THE WITCH IN ITALY In a recent discussion with a friend who visits Italy, the topic came up about how the Strega in Italy today is perceived. Like most countries, the Italian Witch is seen in mainstream society as the person who casts spells, and for a price can take care of your problems, or rid you of troublesome people. This stereotype, like most stereotypes in any culture, is kept alive by the ignorant who cannot see behind the distorted image, or who refuse to do so. What the average person in Italy calls a Witch is actually a sorceress, not a Witch. She is a magic user without specific ties to a religious system or a formal magical tradition that predates Christianity. The sorceress who is commonly called a Witch in Italy, is largely involved with magic rooted in Catholic-based sorcery. By contrast the ancient Roman writings depict the Witch as associated with a Goddess by such names as Hecate, Diana, and Proserpina. We see this in the ancient writings of Homer, Lucan and Ovid. The goddess Diana, in connection with Witchcraft, is mentioned by the 18th century writer Girolamo Tartarotti, who portrays Witchcraft as the survival of the cult of Diana. This is an ancient theme with religious overtones and pre-Christian roots. For centuries the Catholic Church worked very hard to eradicate the Pagan roots of Witchcraft. One diabolically clever maneuver was to portray Witchcraft as Satanic, and for centuries the Church told people that Witches worshiped Satan. In this false light, all acts of Witchcraft were rendered evil. As this concocted idea of Witchcraft eventually withered away, Witchcraft lost its connection to group practice (the Sabbat) in the eyes of mainstream society. It came to be seen as the practice of certain women who knew the old magical arts and who could foretell the future. But this is also true of people who are not Witches, and so this is not THE definition of a Witch in and of itself. So, what does define a Witch? Lets talk about the facts and fallacies surrounding the Italian Witch.
Posted on: Sun, 25 May 2014 13:48:57 +0000
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