yes, yes
" Glory

It

all

In

in different ways.

We

"

an

interesting article

tion

have

it

in

the

cited, I find the

on the distinguished authority of many sixteenth and seventeenth-

known

as "

and

it

was

of Troy by the form of divina-

essential to the success of the

them should be

that the person handling

fall

During the night a number of stones were washed

Lithomancy."

torchlight at a spring,

recited

on Divination

have elsewhere

century magicians that Helenus predicted the

by

but growing

them a vpice which could be

stones had in

James's Gazette, February 27, 1886, which

following

afar,

like a circle in the water."

was anciently believed that

drawn out
St.

is

spreading

Several prayers having been

veiled.

and numerous genuflexions made, the

experiment

stones, in tones sweet

and low, gave

answer to the question that had been put."

Truly there are sermons in stones, and a legend

good sermon when they hear

An

one.

Irish saint,

tells

us that they

who was

blind,

know a

was once

induced by a mischievous boy to preach to a multitude of cobble-stones, and when

all the lapides cried "Amen /"

he ended

The Spell of the

Snail.

Snails were regarded from very ancient times as mysterious creatures.

as they leave a slimy

it

their

life.

So

in

trail

Psalm

melteth, let every one of

quite disappears

when

behind them,

lviii. 8, it

is

it

was supposed that they also

said of unjust judges

them pass away."

salt is

put on

because devils cannot endure

salt.

it,

As

"

As

For

left in

a snail which

the slug or shell-less snail

they naturally appeared to be diabolical,

And

there

is

a very ancient species of

CANTO DEL GALLO.

IL
which consisted

divination,

which

one

the

341

and

in putting snails near sticks

how an

ascended

they

'!

androgynas putat Herodotus,

would

affair

hermaphrodites

they are

in

result.

judging from

For quas

esse

capable of

therefore

determining double or doubtful events.

This old divination by snails

"To

determine

in gardens,

is,

whom

of the one

he

is

?),

much

and within

"

ivy and vine leaves

on one side of the

and leave

snail,

In

nome

E
E

del Figlio,

una

And
And
May
If

is

true

She

replied

"Da

among

but

altra

(o

donna

name

amante)
'

of the Father,

me

the truth

husband or lover

another love ?

')

on the woman,

it is

a sign that he

is

man

or the

woman.

unfaithful."

Canto del Gallo.

women

if

she thought there had been

much

new

ideas.

the contadini as regarded education and

vero, Signore,

it

is

not

now

as

it

was with

new

ideas

all

old

these

affairs.

and hardly know what to

Things go better perhaps

think.

If anything

went

was always a malocchio there was bad fortune put upon them and they conjured it
And there were always good signs if a cock crowed it was a good omen. Then they said

wrong once,
quando

dire la verita,

they declare to

if

with the contadini, but they are getting

away.

it

del Padre,

asked one of the wise

late years

said

of the Evil Spirit,

my

Il
I

first

days examine whether the snail has gone to the picture of the

be on the former, he

One day

one on the other, and cover

of the Son,

Has

change of

vase,

there for three days, having

mio marito

il

(" 'In the

after three

it

dello spirito maligno,

Se

if it

and calamint, and arrange the vase

that of the lover and of the ladythat

Che mi possa

" Then

put two portraits

it

one

supposed to woo

with a white cloth, and put within the

And

It is as follows

as of silver behind them.

of these and a vase, and

an umbrella (reversed

tree like

exists in Tuscany.

a lover be faithful take a chiocciola or lumaca (lumaca, snail or slug), such as are

and which leave a streak

"Take one
on a

if

still

it

il gallo

canto

"'O

bel gallo

La mattina
Canta in

La buona

tu

che canti

alio spuntar del alba

cortesia,

fortuna per casa

mi a

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

342

("

'

who

Beautiful cock,

dost sing

In the morning at day-spring,

Sing now, I pray to thee,

Good

luck to mine and

me!'")

witch was right in saying, or in meaning to say, that these omens were

The

once very serious matters which entered into every phase of

life.

And

cock-

Thus the
Reverend Georgius Strigenitius, who was Pfarrherr Superintendens, Thum-

crowing was a very cheering and important omen to

Christians.

all

prediger and Assessor of the Churfurstliche Sachsische Consistorii

in the seventeeth century,

preached in his Gallinacio, or sermon, on the crowing

of the cock of the high priest in Jerusalem, as follows

" Other birds serve mankind with their song only for joy and merriment.

housekeeping and other work, so that

And
which

is

utilis.

oritur,

almost a song
.

it

Hoc

Est

But the domestic cock helps

be neglected."

shall not

the ancient bishop Ambrosius

"

(1.

5,

Hexam.,

c.

24) tells us in soft Latin

nee solum suavis sed etiam

galli suavis in noctibus,

Hoc

canente lutro suas relinquit insidias.

ipso Lucifer excitatus

ccelumque illuminat."

With much more which

" It

at Meissen,

thus translate

a pleasant thing to hear the cock

is

Crow in the night, and, what is better

The sound is profitable unto man
For as a trusty watchman he awakes

And
And

still,

cheers the sorrowful and troubled soul,

tells

the weary wanderer on his

So much of night

is

way

And when he

gone.

The

thief

And
And

spreads his brilliant light o'er

alarmed ceases his

crows

work,

evil

with that sound the Morning Star awakes

all

the sky

In ruddy glory.

Then

Is glad at heart,

and sings because he knows

the mariner

That as the day comes on the wind abates,

And

the wild sea grows calm

The

pious

And

earnest scholars turn

man

and when he crows

at once begins his prayers,

them

to their

books

Legendi quoque munus instaurat

Because the light has come and they can read

And when

the cock crowed thrice Saint Peter saw

How

great his sin

Had

twice denied.

Hope wakes

had been

which

And when he

in every heart

the

he before

crows,

invalid

CANTO DEL GALLO.

IL

343

jEgris levator incommodum, he

Picks up a heart

The burning

It

Boeotians

knew (Pliny,
"

quered the Spartans.

wounds

io, c. 25),

1.

and

for a time

agonies of fever cease."

when cocks crow

a good sign

is

wounded man

the sorely

Feels less pain in his

and

Which

often through the night. 1

it

For when the cock

inspired
is

them so much

the

that they con-

beaten he does not crow."

Which

Johannes Pr^etORIUS declares is a fond and vain thing whereat all the people
should say " Tush ", because Moses forbade the Jews to give heed to, or divine
!

by, the songs of birds

hero

one of Lever's novels,

at Trinity College, Dublin, for keeping

fined

is

in question

recalling a passage in

being game-cocks.

Eve

that on Christmas

However, we may

But good Ambrosius,

standing to
"

which the

the

birds

SHAKESPEARE

night long.''

was

far

more

familiar with the

However, the Jews made an exception

Talmud it is said that when it crows one

Blessed be the Eternal One who has given unto the cock underknow day from night." And, as Friedrich sagaciously remarks,
cock, since in the

in favour of the

should

all

as his writings show,

Testament than with the Old.

say, "

believe with

still

in

singing birds "

" The bird of dawning singeth

New

''

Because they had no watches

in

those days, therefore in every house they

kept a cock."

Which reminds me
in the year 1871.

of a

dream which

once actually had

in

Brighton

beheld in a vision a certain man, and he said unto me,

men knew the hour only by the crowing of cocks, now they
by mechanical means." To which I, scornful that he should tell
me such a well-known thing as if I were a child, replied, " Yes I see. Now we

"

In the ancient times

ascertain

it

ask what o'clock

joy

is

then

they inquired what o'cock

it

And

was."

in great

awoke.

Apropos of
stranger.
I

it

It

thought

wondrous dream

this

was
was

this

in
in

city

will

narrate

of Florence, in the

another, which

even

is

month of January,

1891.

a brilliant French circle of a century ago, whose coryphee

was a witty and beautiful duchess. One gets into good society in dreams.
there was present a gentleman who was far from being clever, but whose

And

not only witty himself but the cause of wit in others, inspired

him

who was
'

It is

a.

very bad

the next night, so say

omen
all

if

you hear a cock crow before midnight.

negroes.

Note by Mary A. Owen.

It

son,

betokens unpleasant surprises before

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

344

by a suggestion

good thing. Whereupon our hostess, with exquisite

young man, " Mais Monsieur, voila une merveille sans

to say a very

piquancy, said to the

pareille
It

awoke

vous avez absolument feconde' votre pere

haunted

me

as

had been printed) was

if

it

that

dream (which

this

at first

make

ancient days

out the connection,

it

when

thus he was /emtio/

7

and

was

it

rerum

bought

scios.

once

suggested
could not

occurred to me, that in

it

an egg

laid

creature of terrible brilliancy

i.e.,

a bon

which the duchess (who had probably

in her

for threepence

who are neither

" They invented

the demons,

derived from, and

mind.

have a copy of his works

For, as Lactantius observes (I

which

at

all

when

distinctly

on cocks and magic, but

this

been talking with Saint Germain) had

1613

as

sometimes happened that a cock, inspired by a demon,

from which was hatched a basilisk

mot

recalled

directly

me

what was previously written by

by,

"
!

edition

Geneva,

from the wheelbarrow before mentioned),

angels nor men, are intelligent beings

ac

-peritos

astrology and Etruscan divination, augury, oracles

magic, mythology, and moreover taught

men how

make

to

ornate and feigned

images of exquisite beauty of kings long passed away, and endowed them with

Hence temples and new images again

other names."
et

vovce imagines consecrantur

make

it

must have been easy

men. Which is the doctrine

Romagnola mythology.

cocks were eggs in earlier humble

Namque

God,

devil,

them

great."

Deus, Daemon et heros, unus idemque erat rudibus hominibus

and hero were

to

state,

So gods were men, though now they be so

"

for

Then they rose to be gods, as they had once been

of Euhemerus of Messina, which pervades all this

a basilisk, or a joke.

"As

therefore

hinc templa devoventur

men

the same thing to the rude

all

"

of yore, as

Elias Schedius declares.

Divination was naturally enough attached

to a bird which so mysteriously

A
" fully

perhaps without much tradition

the time of day or night.

writer in the St. James's Gazette (February 17, 1886) once set this forth

and

finely " as follows

" Divination

is

among

which remains

in use

the most ancient of the black arts, and for ages

the scores of divinatory processes

much

knew

among

known

was one of the most popular.

Of

to the mediaeval magicians the divining-rod is almost the only

one

civilised peoples.

It is

by no means the most

has been written upon this method of finding water,

of some more uncanny fashions of divination.

of cabalism

Some

it

may

it

interesting

of these forgotten rites date from the formulation

others were invented by the wizards of the golden days of magic.

simple, fantastic, revolting.

The

secrets of the future

the order in which a cock pecked up a given

and curious ]f-and, as so

well give place here to the description

They were of

and the history of the past could

number of

grains of wheat,

all sorts

by
by writing the name of a suspected
alike

be

laid bare

DIVINATION WITH ASHES.

345

person upon an onion, by the flickerings of the flame of a lamp, by the movement or non-movement of the jaws
of an ass while

was being

it

roasted, and in a vast

" Divination by the cock

name

of a person

whether

either the sun or the

(in

it

was

moon was

number of more unholy ways.

mystic language 'Alectryomancy ") was a favourite method of ascertaining the

of grains of wheat as there are letters in the alphabet

'

Hebrew words were

an enclosed space as many heaps

floor of

a few grains to each heap.

While

this

was being done

the conjuration

'

'

inscribed,

enough to commence

and then swallowed by the cock

Deus

Then

was

the cock

Domine,

dilexi

the cock pecked

set

decorem
it

'

tuam operibus

nostris, ut per

The

were Theod.

There

is

A careful

were repeated.

is

note was

employed

said to have

be presumed, he was hungry

in his hands, the sorcerer recited

made

eis

formasti, constituens eas

consequentur effectum.

this

Amen."

two verses from the Psalms, beginning

of the letter attributed to each heap as

The

by reason of

letters thus indicated spelled the

method

to ascertain the

name of

name

his successor.

and surely enough he was succeeded by Theodosius the Great."

a survival of this in Italy, which has passed to London

by means of

to divination

to

is

up, particular record being kept of any unfinished heap to which he returned,

The Emperor Valens

letters

opus in

in front of the heaps of grain while the

the frequent recurrence of the same letter in proper names.

required.

it

omnium, qui firmamentum pu chritudine stellarum

creator

down

when,

Holding the cock

his repast in this unusual fashion.

in signa et tempora, infunde virtutem

'

upon the

commencing Ecce enim veritatem was said. Then a young cock, perfectly white, was taken, and
claws cut off. The claws were wrapped in a small piece of parchment from the lamb, upon which two

the verse
its

When

enemy, a successor, or a future husband or wife.

that of a thief, an

in Aries, there were scattered

trained birds,

little

who

I refer

pick out fortunes, or printed

predictions, for a penny.

Divination with.Ashes.
"

This

many
Dion

Solet etiam divinatio interdum ex cineribus

is

extremely interesting from

works.

Of

it

is

a trace of

it,

when

Then

the ashes are stirred

Or

three

if

ashes.

Trinum Magicunt,

the author of the

that

to divine

which

by the

is to

referring apparently to

fresh breeze,

maids wish to learn which of them

He commands

The Tuscan
" Take a goblet
sit.

one whose

is

and one looks

his, she will

rite as

be

taught

salt dissolves first will

to this

day

for the letters

which they form by being moved.

tum her back

so as not to see the lines, which

one of them shall have chosen the same furrow three times,

his future wife."

me

is

or cup full of pure water (hot)

Each must take a pinch of

And

be married to a man, then they draw three lines in the

shall

until

sacrifices.

written on the ashes with the finger or with a stick.

each one to choose a line (sulcum) and to

and when that one chooses

age must

sometimes with the ashes from the

be divined

meanwhile another indicates with the tongs,

full

great antiquity, being mentioned in

its

Cassius, says :

" And they were accustomed

there

Tractates Magicus, 1611.

fieri."

salt

as follows

and three chairs

and put

it

be the most fortunate.

of ashes which have been very finely sifted

let

them

in

which three

girls or

women

Then each must

sit

take a

little

same

bag of red woollen

with the cup in the middle,

all

The
stuff

three clad in black

with black veils, and each has a sacred wafer which is marked with a cup.
" And to obtain these the three women go to church and partake of the communion, and

45

of the

into the boiling water all together or at once.

when

the priest

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

346

them the consecrated wafer

gives

knowing

Then

it.

two must be marked with

the cup they

make

mouths they must slip it into their hands without the priest's
marked with a cup, therefore it is not necessary to bless them, but

to put in their

as these three wafers are

special

marks or pictures

as of

a heart or flower, that they may be known

thus over

with a pin's point the heart or flower.

" Then each throws her ashes with the wafer into the boiling water and says, or one says
"

Non

'

Ma

butto la cenere,
butto

Non

Ma
(Secondo

l'ostia,

butto

butto

l'ostia,
il

corpo e l'anima

persona che vuole nominare).

la

Che non n'abbia

pace,

pivl

ne bene, fino che questa cosa

Non ho

ottenuto per bene.'

(" 'I do not throw the ashes,

But
I

throw the wafer.

do not throw the wafer,

But

throw the body and soul of

(Here the person

named)

is

That he may no more have peace or happiness

Until I have obtained this

"

Then

they must place their hands behind them and

to see the cup for a quarter of an hour ;

and when they at

on the

all

whose

surface.
it is

indietro

will

In this case they will

be favoured

but

if

none

three

float,

make

last

will

desire

!
'

*)

the sign of the castagna, and not turn round

look they will see whether the wafers are floating

have obtained

no favour

my

their wish,

and

if

be granted. Allora

only one swims, then the one

se

ne vada senza mai voltarsi

then they go without looking behind them."

This agrees with the ancient ceremony in this that there are ashes used
by three women, who go away without turning round. The whole is finally
thrown into a running stream. In which we have a souvenir of VlRGlL and of
Theocritus.
" Hinc cineres sub primum sideris ortum,

ad vada proxima

Colligat, et fluvii ferat

Una

vivi

ministrarum, venitque ad flabra secundi

Spurgat arenosis petris

Namque

ipsa retrorsum

Respiciens proper^ redeat.''

What

renders this Tuscan incantation

the only complete account which

even more interesting

that

is

have ever met with of the manner

in

it

is

which

the witches of the Middle Ages used the consecrated wafer in their sorcery.

PAULUS GRILLANDUS,
and

tells

us that

it

in his

was

work De

specially used
1

I.e.,

Sortilegiis,

speaks of

by women

for love-spells.

his love.

it

with great horror,

"

In

istis

etiam

"

DIVINATION WITH ASHES.

sortilegiis

ad amorem

est hostia consecrata

"

plurimum admisceritur sacramenta ecclesiarum, sicut

(Paulus GRILLANDUS, Tractatus de Hcereticis et Sortiut

(Lyons, 1547), lib '.,

the kind ; one of a priest "

legiis

most sacred host

347

*ol.

Grillandus had

20, 21).

who took

several cases of the

the sacratissimam hostiam ipsam

the

very-

uttering as incantation

verba satis turpia atque nephandaque hie referre non expediat ("words utterly vile and wicked which it is not
expedient to introduce here "). I have no doubt that these " nephanda," or wicked
itself,

words, were the same which are given in the Italian incantation.

abundantly proves that

Grillandus would not

if

certainly did not object to let

wrote

words

" horrible

"

and administered them

them have bad

in wine.

that such use of the wafer

was a great

sin

should

publish the

as if he

had

tried

it

fully believing

fact.

us in one case he did not see or perceive any effect from

tells

they powdered

at other times

very remarkable that he

It is

Nephanda

His witches sometimes

spelling.

with blood on the wafers

"

give his readers bad spells he

it

He

indeed

which

but believers in magic might very well say that

possible the party acted on did

not " manifest " in his presence.

make

publish the peculiar particulars hoping to

business

Or

looks
it

was

did he

Sometimes witches

strew ashes on people and so cause terrible cutaneous disorders.

the proofs of this

man who was

work

in

Homburg

les

Bains,

While reading
met with a very old blind

very well related to several professors, &c, though he had been

only a poor carpenter

and he told

me

that the witches, from a peculiar kind

of coal-pebbles, prepared ashes which they strewed on their victims, and that he

had thus suffered

is

for six years.

"

Many

people," he said, " ridicule this, but

it

true."

Ashes
into

in ancient

Pulvis

oblivion.

symbolism
et

signified that

umbra sumus.

It is

which

is

dead and

past, or

gone

remarkable that among the old

Slavonians there was a divination by means of ashes which was much like the
Roman. Women sat round the hearth and drew lines at random in the ashes.
Then these were counted, and if the number of lines was even, the omen was
fortunate (SCHWENK, Mythologie der Slaven, p. 24). Nearly the same oracle is
still

consulted in Poland.

invalid,

and a

"

wise

Ashes are strewn on the

woman

predicts

from the

recover" (GRIMM, Deutsche Mythologie, vol.

Apropos of ashes and of the dead,

1855 a

German

in

I,

p.

may

lines
1 1
1

around the bed of an

whether the patient

will

7).

here mention that in the year

Pennsylvania burned the body of his wife

generally bitterly reprobated as heathenish,

press.

ii.,

floor

vile, revolting,

which

act

was

and unchristian by the

however, wrote in the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin an editorial article

defending the German, and declaring that

it

would be an excellent thing for

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

348
public health

as

well as for the interests of the coal trade

of burning the dead become general.

and yellow

fever

for

ever.

These

It

should

the practice

would probably extinguish cholera

remarks

of

mine were

considered

at

the time as very bold, even in the United States, where freedom of expression

is

not unusual.

do not know

positively that I

advocate cremation in modern times, but

been at

least

one of

its

believe

Vorgdnger, or pioneers.

was the

that

may

first

person to

claim to have

CHAPTER

V.

THE AMETHYST.
" The February-born will find
Sincerity

and peace of mind,

Freedom from passion and from

If they the

Amethyst

care,

will wear."

Birthday Mottoes.

" L'Amethiste a un
'yuronguerie

De

la

lustre violet

et profite aussi

nomme, comme

rouge, et est ainsi

n'estant yure, aussi

a ceux qui se veulent addonner a 1'estude."

resiste a

il

Jean Baptista Porta,

Magie Naturelle.

ONCE

knew

young Frenchman who

man

affirmed that he was the only

living

who

knew the ancient language of Carthage or

some such town which he had recovered from
" So you really can
its ancient monuments.

read ancient Phoenician

miration.

"Je

le

it ? "

"

"

exclaimed

was

in ad-

the

reply.

And with whom do you talk

And he replied, " Monsieur,

"

park."

Mais, Monsieur"

inquired.

je fais des monologues"

I often feel as

Roman

regards

and

after

all

it,

like

were, with

only soul on earth

a forgotten tongue

my

who knew

language or cared for

old Etrusco-

had rediscovered or dug

folk-lore as if I

up and deciphered

all this

it,

Frenchman, the
the long-buried

and that when

it must do so en monologue.
charm
and a solemn beauty
a

And

of

or wizard language of the olden time

the world, and oracles spoke in

their

deep

faith

it,

early faith

still

is

it,

and with them

and no

moved

it

and grand
lived, in all

and many-hued gleams of glory,

the Etruscan and the

And when

there

in the spiritual

wonder, for there was an era when

religions lived in

speak

Roman.

now and

then find a flower of

growing under the

broad-

vile

leafing rank weeds which have covered

antique garden, my heart leaps up and

all this

begin

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

3SO

am doing
whom a

to soliloquise even as I
is

What moved me

now.

a lady in Florence to

whom

nun, to

to

was

it

this

There

she had been kind, sent three

singular stones for a gift of gratitude, saying that she had nought else to give.

As

soon as

some

sinful

saw that they were amulets, probably given up by

penitent believer in witchcraft to a father-confessor.
One was an
beheld them

amethyst, of no great value as a gem, but about two and a half inches in length,

which has been,

edge ground

Roman, and
in

a red

December

bag,

Of

25, 1891.

some

at

earliest ages

was given

it

till

and has

celt,

was probably of

It

off.

so lost and found

silk

I think, originally

time had

its

then carried by some old

me

to

later

for a

Christmas present

the other two stones, one was a

salagrana and the second a piece of antimony.

Everybody knows that the amethyst derives

properties

nothing more,
opinion on

till

I carried

And

it.

came

it

my

the stone to
in a

as a very remarkable thing that, though she

it

with great respect.

preserved, like the black

"

That

beautiful.

than

it

is

sybil

anti-vinous

its

This

and asked

Voodoo

made no mention
known to her, at

occurred at once to

It

very famous fetish which had long been

convinced of

name from

knew, and

for a professional

form which subsequently startled me.

regard the stone as something personally

that she studied

its

you bear one you cannot be injured by wine.

for if

lost,

stones

of

it,

least

me

I noticed

she seemed to

by

that

report,
it

and

was some

but of which the tradition had been

of America.

And

am now more

ever.

a magnificent amulet," she said, as

avvinata

This pietra

many

buried and disinterred

stone

this

if

surprised, " very ancient

and

mixed with wine (wine-stone)

must be carried to cause a good memory.

years,

Should any one wish to intoxicate you to betray you {jperfarci qualche tradimento),
if

you wear

it

Wear

he

will

"

Pietra che da qualche stregone o Strega

'

Tu

not succeed.

Ma

always at your

side,

and say

sei certo stato sotterato,

Perche

Ed
Ed

it

si

la fortuna

ad

altri

vede che tu ne

hai voluto nelle mie

io sapro

sempre

al

non hai voluto

lasciare

sei pentita

mani

farla ricapitare

bene conservarla

mio

fianco portarla.

Ti scongiuro o pietra
Scongiuro questa pietra che sempre fortuna mi voglia portare

da ogni male mi voglia

liberare

Specialmente dai nemichi che volessero farmi

Qualche traditimento
Questa pietra mi possa liberare

se

mi

volessero ubbriachare,

THE AMETHYST.

351

con vino o con liquore,

Questo pezzo
II

Ti scongiuro o
("

'

liberatore
"
pietra !

'

who by some

Stone,

sempre

di pietra avinato sara

mio stregone

wizard or some witch

Hast certainly been buried long ago,

Because thou wouldst not bring good luck to others,

Now
And
And
And

it is

plain that thou hast repented,

hast wished to recall

know

my

by

I ever

1 conjure thee,

me;

unto

it

how

right well

to preserve

side will bear

stone

me

I conjure this stone to ever bring

And

that

may

it

May

me

free

who

Specially from foes

Some

from

fain

me

this stone free

With wine, or other

My

knew

wizard, freeing

conjure thee,

would cause

die

me

me

from
!
'

it

")

was esteemed of old

that the amethyst

"

also intellect

and

The

intelligence.

that this famous amulet

with

my

memory," by which

for the

in

did not

know

have by

me

it

there was a tradition

was

found,

was

had been buried by or

but that

it

about two dozen books, but was not aware that among them

light again, especially for

it,

me.

De Gemmis by Franciscus Rueus, printed at Frankfort in

had escaped me, being bound up at the end of De Miraculis Occultis,

possessed a treatise
It

that

her simple way, as

belief of the fortune-teller very evidently

of which

had by wizard influences been brought to

1608.

But

witch meant,

owner, long ago, in order that others should not inherit

its

to be infallible against

L'amethiste attach au col sur la bouche

ventricule (alfiancd) deliure de I'yurotignerie."

good

me

liquor,

stone

intoxication, or, as Baptista Porta saith

"

This piece of wine-stone shall ever be

Now

fortune

all evil.

deceit.

Should any wish to intoxicate

it,

it.

And

by Levinus Lemnius.

turning over

my

small library, hoping against hope

to find something to confirm this connection of the amethyst with intellect,

found that

which

I,

by mere chance, had

For

required.

in

it

there

just the very

is

a chapter

book of
xi.,

all

books

said to not only protect against intoxication, but to stimulate genius

witch had declared.

felixque ingenium

"

Addunt

efficere "

and happy genius ").

And

et alii

(" It
it

in

world

which

it is

even as the

malas ilium arcere cogitationes, et prsecox

drives

also

in the

De Amethysto

away bad

brings luck

thoughts, and

confers ripe

but here Rueus remembers

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

352

and declares that he

himself,

All of which reminds

boy

will

which are reported of it

superstitions

me

not impart the heathenish and unchristian

as

have done.

of a story of

my

When

early days.

to my shame be it said,
once happened to me that the

distribution

(though

it

was the very gem of

one day on the wharf

Tampa

from

went

my

examined

oyster-shells

had the

first

Being therefore a zealous mineralogist,

many

fell
it

to

my

lot

befell that

among which was one which had

pure chalcedony from its surroundings.
With overloaded

into the

ammonites,

of a certain broker and banker, who, having

office

find with his friends,

and such-like rubbish."

pronounced

And

it

to be " nothing but

common

had with pains investigated

after I

all

likelihood only three

mineralogical specimens which the nun had picked up

Italian

which

rejected corner-stone

three amulet-stones, I was told that they were in

be true

which

in

or any other choice

found in the discarded ballast of stones brought by a vessel

Bay, Florida,

been converted to
pockets

all).

rewards of good conduct

rarely

I,

collections,

" as

who

Pierce,

make

delivered to us lectures on mineralogy, and encouraged us to

giving us on every Saturday " specimens

was a small

had a Quaker schoolmaster, named Jacob

in Philadelphia, I

nuns and their poor retainers being, as

which

may, of course,

known, universally

well

is

my

common

addicted to science in general and geology in particular.

The specimen
"

which

prize

inflating

it,

and so perished.

balloon of a book

May
dream

may

teacher was an amethyst, which

purple,
;

which

that of

is

violet,

that of rose, which

Mundus

it

it

and grant that

vines, so the

my

was

amethyst-

fingers

And

wearer marvellous dreams.

hath in

it

it

three colours

and denotes God the Father and Ruler of the

or humility (God the

is

its

to the Trinity, because

imperial,

Son

His lowliness

in

expressive of love and of the

Holy

among men)

and

Spirit {vide Picinelli,

the Egyptians the amethyst corresponded to the Zodiacal sign of

ii.,

p.

2).

And

as the goat

was an enemy to

amethyst was a foe to wine.

Apropos of which citations

there be here

and there

must, in frankness and simple honesty, remark

in this

book some

doubt not provokes the gently-pitying smile of

chiefly

this

Symbolic, p. 684).

Among

if

omen

without burning my

attracted to

the Goat (Kircher, CEdip-^Egypt,

that

avertite

while

fire

add that the Rabbis called the amethyst achlamah, from chalam, to

Saint Isidore compared

world

Dii

soar to the skies

for they believed that

firstly,

my

got from

traded " with another boy for an air-balloon, which caught

due to the

girl

with the wheelbarrow from

which

slight

show of

many

a learned folk-lorist

whom

parchment-bound, at from a penny to threepence

(this

erudition

it

is

purchase antique lore,

latter in

cases of great

THE SPELL OF THE BLACK HEN.

temptation) the volume.
for

This

tobacconist,

who

home and
the way

take

That

these learned extracts.

353

perfectly master, which accounts

is

it

done.

is

has for months past wrapped up cigars for

Then

me

there

And on

seven francs,

for

another occasion, when

many

buy

it)

And

a long year.

Trismegistus (which work

to

am

bought two Etruscan vases

induced the dealer to throw in the work of Marsilius Ficinus

on the Neo Platonists Iamblichus, &c. (Lyons,

after for

my

leaves of the

in

old Encyclopczdie Francaise ; or from a Latin folio of legal lore, to which

greatly indebted.

is

you may judge

as

it

my

copied entirely in

was glad

if I

which edition

1577),

included the Pimander,

to get

had been

&c, of Hermes

sixteenth year, not being able

it

The Spell of the Black Hen.

" When thy black hen

dies,

thank God,

Else thoud'st been lying 'neath the sod."

"

When

a black hen over * miser

Soon

after that the miser dies."

flies

German

In the year

886 there was found

curious object of which

of an old

woman and

Proverbs.

in the belfry

that could be learned at

all

that

it

was called a witch's

of a church in England a

first

was from the authority

An

ladder.

engraving of

published in the Folk- Lore Journal, and several contributors soon explained
It consisted

it

was

its use.

of a cord tied in knots at regular intervals, and in every knot the

feather of a fowl had been inserted.

I

was

in Italy

when

saw

this engraving,

object had not been ascertained.

I

did,

and that most unexpectedly.

whom

woman

with

witches,

began with the following

"Si.
took

it

There was

and

it

would soon

real nature of the

find

it

For by mere chance, the very

conversed, being asked

if

she

knew any

out,

first

which

Italian

stories

about

in Florence four years ago a child

to all the shrines in vain,

and read that the

remarked that

which was bewitched.

It

pined away.

The

parents

died.

" Some time after something hard was felt in the bed on which the child had slept. They opened the
bed and found what is called a guirlanda delle strege, or witches' garland. It is made by taking a cord and
tying knots in it.
While doing this pluck feathers one by one from a living hen, and stick them into the
There was also found in the bed the figure of a hen made of
knots, uttering a malediction with "every one.
stuff (cotton or the like)."

The next day

Folk-Lore Journal.

showed the woman the engraving of the witch-ladder in the

She was astonished, and said, " Why that is la guirlanda delle
46

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

354
strege

which

described yesterday."

did not pay any attention at the time

what was said of the image of a cock or hen being found with the knotted cord,
but I have since ascertained that it formed the most important part of the whole
to

incantation.

This
"

To

is

the spell of // Polio nero, or the Black Hen.

bewitch one

all carefully,

" Take

till

he die: Take a black hen and pluck from

With

so that not one be lost.

these you

may do any

it

It is as follows

every feather

evil to

and

grown people

this done,

keep them

or children.

the hairs of the person, or else the stockings, and those not clean, for there must be in

them

his

Then with black and red thread sew the stockings across one another. And if you have
person, make of them a guirlanda unita con stoppa a cord spun with flax or hemp then take

or her perspiration.
the hairs of the

work up)

the feathers and si cttopre questa robba you cover (or

feathers,

work

or

weave them with black and red thread

in the form of a cross into the hen.

wish to bewitch, and say

this thing in the

form of a hen, and, taking the

into the covering of the hen,

and put black pins

must then be hidden in the mattress or straw bed of the one

It

whom

you

"

'

Questo polio e maladetto,

maladetto

Le

sia tutte

maledizioni la portate via,

Dal fondo del

Ma

inferno,

ora per una ora,

Le coma gliele voglio fare,

Che la maledizione la possa
Et

te (il

Tu non

abbia

'

te la

piii

pace

ti

io

Non

ti

vengo a levare

This hen

la stregeria

Che

And
May

lasciare,

possa portare

ne giorno e ne notte

Fino che

("

nome)

ho

is

fatto
1

"

accursed,

cursed be

all

the curses carry

him away

Curses from the depths of hell

Now,
I

for

an hour

would give him horns,

May

the curse leave

them on him

And thou (the name) mayst

And have no more peace

thou bear them,

Neither by day or night,

Until the bewitchment

Which I have wrought

Be removed by me "
1

The Counter-Charm. "To

remove

this

'

bewitchment you must open the mattress and find the hen

and wreath, and throw all that holds it into running water.
" And then take the person bewitched, man, woman, or
into a church while a baptism is going on, and say
:

child, che sia, as

it

may

be,

and carry him or her

'

'

THE SPELL OF THE BLACK HEN.

"

355

In nome di Gesu, di Giuseppe,

'

Maria

di

la

benedizione

Di quel bambino benedisca

L'anima mia
!

who

" This the one

carries

it

must say

is

bewitched must say, but

if it

be a child who cannot speak, then the person who

"

In the name of Jesus and of Joseph,

'

And of Mary, may the blessing

Of that infant also bless
The soul of this child
!

"

Then

carry

This spell

There

it.

among

is

it

in holy water.''

it

considered as very terrible, and

is

much

is

believe that

some place near and bathe

to

it

curious lore connected with

extremely ancient.

In the

museum
I

witch authority in Florence at once declared

magic.

As

spell, as

the counter-charm

it

was found

proved by the

it.

This

is

every reason to

(archaeological) of Geneva,

copied

is
it

one of a hen,

flat,

with some care, and

to be a black hen

made

for

may have been thrown there to destroy the

prescribes.
And that it is very ancient is effectively

in

water

it

fact that other objects of the

were found with

it

difficulty in getting

and there

the very old relics from Lacustrine dwellings, there

knitted or felted from black hair or wool, or both.

my

had some

I
it,

is

same

material,

presumptive evidence that the

and of the stone age,

spell

belongs to pre-

historic or neolithic times.

The black

hen, being an object of great fear and reverence, was worshipped

From them

by the Wends.

it

passed as a crest to the house of Henneberg [vide

Friedrich) and

the Symbolik of

Wales {Puck,

to the quarterings of the Prince of

by Dr. Bell). The gypsies in Hungary, to effect a certain cure, apply

body of a black hen to the sufferer, pronouncing an incantation. In Roumania
when a Jewish girl has an affaire du cceur with the devil or possibly with a devil
3 vols., 1852,

the

of a fellow
is

the result

the following

to take

up

"

is

a black hen.

In Wallachia

the black fast

"

if

But what

man

plunder or

die.

Mrs. Gerard,

who

To do
Then

find that the Italian

and that the Wallachian Transylvanian

well as a thief (vide Gypsy Sorcery,

this the

wizard must, in

company

the thief will either bring back the

gives this account, says nothing of what the

ceremonies are attendant on the charm.

whole we should

very nearly connected with this

has been robbed he goes to some sorcerer

against him.

with a black hen, fast for nine Fridays.

is

have no doubt that

ceremony
spell

is

if

we had

the

requires* the nine Fridays' fast,

directed against any enemy, as

by Charles G. Leland).

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

356

of these Italian witch-garlands was exhibited by Mr. Tylor at the Folk-

One

Lore Congress
present.

have another which was given to

attaching

me

it

Christmas

for a

box was a

In the

sprig of thorn

to a small Japanese cock

of feathers.

have found

number of
that

and

a box covered with red flannel.

The wreath had been completed by

leaves.

made

in 1891,

It is in

spells

find

it

in

a number of works on folk-lore and superstitions such a

and incantations, of which the black hen forms the chief item,

impossible to include them within the limits of this work.

mention, however, that when I was a boy in

may

Philadelphia, in America, once

hearing that a whole dead chicken, quite dried up, had been found in a feather
bed.

As

feathers for beds are always picked over,

object had been put into the bed

by some black person

The Spell of the

" Much

as a

little

doubt that

this

Voodoo charm.

Bell.

the witches fear the spell,

When by
Off they

When

have

night they hear a bell

fly,

over the sky,

they hear dondo, dondo, dondo!"

Romagnola Song.

The

chief, if

demons, or dispel

not the only use of bells in ancient days was to drive

evil in

every form

and

is

it

very evident that they were in-

troduced to Christian churches far more for this purpose than to

For, as in Ireland, the church bells were generally of the size

average cow-bell of America, making no more noise than the

many

found not

years ago in

Rome

away

a tintinnabulum, or

call to prayer.

and shape of the

latter.

little

There was

bell

of silver

bearing magical characters, the purport of which was to avert the evil eye. I
have a facsimile of this presented by the late Sir Patrick Colquhoun. And also
a very small bronze Etruscan (or

found at Chiusi
here an

it

could speak

These
prized

resting on

little

among

all

my

that

Roman, according

paper as

it e'er

square old bronze

write

has seen

Roman

the peasantry for amulets.

and

to

Professor Milani) bell

what an aid

it

would be

bells

with round corners are

much

In the mountain land they are always

kept in one of the two small cupboards, or recesses, on either side of the chimneypiece.
I have a quaint little song in the Bolognese-Romagnola dialect,
setting
forth the fear of the witches

The

when they hear

following from Volterra, which

is

at twilight-tide " those evening bells."

given word, for word, sets forth the

"

THE SPELL OF THE BELL.

manner
day

in

which the old campanologistic

357

been preserved to the present

faith has

" The

little bell

(campanello)

or sign against witches.

When

but

che sia di bronzo e quadrato

jingles in the pocket

is

held of great esteem in the Romagna, as well as in Volterra, as ajetiatura,

one goes out of an evening he should carry one in his pocket

it

but because

should be of bronze, and four-comered

it

sounds there the ring

strokes of the clapper (quante volte il pallino batte),

mapero Usogna

and while going along the

bell

and the witches cannot count the

is indistinct,

and are thus obliged to

fly,

and cannot approach the bearer

nor do him harm.

" Then putting

this incantation

it

into the recess, or small

cupboard by the chimney-piece {buco del cammino), repeat

"

'

Metto nel buco del cammino,

Questo campanello per tenere lontano
Pluto e

Che

le

sue compagne,

in questa casa

non

si

possino presentare

-ETRUSCAN BRONZE BELL, FROM CHINUSI, WORN AS AN AMULET.

2.
(In possession of the writer.)
OLD roman magic bell.

Ne
Ne
Ne

forma di cane e ne di gatto,

in

di topo, ne di civetta,
di serpe, e

Quando

'

alia

ne di cornacchia,

mia casa

presenta questa

tutti

maligni

si

si

vengano

campano suonare
possino allontanare.'

In this corner of the cupboard,

I put this bell to drive afar

Pluto and his company,

That

in this house they

may

Neither in form of dog or

Nor
Nor

of mole, nor of an owl,

of serpent, nor of crow

Should they come into

May

not come,

cat,

my home,

the bell ringing drive the wretches

away

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

358
Pluto

not

that the further

the

Satan

here

appears as leader of the witches.

have observed

we get from the Romagnola mountains into the plains, the more do
appear. The shoemaker who gave this incantation had, however,

Roman gods

some

tincture of letters, having studied

he

gently doubtful.

is

chance
Pluto

But as

on earth,

for life

Roman

be a survival, but
his very last

would not deprive a dying god of

be noted here, by the way, that the belief that

of themselves, and that chains

announce the presence of

rattle, to

full tilt

bells ring

of old

spirits, is

work

in

at the windmill of sorcery, utterly annihilating

it,

confirmed by Maffei in his Magica Distrutta

origin, as I find

which the author rides

may

Pluto

read.

add that subsequent inquiry removed this dire suspicion.

may

It

still lives.

and

but never perceiving that he also destroys with the same lance another black
spectre

known

Santa Fede

as la

Cattelica, or

La

Chiesa Apostolica,

Think of

marvels and miracles came out of the same old tub.

when,

some darkened and gloomy

in

ring his

little bell,

and

let

a happy

hour,

thrill

you are

in

all

of whose

this,

friend,

church and hear the padre

of heathenism pass at the sound through

your heart

Not only

bells,

which reminds
the

Day

but trumpets and cymbals were used to drive away demons

me

that few

know whence came

the idea of the last trump at

of Judgment
" Tuba mirum

spargens sonum,

Per sepulchras regionum,

Cogens omnes ante thronum."

It is

the great blast to be blown at the death-bed of a dying world, and was

derived from a heathen source, as

is

set forth in the following

same Arte Magica Distrutta of Maffei (1757)

" There was a strange

religious

passage from the

ceremony which the Gentiles observed when dying.

This was to play

during the last agony on the horn, or trumpet, or instruments of metal, and of great noise.
this

was doubtless the

belief that

it

drove away larve (demons) which, as

by Lucian in Philops.

of metal, which vulgar opinion

is set

the air, concerning the driving

away of whom by

demons were driven away by

forth

was

The Dire were

noise Pliny writes

(1.

28,

c.

The motive

to

believed, hated the sound

witches

2).

who

Eusebius

flew through
tells

us that

the sound of timpans."

Timpani are tambourines, and

when bees swarmed

it

it is

an awfully curious thing, by the way, that

these timpans were anciently used, and that tin pans are

now

beaten in their stead.]

That

bells

have

souls, wills,

number of marvellous
without any

human

aid

instances

as

and ways of

their

own

is

apparent from the

recorded of their having rung of themselves

they did at the death of

Von

Rodenstein

albeit

'

THE SPELL OF THE BOILING CLOTHES.

who

Praetorius,

and

devotes several pages to this important subject in his marvellous

rare Gliickskopf (1669), suggests that

which

is

ance, in

spirit

my

359

much

belief,

may have been done by

it

a Poltergeist,

given to noise and mischief, and which makes

its

appear-

very often in the form of a medical student, but always as

a youth.

Remains to be remarked

that the

as her form suggestsand

lady

little

who

fancy did not escape the monks,

bronze

bell is

human

the more

is

supposed to be a fairy

as having a voice.

addressed them as saints, as you

in the chapter on Bells in Southey's " Doctor "

corde tenes

read

" Bellula bella, mi puella

Tu me

Which

may

"
!

The Spell of the Boiling Clothes.

The

reader must not suppose that the charms, incantations, and devilments

of different kinds which are here solemnly confided to him, are known to the
multitude.

and

have,

rare, treasured

unto their
preface.
in

Many

from

is true,

up among the

but most of them are secrets rich

who, dying, leave them as a rich legacy

elect

me by

a curious incident alluded to in the

pray you read the following, as taken down four years ago

a witch

When

" Quando si/ia uno bambino stregato ("

put them

leaked out

This was recalled to

issue.

Firstly, I

1888

it

a babe

is

bewitched

All the garments must go

in a pot to boil at midnight.

Jiew and very large knife, and sharpen

at

it

a table, and say, sticking

" Non
'

Ma

infilo

the clothes of the child, and

it

in the table

Then take

questo coltello

infilo la

maladetta Strega

Che non viene

Non

Take

").

with shoes and stockings.

in,

Che non

viene

possa resistere

Sinquando in mio bambino

II salute

("

'

non

lo fa ritornare

do not sharpen

whet the accursed witch,

That she cannot

my

Until unto

She again

" Then the witch

-form or spectre.
'knife

will appear at the

But be in no

from the table nor

*'

-child."

And

being by

let

this

window

it

the clothes cease to boil

charm compelled

to

this knife,

resist

coming

child

restores health

fear, for these are

may be

at the

')

door

in the form of a

cat, or

dog, or some

but shifting forms {forme cambiate), and do not take the

till

three o'clock.

come and obey,

the witch will remove the illness from the

'

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

360

In the Secolo of Milan, which has by far the most extensive circulation of

any journal

appeared, March

Italy, there

in

"

"

We

seem

dream, and yet

to

true in every one of

"In

No.

morning here

relate occurred yesterday

in Milan,

and

it

is

details.

modest room on the fourth

61, in

floor,

dwelt the family of a

Malaterra Franciosi and his wife, Virginia, aged twenty-five, a glove-maker, with two

which has been

A neighbour of
to cure

that

month with some unknown,

for a

ill

woman who

the Franciosis, a

the child was bewitched

way

which we

this

and shocking

startling

its

varnislier,

children, one of

the only

1891, the following account of a

Mediceval Scene at Porta Ticinese.

the Via Ripa Porta Ticinese,

journeyman

"

3,

and very singular disturbance:

serious

would be quite

it

obstinate,

and strange disorder.

pretended to some knowledge of medicine, declared that

useless to

have recourse to physicians and

and that

priests,

But how was

would be to discover the sorceress who had made the mischief.

it

it

to

to

be

be done ?
'
'

The woman,

much

as a great secret, after

instant of the boiling, the witch

make

pelled to

would be drawn to the place by an

known.

herself

" By mere chance,

the Franciosis, and on her

irresistible diabolical force,

water began to boil, a

months gone with

way with

woman

to have

that at the

and thus comfire.

This was one Angela Micheletti,

She was the wife of a

child.

wooden shoes

a pair of

entered.

was

it

She declared

This was done, and the clothes put in the pot and the pot on the

just as the

thirty-four years of age, seven

them how

entreaty from the Franciosis, taught

done by putting the clothes of the child into a pot with water and boiling them.

labourer.

Being a friend of

them mended, she dropped

in to inquire

as to the health of the child.

" At seeing her the mother screamed

'

Datti alia strega

('

'

Give

it

to the witch

')

La Micheletti,

ing that her friend had gone mad, tried to calm her, but the other, more exasperated, howled with
'

Aiuto !

La

strega

'

('Help

the witch

La

')

she had been a

if

the

mad mob,

mad

crying,

'

dog, per lacerarla a brani

Dalli alia strega

!
'

think-

her force,

Micheletti fled into the street.

" In an instant a great crowd had assembled, who, hearing the cry and accusation,
as

all

seeking to tear

The poor

creature,

her to pieces.

more dead than

alive,

all set

upon La Micheletti

So she

fled,

pursued by

took refuge in the church

of Santa Maria del Naviglio, but the crowd rushed in, and while she knelt before the grand altar, raising her

hands

in supplication,

among

the

weeping and screaming

women who

" The poor victim was then

of the Franciosis.

was

literally torn

from her head and divided

The parocco,

or parish priest, tried

and he himself escaped narrowly from being knocked down.

to shield her, but in vain,

room

for mercy, her hair

attacked her, and then she was very cruelly beaten.

carried,

amid

all

abuses and curses, from the church, and haled along to the

Here was another savage scene. La Micheletti being required to disenchant the

child, to

which she replied asserting her innocence of all such evil, and received howls, curses, and blows.
" Finally the Delegate, Sig. Omodeo, succeeded, with some military police and with great trouble, in
dispersing the mob.
Then the woman Franciosi, convinced too late of her unpardonable folly, fell on her
knees before La Micheletti exclaiming,

by love of

my

child

'

am

not to blame

was advised

to

do so by another

was blinded

" In the afternoon the poor Micheletti, accompanied by her husband and Sig. Omodeo, was taken
in

brougham and put

experience.

The

to

This morning she was better but

bed.

still

home

trembling from her terrible

sad impression of this savage mediaeval scene will long be remembered in the suburb ot

Porta Ticinese.

" The

women who

tore the hair from the

head of La Micheletti, went to their homes and burned

nouncing incantations, and than ran to the room of the Franciosis to see
declared they had found
if it is

not true that she

it
is

somewhat
a witch

better, they cried,

"

')

'

Ecco

se

non

if

And

the child was cured.

e vera ch'e stata stregata !

'

('

it,

pro-

as they

See now,

THE SPELL OF THE BOILING CLOTHES.

"
for certain peculiar " points

Sometimes gloves or stockings alone are boiled

Of

in bewitching.

But the

spoken.
as

the burning of hair to remove bewitchment

moral meaning of

real

should to every reader.

it

woman

parish priest, to try to shield the

ever in
craft,

and that

it

delusion

is all

teachers whose duty

is

was

it is

no such thing as

is

to enlighten their flocks, ever tell

sorcery.

No

not appear at once

any of the Catholic

them

plainly that there

For that would be to

of course not.

priest

no such thing as witch-

Italy, or

in

have elsewhere

&c, but had that

at the altar,

Did any priest

very well for the parocco, or

all

once told the people that there

his life

all

this horrible story will

It is this: It

361

attract

doubts as to the truth of their own peculiar sorts of sorcery, incantation, and

magic

just

as the small

American boy, who, when informed by

his father that

And have
me in the same way about Jesus too ?
The Church at Rome does not deny the existence of modern witchcraft and
sorcery.
There are three, and I know not how many more, Roman Catholic books

there was no such Christmas spirit as Santa Claus, asked reproachfully,

you been playing

it

off

written to prove that

all

"

"

on

the mighty miracles of modern spiritualists, such as carry-

ing cigarettes to secret places, playing banjoes in the dark, and bringing penny

bouquets from Paradise, are

all

done by the

devil,

and these books have been

by the Pope. Can anybody imagine that if these Milanese

had been Protestants they would have acted as they did ? By their fruits shall ye
know them
licensed and approved

Now

in all

such superstition Milan

Florence, and Florence in this respect

as light to darkness

is

is

the

same

in

compared to our

relation to the

Toscana

Romagna.
I

have also from Peppino, the youth frequently alluded

how quite recently, a

Romagna Toscana, was

which was dying

account as to

child

core in the

saved by boiling

"Diavoli

its

to,

a long and detailed

in the village

clothes

of Premil-

and saying

tutti

Del inferno scatenatevi,

Tutti e fate venire,

La

Strega del

mio bambino,

In mia presenza.

Then

Sia

"
!

by casting the usual gomitolo, or skein, into the

Then the witch was taken by two other witches into
air, the child was cured.
the fields and rolled unmercifully over the ground till she lost all her power of
the witch appeared, and

witchcraft.

47

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

362

Ring Sorcery.
"A

droite l'anneau presage

Prompt

heureux mariage,

et

gauche

figure

il

Abandon, rupture."
de Cartes de Mile. Lenormand.

Le Jeu

Divination by means of rings was well

thus described {Trac. Magicus,

coeli
("

p.

92)

"
:

known

Romans, and

to the early

is

Dactylomantia divinat annulis ad certam

posituram constructis vel incantamentis, et super tripodem ad certa verba motis

Dactylomancy

tions, or

is

divining by means of rings

made

at certain planetary conjunc-

with incantations, and moved on the tripod with certain words

we

tripod read tambourine, and for rings any small objects, and

For

").

have one of

shall

These small objects

the most ancient forms of divination in existence.

"

among

are,

the Hungarian gypsies, seeds of the deadly thorn-apple; in Lapland, the small

image of a

frog.

In modern Italy there

ancient,
its

and

is

known

inner edge into so

is

another kind of ring prophecy.

Take a
and, let

',

As

any other

Then

prima

tie

ring,

(Conopera-

dell

a thread to

right

and

it

hand and a sprig of verbena

the

Let the ring hang

left.

in

According to one

cylinder.

the

thread

should

be

as to secure the right vibra-

question and the ring will begin to swing, and strike on the

spell out the reply.

have

said, this is a

very ancient species of prediction or invocation.

the same in principle with the planchette, but requires only one operator.

be observed that when the person

believing,

divide

hold the end of the thread in the

authority

Then ask a

however, very

consecrated.

zione.)

wrapped round the thumb and pass over the pulse so

and

be

it

Vanello

the

letters

is,

gold, or

sacrasi

in

tion.

It

many countries. Take a bowl, or vase, or cylinder,

many parts as there are letters of the alphabet.
in

who

and has prepared himself

to

holds the thread

work the

oracle

replies spelled out are often very remarkable, not to

is

by

say

deeply

It is

may

in earnest, or

serious reflection, the

startling,

and whether

produced by involuntary mental action or by external causes, they are

cases curious.

It

in

most

have met with the assertion that by means of the thread and ring

AMULETS, OMENS AND SMALL SORCERIES.

one can always ascertain exactly what o'clock

four hours

"

How

"

divided in twelve parts.

would be

It

because the action

this

or

it is

when

the edge of the cup

be where the day

it

is

divided into twenty-

is

and true answers would be often

just the same,

is subjective,

Another variety of

would

363

given,

comes from the operator.

kind of divination

is

to place an evenly balanced rod,

or needle like that of a mariner's compass, on a pivot, in the centre of a plate.

Around

the edge, in

are letters and numbers.

circles,

Give the bar a turn and when

opposite which

it

is

a kind of roulette.

number

stops.

Again, take a round,

take a ring and spin

say a wooden plate surrounded by a border

flat surface,

This surface

half an inch in height.

&c, on which

This

ceases revolving observe the letter or

it

is

We

as one spins a coin.

it

letters.

Then

draw conclusions from the

letters,

covered with numbers and

it falls.

tourists,

is at Homburg les Bains a colRoman remains, and in an adjoining room the roulette table which
used in 1871. Two or three of the average class of English, or American,
being shown through the collection, cried, on seeing the wheel, " And is

that old

Roman, and

Apropos of roulette and the ancients there

lection of ancient

was

last

truth of

An
tion.

which

did the

Romans

ancient ring which has been long worn

have one of

silver

silver

How

is

interesting

"

For the

it.

said to be the best for divina-

with the image of a toad cut in haematite in

four hundred years old, which has,

Also a

play roulette

vouch " with both hands," having heard

it,

doubt not, been frequently tried in

about
spells.

and enamel messenger ring which once belonged to King Roger of

Sicily, which, if

it

could

tell

all

it

ever witnessed, might describe the story of

Schiller's Diver.

Amulets, Omens and Small Sorceries.

I

include in this chapter certain odds and ends of folk-lore which are not with-

out interest.

The

first

" Take a pine-cone, after

within

it

between the

the cone in
it

it

And

prettily

a lupine (dry).

it is

But you must always keep

give

is

the pine-cone.

a sign that

it

by you

all

Then
Put

take a flower-pot and

it

out in the

air,

to secure the

ladies

fortune-teller.

If

it

like

its

it

any flower.

growing badly

Should
is

a bad

with you when you travel.

new cone

have a somewhat similar oracle

which also makes a very pretty

it

But

good luck, and even carry

every scale, or

with fine earth, and plant

fill it

and water

things will go well with you.

to maintain the principle {bisogna tenere la sistema) you should plant a

American young

Then on

the finoli (nuts or seeds) have been removed.

all

scales, put

I shall

quite covered with earth or buried.

grow well and look

sign.

which

every year.''

in the

sweet potato

flowers or leaves well,

it is

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

364
sign that the

owner

will

grand festa, which,

small gardening,

it

be magnificently dressed on her wedding-day, and have a

suppose, will be " in

may

Apropos of

the papers."

all

be mentioned that since

Roman

times,

this

common

growth, has been

you keep a bird

One very easy form

in all countries.

say a canaryget an empty box, a

or two feet in length,

grow, and

when sprouting

This

avidity.

is

hemp

is

by

their

as follows

box, eighteen inches

raisin

with earth and hang the cage over

fill it

earth the cleanings of the cage and a few canary or

very

and perhaps much

the planting of cress, mustard, or seeds of any sort to divine luck

earlier,

If

Throw

it

or about an inch high will be devoured

into the

These

will

by the

bird with

seeds.

soon

very lucky for the canary.

Very old keys are good amulets for

hung up by a red ribbon in the room.
picking it up you should say

They may be

luck.

And

or

it is

carried in the pocket

While

very lucky to find one.

"Non
E lo

prendo questo chiave l'ho trovato

porto con me,

La chiave pero
Che sia sempre

ma non

porto

la fortuna

appresso di me.

(" 'Tis not a key which I have found

Nor one which

I shall

But fortune which

Ever
"

And

this

The

may be

special

my

friend

meaning of the key

being applied to the

an omen
is

is

La

Tu

you blow or whistle

We can

will

Master
Gazette

Thus to

main

tes derniers projels."

divine with keys in several ways.

Key becomes

the act of copulation.

auras du succes

in a key, especially

all

{chiave)

qu' a la fin

an old one,

be favourable to you and aid you,

are married, one can stop

" to

clef pres de ta

Dans

who

women, the word key

success in your next undertaking.

Annonce

If

found."

success with

is

a good sign
"

or fairies,

is

to me.)

organ, and chiavare, "to key

virile

Its general signification as

dream of a key or see one

and near

which

said for anything else

bear around,

I trust will be,

it

in love

By locking a

intimacy between them.

But

will call to

above

all

you

spirits

things.

padlock when a couple

it is

with the sieve that

a great sorcerer, as was once set forth in the St. James's

"

AMULETS, OMENS AND SMALL SORCERIES.

365

" Methods of discovering the names of thieves and the whereabouts of stolen goods were endless

many an

down almost

old hag,

'

divination as old as the fire-worshippers.

as

the key

'

and

'

around a key

The name

the sieve.'

'

the key

was

tied to a

'

Exurge, Domine '

this

was deemed

the sieve

'

and

of the suspected person was written

to

The

assistants.

sisting of six

woman.

Three times she repeated

in

for the

a low voice the verse

Divination by the sieve was long in high favour, for

clear.

Hence, says Erasmus, the proverb

methods.

all

A sieve

the certainty of a thing.

was suspended from a pair of

'

To

divine with

scissors held

by two

name of the suspected person, repeated a shibboleth confet, dowina' which neither he or his assistants understood.'

operator, having pronounced the

words

If the person

was

his innocence

be the most certain of

to express

upon a piece of paper placed

the words the key and the book turned, the guilt of the suspect was proved.

if at

them moved

and

'

volume of Scripture, and the whole suspended by a cord spun

purpose, from the finger of a young unmarried

If neither of

own time, has driven a profitable trade with infallible means of

The formulae most frequently used for these purposes were known

to our

dies, mies,jesquet, benedoe,

whose name was mentioned were

magical words

guilty, the six

compelled the demon to make

the author of a most entertaining manuscript work on the elements

of magic, preserved in the Bibliotheque de l'Arsenal recounts that he used
method three times with the
the sieve spin round.'

Pierre

D'Abanne

most complete success, and then gave

it

up

man greatly, no

the truth three times in succession to one

tell

would draw

liar

his tormentor into toils

Never pass by a
to the person

who

coin,

finds

Then put

it

it,

however

and takes

'

In

nome

is

by nature a

trifling

should you

But on picking

it.

will end, or

let it lie

your luck

will pass

up repeat the same

it

what your luck

it

be in a lottery

will

lines.

Take a dry

a paper on which your question

is

written.

del cielo, delle stelle, della luna,

Fate mi face
(" 'In the

May

been compelled to

doubt, to his chargin, since he

shake out the seed and place in

beneath your pillow and repeat

"

in revenge for having

from which there would be no escape.

" To know the future or how any event

poppy-pod, make a hole in

this

demon,

fearing that the

sogno secondo

il

name

(le

mie

intenzione).

of heaven the stars and the

dream and

If this I see

The poppy was not only

moon

'

that full soon,

(here repeat your wish).'")

sacred to the god of dreams and of sleep, but owing

immense number of its seeds was a type of fertility and wealth. Hence the
poppy-heads, so commonly seen in the apothecaries' windows, which are or

to the
gilt

were originally amulets to bring money.

Another amulet allied to dreaming

boughs from an oak-tree

as to

make

(in

is

made by taking

England of mountain-ash).

twigs or bits of small

Bind two of these so

a cross, or lay them across one another on the table, or stand, by your

bed, and repeat before going to sleep

" Non metto questa

Ma

metto

quercia,

la fortuna,

Che non possa abbandonar'

Mai

It

has been several times published

la casa mia.''

the last edition

is

by Scheibele of Stuttgart

(in his Kloster).

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

366

Tis not oak which here

("

But good fortune

May

I place,

grace

its

never pass away,

it

But ever in

The

by

my

dwelling stay.")

be bound with red ribbon (woollen), and the cross thus

sticks should

may be hung up

formed and spelled becomes an amulet which

away misfortune.
Whenever one puts on a new garment, he

to bring good luck

or drive

" Porto questo

or she should repeat this spell

vestito

Per maggior fortuna

Sia maladetto, maladetto sia

Chi cerca nella mia

vita

Di portar qualche malia "

!

("This coat

To
If

Should you

find,

any

find is of

he accursed be

if

the

first

colour, especially if

Red (especially

me

that luck,
")

or pick up, or even see

Thus

to happen.

is

wear, this garment bear,

man begrudge

any

May

what

bring good luck to

scarlet)

it

any

object,

you may divine by

bit of ribbon, or string, or cloth

be new and

fresh,

it

will

portend

Good fortune, prosperity, successful

it

which you

love.

Jealousy according to some, gold.

Peace, calm, content.
Silver Disquiet, disturbance, passion, pain.
Yellow

Grey

Gold

Fortune, prosperity, gain, intelligence.

Vexation, discontent,
OrangeMisfortune.

Black

The
Italy as
life

and

belief in the
it is

magic virtue of

As

ancient.

it is

red, especially oi red wool, is as general in

the colour of the blood and of

So a red ribbon or

heat.

trouble.

cloth

hung from a window

fire, it is

or over a

sacred to

bed brings

luck.

" When one

under
or

its

sees a very fine large butterfly, catch

wings, for there you

No to a

question.

Then

may

let it

it

go again,

for

find a horse-shoe

luck-bringing.

If

you

is

numbers

your luck will depend on not injuring

with serpents or any animals which are marked, for there

To

you can without hurting

as carefully as

often find characters which indicate winning

as lucky in

find a horse-shoe,

is

writing in

Tuscany as

make

all

things

it is

if

it,

and look

in the lottery, or

it.

we can

And

but read

elsewhere.

Yes

this is the case

it."

Hay

is

also

a red bag and put the horse-shoe

! !

AMULETS, OMENS AND SMALL SORCERIES.

into

it

with hay, and

it

be an admirable amulet.

will

It is to

367

be kept always in

the bed.
"

If a youth loves a

maid he

will

do much

win her

to

affections should

he give her amorino, that

is

mignonette."

we can infer that nomen est omen.

gloves when boiled in water yield a

In this case

Shoes or

however of great use

manner

in

When

which

though

in witchcraft,

this soupe

au shoe

which

if

not palatable

is

not informed as to the exact

served up. 1

is

children see a lucciola, a

also an incantation for luck

liquid

am

they sing a strange

fire-fly,

little

song which

is

" Lucciola

Lucciola

Viene a gara

Mette

la briglia

la cavalla,

Mette

Al

la briglia

figluolo del re,

Che la fortuna
Venga con me,
Luciola mi a

Viene da
(" Fire-fly

me

"
!

Fire-fly

Enter the course

Come, put the

Now

on the horse

Come, put

On
So

bridle

the bridle

the king's son,

that

good fortune

By me may be won

Fire-fly!

Make

When

woman

it

my own

has a sore throat

Fire-fly

{effeto

")

di lu gola abassata), she must take her

in a cross thrice (misuararla in croce), for three

own apron and measure

or fold

mornings in succession.

Then when she has done

it

this she must, before eating,,

put three pins crossed with a sharpened knife stuck into the table and say
" Diavolo, vi discongiuro

In came ed

"

laces

by

In Voodoo

them

Mary

if

woman

gets another's shoes

inside the other pair,

A.

Owen.

and so leaves them

ossa,

which have

till

just

morning, the

been taken

man

is

off,

sure to

and takes

fall

off her

in love with

own and

her.Note

"

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

368

Si questa

donna e

stregata

Questa Strega tenerla stregata,

Pii non possa,

Sinoquando questa donna non guarira

Questo coltello del tavola non sortira

cosi la Strega piu pace

("Devil,

In

and

in

bone

woman bewitched

If this

The witch

at

once shall

Till she's freed

knife

from

is

be,
set her free

her pain

all

the table shall remain,

i'

the witch shall feel the knife

In her soul and in her

This

I conjure thee alone,

flesh

The
And

non avra

life !.")

Shamanism according to which every pain

be caused by sorcery a doctrine which exists

interesting as indicating the

or the least disorder

is

supposed to

in full force in another form

known

as Prayers for the Sick.

Therefore

Egg-shells are witches' goblets for drinking.

lest

they use them for

such, one should after eating an egg break the shell to fragments, and throw
into a running stream

and say

them

" Se

sei

Va
Che

una strega

al diavolo,

tu porta via

Assieme

coll'

acqua corsia

"
!

(" If thou art a witch,

Go,

devil's

daughter

And be borne away

On

It is

commonly

the running water

")

said that-

'

Spilling or dropping

wine

a very lucky sign

Is

But

spilling or

Much good

dropping

oil,

luck will spoil."

However, when the wine upsets, some think

it

is

the palm of the hand in the wine, and then strike

making the

sign of the cross

witch-work, and so they put

it

on the forehead and say,

"

AMULETS, OMENS AND SMALL SORCERIES.

" In

nome
Delle

Me

del cielo,
stelle e della

me ha

chi

369

dato

lascia la

luna
malaugurio,

il

buona fortuna

("In the name of heaven,

Of

moon
who gave misfortune,

the stars and

May

the one

Bring

me

better luck

and soon

")

But that, vin repandu porte bonheur, is a very old belief. It forms the theme
of
an old Norman-French fabliau. There is a very curious custom
observed in La

Romagna, which was thus described

" When
the field

it

has not rained for a long time and the

and say

fields are dry,

they take stones and

roll

them through

" Queste

pietre voglio rullare,

'

Ma

non

Rullo

Che

Ed

E
("

'

rullo le pietre,

le pietre, rullo

campi mi possa umidire,

cosi

buona raccolta possa venire

wish indeed to

And

Pacqua

in terra possa venire,

yet

it

is

"

'

roll this stone,

not

it

alone,

water may
Come in these fields so dry to-day,
And water well the thirsty field,
So that it may good harvest yield
I roll the stone that

'

PRELLER

states

{Rom. Myth.,

p.

")

312) that in the temple of

Mars there was

kept a great stone cylinder which, when there was a great drought, was rolled
his priests

through the town.

stones was

common

in Italy in

And we know

dry seasons, especially

work on the Etruscan books of

in his

coloris

antiqui

by

that such an application of similar

in the country.

ritual, writes

And Labeo

" Fibrae jecoris sandaracei

dum fuerint, manales tunc vertere opus, est petras, id est quas solebant
in modum cylindrorum per limites trahere pro pluviae commutanda inopia."

Traces of the custom are found in other countries.

As among

the Romans, the picture of a bunch of grapes, rudely painted,

is

placed in vineyards in Northern Italy, as an amulet to secure a good crop.

There are many curious ideas current as to old

which

are,

this subject I obtained the following

"When

Roman and

Etruscan

relics,

however, generally supposed to be connected with ancient sorcery.

woman

is

very curious information

incinta, or enceinte, she should not look at animals,

On

and

especially

beware seeing

those figures depicted or set forth in bronze, leather, or cloth, which are half animals and half men, with heads

48

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

370
like goats

and

legs of Christians (col capo di capra, e le

like those of a horse

"

woman

If a

may come

(i.e.

at

Pan and the sylvan

such a time looks at these

to pass in such cases that he will

That

is,

gambe di

Cristiano), or faces with the legs of devils,

gods).

may

it

happen that she

easily

be born in similar form and so

will

easily

have a son like them, for

the old latent sorcery will pass to the child and be developed in

The images here referred

to are mostly the old

Roman

ex voto offerings, the same in nature with the

in Catholic churches.

expense

in

It is

Among

little

figures of

wax so common
much greater

such marks of gratitude for divine aid than do modern Catholic Chris-

employed by the

is

now, but

was quite as

it

employed

Among

these are the following

having had an incantation pronounced over

I

have given)

is left

it

(nearly the

common form

of magic

or

formula known in the West where

woollen felted or woven cloth

is

Also a

it

in

stick

is
is

stuck

is

to say, they

evil witch, or to

A plant or herb,
form with several

fades, the person or

Again, an apple

an orange or lemon

dry up, with the same consequences.

and

same

to wither, the belief being that, as

disease or enchantment will slowly die or vanish.

an

either to injure a certain person, or else to defeat

break a spell or cure a disease.

which

freely

faithful.

Certain spells are used in Tuscany with a double meaning, that

are

these are

worth observing that the ancients went to

Bronze was dearer then than wax

tians.

it.

bronze figures of rural deities

or lares, which are so frequently found in sckiavi, or excavations.

many

it

become a wizard."

full

is

cut to pieces

of pins and

broken, which

is

left

to

similarly a

has become a legal form, or else a piece of

it

pulled apart.

All of these spells are very ancient

may

be found in certain conjurations, given in Lenormant's Magie Chaldaienne, for which they were translated from Accadian cylinders.
The author

remarks that while pronouncing them the operator had to perform certain conjurations resembling those described in the Pharmaceutria of Theocritus
Virgil's VIII. the

Eclogue, which are also essentially those

Assyrian incantations are as follows

As

this plant withers, so shall also the spell

The burning
It shall not
it

shall not

fire shall

devour

its

a vine arbour

...

root

not grow, and the sun shall not smile upon

be offered at the

The man who has

.the violent

lines of

be trained into an orchard, an

its fruit shall

shall not

it

be arranged on the

the earth shall not receive

it

festivals of kings

and gods

it

cast the evil fate, his wife,

operation, the finger pointing, the written spell, the curses, the sins,

now

in use.

and

in

The

;!!

!!!

AMULETS, OMENS AND SMALL SORCERIES.

the evil that

my

in

is

[all that]

May
May

the evil fate depart and

be withered

the burning

my

body, in

may

my

bruises,

like this plant

devour

fire

flesh, in

371

day

this

it

may

behold the light again

11.

As this fruit
The burning

divided into pieces, so shall also the spell be

is

devour

fire shall

it

shall not return to the supporting

it

shall not

be offered at the

The man who has

may

the burning

kings or gods

cut off;

is

it

evil invocation], the finger pointing, the written spell, the curses, the sins,

my

body, in

flesh, in

be divided in pieces

all [that]

May
May

[i.e.,

my

in

is

branch from which

festivals of

cast the evil fate, his wife,

the violent operation

the evil that

it

devour

fire

bruises,

day!

this

it

may

the evil fate depart, and

my

like this fruit

I behold the light again

in.

As this twig
The burning

fire shall

devour

it

not again unite themselves to the trunk

its fibres shall

it

plucked up and broken in pieces, so shall also the spell be,

is

shall not arrive at a perfect state of splendour

The man who has

cast the evil fate, his wife,

the violent operation, the pointing with the finger, the written spell, the curses, the sins,

The

evil

may

[all that]

May
May

the burning

which

my

in

is

my

body, in

flesh, in

my

be broken in pieces and plucked up

devour

fire

this

it

may

the evil fate depart, and

bruises,

twig

like this

day
behold the light again

IV.

As
The burning
this

It shall
it

wool

is

rent so also shall the spell be,

fire

shall

devour

it

not return to the back of

shall not

sheep

its

be offered for the garments of kings and gods

The man who

has cast the evil fate, his wife,

sins,
the evil spell, the finger pointing, the written spells, the curses, the

the evil which

is

in

my

body, in

may
May

all [that]

May

the evil fate depart, and

be rent like

the burning

fire

Like unto

this

devour

it

my

wool
this

may

this are

flesh, in

behold the light again

frilled stuff.

sense

fall

I call attention to

modern Tuscan both

general treatment, that the burden

on the

the fact that

as regards subject, spirit,

of disproof in reference to

common

and

origin

These Chaldsean cylinders speak of

coming from the seven primary demons

sceptic.

all diseases as
Slavonian heretics of the fourteenth century
Bogomile
The

seventy-seven fevers i.e.,

of disease.

two other incantations, one applied to rending a banner,

these are so strikingly like the

common

bruises,

day
I

the other to tearing up a piece of

should in

my

also recog-

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

s7 2

And

nised the seventy-seven fevers and had an exorcism for them.

German

spell current in

" Good-morning,
Christ, take

Pennsylvania

dear Thursday

them away from him.

Take away from

personified) the operator

same

thou dear Lord

against the plague

must turn

his face

the seventy-seven

(i.e.,

In the

towards the setting sun.

till

after sunrise,

which involves the

idea.

It is
is

the seventy-seven fevers

he must not speak to any one

spell

as a cure for fever the following

-"

In the Chaldaean incantation

German

we have

an old

in

very remarkable that

all

over the world a black pebble of kidney shape

supposed to be one of the most powerful of amulets.

At

the Folk-Lore Congress

of 1891, such stones were exhibited from widely different countries.

possess one which was brought from Missouri and presented to

me by

myself

Miss Mary

A. Owen, to which most extraordinary value and reverence was attached by the
black Voodoos and their disciples.

It

had been kept with the most jealous care

many generations in the families of these sorcerers, and came originally from
To become an ordinary Voodoo, the postulant must fast and watch,

for

Africa.

"

undergo revolting penances, and cultivate

the possession of an

power

authenticated " cunjerin',"

"

and

" will " all his life.

But

or conjuring-stone, renders

all

unnecessary, the owner by the mere act of possession becomes a grand

this

Even the

past-master Voodoo, or multote, and requires no further initiation.

chief black sorcerer in Missouri, or the king, has never been able to get one. 1
It

would be useless to attempt to palm

one, since

said that there are in all

it is

mine being one of the half-dozen

as

is

every mark in the stones.

off a similar black

pebble for a real

North America only six

and

or rather
well

known,

Black believers have been known to

make a

their

possessors are

all

pilgrimage of a thousand miles to be touched with this marvellous stone

the hand.

it in

hold

it

my

in

left

hand

thereby charm, or at least interest thee,

it,

which must

not, however,

O
be

egress or ingress of the spirit which dwells in

or touched with, whiskey, but I

in,

as well,

which

it

am

or to hold

as I write, mildly trusting that I

reader.

amulets, be carried in a wrapping, or a bag, which

string round

five,

may be

tied, as that
it.

must, like

It

closed

all

Voodoo

by wrapping a

would prevent the

Once a week

it

may

free

should be dipped

assured that eau de Cologne will answer just

surely ought to do, since the recipe for

it

was given by an angel to

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary.

This remarkable

man who was known

as

" King Alexander

" died while this

work was being

printed.

"

LEAD AND ANTIMONY.

373

Lead and Antimony.

" Talisman! erano

pietre,

gemme co pezzetti di metatto ... in forza

ma la frequenza loro, e il credito venne da'

straordinarie virtu, e singolari,

quali assai parla nel suo libro, santo Ireneo."

"

Non solum

di quale si credeva avessero

Gnostici, e da Basilidiano, de

Arte Magica Distrutta, Maffei, 1757.

vitae, sed etiam in lapidibus aspicere

verb in plantis qua? vestigium habent

quandam luminum supemorum."

et participationem,

Proclus de Sacrificio

et

Magia

licet,

imitationem

(Interpre

Marsilio

Ficino), Lugduni, 1577.

supposed to possess peculiar virtue as an amulet

against malocchio, or to bring luck. Of these I have seen three, two of which I
piece of lead ore

is

possess, with the invocation which

usual red woollen bag.

have two, which

evil eye.

But more

bought

lump of crude antimony.

effective still is a

Roman

sling-

This

is

supposed

For these

have also

SLING-STONE.

the scongiurazioni, which are as follows.

great power.

it

them, however, to be imper-

I believe

" Antimonio che

II

piu potente

sei di
ti

Da me

la

zingo e di rame

le cattive gente,

alontanera,

buona fortuna a

(" Antimony,

Thou most

who

me

attirerai

for lead

"
!

and copper

art of zinc

powerful, I keep thee ever by me,

me

That thou mayest banish from

And

tengo sempre con me,

Perche tu mi alontani

lit.

in the

for a half-franc each, as talismans for the

to also contain zinc and copper, which give

That

up

tied

which such numbers are everywhere found, and

ROMAN

fectly recalled

is

Far more potent, however, are the old

stones, or pointed slugs of lead, of

of which

must be pronounced when one

evil people,

bring good luck to me.")

was obtained

me, written in the following words,

for

:
" Antimogno che

Non

Ma

di

piombo

sei

ai la stessa forza della zingo e

prestati per la forza

Tutte

le chattive

che tu

persone da

Ela buona fortuna mi

me

attirerai

rame,

ai

alontanerai

verb, et

"

ETRUSCAN ROMAN REMAINS.

374

("Thou

who

antimony,

Not having the

art lead,

and copper,

force of zinc

But grant that by the power which thou hast,

That thou

It will

"

it,

which

as the

The metals have

broken

deep

most

probably derived from the old

"body" of bronze.

is

always has in

There

and

after

and

their light

in darkness, this light

is,

shines in itself;
light

it is

supposed to form part of antimony.

it

consists of three metals, or rather

it

copper and lead."

strong

is

of

confirmation

Cardanus (De Rerutn

theory in

this

and Peter of Aries {Sympathia septem metallorum

ad planetas.

Paris, 171

1),

intelligible that those earthly gatherers of light

was concentrated

is

its

in the sun

or as

set forth

it is

et septem

by Nork

in his

also curious since

as other seers read

should be associated with the heavenly ones, and

and planets, so unto every leading planet there was

degree of radiance."

suggests the source whence Novalis drew his

it

famed simile that miners are inverted

in the

astrologers, reading in the earth the past,

heavens the future.

And

seemed to linger

it

quaintly in the fancy that copper and antimony and lead have

and magic mystic power.

A few days ago I bought

in

a piece of copper was embedded.

mighty strong
including two

cunjerin'
little

Apropos of
is,

stone.''

all

their " light

an old shop an amulet of lead ore

in

which

This was, as the American negroes say, "a

So

purchased

it

for a

old bronze Etruscan images, one of

god Nosoo, or the deus

franc

the

bargain

Aplu and the other of

incognitus.

this shop,

it

was one where the prezzi fissi principle was carried

of fixed prices marked, on the wares.

This does not

mean

at all in

Italy that a dealer will not take less, but that he binds himself not to take

more.

this is the

is

assigned a glittering metal according to

out, that

when

their lustre

and copper

as the worship of light

just

to the

I elicited these ideas

that
still

on the

the stars are in the nightly heaven, that are the gleaming metals in the dark abyss of the earth,

it is

This

laid

is

religious feeling

much weary inquiry, owing

Etymologisch-symbolisch-mythologisches Realworterbuch

What

Roman

stronger than lead, because

selectorum lapidum

"

")

Copper and gold have the reddest

evil beings.

Varietate, xvi., 8, 9)

therefore

had to put her ideas into form,

genial, or luck-bringing

Antimony

But

occult virtues

all their

in the earth,

dreaded by

light

is

my informant

which

difficulty

me

people from

all evil

be observed that in both of these invocations great stress

virtue of copper,

regarding

keep

wilt

The

price

is

convenient as giving a basis for a bargain.

according to the Italian idea,

is

that the piece of paper

marked

Its
is

being

"fisso"

any

" fixed,"

i.e.,

fixed,

LEAD AND ANTIMONY.

Now

or stuck on the article indicated.

of the

Museum Etruscum

seeing that

wanted

"Throw
ground,"

it

young man had the

this

of Antonio F. Gori, 1737,

he offered

and

it's

first

marked "ten

volume

francs,"

but

for eight.

it

on a panel, with a gold back-

in that fourteenth-century Virgin

said, "

375

a bargain."

So the Madonna was thrown in

and we were all satisfied.

in a

she was

hurry

worth about

really well

tenpence

This was indeed

as the French advertisement a shop

une Vierge d'occasion."
in

Catholic " idolatries " announced

"

that these are the only kind of pictures which

resemble a young gentleman of

large fortunes.

The

picture

my

it

acquaintance

was

its

restored

it

four hundred and

the surroundings are favourable to such work

such rifatture

in

Roman

here mention

which

very

who only admires

fearfully dilapidated, but with gesso

looks every whit of

rehabilitating

buy

may

much

ladies with

All of his madonnas, like mine, have gold backgrounds.

white of eggs, and gum, and gold,

for

ever

for the sale of

damaged Virgins

which

and

so that

and gouache
it

fifty years,

for

or even older.

Florence

is

and

But then

a famous place for

have heard some marvellous

omit for want of space.

colours,

seems better than new,

stories

about

BRONZE ETRUSCAN AMULET AGAINST THE EVIL EYE.

(In possession of the Author.)

INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND AUTHORITIES.

A.

Acorns,

Arrimini, II prete Stregone, 135

Artemisia, 162
Arval Brothers,

The

Spell of the, 274

Admission of imperfections, 17

On

.(Elian,

Hymn of, 49, 80

Ashes, Divination by, 345-348
Atta Navius, and the birds, Legend

the lizard, 268, 272

Agobard, Bishop, 211

Albertus Magnus, 158

Alpan

New England,

13, 17

Aurora, 78
Authenticity of these traditions,

(vide Alpena), 119

Alpena, a goddess of the

air, flowers,

and

B.
as amulets, or cure for the eyes,

267
Ambrosius, Bishop,

Babe bewitched,

Poem on

the cock, 342-

13

Amethyst, The, 349~353

in formjof mouse, 245

Amulet

324, 360

Bacchus, 257

Baphomet, 131
Baptist, John the, 153

343

American Folk- Lore Journal,

Barbatus,

St.,

190

form of pig,

Baretti, Italian Dictionary, 116

Amber beads, 267

255
Amulets, Omens, and Small Sorceries, 363
Anacreon, 179
Ancient deities still existing in the Tuscan

Basile, Gian, Battista, 218

Basket origin of interlaces, 170
Bauhinus, Caspar, 58, 103, 132

in

Romagna,

&c, 14-15

light,

119

Amber beads

271

Augustin (Civ. Dei.), 96

Augustus, Emperor, and Fortuna Redux, 70

Albina, 123

Algonkin Legends of

of,

Attilio, 141, 161

Baumnymphen

Angelico, Beato, 123

Anna, Saint, 246

Anthony Antonio, St., 36, 117, 238-240
Antimony and its virtues, 373
Aplu, Apollo, 37-38
Apple-Tree, Legend

(tree-nymphs), 112

Beato Angelico, 333

Befania, 312, 321-322

of,

Bellaria, 119, 133

Bell, Dr.,

(on the

Black I/en) 355,

Bells used for charms, 356

225-226

Benevento, Walnut-tree
Witches, 185, &c.)
Bergoia, 112-116

Apuleius, 82, 219

Arabian Night? Entertainmenfs,

Puck

The

Spell of the, 356-359

Bell rung to prevent storm, 217
Bell,

30, 235

Archilochus, 177
Aretino Pietro, medal, 19
Aristophanes, 256, 270
Aries, Peter of, 374
Arno, The river, 65
Arnobius, 117, 255

of,

152 (vide

Bernoni, 219

Bewitchment by food, 206-207

Birds and Treasures, 270-272
Birds, Divination by, 345
Blaize, Lord, Fire

49

and

Salt, 325

Walnut

INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND AUTHORITIES.

378

Clemens Alexandrinus, 255

Blood-baths, 294
Bodinus, 182, 184

The Spell of the Boiling, 359-361

Cocquius, History, Sr'c, Plantarum, 311

Clothes,

Bohme, Jacob, 317

Bolton,

Carrington, on Counting-out rhymes,

; Incantation to
Colours, Divination by, 366

Bostonians, 109

Bovo

of Volterra, the Spirit of the Baize,

or

ravines, 139

Boy, American, and Santa Claus, 361

Brinton, Dr.

Broom and

J. G.,

Codex Nazaraeus, 75
Coin, Finding a

277
Bosch, Jerome, 209

in

sorcery, 79, 207

365

Colquhoun, Sir Patrick, 356

Comparetti, Senator D., 4, 8, 43, 139
Constantine, Emperor, 294
Consus, the Roman god of horses, 11 8-1 19
Contentezza, Lo Spirito della, the Spirit of Con-

Fortuna Redux, 70

tent, or

Broom-plant, 139

a,

Corbet, Bishop, 210

Browne, Sir Thomas, 109, 177-178

Browning, Robert, 332
Bughin, the Spirit of Rust in Wheat, 1 16-1 17
Bulletin, Philadelphia Evening, 1855. Article
advocating Cremation, 347-348
Bunsen, 187
Buovo di Antona, 139-140
Burmann, Anthol. Lat., 34
Buschet, possibly Apollo, 27-30

Corda, La, 135

Corina, Curena, Spirit of the Wind, 175
Corn gods of Germany and Italy, 117
Corredoia, or Corredoio, 72-75

Corssen, Sprache der Etrusker, 43, 67, 78, 90,

9i, 119, 133

Cose

le

quattro della buona fortuna (the four

ingredients of good luck), 286-287

Counting-out and reversing rhymes, or spells,

274-277

The Spell of the, 306

Cremation advocated by the author

Cradle,

Caesar Borgia, 197

Cannephoroe, 73
Cantare alia contadinesca, 7
Cardanus, Jerome, 151, 374
Carmenta, Carmentis, 62-63
Carna, or Cardea {vide Carradora), 107
Carradora, 107-109
Casselius,

De

Sacrificiis porcinis,

&c, 254

in

1855,

347-348
Crescentius, 197
Creuzer, Symbolik, 255
Cross, Divination by aid

of, 366
Cupra, 161, 182-185
Cures, Minor, from Marcellus, 281-298
Curitis, a name of Juno, 73

Cassius, Dion, 149, 345

Castagna (or lafica), Sign of, 205

Cat and Hare skins in magic cures, &c,
290
Cat,

The Witch, 221-222

Catlin, 186

Cato {De re Rustica),

Cavaletta, La,

Ceppo, or Yule

51, 195, 197, 198

77-1 81
log, 103

D.

Death,

Exorcism

of,

303-306

Ceres, 204, 233-234, 255

Certificates of gods, 6

Deuce, Dus {vide Dusio) 126

Chaucer, 209
Child bewitched, 203
Child of Midnight, 213

Devil-worship in

Christians, Early,

and

Incantation,

Devils in trees, 187

Palermo

worship

of mur-

derers, 245-246

Diana, 125; and Herodias, 150-156; Tree

Ivy, 257

Chuculvia, 33, 79

Church of Rome and

34
Delancre, 155
Dennis, George, Cities of Etruria, 27, 36, 58,
70, 129, 138, 149, 184
Destruction of objects to avert witchcraft, &c,
37o-37i

sorcery, 361

155,191
Diefenbach, 127
Dieu et la Bayadere, 30

Cicero, 61

Difficulties in collecting,

Claudius, 11, 42, 43

Dion Cassius, 319

5,

10

of,

INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND AUTHORITIES.

Folk-Lore Journal, The English, 13

Dionys, 161
Discordia (the herb), 330

3<5,

Divination, Incantation, &c.

{vide Part II.),

e la religione degli

Milani,

Etrusci of Prof.

Cange, 126-127

Duck

magical cures, 294

{Rat. Div. Offic), 257
Dusio, 126-129, 161, 184
in

Folletti, or

Fornaio,

Earthworms

247

11,

as a cure, 285

Fraser, John,

The Etruscans,

30, 54, 57

Friday a lucky day, 45

Friedrich, J. B., 48, 120, 162, 174, 179, 187, 205,
230, 254, 272, 295, 307, 310, 317, 330, 334,

Fufluns, Fuflunus,

&c, 65

Fulgosus, 207-208

magical properties

286

Gaffarelius (Curiosities), 169

Egg-shells, Incantation, 368

Gallo

Elia, Saint (Elias), 242

il

Canto

del,

341-345

Ganzio, the Spirit of the Stables,

Eliseo, Saint, 241-242

17-11

Garment, New, 366

Elves, Dwarfs, 222-224

Gerard, Mrs., 355

Emerson and Alcott, 48

Empusa, 30-33

Gerda and Meta, 135

Gerhard, Eduard, Gottheiien der Elrusker, 67,

Esta, or Vesta, 61-62

Etruscan origin of the Bolognese or Romagnoli,

2
books of magic, 1 1
myth and modern

78,90,91, 103, 131, 135, 185

and books, &c,

Girl with wheelbarrow

18, 352,

legends, 114

Euhemerus, Doctrine

of, 75, 100,

344

Eusebius, 45
Evil Incantations, 326-333
Exorcism of Death, The, 303-306

Eyes, Cure for

afflicted, 242,

353
Giuoco,

Fairies

various

names

and Goblins, &c,

165

Scotch, 194

Faunus, vide 103

Song

of,

205

Gambling),

E., 9, 38

1 1

50

Gothic churches, 305-306

Goddess of the Four Winds,

Goethe Bayadere, 30
Gori, Antonio F.,

Museum

170,

172-176

Etrus., 375

297
Grain on coals, Divination by, 319
Grapes, Bunch of, in vineyards, 369
for,

fairies,

258

Feronia, 54-58, 185

Festus, 105, 123

Fetishes in Tuscany, 10
Fevers, The, 372
Fidelity, to secure in

Invocation

Spirit of

Grass or flowers on old ruins indicate

Emanuele, 44

Firefly,

(The

Goblins and Familiar Spirits, 98, 99, 165

Goblins, Origin of, and other monstrous forms

Gout, Cure

Fanio, Faunus, 98-103

Feathers, Witch

W.

Gobelinus, or Goblin,

283-284, 289

of,

Spirito di

Glooskap, or Glusgabe,

in

Fairies, 162

II

227-229
Gladstone,

Faflon, 6, 65-70

Fenzi,

minor spirits, 2
La (The Ant), 287

355

Durandus

of,

A?nerican,

Fortuna Redux, 70

Dobeneck, F. L. F., 211

Dog-leash in magical cures, Incantation, 293
Dreams, 343, 344

Du

353

Formicola,

250
Divinite

379

Gray, Mrs. Hamilton, Hist, of Etritria,

on Begoe, 116, 201

53;

Grillandus, Paulus, 151, 197, 315,346, 347

women, 294-295

to,

367

Fire, Spirit of, 312-313

Flame, Divination by, 318

Floria, Flora, 136-138

Grimm,

163, 225, 258, 260,271, 274, 293, 347

J.,

Gubernatis, Count Angelo de,

9, 16,

Guirlanda della Strege, 138, 353,

Gypsies, 3 Hungarian, 114

253, 330

et sea.

Gypsy legend of Sun and Moon, 90

INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND AUTHORITIES.

38o

Gypsy-Lore Journal, 298

Gypsy-Lore Society, 16

Invocations, &c, continued

Apple-tree,

To

an, 226

Ashes and Holy Wafer, 346

H.

Haakon, Earl, Legend oj

serf,

the pigsty

and

the

254-255

Assyrian incantation, 172

Backbiters and Gossips, Spell against, 322
Befania, To, 321
Bell,

Incantation to

a,

357

Hail and Cloud Men, 209-217

Hailstones, Miraculous, 212-213

Bergoia, 112-113

Halfdan legend, 251

Hare, The Spell of the, 258-261
Harold Harfagr, 252
Hartung, Relig. d. R'dmer, 175
Hawthorne, Witch Tale, 219

Boiling clothes, 359, 361

Bughin, 116

Black Hen, 354, 355

Boat, To a, 219

Carradora, 108-109
Cavalletta, La, 178-179

Hayllar, Mrs., 138

Headache and

Headache, Cure
Heimskringla,

for,

or,

256-257

Early Chronicles of Norway,

251

Heine, H., Gods in Exile, 21, 30, 49, 65, 165,

216, 265, 268, 298
Heir of Lynne, 86

Hen, Black, Spell of the, 353

Herodias,

To a, 341
Corredoio, 73
Cradle, Spell of the, 307
Cock,

hairs, 281

Death Exorcism, 304, 305

DogVleash, 293
Duck, Spell of, 294
Dusio, 128

Earthworms, 285-286
Egg-shells, For, 368

50156

Elia,

Herrick, 210, 324

To

Saint, 242

To Saint, 241-242
Enemy, To injure an, 328,
Evil, Charm to do, 328
Eyes, Remedy for, 289
Elisaso,

Hervor Saga, The, 253

Hildebrand (Theurgid), Tale of Demons, 260
Hippolytus, 126

Hoke, N. C, on carrying the cradle

upstairs,

306

329, 330, 331

Faflon, 69

Feronia, 55
Fever, Spell to cure, 372

Holmes, O. W., Dr., 200

Holy Stone and Salagrana, 333-337

Fidelity, 295
Firefly, To a, 367

Horace, Sat, 54
Horse-shoe amulet, 366-367
Horst, 126, 150, 211, 316

Fire,

To

the, 313

Flame, To the, 318

Four lucky things, 287

House-leek, guards against thunder, 258

Hugo, Victor, 216

Fruit,

To

protect, 323

Gambling, Spirit

I.

of,

To, 227-229

Ganzio, 118

Impusa della Morte, 30-33

Incense on coals, Divination by, 320, 321
Interlace, The (Twining serpents, vines, and
knots), 165

Invocations,

Evocations,
scongiurazioni
:

Acorns, To, 274, 275, 276

Albina. 124
Amethyst Amulet, 350

Antimony, To, 373

Ants, To, 287
Aplu, 38

Spells,

or

Garment, A new, 366

Goddess of the Four Winds, 173-174
Gout, For the, 296, 297
Grain on coals, 319, 320

To a, 224
Hail Spirits, 215
Hairs, Invocation to, 281
Hare, Spell to, 259

Grotto,

stone, A perforated, 333

Incense on coals, 320, 321, 322
Ivy, Spell to, 257
Jano, 130

Holy

INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND AUTHORITIES.

Invocations, &c, continued
Keys, Invocation to, 364
Ladder, Binding to, 282
to, 308, 309,

310

Lead, To, 373

To the witch, 236
Lizard, Green, 266, 267
Spirito della Contentezza, 70

To

curse

a,

herb Tinia or Tigna, 23

to the

Toad, Spell to, 290-291

Turanna, 40, 41, 42
Verbena, To, 288
Wind (to a lover), 175
Wine, Spilling, 368, 369
Witches, To, 201, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208

Wood, Cross

Lucia, Santa, To, 280, 285

Marriage,

Tituno, 122

Lea,

Lo

Invocations, &c, continued

Tinia, 21

Lasii, 86

Lead, Spell

Irving,

331

of,

365

Washington, 209

Marta, La bella, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148

Meana, 131, 132
Milk of a woman, 280
Moles, 295

Isodore of Seville, 127

Isodorio, Saint, 122

Montulga, 133

Ivy and Statue, Spell

Mote

in the eye, 283,

381

Italian

Iulda,

and Northern

La fata,

goblins,

&c, 60

135
of,

256

284

Norcia, 36
Oil, Befania, 312
Oil for love, 315, 316
Pal6, 60-61

J-

Jano, Janus, 130-13

and Castagna, orfica, 263

Joseph and Potiphar's wife, 45

Jettatura

Pano, 46
Patana, 232
Poppy-pod, Invocation

Juvenal, 173
to,

365

K.

Querciola, 104

Ra, 138
Red Cap, 163
Remle, 129
Salagrana, Invocation

Katydid, a kind of cicada (vide

La

Cavaletta),

177

Keats, 216
to,

336

Key and

sieve, 365

Santa Barbara, 22
Saw, Witches', 302

Keys, Divination by, 364 as amulets, 364

Kircher (CEdip-sEgypt), 352
Knife, Invocation to, 368
Kornmann, Henry, 131

Serpent's skin, 283

Kugler, Geschichte der Malerei, 268

Saliva,

With, 279-280

San Antonio,

Shell,

To

a,

117, 239, 240, 252

338

Silviano, 59
Simeone, Saint, To, 244
Snail,

To

a,

341

Sore eyes, 284

Sore throat, For

L.

Labeo, Books of Tages, 201

Lactantius, 63, 54, 143, 344
Ladder or Stair, Binding to, 282

a,

367

Lambertus Alutarius, Legend

Spirito del Scaldino, 160

of, 192-193
Lamia, The Serpent Witch, 135
Lamp, Spell of the, 324-325 ; snuff, uses of, 325
Laronda, The Spirit of the Compitum (barracks)

Spirits, To, 156, 157

Star, falling, Spell to, 273

Larunda

Spells, Chaldasan, 370, 371

Spider, Spell

to, 262,

263, 264

Stone cast into water, 339

Stone, Rolling a, 369
Swallow, Spell to, 277-278
Tdram6, 26
Tesana, 77-78
Threshold, Spell

or of public buildings, 94-95

(vide Laronda), 94-95

Lases, Lares,

Lea,

4, 6,

80-90

The Witch, 235-237

Lead, and its magic virtues, 373

Lead, Divination with, 307-311

Legends not generally known,

of,

292

appearing, 7

rapidly dis-

INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND AUTHORITIES.

3 82

Leland, Charles Godfrey, Gypsy Sorcery, 355

Memrun,

Le Lutin du Chateau,

Mena, 132-133
Mercury (vide Tdram6), 25

121

Lemuri, Lemures, 95
Lenormant, Magie Chaldaienne (on domestic

house goblins), 101-102, 171

Leucothea, 146
Libia, Livia, Lea, 237
Libitina, Libentina, &c. (vide Lea), 236-237
150

268

Merna (vide Meana), 132

Meta and Gerda (misprint Goda), 247

of, 374
Meteranus (Nied. Hist), i\$
Meursius, Johannes, De Ludis Grcecorum, 276

Milani, Prof., 4
Milan, Riot in, 360

Mill Stone, 335

Livy, on the Tuscans, 11, 56, 303

Lizard, Spell of the green, 265

Memnon, 119

Metals, Mysterious power

Letters, Divination by, 363

Lilith,

or

Ballad of the,

to secure fidelity, 294

Lorenzo, Lawrence, Saint, 246

Losna, 90-93, 285 (cut)

Lover, The, in the Well, 339
Lucian, Dialog. Marin., 234
Lucia, Santa, 289

Minerals and plants, 12

Minerva, 131
Mirandola (Picus or Pico), 126, 184, 197, 255
from
Mirror, Etruscan mirror of Losna,
Praeneste, 91
Mirrors, Chinese magic, 93
Mob outrage in Milan, 13

Moles

in

Magic, 295-296; Swallowing the heart

confers gift of prophecy, 296

M.

Moloch or Malloch, 127

Mackitchie, David, 164, 298

Mome, Geschichte
Mommsen, 54

Macrobius, 109
Madonna del Fuoco, 176

Monti, Feroniade, 57
Montulga, Munthuch, 133

Machiavelli, 197

Maffei,

Magica

Distrutta, 358

Magonia, 21 1-2 16
Maia, Illusion, 334
Maiale,

La

55,

Stalla di, 251

Marcellus Burdigalensis,

De Medicamentis, &c,

256, 257, 258, 263, 265, 266, 267, 272,

274, 275, 277, 278, 279, 282, 283, 284-298, 325

Mariengarn (Veil of the Virgin), 263

Marriage,

Legend of, 235

Karl Ottfried, 11, 21, 22, 33, 34, 51, 54,
56, 67, 80, 82, 90, 113, 143, 177
II,

Miiller,

Maimond, Moses, 155

Mania della Notte, 6, 51-53, 55
Manuale di Spiriti Folletti, 238
4, 198,

Moro,

des Heidenthums, 253

To

injure or prevent, 330-331

Marta, La bella, 143-150

Martea, 49
Martian on Lemures, 96

N.
Needle, Divination by, 363
Newman, Cardinal, 300
Nibelungenlied, 222
Norcia, or Nortia, 34-37, 138
Nork (Realworterbuch), 187, 334, 374
Northall, G. F., English Folk-Rhymes, 277
Novena, La, di Santo Simeone, 243-244

Nurbia, the Spirit of Health, 135

O.

Martius, Picus, 272

Maso, or Mars, 49-5

Mater Matuta, 53, 143
Mauritius, Martin, Tractatus phil. de Sortitione,

&c, 277
Maury, M.

Max

L. F. Alfred, 149

Miiller, 149

Meana, the Spirit appearing to brides, 130-133

Medals, Old Roman, 19
Medals of the three kings from the East, 300

Meg

Merrilies, 263

Oddo

the monk, 335

Odericus Vitalis, 150

Odin, and Odin Stones, 335
Offerings to Spirits, 156-158
Oil, Divination by, 311-317
Oppert, G., 334
Oreo, Orcus, 75

Ordeal

by

hot coals,

subject, 57

Orphic hymn, 48

&c.

authors

on the

INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND AUTHORITIES.

Ovid, Fasti, 48, 61, 73; of Larunda, 94, 117,
119, 161, 227, 256, 323

Owen, Miss Mary

A., 113, 164, 172, 222, 260,

262, 266, 298, 318, 329

333

Prediction as to E. Fenzi, 44
Preller, Romische Mythologie, 26,
61, 63, 87, 91,

94

on Faunus,

36,

60,

49,

100, 101,

105,

ic8, 112, 117, 118, 125, 163, 164, 177, 184, 233,

236, 272, 274, 323

P.

Pyromancy and Incense, 317

Paine and Ingersoll, 188

Pal6, Palus, 60-61

Pano, Pan, 45-48

Panzer, Bayer. Sagen,

Q.
Querciola, 103-106

51, 106, 216,

256

Querkeln, 106

Paradinus, Claudius, 253

Parker, Theodore, prayed to death, 314
Pascasius Justus de Alea, 42, 87

Querquetula, 105
R.

Paschal, the Pope, 188

Ra,

Patana, 230-234

Rabbis on the Amethyst, 352

Patellana, Patella, 233

Paternoster, a doj>pio, 238

Rabelais, 16, 186

Peasants, Etruscan, not changed,

16,

138-139

Rakish divinities and goblins, 183

Rand, Rev. S., 14

Pebble, Black, of the Voodoos, 372

Penna, Maligna, La, 135
Peppino, 6, 15, 70, 122

Raphael, 268

Red Cap

goblin, 162-165

Persecution of the early faith, 98

Redi, Bacco in Toscana, 69

Reiner, on Buovo di Antona, 140

Persius, 165

Relics

Petronius, 163

Religion of nature, 98
Remle, the Spirit of Mills, 129

Phoenician language, 349

Piccini,

Dom, 185
Mundus

Rhea

Sylvia, 139
Ring, Divination by, 363

Symbolic, 352
Pico, Picus, 135, 272

Picinelli,

Ring Sorcery, 362

Robigo, 117
Robin Goodfellow, 129

Picus, 163
Pierce, Jacob, 352

Pigs offered to Ceres, 255

ladies,

gold and silver pigs

255-256

Pine-cone, Divination by, 363

Pipernus, P., 188, 189, 191, 194

Pippo,

La

vendetta

Pispi, the thief, 221

di, 219,
;

11

Romualdus, King, 190, 191

220

Rosa, Salvator, 47

Pisdifje, 221

Pitch, in medicine, 282

of Sicily, Ring of King, 363

Rolling a stone for rain, 369
Romagna Toscana, La, 1, 2, 3
Roman Divination and Rites of Etruscan origin,

Roger

Pig-pen, Sleeping in a, 256

worn by

and antiques, Etruscan, 369-370

to break love, 296

Rosolaccio, 173

Pure", G., 25, 148, 238, 245, 247, 271

Ross, Janet, 195

Plants, mystical, 172, 173

Rosy-hood, Little Lady, 324

Rubezahl, identical with Silvanus, 60
Rue, The Wreath (Corona) of, 284
Rueus, F., De Gemmis, 351
Ruskin, 216

Pliny, Hist. Nat., 58, 272, 289, 296, 343

Plutarch, 161

Pocahontas, 154

Pope and Cardinals, 72

Poppy, sacred to dreams, 365 in omens, 319
Pork and Beans, an Athenian dish sacred to
;

Sainted murderers in Sicily, 245-246

Saints Antonio, Simeone, Roco, and Anna,

Cardea, 109
Porphyrius, 96

64, 245

Porta, J. Baptista, 93, 158, 349> 35*

Praetorius,

Johannes, 98, 103, in,

158, 172, 189, 196, 212, 343,

359

128,

154,

Saints, Wizard, 237-247

Salagrana and Salagrama, 333~337

10,

INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND AUTHORITIES.

34

Stones to see

Satan, 152
Scaldino,

II

Spirito del,

W., 65
Schwenk, Myth.

333

tion, 292
Strabo (on Feronia), 57, 143, 185
Street boys and Witches, 208

Scheffel,

d.

spirits,

Stool {Sgabelld) in magical cures with incanta-

59
Schedius, 71, 162, 176, 234
1

Slaven, 347

Scott, Sir Walter, 209, 263

Stregeria, or witchcraft, 2

Secrecy of Witch-lore,

Stregoneria, 198

Sega

3,

10

delle Strege, or the Witches'

tation,

Saw, Incan-

Serpents painted, 168

Symbolism and

Spell, 283

face,

284
Sethano, Sethlrano, Settrano, the Spirit of Fire,

Suidas, 33

Sun and Moon myths

{vide Losna), 90-93

Sunflowers, 158

Swallow brings luck, 225

Swallow, Spell of the, 277
Sweet potato, Divination by

a,

363

Swinburne, 216

Symonds,

106
Sethlans, the Etruscan Vulcan, 106
..Shairp, Prof.,

Libretto di, 244

Suetonius, 42

301-302

Seneca, 270; CEdipus, 318

Sensuality and fertility in early mythology, 91
Sentiero, II, or Terminus, 63-64
Serpent's skin,

Strigenitius, 342

J. A.,

216

Syrinx, 47

216

Shakespeare, 161, 210, 291

T.

Shamrock, 176

Taboo,

Shelley, 216
Shiva and Vishnu, 334

Taegis, Bartolomeo {Riposte), 43

Tago, Tages, 96-98, 235
Takroori sorcerers, 172

Shoemaker of Volterra, 16
Shoes and Gloves, or Stockings, Boiled, 361
Sicily, Superstition in,

246

Siero-Siera, 33-34

185, &c.

Talbot, Fox, 116

Talena, or Salena, 133

Tanaquil and Tarquin, 161

Silius Italicus, 56

Taurinus,

Silkworms, 171

Temme,

Silviano Silvanus, 58-60

Simeone, // Vecchio Santo, 243-247
Simon, Saint, 243
Skeletons and forms of Death used to banish
Death, 305
Sling-stone,

Roman, 373

Somnus, Somnone, 247

Sorcery in Ancient Art, 165-172
Southey, Robert, 359
Spell, The, of the Boiling Clothes, 359
Spell of the Black Hen, 205
Spell of the Shell

and the Tone of the Stone,

337
Spider, Spell of the, 261-265

as an amulet,
;
264 ; indicates lucky numbers, 264-265
Spiders and adventuresses, 265

on the eyes, 279

Sprenger, Mai. Male/., 316
Spulviero, a God of Storms, 78-79
St. James's Gazette, 340, 344
Spittle

Star,

The

Spell of the falling, 272-273

Stone cast into a Well, 339

St.,

150

Volksagen, 334
Tennyson, Lord, 288

TeVamd

(certificate),

chapter on, 25-27

Terieg'h {vide Tages), 96-98

Terminus, 63
Tertullian, Div. Inst., 75, 126, 149
Tesana, Thesan, the Spirit of the Dawn, 75-78
-Thamnus, an Egyptian, 45

Tharamis, a Celtic-Scythian god, 27

Theocritus, 260, 346

Thomas of Canterbury, 127

Threshold, Magic virtue in, 282
Thunder, Etruscan gods of, and lightning, with
authorities on the subject, 114
and other deities still known, 2 cursed
by the priests, 6, 18-25 a storm-god, 79,215

Tinia,

Tituno, a Spirit of Thunder, 122, 215

Toad

in

magical work, 290-291, 329

Tomai, Tommaso, of Ravenna, Giardino del

Mondo, 33

Tombs, Etruscan, 166

Torres, Archbishop, 148

Tour de Nesle, 237

INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND AUTHORITIES.

Tozzi, the baker, 135

Tractatus Magicus, 340

Tradition, Tuscan adherence
Tradition, Transmission

of,

Volterra, 139
Voodoo sorcerers in America, 11, 113, 172, 222,.
to, in all

ages,

or borrowing

260, 262

uses

charms, 298, 318, 329 (note) concharm in a bed, 356

350
;

juring-stone,

and abuses of the theory, 300

Tritium Magicum, 317, 319

Goddess of

pebble, 372

W.

Trollope, Aug., 169

Truffles,

385

Wafer, Consecrated, 346

Walnut, Maid enciente by a, 191
Walnut-tree legends, 185-195
Walnut-witches, 185-195
Westwood, Palaographia Picta, 169
Wild Boar of Ardennes, 1 1

{vide Norcia), 34

Turanna, Turan, 38-45

Tylor, Mr., 356

U.
Ulf Uggason's Saga, 195
Unwin, T. Fisher, 93
Urfia, a benevolent spirit, 79

Winckelmann, 175
Wind, God of the, 175
Wind-roses, 174

V.

Wine

or

oil,

Spilling, 368

Varro, 55, 116, 197, 208, 233, 236

Vasantasena, 30

Wise Men of the East, The Three, and

Witch Medals, 298-302

Vases, Etruscan, 166, 167

Witch, anecdote

Vatican,

of,

15

in

old palace,

the

37

of Castrocaro, 200 medals, 298-299

Witches as animals, 203 and witchcraft, 195
202 ; stories of, 218-222

Mus. Etrusc, 119

Venus

{vide Turanna), 38
Verbena, 288 the holy plant, 289
Verbio, 124-126
Vergers, Noel des, 89-90, 185
Vertumnus, 70, 138

Witches' Ladder, 138, 353 (vide Spell of the

Black Hen)
Wizard priest,

195, 196

Wolf

saints,

(Mahrcheri), 324

Wunderhorn, Des Knaben, 303

Vira, 109-112

Virbius {vide Verbio), 125

Virgil, 49, 54, 260,

Wlislocki, 206

Vesta, 61-62, 17
Villemarque, 127

313.346

Virgil, Polydore, 317

Zanchi, Legend

Virgin, Repairing a picture of the, 375

Virgines, Viragines, Viras, 112

Zeuss, 127
I

Zumia,

50

La

of,

203

Strega, 135

237-247

Z^z rrstjam

PrefJS,

UN WIN BROTHERS,
CHILWORTH AND LONDON.

""
,l

'