Chiesa Jet Populo a great walnut-tree whose leaves were so infested by devils that Pope PASCHAL the Second cursed it, had it cut down, and a church built where it had stood–an act quite becoming a shaman or voodoo in every respect. Maledicta sis o nuce! "Be thou d–––d, oh walnut-tree, root and branch, nuts and bark, und to hell vit you!"

All of this rubbish of eroticism, diablerie and darkness, doubtlessly gathered about the tree from many sources, but the beginning of it all was that some early sorcerer, to save his walnuts, informed his neighbours that the tree was tabooed and that devils sat on it to torment those who should rob it. I 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 correctedby another, who told her, "No–that He wanted to keep them for his winter apples–"that kind being usually prohibited to children. However, in any case it was the first taboo on record ; and because simple Adam and Eve had been created of a heedless curious human nature, and not wise enough to resist Satan, the incarnate spirit of genius and evil, their descendants have been damned eternally to hell by hundredsof millions. Which cheerful myth in no respect invalidates the many great truths which abound in the Bible, as PAINE and INGERSOLL argue–nay, it contains a great truth: that idle curiosity and childish disobedience are a great source of evil. The Jews regarded unflinching, unconditional obedience, with no allowance for human weakness, as thelaw of laws. It was well for them as they were, but it was going too farto make it all in all. It had held Egypt together in good condition for thousands of years, and MOSES, who was a great student of laws, applied it. But it is not applicable to England. or America, or indeed to any republic, or semi-republic, to-day. Freethought now has its rights, and is a law like others.

But to return to our trysting-tree–the walnut. As all the witches ofGermany were accustomed to assemble on the Blocksberg, so those of all Italy had their rendezvous or sabbat, or, in Italian, treguenda, ata great walnut-tree in Benevento.

This terrible tree is mentioned by many writers on witchcraft, and allusions to it are very common in Italian literature, but I never met with anything in detail till I found a pamphlet–De Nuce Maga Beneventana–which is by PETER PIPERNUS, and forms a supplement to his work De Effectibus Magicis, of which I have elsewhere written. In which, as it never rains but it pours, I met with such an excess of information that I had some trouble in condensing it, the work being composed on the picturesque, but not lucid principle, followed by

PRÆTORIUS, of writing down anything whatever about everything whichcomes 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 virginum, we see a gleam of coming day in a chapter on Nuts in general, with the comforting assurance that, as a tree, the walnutis endowed by Nature with both good and bad qualities–of which chapter we may note that if the walnut really does possess the extraordinary number of medical and other virtues ascribed to it by PIPERNUS, it is no wonder that it was supposed to be in the highest degree supernatural–albeit not a word is said in it of catsup or pickles. Could the men of old have foreseen the sauces of to-day, and the part which walnuts would play in them all, 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 many holy Inquisitors, that it was believed in the fraternity of sorcerers that 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 year (the same tale was told of old Druidical and German oaks), the nuts of which were of a pyramidal form, "qua tragularibus lineis emittebat." These nuts sold for a high price,people believing that they protected against accidents, earthquakes, andcured epilepsy, also that they were sure to produce male off-spring, retentis intra matriciem nucleis. And they were also valuable amuletsagainst witchcraft, though used by witches in much deviltry. I think that we have here a hint of the curious triangular nuts which come from theEast, and of which such numbers are sold in Florence, made into rosaries. These are also carried singly as magical amulets. There is a variety of them found in China which exactly resembles the head of a buffalo, horns and all. I have specimens of both kinds.

Next we have the topography of the region where the tree grew–for PIPERNUS approaches the enemy very gradually–and finally of the field in which this King of Darkness stands, as our author puts it very neatly,"more like a Nox than a Nux." Which pun of darkness casts,however, not a little light on the tenebrific nature of this tree, and its noxious nature, with the suggestion that it was the mere resemblance of name which drew to it an association with the powers of the underworld. PIPERNUS gives us a long array of causes why the nut-tree was dreaded by Christians, and loved by witches, the only sensible one of which is that it was of yore, because of its dense shade, sacred to Proserpine, Night, and the Infernal Gods.

Well, as it happened that the good people of Benevento had a great walnut-tree where they worshipped serpents, or "divinity in the likeness of a beast, which is vulgarly called a viper," and what was also horrible, heldhorse-races in which the riders caught at bunches of sumach suspended inthe tree–after the fashion of the profane and ungodly game of flying horses and hand-organ which we have seen at irreligious, worldly-minded, country fairs. There was in Benevento a great saint, Barbatus, to whomthese goings-on of the heathen with their great moral show of snakes andraces, and the rest of the circus, were a terrible annoyance–for then, as now, two of a trade did never yet agree. Competition was not, with him, the soul of business. The ruler of that region was ROMUALDUS, whowas a heathen. And BARBATUS tried to convert him, but he did not convert worth a button. In vain did BARUATUS flourish and coruscate his miracles–et miraculis coruscans–round the head of this impenitent mule–I could almost fancy that Rom must have been a gypsy. His,only reply was to the effect that "that cock won't fight." For I must mention that it is also recorded that he kept race-horses and game-cocks–and that there is in bad Latin mournful evidence of the truth of it all.

By and by there were rumours of war in the land. Constantinople–I mean CONSTANTIUS–the emperor, was coming unnumera multitudine suorum collecta, with a vast army to wipe out Benevento. Romualdus was ahard fighting man, but as Saint CHRYSOSTOM said, "There is no use in a goat's trying to buck against a bull." He was reduced to extremes, and itwas finally found that CONSTANTINE, like a true and gentle Christian, had decreed that on a certain day he would take the city and put every human being in it, utriusque sexus, to death.

Arrepta occasione–BARBATUS saw his opportunity and improved it. He held a grand public meeting, in which he attributed all these troubles to that nasty Viper, and their heathenish horse-races, and wicked walnuts. I dare say, too, that they had wine with their walnuts–but ofthis the history says nothing. And he ended by telling them that if they would raise their eyes above vipers and walnuts, and the turf, up to heaven, they would all be saved. Whereupon Romualdus said if that would save the town, he, for one, would raise his–and, to cut the taleshort, CÆSAR CONSTANTINE and his army, Beneventum non penetrabit–"did not take Beneventum."

And then BARBATUS had a beautiful time. He cut down the walnut-tree, killed the snakes, stopped the horse-races, confiscated all the "poultry" ofthe cock-fights, threw the gaffs into the river ("they used slasher-gaffs in all pits in those days," Alectromachia, vol. i.), and what with baptizing, confessing, and burying, got to be as rich as a Jew.

It is not difficult to see how this miracle was worked. When you are in correspondence with your CONSTANTINE, it is easy to arrange that he should not penetrate to your Beneventum. A chief who, like ROMUALDUS, might be obliged to fight to the death by force of public opinion when it was only a question of war, could nicely compromise on a miracle. The entire history of the progress of Christianity in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, isa chronicle of heathenism extinguished by brute force, or marriages, or by this same old trick of BARBATUS.

The nut-tree was cut down, but the king never dies. It is true, adds PIPERNUS, that there is now in the same place another tall and great walnut-tree, in the hollow of which three men might hide–and near this are sometimes found bones and bits of flesh, the signs of witches' banquets–probably chosen to take the place of the ancient one. As appeared bythe testimony of one VIOLANTA, who being interrogated–probably witha rack and red-hot pincers in the Christian manner of 1519 (that being the date) said that she had been at such a tree. There they worshipped Diana (not the devil–he was only adored in Germany) or Herodias, the goddess of dancing, who, however, as before said, appears in Rabbinical writings as Lilith, who was the Hebrew Diana, or mother of all the witches, and held high revel and "had a good time."

It may be observed that PIPERNUS declared that women became pregnant simply by means of the nuts from this tree. There is no mention of male assistance in this matter. Very recently, as a write, I inquired in Florenceif there was any account current of magical properties in walnuts, and was promptly told the following tale, regarding which I had made no suggestions and given no hints whatever. It was written out for me, not by anymeans in choice Italian.

"The country of Benevento is in the Romagna, and that is the real posto delle streghe, or witch meeting place. One evening a gentleman went to walk with his daughter whom he adored. And as they passed under a walnut-tree, and there were so many fine nuts, she desired to eat ofthem. But hardly had she eaten one when she felt herself ill, allo stomaco, and went at once home, and to bed. And all her family were in despair, because they loved her tenderly.

" Nor was it long before they saw her body increasing in size, and thought she was incinta, or with child, and began to treat her harshly, till at the end of nine months she gave birth to a little lamb; it was very beautiful, and her parents knew not what to think of this phenomenon. And they questioned her closely as to whether she had ever had a lover, but she swore this had never been the case, and knew nothing beyond this–that she felt ill after having eaten the walnut.

"Then the father took his daughter to the tree, and she ate another nut; when all at once the tree vanished, and there appeared an old witch, who touched the lamb, when it became a handsome young man, and the witch said, 'This is the lover whom you would not permit your daughter to marry. I by my sorcery made him enter and leave her (sortire dalle sue viscere), and so shall she be compelled to wed him.' "

On hearing this mystical tale I remarked, "Then the lover became father to himself?" "Sucuro–certainly," was the reply. Here I might tell the story of the

nun who became possessed, or as some say, enceinte, by swallowing a diavoletto, or little devil, in a lettuce leaf, she having takenher salad without first praying, and so on, such tales, suggested by meditations on immaculate conception not being rare. But what is to the purpose is to show that the idea of the walnuts of the tree of Benevento producing such results is ancient and widely spread. The story 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 lot.In this story they appear as succouring–in a strange way to be sure–a pair of unfortunate lovers, which is certainly the ideal of humanbenevolence to most young ladies. And in Spain, Ireland, and elsewhere, the fairies have taken from them the credit of a tale which is very much to their credit, and which was attributed to them lang syne. This is the story of the Hunchback who lost his hump. Among the two or three hundred jolly little comediettas in which good-natured, honest dummklug STENTORELLO is the hero, and which are played at present all the time in Florence, there is one called The Witches of Benevento, which is founded onthe legend, and I find it in PIPERNUS. Perhaps your memory may be a little rusty–mulladiméno–anyhow, I will tell it, with interpolations.

"There was a man named Lambertus Alutarius, who was a hunch-back, gay andcheerful, popular with everybody. One night, returning home by the light of the moon, he passed near the great Walnut-Tree of Benevento. There he saw a great assembly of people, men and women, in fine array, dancing and singing, jolly as sand-boys–but their song was strange and somewhat monotonous, for it was merely:–

"Thinking they were a party of reapers–putans esse messores–by way of he]ping them on, Lambert, catching the tune, sang in rhythm:–

"Which was so well done that the dancers all burst out laughing, and feeling respect for such an admirable poet, pulled him out, made him dance and feast with them. And then a merry devil" (PIPERNUS calls him a diabolus, but he must have been a jolly one) "jumped up behind, and with one tremendous jerk, which was like drawing a tooth, causing great but momentary pain–intenso sed momentaneo dolore–took away hishump. At which Lambert screamed out, O JESU, Virgo MARIA! when the whole spuk, or enchantment, vanished–lights,plate, dishes, all the splendour and glory of the festival had gone. Still Lambert had not exactly the feeling of one who treads alone some banquet hall deserted–for the hump had gone too with all the witches, and he found himself a magnificently tall, straight figure;–when witches do do a thing, they 'does it handsome,' as a certain 'unfortunate nobleman' was in the habit of saying.

"He went home and knocked in the early dawn, while it was three-quarters dark, and la signora Lambert looking out bade him begone. Quis est iste temerarius?–'Who is that cheeky vagabond?' was her

indignant cry. Lambertus tuus–"Thy Lambert!' he replied. 'Thevoice indeed is Lambert's,' she answered, 'but you're not the man.' And then alta voca proclamans–raising a row–she called in all the neighbours and relations, who, after duly examining him and listening with awe and delight to his tale of the adventure by the great Walnut-Tree, passed him on as all right. But the change in his personal appearance must have been very great, for our author states that 'the next day when he walked the streets of Altavilla even his best creditors did not recognise him.' To which he adds in an airy, impudent manner, 'Such cases are very common with us,' and many writers record them quos brevitate omittinus–which I omit for want of room.' "

I should like to have seen some of those "numerous cases."

It is–as I have before remarked–very remarkable that in Italy there are two very distinct and contradictory currents of Witch-lore. Oneis the true old Latin-Etruscan legend, in which the witch is merely a sorceress or enchantress, generally benevolent and kind. She is really a fata, like the French fée, who is always a lady, loving children and helping poor men. There is in this witchcraft nothing tospeak of, of selling souls to the devil, and all the loathsome abominations of living only for evil. There are good witches and bad, the old Canidia of Horace still exists, but though she lames donkeys and blasts vines, she does not make a specialty of getting people to hell. The Italiansseem to have believed that men could do that abundantly well for themselves, without help.

The other current is of the diabolical sort, and it is due almost entirely to the Church and the priests. This is the kind which caused the witch-mania, with its tortures and burnings. It is very curious that despite all the efforts of Saint Barbato, and an army of theologians after him, the old genial classic associations still survive, and the witches of Benevento are still believed to be a beautiful, gay and festive society, whose queen is Diana–with very little of Hecate-Hexe in her. In proof ofthis I am supplied with anothor legend by the same authority as that from whom I obtained the tale of the lamb.

"There was at Benevento a poor family whose members gained their living by going about the country and getting fruit, which they sold. One day the youngest son was roaming, trying to see what he could find, when he beheld a Walnut-tree–but one so beautiful che era una cosa di non credere–'twas hardly credible what nuts were on it!

"Truly he thought he had a good thing of it, but as he gathered the nuts they opened, and from every one came a beautiful little lady who at once grew to life-size. They were gay and merry, and so fair– parevanoocchi di sole–they seemed like eyes of the sun. Sweet music sounded from the leaves, they made him dance; 'twas a fine festa!

"But he did not for all that forget why he had come there, and that the family at home wanted bread. But the ladies, who were fairies (fate), knew this, and when the dancing was over they gave him some of the nuts. And they said: 'When you shall be at home open two of these, keep a third for the king's daughter, and take this little basket– (pagnerina) full to the king. And tell the queen's daughter not to open her walnut till 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

found himself richer than the king. So he built himself a castle of extraordinary splendour, all of precious stones. And opening the second nut there came from it such a magnificent suit of clothes that when he put iton he was the handsomest man in the world.

"So he went to the king and was well received. But when he asked for thehand of the princess, the monarch replied that he was very sorry, but hehad promised his daughter to another prince. For this other the princess had no love at all, but she was enamoured à prima vista with the youth.

"So she accepted the nut, and went to bed, but oh wonder! what should come out of it but the young man who had asked her in marriage! Now as she could not help herself, and, moreover, had no special desire to be helped, she made the best of it, and suffered him not only to remain, but to return, which he did, zealously, full many a time; with the natural result that in the course of events the princess found herself incinta, or with child, and declared that 'something must be done.'

"And this was arranged. She went to her father and said that she would never marry the prince to whom he had betrothed her, and that there shouldbe a grand assembly of youths, and they should agree that, let her choose whom she would, they would support her choice. So it was done, and there were feasts, balls, and at last a great assembly of young men.

"Among these appeared her own lover–quel giovane delle noce–'that young man of the walnuts.' And he was dressed like a poor peasant, and sat at the table among the humblest who were there. Then the princess went from one to the other of those who wished to marry her. And she found some fault in every one, till she came to her own lover, and said: 'That is the one whom I choose,' and threw her handkerchief at him–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 that there should be a combat, and that 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 Ladiesof the Walnut Tree helped their friend, so that all fell before him. Never a sword or lance touched him in the fray, he bore a charmed life, andthe opposing knights went down before him like sheep before a wolf.

"Fu il vicitore. He was the victor. And he wedded the daughter ofthe king; and after a few months she gave birth to a bel bambino–a beautiful babe who was called, in gratitude to the fairy ladies, The Nut of Benevento. And so they were happy and contented."

I have done scant justice to this poem–for a poem it was, as I heardit sung with feeling and expression, and yet there was in it neither metre to speak of nor rhyme to mention, only such as the beautiful Italian language supplies to all who can sing. It does not seem to be known to all that all Italian fairy tales are really poems, and often sung by the contadine–as were all the American Red Indian traditions. The witches of the Walnut-Tree appear in this tale as fairies, but 'tis all one–they are the same charming souls as those who remove Lamberto's hump, and make the young man his own fathen I cannot deny that tbey certainly do manifest a decided disposition to play the most eccentric erotic tricks, and confirm what William Grant Stewart says of the Scotch fairies, that "their appetites are as keen and voluptuous as their inclinations are corrupt and wicked"–wicked here meaning what I once heard another Scotchman define as "vara leecherous." It will be observed that the walnut which produces a child is effectively given in another guise in thistale, and that this, coupled with the assertion of PIPERNUS, induces me to believe that in substance these two tales are

extremely ancient. They are also valuable in proof of the fact that, in spite of the incessant efforts of the monks to carry out the declaration made in Psalm xcvi. 5, that "all the gods of the Gentiles are devils," there were exceptions in which the beautiful and benevolent spirits of the ancient time survived the Hebrew-Catholic calumnies. It is worth noting that the last half of this tale corresponds exactly with an incident narrated in an Icelandic saga.

But to return to our Walnut-tree. Janet Ross tells us in her Land of Manfred that Monsignor SCHINOSI gave her the following from a MS. history of Benevento by Nicastro:–

"In the time of Romuald the Longobards worshipped golden vipers, and the Duke himself, though he had promised to Bishop Barbatus that he would embrace Christianity, had an altar in his palace on which stood a winged two-headed golden dragon, with two sphinxes in jasper on either side, and various idols from the temple of Isis. This angered the bishop, who, helped by the Duchess Theodorada, his disciple, went with an axe and broke thedragon and idols to pieces. Of the fragments of the winged monster he made a chalice for his church. He then cut down the tree."

It may be all as true as the other tale, but this account of gold vipers,dragons, and Egyptian idols has a bric-àbrac shop-look which seems to have come–if a look can come–from the rococoanut of some later writer. But it may he all right. Non nobis tantæ componerelites.

"Oc eru ther hiner mestu flaugd konur, ther kanna Galldra oc fiolkyngi, so ecki standist noytt vid them."

("And there are many evil women who know incantations and magic, so that no one can harm them.")–ULF UGGASON'S Saga.

"It seems to me strange," I remarked one day, "that no men seem topractise witchcraft!

"Oh, but there are, though," remarked my Head-Collectress. "Why, there isa priest here in Florence who is a streghone."

"Santo! Now, if you had told me there was a thief in the police I shouldnot have been astonished. But he can't be a real wizard."

"Ma si. GESUALDA there knows him. And you can see him yourself if you want to."

I thought on the whole I did not want to. For I knew that, in the first place, I should be introduced as a stregone Inglese, and then something came into my head about one CATO, who marvelled that one agur couldlook another in the face. Not that I had any fear of mutual smiling or winking–the confessional

gives a command of countenance beyond words. But I was seized with greatadmiration of a priest who could be honest enough to call himself by hisright name and asked how he came to practise our noble profession.

"Ah!" cried the witch, with a smile, "he couldn't help himself he had to become one. He was called in to confess a witch who was dying, and did not know with whom he had to deal. So she got her confession, and then said she had something to leave him. Would he have it? Oh, wouldn't he! Si, sicuro. 'Then,' she cried, 'I leave you my witchcraft!'And before he could say a word she was dead and off and he found himselfa wizard."

Some time after I had written the foregoing sentence I received from another source the following additional authentic information regarding this goblin priest, of whose real existence I have not the least doubt:–

"This priest was called in to convert an old woman, who, saying that she had something, continually repeated: 'I have no relations–to whom shall I leave it? to whom shall I leave it? I cannot leave this world tillthat is left.' Then the priest said: 'Leave it to me !' Then the old woman at once gave him a small key to a certain box or casket, and died. When the priest opened the casket he found in it a mouse. And so the spirit of witchcraft came on him.

"And when it comes, if the witch touches any person, he or she will be bewitched, and waste away or die. But this priest, being a good man, wouldnot touch or embrace people at such times, but, going into the country, touched trees, or grain, or maize, and whatever he touched dried up. So he did as little harm as was possible; but for all this he could not helpbeing a wizard."


This story is extremely interesting from the mention of the mouse. This was the soul of the witch. Prætorius, in his Anthropodemus Plutonicus, tells a marvellous story of a witch whose soul came out of her mouth as a red mouse, which idea Goethe uses in Faust. As my informantwas herself in the sisterhood of sorcery, I have no doubt that she made out as strong a case as was possible to prove that all the power and sanctity of the Church and of Christianity could not avail to remove the awful might of stregoneria. But she believed what she narrated to me, and it is interesting to know that in the city of Florence in the month of January, 1891, there were people who believe in a prehistoric Shamanism which is stronger and mightier than that of the Church. Ages have lapped over ages, the Etruscan and Sabine-Latin and Roman and Christiancults have succeeded one to the other, but through it all the witch and wizard, humble and unnoted, have held their own.

But, in fact, as I became familiar with the real, deeply seated belief ina religion of witchcraft in Tuscany, I found that there is no such greatanomaly after all in a priest's being a wizard, for witchcraft is a business, like any other. Or it may come upon you like love, or a cold, or a profession, and you must bear it till you can give it or your practice tosomebody else. What is pleasant

to reflect on is that there is no devil in it. If you lose it youat once become good, and you cannot die till you get rid of it. It is not considered by any means a Christianly, pious possession, but in some strange way the strega works clear of Theology. True, there are witches good and bad, but all whom I ever met belonged entirely to the buone. It was their rivals and enemies who were maladette streghe, et cetera, but the latter I never met. We were all good.

What seems incredible and utterly contradictory to all this is the fact that during the Middle Ages witchcraft, supposed to be based on a compact with the devil, raged in Italy–witness the rubbish written by PICUS DE MIRANDOLA, GRILLANDUS, PETER PIPERNUS, and scores more. And it is absolutely true that before this Hell carnival, and after it, and deep, deepunder it, there was alive all the time among the people the old ante-Etrusco-Roman sorcery, and with it another witchcraft which had nothing to do with hell or devils, or original sin or anything Hebrew-Persian-Christian–and it lived, unheeding learned men and priests and their piety.

The witch-mania died, and the Church is dying fast, and yet here, in Tuscany, the witchcraft without a devil or a god–the Shamanism of oldesttimes with a little later Etruscan-Roman colouring, still survives–as indeed everything in this book indicates. The knowledge inspires a very strange reflection as to what the real nature of the Northern Italian can be like. For such a capacity for survival indicates character. The conservatism of the old Roman was his peculiar trait. It was not ablind adherence like that of the Egyptian to an established order of things, for it was based on common sense. This is strongly manifested in the works of CATO and of VARRO on agriculture. They strictly observed all the old rites; nay, they even taught spells, much like the incantations of the witches. But under it all there was a spirit of independence. CATO says (De Agricultura, c. 3, 5): "Rem divinam, nisi Conpititalibus in conpito aut in foco ne facit–haruspicem, augurem, hariolum, Chaldæum ne quem consulisse velit, segetem ne defrudet, nam id infelixest"

Italy has never wanted in her darkest hours–as in the days of CRESCENTIUS, or in those of the Borgias–for CÆSAR BORGIA aimed at a united Italy; and MACHIAVELLI was a true patriot–a few enlightened minds. So it seems to me that even in this peasant witchcraft which held its own despite the Church, there is a kind of conservatism which will not yield to the Church, that is to a form of supernaturalism which is too powerful. It is blind, humble, and ignorant, but it has a kind of vitality and of independence which indicates great power.

It is not so very absurd, in the face of hypnotism and the known influences of the imagination (whatever that may be), for ignorant peasants to believe in a limited

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