"Tinia was the supreme deity of the Etruscans, analogous to the Zeus of the Greeks and the Jupiter; 'the centre of the Etruscan god-world, the power who speaks in the thunder and descends in the lightning.' He alone had three separate bolts to hurl." -- The Cities of Etruria, by G. Dennis

It was a peasant girl with a wheel-barrow, or small hand-cart, in the streets of Florence. Had she been in London she would have been peddling apples or nuts, but as it was in Italy she had a stock of ancient classics in parchment; also much theological rubbish of the most dismal kind, the fragment of a Roman litnus, and a paper of old bronze medals. Of these I took twelve, paying for them two or three pence each as I pleased–and as the price was accepted with smiles, I knew that the blue-eyed dealer had realisedseveral hundred per cent. profit. On examination I found that I had bought:–
     1. The bronze medal, which the brazen Pietro Aretino had struck in his own honour with the inscription, Divus P. Aretinus flagellum Principum, of which I had often read but never seen, and would have given twopence any day to behold.
     2. A very good bronze of Julius Caesar–the reverse utterly hammered flat, but the great man himself fine and bold.
     3. Nero Claudius Caesar. A gold-like bronze, in good preservation–the wicked eye and bull neck to perfection.
     4. A strange old Greek medal in hard white bronze of Luson Basileõs, reverse, apparently three Graces, with the word Apol, and beneath Dionuso Lares. "Witch-money" so-called here.
     5. A medal of 1544, perfect, representing a Cardinal who, reversed, is a jester with cap and bells, with the motto, Et Stulti aliquando sapite.
     That will do ; all were interesting and curious, but I do not propose to catalogue them. What struck me was the remarkable resemblance of the whole find, and the manner in which it was obtained, to the legends and other lore which I have got together in these pages. These, too, have come down from old Roman times; some are sadly battered and worn, some, like the Nero, have been covered with a rich olive patina, which has again-more's the pity!-been scaled away to restore it, even as an English curate "restores" a Gothic church ; others, like the Julius, have only a slight ærugo-rust; some are of the Catholic-Heathen Renaissance-one is a Leo 1.; in short, there are the same elements of society in theone as in the other, Christian and Heathen Lares turned to goblins, Dionysius-Faflon, witch-money, vulgarity, and Imperial grandeur.

And they were all picked up, the medley like the medals, both bearing legends, from poor peasant women who were in blessed ignorance as to their classical origin, save that there was something of sorcery in it all. I say this because there will be many to think that I have been over-keen tofind antiquity and classic remains in these literary fragments; but no native Italian scholar who knows the people would say this. For here in Italy, just as one may find a peasant girl selling old Decretals, and Dantes, and Roman lamps, and medals from a wheelbarrow, you may find in her mind, deeply rusted and battered remains corresponding to them-and, indeed, things far older. For if you will reflect a minute it will occur to you that the bronze of my Julius Caesar medal may have

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. Let us begin with Jupiter:–

"The Etruscans," writes OTTFRIED MÜLLER, "adored a god who was compared to the Roman Jupiter, the leading deity, and who was often called so,but who in Tuskish was known as Tina or Tinia. Tina was therefore the highest of their gods; the central point of the whole world of deities. Hewas honoured in every Tuscan city, as in Rome-at least since the times of the Etruscan kings, with Juno and Minerva–in the temple of the citadel. Lightning was, in the Tuscan art, ever in his hands; he is the godwho speaks in it and descends in it to earth."

Do you know the name of Tinia?" I asked of my witch authority, whoknows not only the popular names of the current Tuscan mythology, but the more recondite terms preserved among the strege, or sorceresses.

"Tignia or Tinia? Yes. It is a great folletto" (a spirit, or goblin) ; "but an evil one. He does much harm. Si, e grande, ma cattivo."

And then bethinking herself, after a pause, awaiting the expected memory as one waits a moment for a child whom one has called, she resumed:–

"Tinia is the spirit of the thunder and lightning and hail. He isvery great" (i.e., powerful). "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 this happened and who ruined the fields he knows it was Tinia. Then he goes at midnight to the middle of the field or vineyard, and calls:–

This, I think, establishes the identity of the modern Tinea with the ancient god of thunder. According to MÜLLER the name occurs only once asTina. His form is often found on mirrors. It is very interestingto learn that an invocation to the Etruscan Jove still exists as a real thing, and that, after a humble fashion, he is still worshipped.

There is another invocation to the thunder and lightning, but it is not connected with this deity. It is as follows:–

"When you see thunder and lightning you should say:–

Or in English freely rendered:–

For there are two distinct religions, "one good if the other fails," in La Romagna, and many still believe that that of the spirits, or ancient gods, is, on the whole, the most to be relied on. It is true that it is departing very rapidly, and that now only a few of the faithful still know the chief names and invocations, yet, after slender fashion, they still exist. Ten years hence some of the most important of these names of the gods will have utterly passed away; as it is, they are only known to a fewamong the oldest peasants, or to a strega, who keeps the knowledge as a secret. Strangely allied to Tinia is the herb or plant of the same name, which ispopularly regarded with great respect from its superior magic qualities. It is,

in fact, a spirit itself. A specimen of it was obtained in Rocca Casciano for me, and with it I received the following:–

"The plant Tigna should he held of great account, because when one is afflicted by the spirit Tigna (Tinia) this herb should be put in a little (red) hag and always worn, and specially on children's necks.

"When Tigna begins to vex a family it is terrible. Then with this plant we should make every morning the sign or the cross and say

This incantation, which was either imperfectly remembered, and is certainly in a somewhat broken form (as is the case with others which had not been recalled for many years), may be rendered in English as follows:–

"And never forget to bless yourself with this herb."

Tigna, as the reader may recall from the Preface, was testified to by V. Del Vivo as "The great folletto of lightning, who has been long in Dovadola, e si conoscie tutt'ora, is still known." His existence is well confirmed, but he is still one of the deities who are rapidly passing, and who are now known to very few. That he is on the whole far more feared than loved is manifest, and the Tinia of the Etruscans was altogether adeity who was, unlike Jupiter, one of horror and dread. Nearly all the deities of the Etruscans were-as compared to the Græco

Roman -- of a horrible or malevolent nature, and a number of them wielded thunder and dealt largely in storms and hail. All of which in due proportion the reader will find to be the case with the spirits which exist in popular belief at the present day in La Toscana Romagna.

TÉRAMÓ.     25

It is to be observed that the name of Tinia, or its equivalent, isfound in Tuscan legends as that of a great and wealthy lord–un milionario–the richest in all the country. Thus in the tale of La Golpe in the Novelle Popolare Toscane of Pitré, the Marquis of Carabas in the Italian Puss and Boots is called "Il Sor Pasquale del Tigna." In both the English and Italian stories the mysterious and unseen, or hidden Marquis, like the Sor di Tigna, is a deus ex machina, or higher power, who is exploited for the benefit of the poor hero. I do not think it is forcing the question when we conjecture that we have in him a god in exile, or one come down in the world.

The following account of this spirit, which was obtained from several authorities, but especially from an old woman living not very far from Forli, is for several reasons very interesting:–

"Téramó is a spirit favourable to thieves and merchants. When a band of ladri, or robbers, meet in some secluded place to arrange a theft, Téramó is always present to aid, unless theyintend murder (se non ragionano di spargere sangue). But if no violence of that kind be meant, he is always there, though they do not see him but only a shadow. Then he says, 'Giovanetti– boys, get to work, I will help you–presto all' opera e io sono in vostroaiuto–work in peace and do not be afraid, and you will not be discovered, but do not forget to help the poor who are in such great need. Do this and I will show you myself what to do; but if you forget charity then you shall be found out, e cosi non godrete niente–and so you win enjoy nothing.'

"But if they intend spilling blood he will probably put their victims on guard, and cause their arrest.

"With merchants, or dealers, if one had cattle or anything of the kind tosell,¹ Téramó was always busy. And sometimes he played roguish tricks, as when one had a very pretty wife or daughter he would go to the house disguised as a very handsome young man, and so delude her that the affair ended by two in a bed. Or if a merchant agreed to deliver goods to a customer at a certain time, and broke his appointment, Téramó would make the goods disappear, and the man to whom they were promised would find them in his house, and be under no necessity of paying money. Or if he had paid he got the goods.

"Téramó is also a spirito messagiero, a spirit of messengers, one who carries notices or news from one city to another or from one part of the world to another very quickly. But to have his aid onemust be one of his kind (bastara pero à farsi prendere da lui o sinpatia), such as a statesman or thief, or such as are his friends.

"When any one, say a thief or lover, wishes to send news to a friend, he must go into a cellar by night and pray to Téramó and say:–

¹ Téramó, or Hermes, true to his first impulses, is always concerned with cattle.

"Then the one praying takes a pigeon, and fastens his note to its wing, or neck, and says:–

"But one should never forget the spirit Téramó !" (Sempre pero rammentarsi dello spirito di Téramó).

This last exhortation means that one should never forget to make the proper invocation or address to him at proper times.

We have here evidenfly enough Mercury, "the guardian deity of the mercatores and collegii mercatorum," as well as of thieves, who was the swift-footed messenger of the gods; although those who told the tale knew nothing of such a name as Mercurio, let me twist it as I would. But it may be that we have here in Téramó the old Etruscan name for Mercury, very much changed. "In Etruria," writes PRELLER (Rom. Myth. p.597,) "the Greek Hermes was called Turms, which is formed from the Greek name, just as Turan came from Urania." That is to say, Turms or Turmus would be Italianised to Turmo, which in the harshly accented Romagnolo, with its prolonged R, would naturally pass to Turarmo.

The reader must not neglect to observe the pious adjuration at the end ofthe communication. It is a strange reflection that there are still people who cherish religious sentiments for the son of Jupiter and Maia.

As the name Téramó was of was of importance, special painswere taken to verify the fact that what I have given is authentic. As the reader will have seen by the Preface, Tito Forconi testified that at San Benedetto the deeds of Téramó, as guardian spirit of merchants, thieves and messengers, "have been related for many years." And,since then, others have testified to knowing him. He is, however, one among those who are rapidly becoming unknown or forgotten, save by a few

¹ "Téramó, Téramó, Téramó!
Che tu ai le sinpatie
E credo fra questi esserci
Io pure e non mi vorrai abbandonare
Questa notizia nella tal citta,
Di farmi arrivare.

"E cosi si presentera un columbo, si lega a lui al collo un foglio scritto, a si dice:–
" 'Vai vola, lontan lontano!
Che lo spirito di Téramó
Ti accompagnia

old people, as Peppino declared–being, I suppose, naturally obnoxious to the priests who love no rivals in granting pardons to thieves, camorrists, &c. "Fur ac nebulo Mercurius," says Lactantius, "quid ad famem sui reliquit, nisi memoriam fraudum suarum?"

It is worth remarking that I had most trouble to collect evidence of the existence of the few special names such as Tignia, Faflon, and Téramó, which were, however, of the most importance. "It is well, since you care for such things, that you came when you did," said an informant, "because in a few years' time most of these names will have been forgotten by everybody." And I sincerely believe that ten years hence not a tenth part of it will survive.

And it was by a remarkable chance that I hit upon, in Florence, the one person of all others who had an innate love of sorcery, strange tales, andold songs, who was herself a fortune-teller, and had been taught the oldnames of spirits and innumerable incantations by a witch foster-mother.But for this "find" I might have sought in vain for the best part of what I have here given.

It is perhaps worth mentioning in connection with Téramó–once Teramus– that there, was an old Scythian god, Tharamis, of whom Lucan (1. I. Pharsal.) says:–
"Et Tharamis Scythicæ non mitior ara Dianæ."
He appears to have been a Celtic god, worshipped by the Britons. Selden gives an inscription connecting Tharamis deabus matribus, with thematernal deities, which would identify him, not with Jove, but Mercury.But of this Celtic god, and any possible connection with Téramó, there is really no proof whatever. On Etruscan mirrors, says Dennis, the name of this god is generally Turms of Thurms, in one case he is called Turms Aitas, or the infernal Mercury (Gerhard. Etrus. Spiegel. ii.,plate 182). He was associated by Tarquin with the three great gods (Serv. ad Æn. ii., 296).

BUSCHET.

This narrative was given as a conclusion to that of Téramó with which, however, it has very little connection:–

"The spirit Buschet was always a companion with Téramó in all his dealings. If a man had pretty daughters then all went well(with him), if there were none there was mischief.
"Now there was a merchant who had a very beautiful daughter, but Buschet could not prevail upon her, nor enter the house. For she had had a lover,and when he died, she had his body turned to stone, and put it in a chest, and kept it secretly under her bed. And Buschet could not enter a house in which there was a corpse. Then he thought he would sing a song which would alarm her; but she was not to be frightened at anything, so greatwas the love which she had for the dead man.

"And he began to sing:–

"But she paid no heed to this, nor was she at all frightened, but went to pray, as was her wont, over the body of her lover. Then Buschet went and sang under the window of her father:–

¹ " Rosa, o bella Rosa cosi ti chiamo,
Perche siei tanto bella mi sembri,
Un vero fior di rosa, e quanto siei
Bella vorrei posarti sopra i labbri miei,
E ti vorrei bacciar !"

² " 'Sotto alla tua finestra,
O buon' mercanta, una piccola
Stornello vengo a cantare;
Spero che mi vorrei ascoltare,
Altrimenti te ne vorrai pentire.'

This is a very close translation both as regards words and metre, though it wants the delicate grace of the original–which original recalls the Pot of Basil. The reader cannot fail to observe in it, however, the wild, uncanny spirit of witchcraft, the utter want of a proper moral or human feeling, and the extraordinary manner in which this "poor simple Isabel," after such exquisite devotion to the dead lover, forgets him for Buschet. But to the witch all of this suggests something so entirely different that it is almost impossible to explain it. Her feeling or sympathy is with the goblin or god; he is to her like the Indian deity and the

bayadere, in Goethe's poem. The girl is supposed in the German ballad to pass through fire to rise to heaven; so here she endures a penance to fither for the spirit Buschet. It is the triumph of his unscrupulous sorcerer's cunning which pleases the Romagnolo poet, and which interested the woman who gave it to me.

Apropos of the Dieu et la Bayadere, or the plot of the Indian playVasantasena which Heine declared was so immoral that it would be hissed off any stage in Paris. This suggested to some French manager an idea, and it was soon brought out, and had an immense success all over Europe and America. Perhaps some impresario would like to try Buschet. True, it is not so very improper, as I have given it here–but a vivid French imagination may make wonders of it. There is the midnight prayer over the dead lover, the demon's serenade, the Mephistophelean song to the father and finally the great love scene. What an 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, who is also a sorceress, keeps the body of her negro lover, by her magic art, in a kind of apparent life, and covers it with the kisses of despair, and which she would fain, by the greater magic of love, wake from the twilight-dimmering half-death to the full truth of life." Of which Heine remarks: "Even as a boy I was struck, in reading the Arabian tale, with this picture of passionate and incomprehensible love." ¹

It only remains to be remarked that "Hermes and Apollo in the myths became fast friends" (The Etruscans, by John Fraser, B.A.). Buschet, as the ally of Téramó, would therefore be Aplu, Aplus, or Apollo; but I cannot establish any identity between the names. Schet is a Romagnola termination, and Apluschet is quite possible, nor is it more remote from the original than Téramó from Hermes; but guess-work like this is hardly philological. Apollo, like Buschet, had a great antipathy for corpses and pestilence.

The Impusa della Morte is probably the Empusa of the Greeks. She is a terrible sorceress, much dreaded. There is a short saying, or invocation,

¹ Heine's Shakespeare's Maidens and Women : Desdemona. Translated by Charles G. Leland. London: W. Heinemann. 1891.

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