Certain saints are regarded as being folletti. A folletto is a generic term for almost any kind of spirit not Christian. Fairies, goblins, spectres, nymphs, are all called by this name. There is a Manuale di Spiriti Folletti published at Asti (1864), which includes devils, vampires, undines, and comets under this word.¹

The chief of the goblin-saints is Saint Antonio, Antony, or Anthony. Thischaracter was remarkably familiar with strange spirits of all kinds. The priests represented that he was beset and tempted by devils ; but the sorcerers knew that all their dear and beautiful gods, or folletti–their Faflon-Bacchus and Bella Marta of the Morning–were calleddevils, and so had their own ideas on the subject They did not object to being tempted by these "devils" when they came as beings of enchanting beauty, to fill their wine-cellars and give them no end of good luck in gambling and naughty love. Even the priests made it very prominent that Antony commanded all kinds of devils and folletti –ergo he was a conjuror and streghone and "in the business," like themselves. "Saints Antonio and Simeone cannot be saints," said a strega to me, "because we always perform incantations to them in a cellar by night." This of course is always done to heathen spirits, and never to saints. But what is very conclusive is this : It is decidedly a matter of witchcraft, and most un-Christian, to say the Lord's prayer either backwards, or "double"–that is, to repeat every sentence twice. This–the pater-noster a doppio–will call any heathen spirit in double quick time; and it is peculiarly addressed to Saint Antony, and bears his name.

Thus when one has lost anything–quando si perde qualche cosa–you say a double paternoster to San Antonio, thus:–

"Ma dire il paternoster cosi e della stregheria, e non della vera religione Cattolica" ("But to say the paternoster thus, is of witchcraft, and not the real Catholic religion"). So said one who had received a liberal education in the art.

Quite as heathen does this saint appear in the following ceremony, every detail of which is taken from ancient sorcery: When a girl wishes to win or reclaim a lover, or, indeed, if anybody wants anything at all, he–or generally

¹ According to PITRÉ (Usie Custome, &c., vol. iv., p.69) the folletto in Southern Italy is only one kind of spirit–non se ne può ammettere più d'uno. This is a buon diavoletto, and the exact counter part of Dusio, or Puck, a trifling airy Robin Goodfellow, or fairy of the Shakespeare and Draytontype.

she–puts two flower-pots, containing l'érba San Antonio, one on either side of an open window at midnight, with a pot of rue in the centre. These must be bound with a red-scarlet ribbon, made in three knots, and pierced or dotted with pins, as a tassel (fatto con tre nodi e puntati con tre spilli per fiocchio), and turning to thewindow, say:–

English:–

"When this prayer shall have been uttered, wait attentively at the window, and if a knock at a door be heard, or a man whistling, or a dog barking, then the request– grazia– will be granted; one alone of thesesounds will suffice to make it known. But should a dark (nero) horse or mule pass, or a hearse, bearing a corpse, then the prayer is refused.

"But if a white horse goes by, the favour will be conceded–ma con molto tempo–after some time shall have passed."

It may always be borne in mind that though this be addressed to a mediæval

saint, there is every probability, and, judging by every analogy and association, a certainty, that San Antonio is some Roman or Etruscan spirit in Christian disguise. For all the details of the ceremony are old heathen, as is the divination by sounds.

Saint Antony protects his friends from many troubles, but specially from witchcraft. Therefore they say to him in Romagnola:–

In Italian:–

This is not very beautiful poetry, but it is as good as the original, which is not in either form "written in choice Italian." The reader may judge from them

what trouble I have sometimes had to disentangle an incantation from the bristling dialect in which it was surrounded.

In allusion to Saint Antony on the chimney-piece I was informed that he is specially the folletto, or spirit, of the fireplace. Which makes him quite the same as the Russian Domovoy, and gives him– which isworth noting– a distinct place as a Lar or Spiritus domesticus, lar familiaris.

Santo Eliseo is unquestionably at first sight Elisha. He has a bald head, and appears as the destroyer of bad boys. But–scratch a Russian and you find a Tartar–when we look into this interesting Christian heappears to be sadly heathen, even Jovial, for there is a distinct trace of Jupiter in him. When a young lady finds that her lover is going astray, she, after the fashion followed in the blackest witchcraft, takes someof the hair of her lover, goes into a cellar at midnight and curses, blasphemes, and conjures after the following good old Tuscan style:–

In English:–

Truly a curious invocation, and a nice occupation for a Christian saint!But who was this Elisæo, or Elisæus? There was of yore a certain Jupiter Elicœus, or Aelisæus, not unconnected with lions, who was well known in this same Tuscan land; but I leave all this to others. Elisha of the Bible was a wonderful worker of miracles, and this may have established him as a magician among the Tuscans.

Saint Elia is Saint Elias. He appears in the following prescription and invocation:–

"To cure an affliction of the eyes, take three roots bound with a red ribbon, three leaves of trefoil and then say:–

"Then take three peppercorns and a bit of cinnamon, three cloves, and a large handful of salt, and put all to boil in a new earthenware pot, and let it boil for a quarter of an hour. During this time put your face over it so that the eyes may be steamed, and keep making la castagna (the sign of the thumb between the fingers) into the pot and say:–

"And this must be done for three days."

Another sorcerer-saint is Simeon. As he is sometimes called Simeone Mago,there cannot be the least doubt that he is quite confused with Simon theMagician ; in fact, I ascertained as much from a witch who was much above the average of the common people as regarded education. For when peopleare not encouraged to study the Bible, such little mistakes are of unavoidable occurrence. But before I conclude this chapter I shall show that there is a complete confusion in Italy between old sorcery and Christianity, and that the priests, far from opposing it, in a way actually encourage and aid it, on the principle that you can always sell more goods wherethere is a rival in competition. The following was taken down word by word from a witch:–

"This saint is a folletto–i.e., a heathen spirit. There are many of these spirits who in witchcraft are called saints. And this is not all. For as you invoke Simeon, so you may call other spirits faccendo la Novena–repeating the Novena." (This is a Roman Catholic incantation, a copy of which was purchased for me in a cross and rosary shop.) "You simply substitute the name of a folletto for Simeon–any spirit you want.

"But for Simon himself, when you go to bed you must repeat his Novena three nights in succession at midnight.

"But you must be fearless (bisogna essere di coraggio), for he will come in many forms or figures, dressed like a priest in white, or like a friar with a long beard. But do not be afraid however he may change his form. Then he will ask, 'Cosa volete che mi avete scommodato?' ('What do you want, that you trouble me thus?') Then answer promptly whatever itmay be that you require–three numbers in the lottery, or where a hidden treasure is concealed, or how you may get the love of a certain woman: qualunque fortuna si desidera–whatever fortune you desire.

"But be very careful in repeating the Novena not to err in a single syllable, and to repeat it with a fearless mind (colla mente molto ferma), and so you will get from him what you want.

"But if you are not [fearless] and prompt to answer, he will give you a stiaffo forte (a sound slap or cuff), so that the five fingers willremain marked on your face–yes, and sometimes they never disappear"

The Novena itself is as follows:–

"0 gloriossissimo S. Vecchio Simeone che meritaste ed aveste la bella sorte di ricevere e portare nella vostre fortunate braccie il Divin Pargoletto Gesù–E le annunziaste e profetiziaste e le vostre Profeziefurono sante verità–Oh Santo concedetomi la grazia che vi addomando. Amen."

This is the inscription under a coloured print in which Saint Simon is represented as clad in a grey skitt to the ground, a scarlet gown to the knee, a yellow sash and girdle, and a kind of high mitred cap–quite such as was worn by magi and sorcerers and Egyptian priests of yore–whence it came in the second or third century with a mass of other Orientalproperties and wardrobes to the Roman Catholic manager of the Grand Opera of Saint Peter.

This is the account of the spell as given by one who was a believer in this heathen Tuscan magic. In it we have, plainly and clearly, an old heathen spirit or the magician Simon, who changed his forms like Proteus. It is very curious to contrast this with the following Roman Catholic methodof working the oracle, as given in the Libretto di Stregonerie, ahalfpenny popular, half-pious work.

"Procure an image or statuette in plaster of this great saint, who presided at the circumcision of our Lord Jesus Christ, with the old Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary, both being the very much beloved progenitors of the Lord God the Redeemer.

"It makes no difference if the image of the saint be of plaster or a picture, if we repeat the marvellous Oration (Novena) dedicated to him, and if according to the instructions in it we recite the customary prayer.

"And it is certain that after the Novena, the good old man will appear in some form, and give to the one praying his request; but what he principally bestows is lucky numbers in the lottery.

"There is no occasion to fear, for the saint generally appears in a dreamwhile you sleep, and his form is so good and benevolent that there is nodanger of awaking trembling and terrified.

"The whole difficulty is to know how to decipher the exact meaning of thewords and signs which the saint will give. Many people miss their meaning, according to what many have experienced, so difficult is it to decipher and unravel the problems or 'figurations.' " ¹

There, reader, you have the two–take your choice. One is the downnght grim old heathen classic Proteus Simon, who requires the courage of anold Norse hero to face him, or one of the kind who–

while the other is all rose-water–sucré–and light pink ribbons. But you should have seen the sorceress who prescribed the allopathic spell! She looked

¹ It is a fact worth noting that in all religions of all ages the inspiring spirit of oracles, like Martin Van Buren, the American President,seems to suffer from a decided inability to give a plain straightforwardanswer to a plain question. The prophecies of the Old Testament, like those of the Pythoness, or Merlin, or Thomas Nixon, or Mother Bunch, or True Thomas, or Nostradamus, are all frightfully muddled. I believe that notheologian has ever accounted for this divine inability to speak directly or to the point.

her part. One day I said to her that I wanted a photograph of a certain other old woman professor of the art, but she must look animated like a witch. "Oh, you want her to look like THIS!" cried my oracle. And she puton for an instant the witch-look–and, as Byron says of Gulleyaz, itwas like a short glimpse of hell. She actually seemed to be another person. Then I realised what the Pythia of yore must have looked like when inspired–or the old Etruscan sorceress described in The Last Daysof Pompeii–who was possibly an ancestress of my friend. A photograph of that! Why, it would be like the likeness of a devil withthe hydrophobia.

One day I gave a young woman an amulet–a stone in the form of a mouse–for luck. Her first question was, "Will it enable me to win in the lottery?" "For that," I replied, "you must put it under your pillow, and pray to San Simeone."   "Si–si," she eagerly cried, "I know the Novena." When I met her some time after she declared thatthe mouse (which she was wearing in a little red bag hung from her neck,but hidden), had promptly brought her a prize in the lottery, and much other unexpected good luck.

What we have here are two forms of sorcery–one the old Roman-Etruscan, and the other its modification under Roman Catholic influence. I suspect that the first was in the beginning purely Etruscan, but modified to agree with Simon Magus. I have other forms of diabolical or heathen spells which are unquestionably ante or anti-Christian, and which agree with it so much as to prove a common origin. I will now proceed to "further instances."

It is not remarkable that there should be saints half heathen in a country where the established Christian religion itself makes extraordinary andfrequent compromises with common sorcery and black witchcraft. In old times those souls of men who had slain many victims were invoked above allothers, the belief being that they carried into the other world the audacious power which they had won by blood. This foul and atrocious worshipof dead criminals is to-day in full action in Sicily with the cordial sanction of the priesthood, as the reader may learn in detail from a chapter in the Biblioteca delle Tradizioni popolari Siciliane, edited byGIUSEPPE PITRÉ, vol. xvii., Palermo, 1889. In it we are told that when murderers and other atrocious criminals have been beheaded, if they do but confess and receive absolution before death, they are believed to become a specially favoured kind of saints, who, if invoked when any one is in danger of being robbed and slain, come down from heaven and aid the victim. And this is carried so far that there is actually a chiesa delle anime de corpi decollati (a "church of the souls of beheaded bodies") in Palermo, with many pictures of the holy miracles wrought by thesainted murderers. M. PITRÉ has

devoted twenty-five pages to this subject, showing the extent of this vilest form of superstition and witchcraft, the zeal of its worshippers, andthe degree to which it is encouraged by the priests. There is a work entitled Saint Francis of Assissi, Sacred Discourses, delivered by the Rev. FORTUNATO MONDELLO, Palermo, 1874, in which such worship is commended and exalted with much sham-second-hand fervour, in that wretched fervid style of writing, which reminds one of third-rate plaster statues ofsaints in Jesuit churches of the last century, which the sculptor attempts to make holy-sentimental but has only succeeded in rendering spasmodically silly. There is, according to him, some thing exquisitely tender and beautiful in giving "to these pilgrims of eternity when about to rise to heaven, the refreshment of that sublime word, "Sons of penitence–fly–fly to glory!" "So religion ennobles and sanctifies their death when they take the cross of the Redeemer," &c., and so forth, as usual, when the stream of such holy commonplaces is once turned on.

What this really is, is devil-worship. These saints have been thevery scum of Sicilian brigandance, outrage, robbery, and wickedness–incarnate fiends; and now, because they went through a mere form of words and were sprinkled and oiled, they are adored like God, are prayed to, and their relations are proud of them. In all this there does not appear a word as to their unfortunate victims. No ; because these latter went straight to hell, having mostly died "in sin," without confession.

"It is believed about Naples or in Sicily, that a man will be safe not togo to hell if he will take some flour, roll it up in a paper, carry it to a priest who lays it on the altar near the cup and renders it potent with the words of the consecration" (Ibid.; p.142). This practice was condemned in 1638, but there are many similar ceremonies still practised with the aid of priests. Thus in Florence if a woman wishes to be with child, she goes to a priest and gets from him an enchanted apple, afterwhich she repairs to Saint Anna, la San 'Na who was Lucina of Roman times, and repeats a prayer or spell. And all this is not sorcery! Oh dear no–that is quite a different thing! Thana was in fact the Etruscan Lucina, or goddess of birth, and Anna may be derived from this. She was identical with Losna.

Saint Lawrence, or San Lorenzo, is another old heathen in disguise. He was grilled on a gridiron. His day is the ioth of August, when innumerable children visit his church and turn three times round before the altar, or go round it thrice for good luck, reciting orazioni, incantations, and prayers. "E ciascuna volta far mostra d'uscise di Chiesa."

This turning or going round for luck is a remnant of the old worship of

Fortune, and of the turning of her wheel. To this day in Sicily the turning a knife or spinning a chair is an invocation of Fortune according to Pitré.

To recur to Simon, one can hardly fail to inquire of him as the ChristianSaint of the Circumcision, since he performed the deed and Christ submitted to it), giving us thereby a divine example, and since the circumcision is glorified in every church, and in thousands of pictures, as in this Novena), why do not all Catholics submit to it? Surely the Pope, cardinals, and priesthood should conform to that which they glorify, and set theexample of. "Or if so, why not?" "Matter of breviary, quoth Friar John."

Simeone as the Saint of Dreams has taken the place of Somnus. It may be that Somnus, who became Somno, may have been called Somnone and socoalesced with Simeone. This is mere conjecture, but by a guess hypothesis begins, and then in time a place as theory wins. The difference between Santo Simeone and Santo Somnone is not tremendous–and Simeone isthe Saint of Dreams.

While these sheets were going through the press, I received several curious documents which I regret that I cannot give in detail. The first is aLegend of a spirit or sorcerer, who was on earth a priest named Arrimini, who hid in the magic walnut-tree (probably of Benevento), and acquired magic power by means of a cat-witch's blood. The second is a strange and interesting tale of the rivalry of two witches named Meta and Goda, in which the latter comes to grief by endeavouring to bewitch the king's son. Both of these tales are from the Tuscan Romagna, that of Arrimini comes from Premilcuore, and is written by Peppino, who has been several times referred to in this book. I may here lay stress on the fact that these witch or sorcery legends have a marked character of their own, being all harsher, cruder, and more uncanny than the usual Italian fairy tales, in which latter there are, however, many traces of the former. I mention this, because in marked contrast to them I have received with the others the tale of Il Fornaio, or of the baker Tozzi and his daughter the fair Fiorlinda, which is made up of the usual nursery-tale elements, or the cruel stepmother, the benevolent fairy, the ugly envious daughter of the stepmother, and the young prince. The real witch tales are told among witches and grown people, and have a far grimmer, darker, and more occult tone than the latter. Thus in the story of Arrimini it is not the narrative by any means which forms its strength, but the description of the magic means and materials obtained, which would be of no interest to any one save to adult "professionals."

Title Page / Table of Contents / List of Illustrations / Introduction / Introduction Part 2 / Turn to Page / 18-30 / 31-43 / 44-60 / 61-75 / 76-90 / 91-104 / 105-118 / 119-131 / 132-144 / 145-154 / 155-166 / 167-176 / 177-187 / 188-197 / 198-207 / 208-217 / 218-227 / 228-237 / 238-247 / 251-262 / 263-274 / 275-284 / 285-295 / 296-307 / 308-317 / 318-328 / 329-338 / 339-350 / 351-361 / 362-376 / Index / Acor-Dion / Dion-Invo / Invo-Orph / Ovid-Tour / Tozz-Zumi / O:.B:.C:. Index / History / Essays & Articles / Spirit Visions / Research & Theories / The Ways & Teachings / Initiation O:.B:.C:. / The Elements / Traditional Ritual / Sacred Text / copyright 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 Gregory S. Van Etten This web site hosted by Acorn Products. All rights reserved