Etruscan Roman Remains in Popular Tradition by Charles Godfrey Leland [1892]
THERE is in Northern Italy a mountain district known as La Romagna Toscana, the inhabitants of which speak a rude form of the Bolognese dialect. These Romagnoli are manifestly a very ancient race, and appear to have preserved traditions and observances little changed from an incredibly early time. It has been a question of late years whether the Bolognese are of Etrurian origin, and it seems to have been generally decided that they are not. With this I have nothing whatever to do. They were probably there before the Etruscans. But the latter at one time held all Italy, and it is very likely that they left in remote districts those traces of their culture to which this book refers. The name Romagna is applied to their district because it once formed part of the Papal or Roman dominion, and it is not to be confounded with La Romagna proper. Roughly speaking, the region to which I refer may be described as lying between Forli and Ravenna. Among these people, stregeria, or witchcraft--or, as I have heard it called, "la vecchia religione" (or "the old religion")--exists to a degree which would even astonish many Italians. This stregeria, or old religion, is something more than a sorcery, and something less than a faith. It consists in remains of a mythology of spirits, the principal of whom preserve the names and attributes of the old Etruscan gods, such as Tinia, or Jupiter, Faflon, or Bacchus, and Teramo (in Etruscan Turms), or Mercury. With these there still exist, in a few memories, the most ancient Roman rural deities, such as Silvanus, Palus, Pan, and the Fauns. To all of these invocations or prayers in rude metrical form are still addressed, or are at least preserved, and there are many stories current regarding them. All of these names, with their attributes, descriptions of spirits or gods, invocations and legends, will be found in this work. visualizza tutto il testo originale su Canadian Li braries e sfoglialo Flip book format
There is a mountainous area in northern Italy known as Tuscany Romagna, whose inhabitants speak a crude form of the dialect of Bologna. Romagnoli These are obviously a very old breed and seems to have preserved traditions and customs have remained unchanged for almost a period of incredibly old. In recent years there has
holds forth on the possible origin of the Etruscan Bolognesi and seems to have decided that they are not.
Nothing to say, in this respect: they probably were there before the Etruscans.
But they are in a period dominated all of Italy and is very likely in remote areas who have left those traces of their culture described by this book.
Romagna The name is applied to that area because it once belonged to the Roman or papal rule.
To be clear, the region of which I speak can be described as one between Forli and Ravenna.
Among these people, witchcraft or sorcery - or, as I heard him call, "the old religion" - there is a degree that many Italians they would be amazed. This witchcraft, or the old religion, is something more and something less than the magic of a faith.
in inventories consists of a mythology of spirits, the principal of which retain the names and attributes of the ancient gods Etruscans as Tinia or Jupiter -, Faflon - or Bacchus - and Teramo (in Etruscan Turms) - Mercury or -. Next to them continue to exist in the memories of a few, the most ancient Roman rural deities as Silvanus, Palus, Pan and the fauns.
To all of them are still being addressed - or at least preserved - the invocations or prayers in crude verse forms and there are many stories current about them.
All of these names, with their attributes, and descriptions of spirits or gods, prayers and legends can be found in this work. (...)
ARADIO OR THE GOSPEL OF THE WITCHES
In fact, the old ways are disappearing at a speed so incredible that sources authoritative assure me - and I can in fact be held personally accountable - that what I myself have collected or had been arranged for me ten years ago in the Romagna Toscana by a skilled assistant, could not now be collected by anyone, as there is no more except in the memories of a few old sorcerers, which are disappearing day after day without a trace. Is disappearing - has almost disappeared.
Charles Godfrey Leland (1824-1903)
scholar of folklore and popular traditions of American origin who spent most of his life in Europe, particularly in Italy and France.
of socialist ideas, was "started" in 1888 to a witch cult called "Romagna-Tuscany" by a witch, which he called "Magdalene Taluti " or Margaret Talen or Zalen original Rocca San Casciano . (see also books.google and an interesting, thorough and critical review on the Gospel of the Witches )
In 1897 the firm would be given to Leland a manuscript from which he drew his "Aradia" or "The Gospel of the Witches " published in 1899 .
In Leland's biography, Pennell mentions running across his manuscript notes where he writes of Maddalena :
"a young woman who would have been taken for a Gypsy in England, but in whose face, in Italy, I soon learned to know the antique Etruscan, with its strange mysteries, to which was added the indefinable glance of the Witch. She was from the Romagna Toscana, born in the heart of its unsurpassingly wild and romantic scenery, amid cliffs, headlong torrents, forests, and old legendary castles. I did not gather all the facts for a long time, but gradually found that she was of a Witch family, or one whose members had, from time to immemorial, told fortunes, repeated ancient legends, gathered incantations, and learned how to intone them, prepared enchanted medicines, philtres, or spells. As a girl, her Witch grandmother, aunt, and especially her stepmother brought her up to believe in her destiny as a sorceress, and taught her in the forests, afar from human ear, to chant in strange prescribed tones, incantations or evocations to the ancient gods of Italy, under names but little changed, who are now known as folletti, spiriti, fate, or lari - the Lares or household goblins of the ancient Etruscans."
Elizabeth Robins Pennell Charles Godfrey Leland: a Biography (1906)
Una curiosità:
Abbiamo cercato su google i termini:
« "romagna Tuscan witches 'finding on the internet, 1210 matches in well 1,120 pages in Italian ;
we then narrowed the search terms, more specific, "" Tuscan Romagna "Witchcraft 'finding 55 matches in 22 pages in Italian ;
we did another search even more restrictive terms" "Tuscan Romagna" old religion " " finding well 188 matches in well 68 pages in Italian .
The research did not claims statistics, but only to consider how widespread the combination of the words' "Tuscan Romagna" wicca .
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