Origin Peeve!

I'm always reading and researching ancient Italia and Sikelia, even when I'm not boning up for a class or a presentation. Lately, however, I've been turning my attention specifically toward Tarantella, the difference between southern/Sicilian and northern styles, and it's origins, before the cult of Dionysos.

So many sources which discuss Tarantella in Italy claim that because Italy was part of Magna Graecia, the Greeks must have brought this practice, as well as their pantheon and any and all magic to Italy. 

BULLSHIT!

I'm not denying influence and exchange and cross-over, but this is like saying the Pilgrims brought corn to the Americas and taught the Native Americans how to cultivate and use it! Eventually, the religion of the colonists was adopted, but it doesn't mean the folk practices were ever forgotten or discontinued.

Colonists are as changed by the Natives as the Natives are by the colonists. In this case, the Sikels and Sicels and Elmyans were already there when the Greeks showed up. Enna was already a site of Mother/Daughter Goddess worship way before the Greeks ever set foot on Her shores. So why aren't the ancient Sicilians given credit for doing the influencing?

It's lazy research and lazy writing to assume that because two groups touched, the group we know more about are the ones who did the influencing instead of the ones who were influenced. The Greeks are still around (tho it's lazy to assume there's one homogeneous group) while the Etruscans are not. Actually, it would be a better comparison to say the Etruscans were absorbed into larger Roman, and later, Italian culture while the Spartans were absorbed into the larger Athenean and later Greek culture. We don't know which traditions specifically came from where.

The Romans had a few of their own rites and customs but they learned from the Etruscans and the Sabines. This is documented by the ancient writers (judge the veracity as you will). No one is claiming the Greeks came along and taught the Etruscans how to consecrate a city or the art of Augury.

So why are we talking about the Greeks inventing Tarantella? Sacred dance existed before Athens, before Attica. Sacred dance was used by the Sicilians, the Egyptians, the Babylonians the Israelites and the Sumerians too. Every group has their sacred movement. Again, Native Americans had their sacred movement and no one is saying that the Pilgrims taught them how to do it.

I think my head of steam has run its course. As always, I love to hear the opinions of others and get new insight and perspectives.

Superstitions

So sorry I missed the Friday the 13th triskedecaphobia marathon which was yesterday! I saw an article go by which noted that there are 3 Friday the 13ths this year, each being 13 weeks apart! Interesting! However! This is not a superstition in Italy.

I had intended to blog on Wednesday, but was busy hosting the first Temple of Diana podcast! We're in the process of prepping it for itunes and will let you know when it's available!

I miss the Loyal Horde! When a topic arises, I'll write about it here, instead of saving it for a weekly post!

For your amusement, here's a link from Italian Notebook detailing the way some Italians predict the weather for the year with an onion and salt!

Onions and salt to predict the weather in the New Year? Over our years on the land, I’ve learned how farm women can take off il malocchio, how St. Anthony’s image in a stall will keep the animals healthy, how a cross made of woven reeds can protect the crops in the field and that you never shake out a tablecloth nor throw out the crumbs swept off the floor after the Ave Maria (ie, after 6 pm) – and now I’ve learned how to predict the coming year’s weather with onions and salt.

I love this opening paragraph. I don't know this person, but while reading it I was nodding the whole time! Paisan!

Saint Anthony is a patron saint of animals even though Saint Francis is the one who is most often associated with them. The animals in Saint Anthony's lore include a Wolf, a Crow and Lions. Meditate on that for a while once you've read about which Pagan deities he is sync'd with. Makes sense!

The woven cross is a crossroad symbol, like the crossed keys and one of protection.

Never shake out a tablecloth- why? You're throwing away your food supply, prosperity, etc. Crumbs should be swept off the table! The throwing of crumbs after 6 pm? No idea where this comes from. It sounds like common sense, you don't want animals at your door foraging for crumbs. I'd love to know more about this one!

Until next time, Loyal Horde!

Out of Darkness, Light!

I came across this nifty article tonight! 

Traditional Fires In Winter Solstice In Treviso

Below are a few excerpts. Surf on over and check out the whole piece, it's quick!

The origins of panevin, the traditional bonfires in winter solstice, are very old certainly in Veneto - Italy; it, born as rite concerning Fire and Earth, was influenced by the Christian faith afterwards and thus it become a tool to light up the way of Three Wise Men who were got lost. 

The panevin celebrated day of winter solstice by fire at first, this event fell on the 25th of December according to Julian calendar and then it coincided later on the day of the birth of Jesus and it was put off after twelve days, at the Epiphany Eve after some centuries.

This traditional bonfire in winter solstice is made by a heap of dry branches, brushwood, firewood and everything which is no more necessary and destined to be burnt; it is eight or ten metres high and it has a circular base with a diameter of three or four metres.

A puppet, being similar to an old lady, is often placed on the top of panevin; this female figure is called “vecia” (“old lady”) and she is guilty of all mishaps and calamities happened in just past year and thus she is burnt.

The persons, being near bonfire, look at the smoke and the sparks carried by wind and they deduce some auspices from this event for the year just begun: if the smoke and the sparks go south or west, blown by a moist wind, the crop’ll be good. If the smoke and the sparks of panevin go north or east, the harvest’ll be poor.

Right now I'm sitting in front of our fire, sharing some cake and wine with the family as part of what I blogged about last night. Winter officially arrives 4 hours from now! Back to the celebration!

The Festival of Juno at Falisci -Ovid

I have a headache tonight, so I am indulging in tea, poetry and pretty things to look at. Won't you join me for a quick trip to Etruria with our friend Ovid?

The Festival of Juno at Falisci -Ovid

As my wife was born at fruitful Falisci, we went to visit those walls which long ago were conquered, Camillus, by thee. The priestesses were making ready to celebrate the festival of the chaste Juno by holding solemn games and by the sacrifice of a heifer native to the place. It was a strong motive for lingering there awhile, to witness the rite, though full steep is the path that leads to the scene of its performance.

It is an immemorial grove, and so dense is the foliage there that the daylight cannot penetrate the gloom. One needs but to behold it, to realize that it is the abode of a divinity. An altar receives the prayers and incense offered by the faithful, a rough-hewn altar made by the artless folk of olden days.

From this spot, once a year, as soon as the trumpet has given forth its solemn note, the procession sets out and makes its way along the carpeted paths. Snow-white heifers are led along amid the plaudits of the throng, heifers nourished by the grass of their native fields, and calves whose brows are not yet armed with threatening horns, and the humble pig, a lowlier victim, and the leader of the herd with horns curved back over his stubborn head. The goat alone is hateful to the Lady Goddess, ever since the day when by a goat her presence was betrayed in a deep wood and she was forced to abandon her flight. And so, even now, the boys pursue her with their darts and she is given as a prize to the one that brings her low.

All along the way the Goddess is to pass, boys and shy maidens strew the paths with carpets. Gold and gems sparkle in their virgin hair and the proud mantle hides their gold-decked feet. In the Grecian manner of their ancestors they pass on, Clad in white, and on their head they bear the sacred vessels entrusted to their care. Peep silence holds the people while the stately procession is passing by, and after her priestesses, follows the Goddess herself.

The whole procession tells of Greece. After the murder of Agamemnon, Halesus fled the scene of his crime and the rich lands of his forefathers. It was only after many adventures, both by land and sea, that with auspicious hands he reared a high-walled city. ’Twas he that taught the Falisci to celebrate the rites of Juno. May they to me, and to her own people, ever be propitious.

 ~~~

I couldn't resist a bit o history:

Falerii Veteres reached its zenith in the fifth century BC, confirming undisputed political and cultural capital of Faliscan. Several findings attest to the importance of the city, as the temple of Juno Curite and the temple of Mercury whose remains are on display in Rome.

 The temples actually go back to Uni and Turms!

Il dialetto locale

Many times over the past 10 months I've made mention of the various Italian dialects and idiosyncrasies of the Italian language, especially Italian-American language, which itself is a dialect. Don't believe there's an Italian-American dialect? The words "bacouz" and "agita" aren't Italian. The former is an Italian pronunciation of "back house" or "outhouse" and means "bathroom" and "agita" isn't the proper way of expressing heartburn. But there they are. I found this fabulous link tonight! Go check out all the fun words you'll finally know how to spell, especially if your mom ever called you a scocciament  ;) 

Hubby seems to have figured out the key to Italian pronunciation: Say it like you're chewing food. That's the only way capicola becomes "Gabbagool!" But I digress! 

I've been practicing my Italian lately, really working on improving the weaker parts of my comprehension- My reading comprehension is better than my listening comprehension. This is what I have been concentrating on as opposed to the big stack of books I've wanted to get to and the long list of tasks and meditations and exercises and practical magic work staring at me. I think that's why it's been difficult for me to blog lately. In addition to more limited time, I've been focusing on the same thing for the past few weeks and haven't been exploring the way I usually do and turning that into a post. I figured I should let everyone know what I've been up to!

I've wanted to become fluent in Italian for a while now. Mostly it's another measure of devotion. I want to be able to communicate with my ancestors in their language. I know that I have many different ancestors who spoke many different languages, but still, it's an effort on their behalf. It's not something a deity or patron pointed me towards, it's an offering from me to my relatives, especially the ones who were forced to learn English when they came here and suppressed their native language so that their children would be seen as American. I want to honor that and to honor Them by reclaiming it because now it's ok to speak more than one language. Plus, I want to be able to speak secretly in public con le mie coorti!


Here is the problem with my plan: The various branches of my Italian family tree come from very different regions and each region of Italy has its own dialect. Some are so similar there's barely a noticeable difference. Some are so different that neighbors can't understand each other. What's the problem with "standard" Italian? It's based on the Tuscan and Florentine dialects. It wasn't picked at random: It was the dialect of the great writers of the time, including Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio. This article on the evolution of the Italian language sums it up:

It was not until the 19th century that the language spoken by educated Tuscans spread to become the language of a new nation. The unification of Italy in 1861 had a profound impact not only on the political scene but also resulted in a significant social, economical, and cultural transformation. With mandatory schooling, the literacy rate increased, and many speakers abandoned their native dialect in favor of the national language.

Hmm... Willingly abandoned it? Forced to abandon it? Even 150 years later there is controversy over the unification of Italy and the class warfare between the northern and southern regions. Let's also remember that Sicily was its own, independent nation. It also has it's own, independent language which does not have the same Latin roots as Italian dialects do. Ethnologues have identified words in Siclian which are believed to be from the ancient inhabitants of the island, the Sicels (the language in Sicily is called sicilianu)


I'm starting with the modern/standard, brushing up on my Italian-American dialect, and talking to my cousins who are still thick with sicilianu. The language is magical and lyrical and has a rhythm to it that english simply lacks. There are incantations in Italian whose magic depends as much on the tune and the meter as the words. However, the meter and the tune are very intuitive and once you hear it, the words make even more sense with the music than when standing alone on a page. I know my studies will make my practice more proficient. And I'll be able to read things in their language. 


Hmm I do have some Greek under my belt already... only a few more languages to go and I can cover the whole family? Better get to work.

Who else wants some?!?!

I came across an article a few days ago and I don't recall where it was first posted or when it caught my attention. In brief: There is a plan to put a high speed train from France to Turin through Val di Susa. In Italian the acronym for "high speed train" is "TAV" hence the "NO TAV" signs in the pictures. The people in the countryside are completely against the train, by all reports, and have been protesting big time, especially throughout July. None of the locals want this train. I duno, would like to hear from someone who actually knows what's happening there and can speak enough English as to not tax my still limited Italian.

Protests aren't working, marches aren't working, and there are lawsuits against the police for brutality against protesters. So what's a down on their luck, oppressed Italian people to do? Turn to la Strega! I ran the link through Google translate, which is decent and will give you the gist, but it leaves a lot to be desired.

Just days after "The Witches Sabbath" a 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck the valley in Turin and was felt in France, Switzerland and Monaco.The great part is, they're taking credit for it ;) Who knows what effect it will have on the struggle to keep their Valley, their land, and their homes in tact. At the moment I'm ridiculously proud that they're owning it.

These Italians are not only holding demonstrations and using lawyers and doing what they can in the mundane world, they are backing it up with magickal action. That is what I want to see us do. We can come together to work as a community and still retain our traditions and individuality. Thousands of dollars were raised for Doctors without Borders by the Pagan community, and quickly at that. Why can't all of these people donate magical effort toward a specific intention? Do it in your own way, but let's all work on the same thing.

I'm tired of Pagans whining about the bad guys praying against us or trying to convert us. Haters gonna hate. Part of this path is owning your power. I'm not saying we all get together and conjure earthquakes, but ferfuxsake, stop begging and pleading for acceptance by dumbing down what we do. I'm all for putting our best foot forward; I run a Pagan Pride Day and I'm the Queen of promoting what we have in common with the religions of the world. In general I prefer to promote the mundane common threads of humanity as well. However, the more we present ourselves as a fluffy-bunny-tree-hugging-hippy-froo-froo-nature religion, the more of these fluffy bunnies we will attract. Like attracts like.

Now... who's up for conjuring the forces?