TYRRHENUS
November 2nd, 2003, 07:16 AM
INTRODUCTION
A short time ago at this community and others, I had changed my avatar to the stereotypical 'pizza guy.' I thought it was a playful jest at my Italian ancestry. But it seemed to prompt a number of others to ask me if I was Italian and what I knew of Italian witchcraft. So here I have collected my thoughts and have written a quick article on what I know of stregoneria.
I am not an expert in this study, nor would I claim to be. I am a Roman Recon, not a "witch." But we Italians are under cultural attack by self-proclaimed religious leaders and people looking to make a buck. Trust me, I do not want to be the sole English-speaking defender of the truth concerning stregoneria. Surely there is someone else at this community who can do a better job than I. For all that is good in Italy, make yourselves known.
I will try to be concise and to keep my opinions to a minimum.
What I present here is what I have learned from my upbringing in an Italian-American community. My very brief visit to Italy four years ago. The texts that I have read. As well as what has been submitted to me via recent correspondences by individuals in Italy.
Please take note of the cultural observations. These will more than anything else dispel the hogwash written by some.
- - - - - - - - - -
STREGHE, STREGONI & WICCA ITALIANA
First things first... It is important to note that not until the last decade or so, have we seen people actually call themselves strega and stregone. These who do call themselves sorceress and sorcerer are actually Neo-Pagan types. They DO worship Gods and Goddesses. They DO practice ceremonial magic.
Many of these individuals also call themselves Wiccan, and have actually embraced the word 'coven.' (A word which in my opinion has no place in the Italian language.) Still, these individuals are not the concern of this article.
In actuality, the people we are dealing with in this article have no name other than that which they were born with.
The terms strega and stregone have always been imposed on others. In my experience, everyone that I have found who would be called a strega or stregone by modern authors, are in fact devout Catholics.
I have found these so-called 'witches' are no more than individuals who know the following:
Herbal remedies.
A few incantations.
A heck of a lot of folklore.
These three ingredients seem to be the sum total of all that is stregoneria. (A bit anti-climactic, I would think. Continue if you wish...)
- - - - - - - - - -
IMPOSITION OF TERMINOLOGY & MAGIA CRISTIANA
As we have seen, the words 'strega' and 'stregone' have historically been IMPOSED on individuals. Yet there are a number of Neo-Pagans in Italy today who are taking on the old titles from folklore. (Mostly, to differentiate themselves from this recent, disturbing trend in North America called "Stregheria.") Ή
Here are some of the names you will come across. Keep in mind that there are MANY more:
Aabitatrici dei Campi (Albanian 'witches' in Campania. Called 'Perjashmazit' in Albanian.)
Animulari (Witches in Trapani, Sicily.)
Bazure (Witches in Alassio and Savonese.)
Beate Donnette (Witches in the 'veneto' - the suburbs of Venice.)
Bruixa-ana (Witches in the Alghero community of Sardinia. Hence the Catalan word.)
Cogas (Witches in Sardinia.)
Gatte Masciare (Witches in Bari.)
Ianare (These 'witches' in Campania have an entire mountain named after them.)
Madri (This is one of several dozen Sicilian 'traditions'. The word is plural of 'madre' - "mother.")
Masche (The witches in Liguria.)
Missuia (There is an Italian community up in Switzerland. This is the word for 'witch' in that community.)
Sorelle e Fratelli della Lunachiara (A witch 'tradition' from Florence.)
Streghe del Focolare ("Fireplace witches." Like most Italian 'witches' they practise only at home. This is a description, not a 'tradition.')
Streghe Marine ("Sea witches." Witches on the coast of Istria.)
Strina (Yet another Sicilian 'tradition'. Located in or near the city of Palermo. I'm not sure.)
Vaina (Witches in the Valley of Ossola and the province of Novara.)
Vecia Barbantana (Yet another witch 'tradition' in the Venice area. I think the name refers to the Gypsies of the area.)
Zingari del Passato (This means "Gypsies of the past." But they're still around.)
Zobia (Witches in Piedmont. Comes from the Piemontese word giςbia - "Thursday." Because the folklore says they only gather on Thursdays. In reality, traditional Italian "witches" don't "gather" at all.)
Italy, like the United States, is going through a period of political correctness. There is a new term arising for 'stregoneria,' and that is 'magia cristiana,' - "Christian Magic."
Again, this is a modern term which has been placed on individuals who know traditional folk magic. This term has come about because these individuals, like all traditional 'Italian witches', have no doubt in their minds that they are Catholic.
Though the term 'magia cristiana' is more appropriate, it is still a title which has been imposed and it is not yet certain that it will be accepted.
So for the purpose of consistency, I will use the politically incorrect, yet popular 'stregoneria.'
- - - - - - - - - -
THE FALLACY OF THE ETRUSCANS
In 1799 an Italian farmer (whose name I can never remember) was planting seeds in his field when the wheel of his horse-cart sank down into the ground. What he had stumbled upon was an Etruscan tomb.
Prior to this event, there was little physical evidence of the Etruscans. In fact, many believed the Etruscans were the equivalent of an inside joke written by ancient Roman authors. A joke we would never understand.
But the Etruscans were real, and it was the broken wheel of a horse-cart that would set into motion a chain of events which would cloud the study of traditional Italian folk magic for the next two hundred years.
Because of this accidental discovery, the first half of the 19th century would see every half-baked archaeologist and crackpot folklorist flock to Tuscany. They went in search of deciphering the Etruscan language, to write commentaries on the artwork of this dead people and make a name for themselves.
Many of these individuals exaggerated the importance of the Etruscans in an attempt to outdo their 'competitors.' But most were poets who were primarily concerned with imagery. Their goal was to make the subject of their poems, this dead people known as the Etruscans, the most appealing to their readers.
During the second half of the 19th century, the great writers of the Risorgimento (the unification of Italy), admittedly over-exaggerated the importance of these discoveries to foster the idea that Tuscany was 'the real' heart of Italy and not Rome. They did this because in the latter half of the 19th century the only part of Italy which had not been liberated from the Papal States was Rome herself.
These writers actually changed Tarquinius Priscus' genealogy from Greek to Etruscan.
Servius was made an Etruscan, when actually he was a slave of unknown birth.
Hundreds of years of Italian history were rewritten to include a fictitious Etruscan army imposed on Rome.
Italian Republicans were debating whether or not to continue with the civil war and incur losses in Rome, or cut their losses and create a new capital in Tuscany, where this fable of Etruscans ruling Rome would serve as validation for moving the capital.
This is also why Toscano was made the official dialect, and not Romanesco or Pugliese. Even though the latter two dialects each had more speakers than Toscano.
So here we have a full century of writers and politicians, both Italian and non-Italian, who for various reasons were intentionally exaggerating the importance of the Etruscans in the course of Italian history.
Yet Italians have always known this fallacy of the Etruscans, and are now correcting it in their universities.
However, the rest of the world is still reading the writings of the Risorgimento as well as the writings of the English-speaking adventurers in 19th century Tuscany. (C.G. Leland being the most notorious example.)
A certain modern author on the subject comes to mind who pays special attention to the Etruscans, and not surprisingly, to the writings of C.G. Leland as well. This author claims that the Gods of the Etruscans are still on the lips of Italians! This particular author clearly does not understand this very simple fact of Italian culture: the importance of the Etruscans in Italian history has been intentionally exaggerated by both recent Italians for political reasons, and by non-Italians for personal gain.
In other words, the answers to the questions of stregoneria can not be found in the memory of the extinct Etruscans. They are gone. Dead. The winds over Italy have blown across the globe, and they now whisper the word "Latino." And that is the sweetest sound of all.
- - - - - - - - - -
ZINGARI DEL PASSATO
Most of what has erroneously been attributed to stregoneria is actually the work of a people called Zingari del passato - the Gypsies.
Now don't get me wrong, these Zingari are very much Italian. They have been in Italy since the 11th century. They all speak Italian. But they do have a distinct subculture. One which is NOT representative of stregoneria.
- - - - - - - - - -
LITERACY & I LIBRI
Here we have more nonsense to do away with. Again, a certain modern author has made claims that Italians have been secretly maintaining magical texts for centuries, even millennia.
This is not true. The sad fact is that during the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the rule of the Papal States and up until the Risorgimento, the only people in Italy who were literate were the (very Christian) bourgeoisie and the clergy.
Up until the end of the 19th century stregoneria was an oral tradition. There were no books to be found. It was a great burden on the memory of our ancestors. Much was lost. But the Risorgimento brought with itself literacy programs, and it was not until then that Italian families began to keep i libri - "the books."
There is no secrecy about the books. All families have them. They are like the family Bible. You will never see another family's books, because they just don't want your paws all over them. They are personal, not secret. (Just as a side note. Many families store their books with their Bible.)
DISTRIBUTION OF LABOR
Among the western-Pugliese (of which I am descended) and many others, it is the responsibility of the women to maintain these books. While it is the responsibility of the men to tell the stories.
The women write their remedies in these books. Sometimes there is folklore in them. But they are mostly recipes. They contain neither runes nor Masonic symbols.
However, I know of no native-born Italian-Americans who are in possession of these books. It would seem this is because most Italian-Americans are either descended from one Italian immigrant, almost always a man ², who left Italy because of il terremoto (a horrible earthquake), or families which left Italy prior to the Risorgimento.
This is why among the few of us here in America who are descended from these Italian immigrants, and the smaller number of those who have actually maintained the tradition, it is strictly oral. While among the families in Italy, none of the books are more than 130 years old. ³
On the subject of folklore, Italians NEVER mix their family history with folklore, as the author I have mentioned earlier has incorrectly written. They are always separate recitations.
- - - - - - - - - -
TOOLS
The only tools in stregoneria are those things one grows in their garden.
- - - - - - - - - -
GESTICULATION
The making of gestures is considered rude by Italians during polite conversation. Therefore there are NO gestures made during prayer.
- - - - - - - - - -
ORGANIZATION
There is not, and has never been a "capital" or central location of stregoneria.
To make such claims, that during the 1300 year period from the fall of the Empire to the Risorgimento, that there was a collegia of Italian witches who managed the affairs of the whole of Italy, is not just outrageous, it is an insult to millions of our countrymen who have suffered and died for Italian unification.
That being said, there are no Priests, Priestesses, High Priests or High Priestesses in stregoneria.
One does not need to be an 'initiate' of any degree system to learn herbal remedies.
I do not want to fall into the trap of the distinction between coven vs. solitary. That would be misleading. Both terms are heavy with English language connotations.
I will only pose this question: If Italian "witches" have never called themselves 'witches', or considered themselves any different than the rest, why would they have secret gatherings with other 'witches'?
The frightening, malicious witches of Italian folklore compelled the earlier generations to stay clear of anyone with the reputation of being a 'witch.' When in fact, the witches of Italian folklore were no more than perverted descriptions of they themselves!
When we discuss stregoneria, we are dealing with traditional Italian folk magic, not a religion.
It is only modern Italian "witches" who actually gather into groups. Again, these are mostly Neo-Pagans and Zingari from what I can tell.
- - - - - - - - - -
SECRECY
Let us dispel this nonsense of secrecy which has blanketed the discourse on Italian folk magic the last two decades.
We Italians are NOT secretive. Anyone who claims that Italians are secretive is making a statement contradictory to all that is known of Italian culture. In fact, it has been our openness which has acted as an Achilles-heel thoughout the history of our people.
These are the two most popular reasons why an Italian "witch" will not give you their knowledge:
1) They feel embarrassed for knowing such things. They usually feel antiquated for knowing herbal remedies and the like.
2) They don't like you.
Neither of these two reasons attest to a pattern of, or preference for secrecy. There are no levels of initiation, no "Inner Court System", no secret handshake you must master.
When this aspect of Italian culture is examined, one will find that all claims of "mystery cults", "mystery traditions" and other such nonsense are thrown out the window with the Carbonari.
I will conclude this segment by saying there is an abundance of information concerning Italian folk magic. The overwhelming majority of this material however has yet to be translated.
- - - - - - - - - -
COMMON MISBELIEFS DISPELLED
There are NO ceremonial practices in stregoneria.
There are NO covens or 'clans' in stregoneria.
There are NO gestures made in stregoneria. (See section entitled 'GESTICULATION')
There are NO Gods or Goddesses in stregoneria. Only spirits.
There are NO levels of initiation, Priests, Priestesses, High Priests or High Priestesses in stregoneria.
There are NO magic books in stregoneria. (See section entitled 'LITERACY & I LIBRI')
There are NO mystery traditions or secrets in stregoneria. (See section entitled 'SECRECY')
There are NO symbols to be found in stregoneria.
There are NO tools in stregoneria. (See section entitled 'TOOLS')
There are NO 'watchers' or 'winds' which are called upon in stregoneria.
Stregoneria and Wicca are not similiar. They are "apples and oranges."
Stregoneria is not a religion. Stregoneria is the use of herbal medicine and the telling of folklore.
- - - - - - - - - -
RECOMMENDED READING
GENERAL STREGONERIA
I guaritori di campagna. Tra magia e medicina, by Paola Giovetti
Formule di guarigione in uso in Valle d'Aosta, by Fiorenza Cout
Adiantum La Strega Contadina, by Maria Teresa Zanetti Berni
ITALIAN FOLKLORE
Mai dire masche. Il mistero delle streghe. Racconti e storie tra immaginario e mito, by Donato Bosca
Le maschere italiane, by Nicola Fano
Leggende e racconti popolari della Lombardia, by Lidia Beduschi
Leggende e racconti popolari di Napoli, Angela Matassa
Leggende e tradizioni di Sardegna, by Gino Bottiglioni
STREGONERIA WEB SITES
www.stregoneria.cc
www.lucedistrega.net
Looks interesting, but haven't read it yet:
www.streganera.net
- - - - - - - - - -
NOTES
Ή) In the book "Italian Witchcraft" by Raven Grimassi, the authors states, "The old Italian word for Witchcraft is Stregheria..."
I have been unable to find this word in any of the dialects. In addition, well over a year ago I posted the following question on an Italian language newsgroup: "What dialect is 'Stregheria'?" I have yet to receive a response. If anyone knows, please enlighten me.
I have heard a theory that C.G. Leland could not find the word for 'witchcraft' among the God-fearing population of Tuscany, so he took the word "strege" and added it to the Italian suffix "eria" to arrive at 'stregeria' (Note the lack of the letter "h"). "Stregeria" is the word Leland used in one of his texts. Although, there is no way of proving this theory.
Finally, I just performed a Google search for the word "stregheria" which returned 4,300 results. Then a separate search for the word "stregoneria" which returned 25,600 results. The vast majority of the web sites returned for the "stregheria" search seemed to be in English, while all of the web sites for the "stregoneria" search seemed to be in Italian
²) For clarification. I am offering the theory that since it has historically been the responsibility of WOMEN to keep the books, and that many Italian-Americans are descended from a single Italian MAN, this is why Italian-Americans are not in possession of 'the books.'
³) A friend in Italy has recently proven to my satisfaction that she is in possession of a microfilm image of a book which records the history of her family. This book is dated to 634 CE. Though this is not unheard of, it is VERY rare.
) A short-lived branch of the Freemasons. The Carbonari are quite often used as an example of an "Italian secret society." Their members were actually bourgeois Protestants and mid-level apparatchiks. Not representative of stregoneria.
A short time ago at this community and others, I had changed my avatar to the stereotypical 'pizza guy.' I thought it was a playful jest at my Italian ancestry. But it seemed to prompt a number of others to ask me if I was Italian and what I knew of Italian witchcraft. So here I have collected my thoughts and have written a quick article on what I know of stregoneria.
I am not an expert in this study, nor would I claim to be. I am a Roman Recon, not a "witch." But we Italians are under cultural attack by self-proclaimed religious leaders and people looking to make a buck. Trust me, I do not want to be the sole English-speaking defender of the truth concerning stregoneria. Surely there is someone else at this community who can do a better job than I. For all that is good in Italy, make yourselves known.
I will try to be concise and to keep my opinions to a minimum.
What I present here is what I have learned from my upbringing in an Italian-American community. My very brief visit to Italy four years ago. The texts that I have read. As well as what has been submitted to me via recent correspondences by individuals in Italy.
Please take note of the cultural observations. These will more than anything else dispel the hogwash written by some.
- - - - - - - - - -
STREGHE, STREGONI & WICCA ITALIANA
First things first... It is important to note that not until the last decade or so, have we seen people actually call themselves strega and stregone. These who do call themselves sorceress and sorcerer are actually Neo-Pagan types. They DO worship Gods and Goddesses. They DO practice ceremonial magic.
Many of these individuals also call themselves Wiccan, and have actually embraced the word 'coven.' (A word which in my opinion has no place in the Italian language.) Still, these individuals are not the concern of this article.
In actuality, the people we are dealing with in this article have no name other than that which they were born with.
The terms strega and stregone have always been imposed on others. In my experience, everyone that I have found who would be called a strega or stregone by modern authors, are in fact devout Catholics.
I have found these so-called 'witches' are no more than individuals who know the following:
Herbal remedies.
A few incantations.
A heck of a lot of folklore.
These three ingredients seem to be the sum total of all that is stregoneria. (A bit anti-climactic, I would think. Continue if you wish...)
- - - - - - - - - -
IMPOSITION OF TERMINOLOGY & MAGIA CRISTIANA
As we have seen, the words 'strega' and 'stregone' have historically been IMPOSED on individuals. Yet there are a number of Neo-Pagans in Italy today who are taking on the old titles from folklore. (Mostly, to differentiate themselves from this recent, disturbing trend in North America called "Stregheria.") Ή
Here are some of the names you will come across. Keep in mind that there are MANY more:
Aabitatrici dei Campi (Albanian 'witches' in Campania. Called 'Perjashmazit' in Albanian.)
Animulari (Witches in Trapani, Sicily.)
Bazure (Witches in Alassio and Savonese.)
Beate Donnette (Witches in the 'veneto' - the suburbs of Venice.)
Bruixa-ana (Witches in the Alghero community of Sardinia. Hence the Catalan word.)
Cogas (Witches in Sardinia.)
Gatte Masciare (Witches in Bari.)
Ianare (These 'witches' in Campania have an entire mountain named after them.)
Madri (This is one of several dozen Sicilian 'traditions'. The word is plural of 'madre' - "mother.")
Masche (The witches in Liguria.)
Missuia (There is an Italian community up in Switzerland. This is the word for 'witch' in that community.)
Sorelle e Fratelli della Lunachiara (A witch 'tradition' from Florence.)
Streghe del Focolare ("Fireplace witches." Like most Italian 'witches' they practise only at home. This is a description, not a 'tradition.')
Streghe Marine ("Sea witches." Witches on the coast of Istria.)
Strina (Yet another Sicilian 'tradition'. Located in or near the city of Palermo. I'm not sure.)
Vaina (Witches in the Valley of Ossola and the province of Novara.)
Vecia Barbantana (Yet another witch 'tradition' in the Venice area. I think the name refers to the Gypsies of the area.)
Zingari del Passato (This means "Gypsies of the past." But they're still around.)
Zobia (Witches in Piedmont. Comes from the Piemontese word giςbia - "Thursday." Because the folklore says they only gather on Thursdays. In reality, traditional Italian "witches" don't "gather" at all.)
Italy, like the United States, is going through a period of political correctness. There is a new term arising for 'stregoneria,' and that is 'magia cristiana,' - "Christian Magic."
Again, this is a modern term which has been placed on individuals who know traditional folk magic. This term has come about because these individuals, like all traditional 'Italian witches', have no doubt in their minds that they are Catholic.
Though the term 'magia cristiana' is more appropriate, it is still a title which has been imposed and it is not yet certain that it will be accepted.
So for the purpose of consistency, I will use the politically incorrect, yet popular 'stregoneria.'
- - - - - - - - - -
THE FALLACY OF THE ETRUSCANS
In 1799 an Italian farmer (whose name I can never remember) was planting seeds in his field when the wheel of his horse-cart sank down into the ground. What he had stumbled upon was an Etruscan tomb.
Prior to this event, there was little physical evidence of the Etruscans. In fact, many believed the Etruscans were the equivalent of an inside joke written by ancient Roman authors. A joke we would never understand.
But the Etruscans were real, and it was the broken wheel of a horse-cart that would set into motion a chain of events which would cloud the study of traditional Italian folk magic for the next two hundred years.
Because of this accidental discovery, the first half of the 19th century would see every half-baked archaeologist and crackpot folklorist flock to Tuscany. They went in search of deciphering the Etruscan language, to write commentaries on the artwork of this dead people and make a name for themselves.
Many of these individuals exaggerated the importance of the Etruscans in an attempt to outdo their 'competitors.' But most were poets who were primarily concerned with imagery. Their goal was to make the subject of their poems, this dead people known as the Etruscans, the most appealing to their readers.
During the second half of the 19th century, the great writers of the Risorgimento (the unification of Italy), admittedly over-exaggerated the importance of these discoveries to foster the idea that Tuscany was 'the real' heart of Italy and not Rome. They did this because in the latter half of the 19th century the only part of Italy which had not been liberated from the Papal States was Rome herself.
These writers actually changed Tarquinius Priscus' genealogy from Greek to Etruscan.
Servius was made an Etruscan, when actually he was a slave of unknown birth.
Hundreds of years of Italian history were rewritten to include a fictitious Etruscan army imposed on Rome.
Italian Republicans were debating whether or not to continue with the civil war and incur losses in Rome, or cut their losses and create a new capital in Tuscany, where this fable of Etruscans ruling Rome would serve as validation for moving the capital.
This is also why Toscano was made the official dialect, and not Romanesco or Pugliese. Even though the latter two dialects each had more speakers than Toscano.
So here we have a full century of writers and politicians, both Italian and non-Italian, who for various reasons were intentionally exaggerating the importance of the Etruscans in the course of Italian history.
Yet Italians have always known this fallacy of the Etruscans, and are now correcting it in their universities.
However, the rest of the world is still reading the writings of the Risorgimento as well as the writings of the English-speaking adventurers in 19th century Tuscany. (C.G. Leland being the most notorious example.)
A certain modern author on the subject comes to mind who pays special attention to the Etruscans, and not surprisingly, to the writings of C.G. Leland as well. This author claims that the Gods of the Etruscans are still on the lips of Italians! This particular author clearly does not understand this very simple fact of Italian culture: the importance of the Etruscans in Italian history has been intentionally exaggerated by both recent Italians for political reasons, and by non-Italians for personal gain.
In other words, the answers to the questions of stregoneria can not be found in the memory of the extinct Etruscans. They are gone. Dead. The winds over Italy have blown across the globe, and they now whisper the word "Latino." And that is the sweetest sound of all.
- - - - - - - - - -
ZINGARI DEL PASSATO
Most of what has erroneously been attributed to stregoneria is actually the work of a people called Zingari del passato - the Gypsies.
Now don't get me wrong, these Zingari are very much Italian. They have been in Italy since the 11th century. They all speak Italian. But they do have a distinct subculture. One which is NOT representative of stregoneria.
- - - - - - - - - -
LITERACY & I LIBRI
Here we have more nonsense to do away with. Again, a certain modern author has made claims that Italians have been secretly maintaining magical texts for centuries, even millennia.
This is not true. The sad fact is that during the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the rule of the Papal States and up until the Risorgimento, the only people in Italy who were literate were the (very Christian) bourgeoisie and the clergy.
Up until the end of the 19th century stregoneria was an oral tradition. There were no books to be found. It was a great burden on the memory of our ancestors. Much was lost. But the Risorgimento brought with itself literacy programs, and it was not until then that Italian families began to keep i libri - "the books."
There is no secrecy about the books. All families have them. They are like the family Bible. You will never see another family's books, because they just don't want your paws all over them. They are personal, not secret. (Just as a side note. Many families store their books with their Bible.)
DISTRIBUTION OF LABOR
Among the western-Pugliese (of which I am descended) and many others, it is the responsibility of the women to maintain these books. While it is the responsibility of the men to tell the stories.
The women write their remedies in these books. Sometimes there is folklore in them. But they are mostly recipes. They contain neither runes nor Masonic symbols.
However, I know of no native-born Italian-Americans who are in possession of these books. It would seem this is because most Italian-Americans are either descended from one Italian immigrant, almost always a man ², who left Italy because of il terremoto (a horrible earthquake), or families which left Italy prior to the Risorgimento.
This is why among the few of us here in America who are descended from these Italian immigrants, and the smaller number of those who have actually maintained the tradition, it is strictly oral. While among the families in Italy, none of the books are more than 130 years old. ³
On the subject of folklore, Italians NEVER mix their family history with folklore, as the author I have mentioned earlier has incorrectly written. They are always separate recitations.
- - - - - - - - - -
TOOLS
The only tools in stregoneria are those things one grows in their garden.
- - - - - - - - - -
GESTICULATION
The making of gestures is considered rude by Italians during polite conversation. Therefore there are NO gestures made during prayer.
- - - - - - - - - -
ORGANIZATION
There is not, and has never been a "capital" or central location of stregoneria.
To make such claims, that during the 1300 year period from the fall of the Empire to the Risorgimento, that there was a collegia of Italian witches who managed the affairs of the whole of Italy, is not just outrageous, it is an insult to millions of our countrymen who have suffered and died for Italian unification.
That being said, there are no Priests, Priestesses, High Priests or High Priestesses in stregoneria.
One does not need to be an 'initiate' of any degree system to learn herbal remedies.
I do not want to fall into the trap of the distinction between coven vs. solitary. That would be misleading. Both terms are heavy with English language connotations.
I will only pose this question: If Italian "witches" have never called themselves 'witches', or considered themselves any different than the rest, why would they have secret gatherings with other 'witches'?
The frightening, malicious witches of Italian folklore compelled the earlier generations to stay clear of anyone with the reputation of being a 'witch.' When in fact, the witches of Italian folklore were no more than perverted descriptions of they themselves!
When we discuss stregoneria, we are dealing with traditional Italian folk magic, not a religion.
It is only modern Italian "witches" who actually gather into groups. Again, these are mostly Neo-Pagans and Zingari from what I can tell.
- - - - - - - - - -
SECRECY
Let us dispel this nonsense of secrecy which has blanketed the discourse on Italian folk magic the last two decades.
We Italians are NOT secretive. Anyone who claims that Italians are secretive is making a statement contradictory to all that is known of Italian culture. In fact, it has been our openness which has acted as an Achilles-heel thoughout the history of our people.
These are the two most popular reasons why an Italian "witch" will not give you their knowledge:
1) They feel embarrassed for knowing such things. They usually feel antiquated for knowing herbal remedies and the like.
2) They don't like you.
Neither of these two reasons attest to a pattern of, or preference for secrecy. There are no levels of initiation, no "Inner Court System", no secret handshake you must master.
When this aspect of Italian culture is examined, one will find that all claims of "mystery cults", "mystery traditions" and other such nonsense are thrown out the window with the Carbonari.
I will conclude this segment by saying there is an abundance of information concerning Italian folk magic. The overwhelming majority of this material however has yet to be translated.
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COMMON MISBELIEFS DISPELLED
There are NO ceremonial practices in stregoneria.
There are NO covens or 'clans' in stregoneria.
There are NO gestures made in stregoneria. (See section entitled 'GESTICULATION')
There are NO Gods or Goddesses in stregoneria. Only spirits.
There are NO levels of initiation, Priests, Priestesses, High Priests or High Priestesses in stregoneria.
There are NO magic books in stregoneria. (See section entitled 'LITERACY & I LIBRI')
There are NO mystery traditions or secrets in stregoneria. (See section entitled 'SECRECY')
There are NO symbols to be found in stregoneria.
There are NO tools in stregoneria. (See section entitled 'TOOLS')
There are NO 'watchers' or 'winds' which are called upon in stregoneria.
Stregoneria and Wicca are not similiar. They are "apples and oranges."
Stregoneria is not a religion. Stregoneria is the use of herbal medicine and the telling of folklore.
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RECOMMENDED READING
GENERAL STREGONERIA
I guaritori di campagna. Tra magia e medicina, by Paola Giovetti
Formule di guarigione in uso in Valle d'Aosta, by Fiorenza Cout
Adiantum La Strega Contadina, by Maria Teresa Zanetti Berni
ITALIAN FOLKLORE
Mai dire masche. Il mistero delle streghe. Racconti e storie tra immaginario e mito, by Donato Bosca
Le maschere italiane, by Nicola Fano
Leggende e racconti popolari della Lombardia, by Lidia Beduschi
Leggende e racconti popolari di Napoli, Angela Matassa
Leggende e tradizioni di Sardegna, by Gino Bottiglioni
STREGONERIA WEB SITES
www.stregoneria.cc
www.lucedistrega.net
Looks interesting, but haven't read it yet:
www.streganera.net
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NOTES
Ή) In the book "Italian Witchcraft" by Raven Grimassi, the authors states, "The old Italian word for Witchcraft is Stregheria..."
I have been unable to find this word in any of the dialects. In addition, well over a year ago I posted the following question on an Italian language newsgroup: "What dialect is 'Stregheria'?" I have yet to receive a response. If anyone knows, please enlighten me.
I have heard a theory that C.G. Leland could not find the word for 'witchcraft' among the God-fearing population of Tuscany, so he took the word "strege" and added it to the Italian suffix "eria" to arrive at 'stregeria' (Note the lack of the letter "h"). "Stregeria" is the word Leland used in one of his texts. Although, there is no way of proving this theory.
Finally, I just performed a Google search for the word "stregheria" which returned 4,300 results. Then a separate search for the word "stregoneria" which returned 25,600 results. The vast majority of the web sites returned for the "stregheria" search seemed to be in English, while all of the web sites for the "stregoneria" search seemed to be in Italian
²) For clarification. I am offering the theory that since it has historically been the responsibility of WOMEN to keep the books, and that many Italian-Americans are descended from a single Italian MAN, this is why Italian-Americans are not in possession of 'the books.'
³) A friend in Italy has recently proven to my satisfaction that she is in possession of a microfilm image of a book which records the history of her family. This book is dated to 634 CE. Though this is not unheard of, it is VERY rare.
) A short-lived branch of the Freemasons. The Carbonari are quite often used as an example of an "Italian secret society." Their members were actually bourgeois Protestants and mid-level apparatchiks. Not representative of stregoneria.