Ariadia

ARADIA, or the Gospel of the Witches
Charles G. Leland
Table of Contents
ARADIA, or the Gospel of the
Witches............................................................................................................1
Charles G. Leland...................................................................................................................................1
PREFACE...............................................................................................................................................1
CAPTER I. o! Diana Ga"e #irth to Aradia $erodias%...................................................................&
CAPTER II, The 'abbat( Tre)*enda or Witch+,eetin)--o! to Consecrate the '*pper................
CAPTER III. o! Diana ,ade the 'tars and the Rain.....................................................................1&
CAPTER I/. The Char0 of the 'tones Consecrated to Diana..........................................................11
CAPTER /. The Con2*ration of the Le0on and Pins.......................................................................13
CAPTER /I. A 'pell To Win Lo"e...................................................................................................41
CAPTER /II. To Find or #*5 An5thin), or to a"e Good Fort*ne Thereb5..................................4&
CAPTER /III. To a"e a Good /inta)e and /er5 Good Wine b5 the Aid of Diana......................46
CAPTER I7. Tana and Enda0one, or Diana and End5inion............................................................43
CAPTER 7. ,adonna Diana..............................................................................................................&&
CAPTER 71. The o*se of the Wind................................................................................................&1
CAPTER 7II. Tana, The ,oon+Goddess..........................................................................................&.
CAPTER 7III. Diana and the Children..............................................................................................&8
CAPTER 7I/. The Goblin ,essen)ers of Diana and ,erc*r5........................................................1&
CAPTER 7/. La"erna.......................................................................................................................11
APPE9DI7...........................................................................................................................................18
Co00ents on the Fore)oin)
Te:ts..................................................................................................................;<
The Children of Diana, or o! the Fairies Were
#orn...............................................................................;.
Diana, =*een of the 'erpents, Gi"er of the Gift of
Lan)*a)es....................................................................6<
Charles G. Leland
This pa)e cop5ri)ht > 4<<1 #lac?0as? @nline.
http(AA!!!.blac?0as?.co0
B PREFACE
B CAPTER I. o! Diana Ga"e #irth to Aradia $erodias%
B CAPTER II, The 'abbat( Tre)*enda or Witch+,eetin)++o! to Consecrate the '*pper
B CAPTER III. o! Diana ,ade the 'tars and the Rain
B CAPTER I/. The Char0 of the 'tones Consecrated to Diana
B CAPTER /. The Con2*ration of the Le0on and Pins
B CAPTER /I. A 'pell To Win Lo"e
B CAPTER /II. To Find or #*5 An5thin), or to a"e Good Fort*ne Thereb5
B CAPTER /III. To a"e a Good /inta)e and /er5 Good Wine b5 the Aid of Diana
B CAPTER I7. Tana and Enda0one, or Diana and End5inion
B CAPTER 7. ,adonna Diana
B CAPTER 71. The o*se of the Wind
B CAPTER 7II. Tana, The ,oon+Goddess
B CAPTER 7III. Diana and the Children
B CAPTER 7I/. The Goblin ,essen)ers of Diana and ,erc*r5
B CAPTER 7/. La"erna
B APPE9DI7
PREFACE
If the reader has e"er 0et !ith the !or?s of the learned fol?+lorist G. PitrC, or the articles contrib*ted
b5
DLad5 /ere De /ereD to the Italian Ri"ista, or that of E. . Andre!s to Fol?+Lore,F1G he !ill be a!are
that
there are in Ital5 )reat n*0bers of stre)e , fort*ne+tellers or !itches, !ho di"ine b5 cards, perfor0
stran)e
cere0onies in !hich spirits are s*pposed to be in"o?ed, 0a?e and sell a0*lets, and, in fact, co0port
the0sel"es )enerall5 as their rep*ted ?ind are !ont to do, be the5 #lac? /oodoos in A0erica or
sorceresses
an5!here.
#*t the Italian stre)a or sorceress is in certain respects a different character fro0 these. In 0ost cases
she
co0es of a fa0il5 in !hich her callin) or art has been practised for 0an5 )en erations. I ha"e no do*bt
that
there are in stances in !hich the ancestr5 re0o*nts to 0ediH"al, Ro0an, or it 0a5 be Etr*scan ti0es.
The
res*lt has nat*rall5 been the acc*0*lation in s*ch fa0ilies of 0*ch tradition. #*t in 9orth ern Ital5, as
its
literat*re indicates, tho*)h there
F1. ,arch, 138.( D9eapolitan Witchcraft.DG
has been so0e sli)ht )atherin) of fair5 tales and pop*lar s*perstitions b5 scholars, there has ne"er
e:isted the
least interest as re)arded the stran)e lore of the !itches, nor an5 s*spicion that it e0braced an
incredible
I*antit5 of old Ro0an 0inor 05ths and le)ends, s*ch as @"id has recorded, b*t of !hich 0*ch
escaped hi0
and all other Latin !riters.F1G
This i)norance !as )reatl5 aided b5 the !iJards the0sel"es, in 0a?in) a profo*nd secret of all their
traditions, *r)ed thereto b5 fear of the priests. In fact, the latter all *nconscio*sl5 act*all5 contrib*ted
i00ensel5 to the preser"ation of s*ch lore, since the char0 of the forbidden is "er5 )reat, and
!itchcraft, li?e
the tr*ffle, )ro!s best and has its raciest fla"o*r !hen 0ost deepl5 hidden. o!e"er this 0a5 be, both
priest
and !iJard are "anishin) no! !ith incredible rapidit5+it has e"en str*c? a French !riter that a
Franciscan in
a rail!a5 carria)e is a stran)e ano0al5+and a fe! 0ore 5ears of ne!spapers and bic5cles $ea"en
?no!s
!hat it
F1. Th*s !e 0a5 i0a)ine !hat the case !o*ld ha"e been as re)ards Ger0an fair5+tales if nothin) bad
s*r"i"ed to a f*t*re da5 e:cept the collections of Gri00 and ,*sH*s. The !orld !o*ld fall into the
belief
that these constit*ted all the !or?s of the ?ind !hich had e"er e:isted, !hen, in fact the5 for0 onl5 a
s0all
part of the !hole. And fol?lore !as *n?no!n to classic a*thors( there is reall5 no e"idence in an5
ancient
Latin !riter that he )athered traditions and the li?e a0on) the "*l)ar, as 0en collect at present. The5
all
0ade boo?s entirel5 o*t of boo?s+there bein) still Da fe! left of the sa0e sortD of literati.G
!ill be !hen fl5in)+0achines appearK% !ill probabl5 ca*se an e"anish0ent of all.
o!e"er, the5 die slo!l5, and e"en 5et there are old people in the Ro0a)na of the 9orth !ho ?no! the
Etr*scan na0es of the T!el"e Gods, and in"ocations to #acch*s, E*piter, and /en*s, ,erc*r5, and the
Lares
or ancestral spirits, and in the cities are !o0en !ho prepare stran)e a0*lets, o"er !hich the5 0*tter
spells,
all ?no!n in the old Ro0an ti0e, and !ho can astonish e"en the learned b5 their le)ends of Latin )ods,
0in)led !ith lore !hich 0a5 be fo*nd in Cato or Theocrit*s. With one of these I beca0e inti0atel5
acI*ainted in 1336, and ha"e e"er since e0plo5ed her speciall5 to collect a0on) her sisters of the
hidden
spell in 0an5 places all the traditions of the olden ti0e ?no!n to the0. It is tr*e that I ha"e dra!n fro0
other
so*rces, b*t this !o0an b5 lon) practice has perfectl5 learned !hat fe! *nderstand, or 2*st !hat I
!ant, and
ho! to e:tract it fro0 those of her ?ind.
A0on) other stran)e relics, she s*cceeded, after 0an5 5ears, in obtainin) the follo!in) DGospel,D
!hich I
ha"e in her hand!ritin). A f*ll acco*nt of its nat*re !ith 0an5 details !ill be fo*nd in an Appendi:. I
do not
?no! definitel5 !hether 05 infor0ant deri"ed a part of these traditions fro0 !ritten so*rces or oral
narration, b*t belie"e it !as chiefl5 the latter. o!e"er, there are a fe! !iJards !ho cop5 or preser"e
doc*0ents relati"e to their art. I ha"e not seen 05 collector since the DGospelD !as sent to 0e. I hope
at so0e
f*t*re ti0e to be better infor0ed.
For brief e:planation I 0a5 sa5 that !itch craft is ?no!n to its "otaries as la "ecchia reli)ione, or the
old
reli)ion, of !hich Diana is the Goddess, her da*)hter Aradia $or erodias% the fe0ale ,essiah, and
that this
little !or? sets forth ho! the latter !as born, ca0e do!n to earth, established !itches and !itchcraft,
and
then ret*rned to hea"en. With it are )i"en the cere0onies and in"ocations or incantations to be
addressed to
Diana and Aradia, the e:orcis0 of Cain, and the spells of the hol5+stone, r*e, and "erbena, constit*tin),
as
the te:t declares, the re)*lar ch*rch+ser"ice, so to spea?, !hich is to be chanted or prono*nced at the
!itch+0eetin)s. There are also incl*ded the "er5 c*rio*s incantations or benedictions of the hone5,
0eal,
and salt, or ca?es of the !itch+s*pper, !hich is c*rio*sl5 classical, and e"identl5 a relic of the Ro0an
,5steries.
The !or? co*ld ha"e been e:tended ad infinit*0 b5 addin) to it the cere0onies and incantations !hich
act*all5 for0 a part of the 'cript*re of Witchcraft, b*t as these are nearl5 all+or at least in )reat
n*0ber+to
be fo*nd in 05 !or?s entitled Etr*scan+Ro0an Re0ains and Le)ends of Florence, I ha"e hesitated to
co0pile s*ch a "ol*0e before ascertainin) !hether there is a s*fficientl5 lar)e n*0ber of the p*blic
!ho
!o*ld b*5 s*ch a !or?.
'ince !ritin) the fore)oin) I ha"e 0et !ith and read a "er5 cle"er and entertainin) !or? entitled Il
Ro0anJo
dei 'etti0ani, G. Ca"a)nari, 1338, in !hich the a*thor, in the for0 of a no"el, "i"idl5 depicts the
0anners,
habits of tho*)ht, and especiall5 the nat*re of !itchcraft, and the 0an5 s*perstitions c*rrent a0on) the
peasants in Lo0bard5. Lnfort*natel5, not!ithstandin) his e:tensi"e ?no!led)e of the s*b2ect, it ne"er
see0s
to ha"e once occ*rred to the narrator that these traditions !ere an5thin) b*t no:io*s nonsense or
abo0inabl5
*n+Christian foll5. That there e:ists in the0 0ar"ello*s relics of ancient 05tholo)5 and "al*able
fol?lore,
!hich is the "er5 cor cordi*0 of histor5, is as *ncared for b5 hi0 as it !o*ld be b5 a co00on
Moccolone or
tra0pin) Franciscan. @ne !o*ld thin? it 0i)ht ha"e been s*spected b5 a 0an !ho ?ne! that a !itch
reall5
endea"o*red to ?ill se"en people as a cere0on5 or rite, in order to )et the secret of endless !ealth, that
s*ch a
sorceress 0*st ha"e had a store of !ondro*s le)endsN b*t of all this there is no trace, and it is "er5
e"ident
that nothin) co*ld be f*rther fro0 his 0ind than that there !as an5thin) interestin) fro0 a hi)her or
0ore
)enial point of "ie! in it all.
is boo?, in fine, belon)s to the "er5 )reat n*0ber of those !ritten on )hosts and s*perstition since the
latter
has fallen into discredit, in !hich the a*thors ind*l)e in 0*ch satirical and "er5 safe b*t cheap ridic*le
of
!hat to the0 is 0erel5 "*l)ar and false. Li?e 'ir Charles Coldstrea0, the5 ha"e peeped into the crater
of
/es*"i*s after it had ceased to Der*pt,D and fo*nd Dnothin) in it.D #*t there !as so0ethin) in it onceN
and the
0an of science, !hich 'ir Charles !as not, still finds a )reat deal in the re0ains, and the antiI*arian a
Po0peii or a erc*lane*0+Otis said there are still se"en b*ried cities to *nearth. I ha"e done !hat little
$it is
reall5 "er5 little% I co*ld, to disinter so0ethin) fro0 the dead "olcano of Italian sorcer5.
If this be the 0anner in !hich Italian !itchcraft is treated b5 the 0ost intelli)ent !riter !ho has
depicted it, it
!ill not be dee0ed re0ar?able that there are fe! indeed !ho !ill care !hether there is a "eritable
Gospel of
Witches, apparentl5 of e:tre0e antiI*it5, e0 bod5in) the belief in a stran)e co*nter+ reli)ion !hich
has held
its o!n fro0 pre+historic ti0e to the present da5. DWitchcraft is all r*bbish, or so0ethin) !orse,D said
old
!riters, Dand therefore all boo?s abo*t it are nothin) better.D I sincerel5 tr*st, ho!e"er, that these pa)es
0a5
fall into the hands of at least a fe! !ho !ill thin? better of the0.
I sho*ld, ho!e"er, in 2*stice to those !ho do care to e:plore dar? and be!ilderin) paths, e:plain
clearl5 that
!itch+lore is hidden !ith 0ost scr*p*lo*s care fro0 all sa"e a "er5 fe! in Ital5, 2*st as it is a0on) the
Chippe!a5 ,edas or the #lac? /oodoo. In the no"el to the life of I 'etti0ani an aspirant is represented
as
li"in) !ith a !itch and acI*irin) or pic?in) *p !ith pain, scrap b5 scrap, her spells and incantations,
)i"in)
5ears to it. 'o 05 friend the late ,. Dra)o0anoff told 0e ho! a certain 0an in *n)ar5, ha"in)
learned that
he had collected 0an5 spells $!hich !ere indeed s*bseI*entl5 p*blished in fol?lore 2o*rnals%, stole
into the
scholarOs roo0 and s*rreptitio*sl5 copied the0, so that the ne:t 5ear !hen Dra)o0anoff ret*rned, he
fo*nd
the thief in f*ll practice as a bloo0in) 0a)ician. Tr*l5 he had not )ot 0an5 incantations, onl5 a doJen
or so,
b*t a "er5 little !ill )o a )reat !a5 in the b*siness, and I "ent*re to sa5 there is perhaps hardl5 a sin)le
!itch
in Ital5 !ho ?no!s as 0an5 as I ha"e p*blished, 0ine ha"in) been assid*o*sl5 collected fro0 0an5,
far and
!ide. E"er5thin) of the ?ind !hich is !ritten is, 0oreo"er, often destro5ed !ith scr*p*lo*s care b5
priests or
penitents, or the "ast n*0ber !ho ha"e a s*perstitio*s fear of e"en bein) in the sa0e ho*se !ith s*ch
doc*0ents, so that I re)ard the resc*e of the /an)elo as so0ethin) !hich is to sa5 the least re0ar?able.
CAPTER I. o! Diana Ga"e #irth to Aradia $erodias%
DIt is DianaK LoK
'he rises crescented.D
+PeatsO End50ion
D,a?e 0ore bri)ht
The 'tar =*eenOs crescent on her 0arria)e ni)ht.D
+Ibid.
This is the Gospel $/an)elo% of the Witches(
Diana )reatl5 lo"ed her brother L*cifer, the )od of the '*n and of the ,oon, the )od of Li)ht
$'plendor%,
!ho !as so pro*d of his bea*t5, and !ho for his pride !as dri"en fro0 Paradise.
Diana had b5, her brother a da*)hter, to !ho0 the5 )a"e the na0e of Aradia Fi.e. erodiasG.
In those da5s there !ere on earth 0an5 rich and 0an5 poor.
The rich 0ade sla"es of all the poor.
In those da5s !ere 0an5 sla"es !ho !ere cr*ell5 treatedN in e"er5 palace tort*res, in e"er5 castle
prisoners.
,an5 sla"es escaped. The5 fled to the co*ntr5N th*s the5 beca0e thie"es and e"il fol?. Instead of
sleepin) b5
ni)ht, the5 plotted escape and robbed their 0asters, and then sle! the0. 'o the5 d!elt in the 0o*ntains
and
forests as robbers and assassins, all to a"oid sla"er5.
Diana said one da5 to her da*)hter Aradia(
E "ero che t* set *no spinto,
,a t* set nata per essere ancora.
,ortale, e t* de"i andare
'*lla terra e fare da 0aestra
A donne e aO *or0ni che a"ranno
/olentQ di inparare la t*a sc*ola
Che sara cornposta di stre)onerle.
9on de"i essere co0e la fi)lia di Ca0o,
E della raJJa che sono de"en*ti
'cellerati infa0i a ca*sa del 0altratta0enti,
Co0e Gi*del e Min)ari,
T*tti ladri e bri)anti,
T* non di"ieni...
T* sarai $se0pre% la pri0a stre)a,
La pri0a stre)a di"en*ta nel 0ondo,
T* inse)nerai lOarte di a""elenare,
Di a""elenare $t*tti% I si)nori,
Di farli 0orti nei loro palaJJi,
Di le)are il spirit* del oppressore,
E do"e si tro"a *n contadino ricco e a"aro,
Inse)nare alle stre)e t*e al*nne,
Co0e ro"inare s*o raccolto
Con te0pesta, fol)ore e balen,
Con )randine e "ento.
=*ando *n prete ti fara del 0ale,
Del 0ale colle s*e bene diOMion,
T* le farei $se0pre% *n dopplo 0ale
Col 0io no0e, col no0e di Diana,
Re)ina delle stre)he...
=*ando i nobili e prete "i diranno
Do"ete credere nel Padre, Fi)lio,
E ,aria, rispondete )li se0pre,
DIL "ostro dio Padre e ,aria
'ono tre dia"oli...
Il "ero dio Padre non e il "ostro
Il "ostro dio+io sono "en*ta
Per distr*))ere la )ente catti"a
E la distr*))ero....
D/ol altri po"eri soffrite anche la fa0e,
E la"orato 0alo e 0olte "olteN
'offrite anche la pri)ioneN
,apero a"ete *na ani0a,
Lna aninia piR b*ona, e nellOaltra,
9ellOaltra 0ondo "oi starete bene,
E )li altri 0ale.D...
Translation.
OTis tr*e indeed that tho* a spirit art,
#*t tho* !ert born b*t to beco0e a)ain
A 0ortalN tho* 0*st )o to earth belo!
To be a teacher *nto !o0en and 0en
Who fain !o*ld st*d5 !itchcraft in th5 school
Set li?e CainOs da*)hter tho* shalt ne"er be,
9or li?e the race !ho ha"e beco0e at last
Wic?ed and infa0o*s fro0 s*fferin),
As are the Ee!s and !anderin) Min)ari,
Who are all thie"es and ?na"esN li?e *nto the0
Se shall not be....
And tho* shalt be the first of !itches ?no!nN
And tho* shalt be the first of all iO the !orldN
And tho* shalt teach the art of poisonin),
@f poisonin) those !ho are )reat lords of allN
Sea, tho* shalt 0a?e the0 die in their palacesN
And tho* shalt bind the oppressorOs so*l $!ith po!er%NF1G
And !hen 5e find a peasant !ho is rich,
Then 5e shall teach the !itch, 5o*r p*pil, ho!
To r*in all his crops !ith te0pests dire,
With li)htnin) and !ith th*nder $terrible%,
And the hall and !ind....
F1. Le)are, the bindin) and paral5sin) h*0an fac*lties b5 0eans of !itchcraft.G
And !hen a priest shall do 5o* in2*r5
#5 his benedictions, 5e shall do to hi0
Do*ble the har0, and do it in the na0e
@f 0e, Diana, =*een of !itches allK
And !hen the priests or the nobilit5
'hall sa5 to 5o* that 5o* sho*ld p*t 5o*r faith
In the Father, 'on, and ,ar5, then repl5(
DSo*r God, the Father, and ,aria are
Three de"ils....
DFor the tr*e God the Father is not 5o*rsN
For I ha"e co0e to s!eep a!a5 the bad,
The 0en of e"il, all !ill I destro5K
DSe !ho are poor s*ffer !ith h*n)er ?een,
And toll in !retchedness, and s*ffer too
F*ll oft i0prison0entN 5et !ith it all
Se ha"e a so*l, and for 5o*r s*fferin)s
Se shall be happ5 in the other !orld,
#*t ill the fate of all !ho do 5e !ron)KD
9o! !hen Aradia had been ta*)ht, ta*)ht to !or? all !itchcraft, ho! to destro5 the e"il race $of
oppressors%
she $i0parted it to her p*pils% and said *nto the0(
=*ando io saro partita da I*esto 0ondo,
=*al*nI*e cosa che a"rete biso)na,
Lna "olta al 0ese I*ando la l*na
E piena...
Do"ete "enire in l*o)o deserto,
In *na sel"a t*tte insie0e,
E adorare lo spirito potente
Di 0ia 0adre Diana, e chi "orra
I0parare la stre)onerie,
Che non la sopra,
,ia 0adre le inse)nera,
T*tte cose....
'arete liberi della schia"itRK
E cosi di"errete t*tti liberiK
Pero *on*0 e donne
'arete t*tti n*di, per fino.
Che non sara 0orto lO*lti0o
De)li oppressori e 0orto,
Farete il )l*oco della 0occola
Di #ene"ento, e farete poi
Lna cena cosi(
Translation.
When I shall ha"e departed fro0 this !orld,
Whene"er 5e ha"e need of an5thin),
@nce in the 0onth, and !hen the 0oon is f*ll,
Se shall asse0ble in so0e desert place,
@r in a forest all to)ether 2oin
To adore the potent spirit of 5o*r I*een,
,5 0other, )reat Diana. 'he !ho fain
Wo*ld learn all sorcer5 5et has not !on
Its deepest secrets, the0 05 0other !ill
Teach her, in tr*th all thin)s as 5et *n?no!n.
And 5e shall all be freed fro0 sla"er5,
And so 5e shall be free in e"er5thin)N
And as the si)n that 5e are tr*l5 free,
Se shall be na?ed in 5o*r rites, both 0en
And !o0en also( this shall last *ntil
The last of 5o*r oppressors shall be deadN
And 5e shall 0a?e the )a0e of #ene"ento,
E:tin)*ishin) the li)hts, and after that
'hall hold 5o*r s*pper th*s(
CAPTER II, The 'abbat( Tre)*enda or Witch+,eetin)--o! to
Consecrate the '*pper
ere follo!s the s*pper, of !hat It 0*st consist, and !hat shall be said and done to consecrate it to
Diana.
So* shall ta?e 0eal and salt, hone5 and !ater, and 0a?e this incantation(
'con)i*raJione della Farina.
'con)i*ro te, o farinaK
Che sei il corpo nostro+senJa di te
9on si potrebbe "i"ere+t* che
Pri0a di di"enire la farina,
'ei stata sotto terra, do"e t*tti
'ono nascosti t*tti in se)reti,
,accinata che siei a 0etterte al "ento,
T* spol"eri per lOaria e te ne f*))i
Portando con te i t*oi se)retiK
,a I*ando )rano sarai in spi)he,
In spi)e belle che le l*cciole,
/en)eno a farti l*0e perche t*
Possa crescere piT bella, altri0enti
T* non potresti crescere a di"enire bella,
D*nI*e anche t* appartieni
Alle 'tre)e o alle Fate, perche
Le l*cclole apparten)ono
Al 'ol...
L*cciola caporala,
/ieni corri e "ieni a )ara,
,etti la bri)lia a la ca"allaK
,etti la bri)lia al fi)l*olo del rCK
CAPTER II, The 'abbat( Tre)*enda or Witch+,eetin)--o! to Consecrate the '*pper
/ieni, corri e portala a 0CK
Il fi)l*ol del rC te lasciera andare
Pero "o)lio te pi)liare,
Giache siei bella e l*cente,
Ti "o)lio 0ettere sotto *n bicchiere
E I*ardari, colla lenteN
'otto *n bicchiere in staraU
Fino che t*tti i se)reti,
Di I*esto 0ondo e di I*ellOaltro non 0i farai
'apere e anche I*elle del )rano,
E della farina appena,
=*esti se)reti io saprV,
L*cciola 0ia libera ti lascierW
=*ando i se)reti della terra io saprW
T* sia benedetta ti diroK
'con)iaraJione del 'ale.
'con)i*ro il sale s*ona 0eJJa )iVrno,
In p*nto in 0eJJo a *n fi*0e,
Entro e I*i 0iro IOacI*a.
LOacI*a e al sol altro non penso,
Che a IOacI*a e al sol, alloro
La 0ia 0enta t*tta e ri"olta,
Altro pensier non ho desidero,
'aper la "erissi0a che tanto te0po C
Che soffro, "orrei saper il 0io a"enir,
'e catti"o fosse, acI*a e sol
,i)liorate il destino 0ioK
The Con2*ration of ,eal.
I con2*re thee, @ ,ealK
Who art indeed o*r bod5, since !itho*t thee
We co*ld not li"e, tho* !ho $at first as seed%
#efore beco0in) flo!er !ent in the earth,
Where all deep secrets hide, and then !hen )ro*nd
Didst dance li?e, d*st in the !ind, and 5et 0ean!hile
Didst bear !ith thee in flittin), secrets stran)eK
And 5et ere!hile, !hen tho* !ert in the ear,
E"en as a $)olden% )litterin) )rain, e"en then
The fireflies ca0e to cast on thee their li)htF1G
And aid th5 )ro!th, beca*se !itho*t their help
Tho* co*ldst not )ro! nor bea*tif*l beco0eN
Therefore tho* clost belon) *nto the race
@f !itches or fairies, and beca*se
The fireflies do belon) *nto the s*n....
=*een of the FirefliesK h*rr5 apace,F4G
Co0e to 0e no! as if r*nnin) a race,
#ridle the horse as 5o* hear 0e no! sin)K
#ridle, @ bridle the son of the ?in)K
Co0e in a h*rr5 and brin) hi0 to 0eK
The son of the ?in) !ill ere lon) set thee freeK
F1. There is an e"ident association here of the bod5 of the firefl5 $!hich 0*ch rese0bles a )rain of
!heat%
!ith the latter.
4. The si: lines follo!in) are often heard as a n*rser5 rh50e.G
And beca*se tho* for e"er art brilliant and fair,
Lnder a )lass I !ill ?eep theeN !hile there,
With a lens I !ill st*d5 th5 secrets concealed,
Till all their bri)ht 05steries are f*ll5 re"ealed,
Sea, all the !ondro*s lore perple:ed
@f this life of o*r cross and of the ne:t.
Th*s to all 05steries I shall attain,
Sea, e"en to that at last of the )rainN
And !hen this at last I shall tr*l5 ?no!,
Firefl5, freel5 IOll let thee )oK
When EarthOs dar? secrets are ?no!n to 0e,
,5 blessin) at last I !ill )i"e to theeK
ere follo!s the Con2*ration of the 'alt.
Con2*ration of the 'alt.
I do con2*re thee, salt, loK here at noon,
E:actl5 in the 0iddle of a strea0
I ta?e 05 place and see the !ater ro*nd,
Li?e!ise the s*n, and thin? of nothin) else
While here besides the !ater and the s*n(
For all 05 so*l is t*rned in tr*th to the0N
I do indeed desire no other tho*)ht,
I 5earn to learn the "er5 tr*th of tr*ths,
For I ha"e s*ffered lon) !ith the desire
To ?no! 05 f*t*re or 05 co0in) fate,
If )ood or e"il !ill pre"ail in it.
Water and s*n, be )racio*s *nto 0eK
ere follo!s the Con2*ration of Cain.
'con)i*raJione di CaXno.
T*o CaXno, t* non possa a"er
9e pace e ne bene fino che
Dal soleF1G andate non sarai col piedi
Correndo, le 0ani battendo,
E pre)arlo per 0e che 0i faccia sapere,
Il 0io destino, se catti"a fosse,
Allora 0e to faccia ca0biare,
'e I*esta )raJia nil farete,
LOacI*a al lo splendor del sol la )*ardero(
E t* CaXno colla t*a bocca 0i dirai
Il 0io destino I*ale sarQ(
'e I*esta )raJia o CaXno non 0i farai,
Pace e bene non a"raiK
The Con2*ration of Cain.
I con2*re thee, @ Cain, as tho* canst neOer
a"e rest or peace *ntil tho* shalt be freed
Fro0 the s*n !here tho* art prisoned, and 0*st )o
#eatin) th5 hands and r*nnin) fast 0ean!hile(F4G
I pra5 thee let 0e ?no! 05 destin5N
And if Otis e"il, chan)e its co*rse for 0eK
If tho* !ilt )rant this )race, IOll see it clear
In the !ater in the splendo*r of the s*nN
and tho*, @ Cain, shalt tell b5 !ord of 0o*th
Whate"er this 05 destin5 is to be.
And *nless tho* )rantest this,
,a5Ost tho* neOer ?no! peace or blissK
F1. Probabl5 a 0ista?e for L*na.
4. This i0plies ?eepin) hi0self !ar0, and is proof positi"e that 0oon sho*ld here be read for s*n.
Accordin)
to another le)end Cain s*ffers fro0 cold in the 0oonG
Then shall follo! the Con2*ration of Diana.
'con)i*raJione a Diana.
So* shall 0a?e ca?es of 0eal, !ine, salt, and hone5 in the shape of a $crescent or horned% 0oon, and
then
p*t the0 to ba?e, and sa5(
9on c*oco ne il pane ne il sale,
9on c*oco ne il "ino ne il 0iele,
C*oco il corpo il san)*e e lOani0a,
LOani0a di Diana, che non possa
A"ere ne la pace e ne bene,
Possa essere se0pre in 0eJJo alle pene
Fino che la )raJia non 0i farQ,
Che )lielo chiesta e)liela chiedo di c*oreK
'e I*esta )raJia, o Diana, 0i farai,
La cena in t*a lode in 0olti la fare0o,
,an)iare0o, be"ere0o,
#allere0o, saltere0o,
'e I*esta )raJia che ti ho chiesta,
'e I*esta )raJia t* 0i farai,
9el te0po che ballia0o,
Il l*0e spen)nerai,
Cosi al lOa0ore
Libera0ente la fare0oK
Con2*ration of Diana.
I do not ba?e the bread, nor !ith it salt,
9or do I coo? the hone5 !ith the !ine,
I ba?e the bod5 and the blood and so*l,
The so*l of $)reat% Diana, that she shall
Pno! neither rest nor peace, and e"er be
In cr*el s*fferin) till she !ill )rant
What I reI*est, !hat I do 0ost desire,
I be) it of her fro0 05 "er5 heartK
And if the )race be )ranted, @ DianaK
In hono*r of thee I !ill hold this feast,
Feast and drain the )oblet deep,
We, !ill dance and !ildl5 leap,
And if tho* )rantOst the )race !hich I reI*ire,
Then !hen the dance is !ildest, all the la0ps
'hall be e:tin)*ished and !eOll freel5 lo"eK
And th*s shall it be done( all shall sit do!n to the s*pper all na?ed, 0en and !o0en, and, the feast
o"er, the5
shall dance, sin), 0a?e 0*sic, and then lo"e in the dar?ness, !ith all the li)hts e:tin)*ished( for it is
the
'pirit of Diana !ho e:tin)*ishes the0, and so the5 !ill dance and 0a?e 0*sic in her praise.
And it ca0e to pass that Diana, after her da*)hter had acco0plished her 0ission or spent her ti0e on
earth
a0on) the li"in) $0ortals%, recalled her, and )a"e her the po!er that !hen she had been in"o?ed...
ha"in)
done so0e )ood deed... she )a"e her the po!er to )ratif5 those !ho had con2*red her b5 )rantin) her
or hi0
s*ccess in lo"e(
To bless or c*rse !ith po!er friends or ene0ies Fto do )ood or e"ilG.
To con"erse !ith spitrits.
To find hidden treas*res in ancient r*ins.
To con2*re the spirits of priests !ho died lea"in) treas*res.
To *nderstand the "oice of the !ind.
To chan)e !ater into !ine.
To di"ine !ith cards.
To ?no! the secrets of the hand $pal0istr5%.
To c*re diseases.
To 0a?e those !ho are *)l5 bea*tif*l.
To ta0e !ild beasts.
Whate"er thin) sho*ld be as?ed fro0 the spirit of Aradia, that sho*ld be )ranted *nto those !ho
0erited her
fa"o*r.
And th*s 0*st the5 in"o?e her(
Th*s do I see? AradiaK AradiaK AradiaKF1G At 0id ni)ht, at 0idni)ht I )o into a field, and !ith 0e I
bear
!ater, !ine, and salt, I bear !ater, !ine, and salt, and 05 talis0an+05 talis0an, 05 talis0an , and a
red
s0all ba) !hich I e"er hold in 05 hand con dentro, con dentro, sale, !ith salt in it, in it. With the !ater
and
!ine I bless 05self, I bless 05self !ith de"otion to i0plore a fa"o*r fro0 Aradia, Aradia.
'con2*raJione di Aradia.
Aradia, Aradia 0iaK
T* che siei fi)lia del piR pe))iore
Che si tro"a nell Inferno,
Che dal Paradiso f* discacciata,
F1. This is a for0*la !hich is to be slo!l5 recited, e0phasisin) the repetitions.G
E con *na sorella, te ha creata,
,a t*a 0adre pentita del s*o fallo,
A "ol*to di fare di te *no spirito,
Ln spirito beni)no,
E non 0ali)noK
AradiaK AradiaK Tanto ti pre)o
Per IOa0ore che por ti ha t*a 0adre,
E a IOa0or t*o che tanto lOa0i,
Ti pre)o di far0i la )raJia,
La )raJia che lo ti chiedo
'e I*esta )raJia 0i farei,
Tre cose 0i farai "edere,
'erpe strisciare,
L*cciola "olare,
E rana cantare
'e I*esta )raJia non 0i farai,
Desidero t* non possa a"ere,
A"ere piR pace e ne bene,
E che da lontano t* debba sco0odarti.
E a 0e racco0odarti,
Che ti obri... che t* possa tornar
Presto al t*o destino.
The In"ocation to Aradia.
AradiaK 05 AradiaK
Tho* !ho art da*)hter *nto hi0 !ho !as
,ost e"il of all spirits, !ho of old
@nce rei)ned in hell !hen dri"en a!a5 fro0 hea"en,
Who b5 his sister did th5 sire beco0e,
#*t as th5 0other did repent her fa*lt,
And !ished to 0ate thee to a spirit !ho
'ho*ld be bene"olent,
And not 0ale"olentK
Aradia, AradiaK I i0plore
Thee b5 the lo"e !hich she did bear for theeK
And b5 the lo"e !hich I too feel for theeK
I pra5 thee )rant the )race !hich I reI*ireK
And if this )race be )ranted, 0a5 there be
@ne of three si)ns distinctl5 clear to 0e(
The hiss of a serpent,
The li)ht of a firefl5,
The so*nd of a fro)K
#*t if 5o* do ref*se this fa"o*r, then
,a5 5o* in f*t*re ?no! no peace not+ 2o5,
And be obli)ed to see? 0e fro0 afar,
Lntil 5o* co0e to )rant 0e 05 desire,
In haste, and then tho* 0a5Ost ret*rn a)ain
Lnto th5 destin5. There!ith, A0enK
CAPTER III. o! Diana ,ade the 'tars and the Rain
Diana !as the first created before all creationN in her !ere all thin)sN o*t of herself, the first dar?ness,
she
di"ided herselfN into dar?ness and li)ht she !as di"ided. L*cifer, her brother and son, herself and her
other
half, !as the li)ht.
And !hen Diana sa! that the li)ht !as so bea*tif*l, the li)ht !hich !as her other half, her brother
L*cifer,
she 5earned for it !ith e:ceedin) )reat desire. Wishin) to recei"e the li)ht a)ain into her dar?ness, to
s!allo! it *p in rapt*re, in deli)ht, she tre0bled !ith desire. This desire !as the Da!n.
#*t L*cifer, the li)ht, fled fro0 her, and !o*ld not 5ield to her !ishesN he !as the li)ht !hich files into
the
0ost distant parts of hea"en, the 0o*se !hich files before the cat.
Then Diana !ent to the fathers of the #e)innin), to the 0others, the spirits !ho !ere before the first
spirit,
and la0ented *nto the0 that she co*ld not pre"ail !ith L*cifer. And the5 praised her for her co*ra)e,
the5
told her that to rise she 0*st fallN to beco0e the chief of )oddesses she 0*st beco0e a 0ortal.
And in the a)es, in the co*rse of ti0e, !hen the !orld !as 0ade, Diana !ent on earth, as did L*cifer,
!ho
had fallen, and Diana ta*)ht 0a)ic and sorcer5, !hence ca0e !itches and fairies and )oblins+all that is
li?e
0an, 5et not 0ortal.
And it ca0e th*s that Diana too? the for0 of a cat. er brother had a cat !ho0 he lo"ed be5ond all
creat*res, and it slept e"er5 ni)ht on his bed, a cat bea*tif*l be5ond all other creat*res, a fair5( he did
not
?no! it.
Diana
pre"ailed !ith the cat to chan)e for0s !ith her, so she la5 !ith her brother, and in the dar?ness
ass*0ed her
o!n for0, and so b5 L*cifer beca0e the 0other of Aradia. #*t !hen in the 0ornin) he fo*nd that he
la5 b5
his sister, and that li)ht had been conI*ered b5 dar?ness, L*cifer !as e:tre0el5 an)r5N b*t Diana san)
to
hi0 a spell, a son) of po!er, and he !as silent, the son) of the ni)ht !hich soothes to sleepN he co*ld
sa5
nothin). 'o Diana !ith her !iles of !itchcraft so char0ed hi0 that he 5ielded to her lo"e. This !as the
first
fascination, she h*00ed the son), it !as as the b*JJin) of bees $or a top spinnin) ro*nd%, a spinnin)+
!heel
spinnin) life. 'he sp*n the li"es of all 0enN all thin)s !ere sp*n fro0 the !heel of Diana. L*cifer
t*rned the
!heel.
Diana
!as not ?no!n to the !itches and spirits, the fairies and el"es !ho d!ell in desert place, the )oblins, as
their
0otherN she hid herself in h*0ilit5 and !as a 0ortal, b*t b5 her !ill she rose a)ain abo"e all. 'he had
s*ch
passion for !itchcraft, and beca0e so po!erf*l therein, that her )reatness co*ld not be hidden.
CAPTER III. o! Diana ,ade the 'tars and the Rain
And th*s it ca0e to pass one ni)ht, at the 0eetin) of all the sorceresses and fairies, she declared that
she
!o*ld dar?en the hea"ens and t*rn all the stars into 0ice.
All those !ho !ere present said+
DIf tho* canst do s*ch a stran)e thin), ha"in) risen to s*ch po!er, tho* shalt be o*r I*een.D
Diana !ent into the streetN she too? the bladder of an o: and a piece of !itch+0one5, !hich has an
ed)e li?e
a ?nife+!ith s*ch 0one5 !itches c*t the earth fro0 0enOs foot+trac?s+and she c*t the earth, and !ith it
and
0an5 0ice she filled the bladder, and ble! into the bladder till it b*rst.
And there ca0e a )reat 0ar"el, for the earth !hich !as in the bladder beca0e the ro*nd hea"en abo"e,
and
for three da5s there !as a )reat rainN the 0ice beca0e stars or rain. And ha"in) 0ade the hea"en and
the stars
and the rain, Diana beca0e =*een of the WitchesN she !as the cat !ho r*led the star+0ice, the hea"en
and
the rain.
CAPTER I/. The Char0 of the 'tones Consecrated to Diana
To find a stone !ith a hole in it is a special si)n of the fa"o*r of Diana. e !ho does so shall ta?e it in
his
hand and repeat the follo!in), ha"in) obser"ed the cere0on5 as en2oined(+
'con)i*raJione della pietra b*cata.
Lna pietra b*cata
LOho tro"atoN
9e rin)raJio il destin,
E lo spirito che s* I*esta "ia
,i ha portata,
Che passa essere il 0io bene,
E la 0ia b*ona fort*naK
,i alJo la 0attina al alba,
E a passe)io 0e ne "o
9elle "alli, 0onti e ca0pi,
La fort*na cercar"o
Della r*ta e la "erbena,
=*ello so porta fort*na
,e lo ten)o in senno chi*so
E saperlo ness*no no le de"e,
E cosi cio che co00endo,
La "erbena far ben per 0eK
#enedica I*ella stre)eK
=*ella fQta che 0i se)naKD
Diana
f* I*ella
Che 0i "enne la notte in so)no
E n* disse( D'e t* "oir tener,
Le catti"e persone da te lontano,
De"i tenere se0pre r*ta con te,
'e0pre r*ta con te e "erbenaKD
Diana
, t* che siei la re)ina
Del cielo e della terra e dellOinferno,
E siei la prottetrice de)li infelici,
Dei ladri, de)li assassini, e anche
Di donne di 0ali affari se hai conosci*to,
Che non sia stato lOindole catti"o
Delle persone, t* Diana,
Diana il hai fatti t*tti feliciK
Lna altra "olta ti scon)i*ro
Che t* non abbia ne pace ne bene,
T* possa essere se0pre in 0eJJo alle pene,
Fino che la )raJia che to ti chiedo
9on 0i faraiK
In"ocation to the ol5+'tone.
F1G
I ha"e fo*nd
A hol5+stone *pon the )ro*nd.
@ FateK I than? thee for the happ5 find,
Also the spirit !ho *pon this road
ath )i"en it to 0eN
And 0a5 it pro"e to be for 05 tr*e )ood
And 05 )ood fort*neK
I rise in the 0ornin) b5 the earliest da!n,
And I )o forth to !al? thro*)h $pleasant% "ales,
All in the 0o*ntains or the 0eado!s fair,
'ee?in) for l*c? !hile on!ard still I roa0,
'ee?in) for r*e and "er"ain scented s!eet,
#eca*se the5 brin) )ood fort*ne *nto all.
I ?eep the0 safel5 )*arded in 05 boso0,
That none 0a5 ?no! it+Otis a secret thin),
And sacred too, and th*s I spea? the spell(
D@ "er"ainK e"er be a benefit,
And 0a5 th5 blessin) be *pon the !itch
@r on the fair5 !ho did )i"e thee to 0eKD
It !as Diana !ho did co0e to 0e,
All in the ni)ht in a drea0, and said to 0e(
DIf tho* !o*ldOst ?eep all e"il fol? afar,
Then e"er ?eep the "er"ain and the r*e
'afel5 beside theeKD
F1. Properl5, the stone !ith a hole in it. #*t s*ch a stone is called hol5 on shipboard, and here it has
reall5 a
clai0 to the na0e.G
Great DianaK tho*
Who art the I*een of hea"en and of earth,
And of the infernal lands+5ea, tho* !ho art
Protectress of all 0en *nfort*nate,
@f thie"es and 0*rderers, and of !o0en too
Who lead an e"il life, and 5et hast ?no!n
That their nat*re !as not e"il, tho*, Diana,
ast still conferred on the0 so0e 2o5 in life.F1G
@r I 0a5 tr*l5 at another ti0e
'o con2*re thee that tho* shalt ha"e no peace
@r happiness, for tho* shalt e"er be
In s*fferin) *ntil tho* )rantest that
Which I reI*ire in strictest faith fro0 theeK
Fere !e ha"e a)ain the threatenin) the deit5, 2*st as in Es?i0o or other 'ha0anis0, !hich represents
the
r*dest pri0iti"e for0 of con2*rin), the spirits are 0enaced. A trace of this is to be fo*nd a0on) r*de
Ro0an
Catholics. Th*s !hen 't. #r*no, so0e 5ears a)o, at a to!n in the Ro0a)na, did not listen to the
pra5ers of
his de"otees for rain, the5 st*c? his i0a)e in the 0*d of the ri"er, head do!n!ards. A rain speedil5
follo!ed,
and the saint !as restored in hono*r to his place in the ch*rch.G
F1. This is an obsc*re passa)e, b*t I belie"e that I ha"e )i"en it as the poet ineant or felt it.G
The 'pell or Con2*ration of the Ro*nd 'tone.
F1G
The findin) a ro*nd stone, be it )reat or s0all, is a )ood si)n $e b*ono a*)*rio%, b*t it sho*ld ne"er be
)i"en
a!a5, beca*se the recei"er !ill then )et the )ood l*c?, and so0e disaster befall the )i"er.
@n findin) a ro*nd stone, raise the e5es to hea"en, and thro! the stone *p three ti0es $catchin) it e"er5
ti0e%, and sa5(+
'pirito del b*ono a*)*rioK
'ei "en*to in 0io soccorso,
Credi ne a"e"o )ran biso)no,
'pirito del folletino rosso
Giacche sei "en*to in 0io soccorso,
Ti pre)o di non 0i abbandonareK
Ti pre)o dentro I*esta palla dOintrare,
E nella 0ia tasca t* possa portare,
Cosi in I*al*nI*e 0ia biso)na,
In 0io ai*to ti posso chia0are,
E di )iorno e di notte,
T* non 0i possa abbandonare.
'e danari da I*alch*no a"anJerV
E non 0i "orra pa)are,
T* folletino rosso 0e il farei dareK
'i I*esto di non dar0eli,
'i in testera t* "i anderai
E col t*a #riC+ briCK
F1.Il sasso a palla.G
'e dor0e to desterai,
Panni dal letto laceraY,
Le farai tanta pa*ra
Che allora di andare a dor0ire,
Andra alle bische a )i*ocare,
E t* n*nI*a l* se)*irai.
E t* col t*o #riC+briC, le dirai,
Chi non pa)a delliti
A"ranno pene e )*ai.
Cosi il debitare il )iorno appresso,
@ 0i portera i danari,
@ 0i il 0anderaN
E cosi, folletino rossoK
,i farai felice in 0ia "ita,
Perche in I*alc*nI*e 0ia biso)na,
/erai in 0io soccorsoK
'e colla 0ia a0ante saroO adirato,
T* spirito del b*on a*)*rio 0ioK
Andrai la notte da lei
Per i capelli la prenderai,
E nel letto 0io la porteraiN
E la 0attina I*ando t*tti )li spiriti
/anno a riposare,
T* pri0a di siO entrare
9ella t*a palla si porterai
La 0ia bella nel s*o letto,
Cosi te pre)o folletino,
Di entrare in I*esta 0ia pallaK
E di *bbidire a t*tti 0iei co00andiK
Ed io ti porterW
'e0pre nella tasca 0ia,
Che t* non 0i "ada "ia.
The Con2*ration.
'pirit of )ood o0en,
Who art co0e to aid 0e,
#elie"e I had )reat need of thee.
'pirit of the Red Goblin,
'ince tho* hast co0e to aid 0e in 05 need,
I pra5 of thee do not abandon 0e(
I be) of thee to enter no! this stone,
That in 05 poc?et I 0a5 carr5 thee,
And so !hen an5thin) Is needed b5 0e,
I can call *nto thee( be !hat it 0a5,
Do not abandon 0e b5 ni)ht or da5.
'ho*ld I lend 0one5 *nto an5 0an
Who !ill not pa5 !hen d*e, I pra5 of thee,
Tho* the Red Goblin, 0a?e hi0 pa5 his debtK
And if he !ill not and is obstinate,
Go at hi0 !ith th5 cr5 of D#riC+ briCKD
And if he sleeps, a!a?e hi0 !ith a t!itch,
And p*ll the co"erin) off and fri)hten hi0K
And follo! hi0 abo*t !hereOer he )oes.
'o teach hi0 !ith th5 ceaseless D#riC+ briCKD
That he !ho obli)ation eOer for)ets
'hall be in tro*ble till he pa5s his debts.
And so 05 debtor on the follo!in) da5
'hall either brin) the 0one5 !hich he o!es,
@r send it pro0ptl5( so I pra5 of thee,
@ 05 Red Goblin, co0e *nto 05 aidK
@r sho*ld I I*arrel !ith her !ho0 I lo"e,
Then, spirit of )ood l*c?, I pra5 thee )o
To her !hile sleepin)+p*ll her b5 the hair,
And bear her thro*)h the ni)ht *nto 05 bedK
And in the 0ornin), !hen all spirits )o
To their repose, do tho*, ere tho* ret*rnOst
Into th5 stone, carr5 her ho0e a)ain,
And lea"e her there asleep. Therefore, @ 'priteK
I be) thee in this pebble 0a?e th5 ho0eK
@be5 in e"er5 !a5 all I co00and.
'o in 05 poc?et tho* shalt e"er be,
And tho* and I !ill neOer part co0pan5K
CAPTER /. The Con2*ration of the Le0on and Pins
'con)i*raJione al Li0one app*ntato *n 'pille.
'acred to Diana.
A le0on st*c? f*ll of pins of different colo*rs al!a5s brin)s )ood fort*ne.
If 5o* recei"e as a )ift a le0on f*ll of pins of di"ers colo*rs, !itho*t an5 blac? ones a0on) the0, it
si)nifies
that 5o*r life !ill be perfectl5 happ5 and prosper o*s and 2o5f*l.
#*t if so0e blac? pins are a0on) the0, 5o* 0a5 en2o5 )ood fort*ne and health, 5et 0in)led !ith tro*
bles
!hich 0a5 be of s0all acco*nt. Fo!e"er, to lessen their infl*ence, 5o* 0*st perfor0 the follo!in)
cere0on5, and prono*nce this incantation, !herein all is also described.F1GG
The Incantation to Diana.
Al p*nto di 0eJJa notte
Ln li0one ho raccolto,
Lo raccolto nel )iardino
o raccolto *n li0one,
F1. This passa)e is not )i"en in the ori)inal ,'., b*t it is necessar5 to clearl5 e:plain !hat follo!s
abr*ptl5.G
Ln arancio e *n 0andarino,
Co)liendo I*este cose,
Co)liendo, io ho dettoN
T*, o Re)ina del sole
Delia l*na e delle stelle,
Ti chia0o in 0io a2*to
E con I*anta forJa ho a te scon)i*ro
Che *na )raJia t* 0i "o)lia fare,
Tre cose ho racolto nel )iardinoN
Ln li0one, *n arancio,
E *n 0andarinoN *na
Di I*este cose per 0ia fort*na,
/o)lio tenere d*e
Di I*esti o))etti di 0ano,
E I*ello che do"ra ser"ir0i
Per la b*ona fort*na
Re)ina delle stelle(
Fa lo ri0anare in 0ia 0anoK
At the instant !hen the 0idni)ht ca0e,
I ha"e pic?ed a le0on in the )arden,
I ha"e pic?ed a le0on, and !ith it
An oran)e and a $fra)rant% 0andarin.
Gatherin) !ith care these $precio*s% thin)s,
And !hile )atherin) I said !ith care(
DTho* !ho art =*een of the s*n and of the 0oon
And of the stars+loK here I call to theeK
And !ith !hat po!er I ha"e I con2*re thee
To )rant to 0e the fa"o*r I i0ploreK
Three thin)s IO"e )athered in the )arden here(
A le0on, oran)e, and a 0andarinN
IO"e )athered the0 to brin) )ood l*c? to 0e.
T!o of the0 I do )rasp here in 05 hand,
And that !hich is to ser"e 0e for 05 fate,
=*een of the starsK
Then 0a?e that fr*it re0ain fir0 in 05 )rasp.
F'o0ethin) is here o0itted in the ,'. I con2ect*re that the t!o are tossed !itho*t seein) the0 into the
air,
and if the le0on re0ains, the cere0on5 proceeds as follo!s. This is e"ident, since in it the incantation
is
conf*sed !ith a prose direction ho! to act.G
'a5in) this, one loo?s *p at the s?5, and I fo*nd the le0on in one hand, and a "oice said to 0e+
DTa?e 0an5 pins, and caref*ll5 stic? the0 in the le0on, pins of 0an5 colo*rsN and as tho* !ilt ha"e
)ood
l*c?, and if tho* desirest to )i"e the le0on to an5 one or to a friend, tho* sho*ldst stic? in it 0an5 pins
of
"aried colo*rs.
D#*t if tho* !ilt that e"il befall an5 one, p*t in it blac? pins.
D#*t for this tho* 0*st prono*nce a different incantation $th*s%D(+
Dia Diana, a te scon)i*roK
E te chia0o ad alta "oceK
Che t* non abbia pace ne bene
'e non "iene in n*o ai*to
Do0ani al p*nto di 0eJJo )iorno,
Ti aspetto a I*ello p*nto
Ln bicchiere di "ino portero,
E *na piccola lente al occhio
E dentro tredici spilli,
'pilli neri "i 0etterV,
E t* Diana t*tti
I dia"oli dellO inferno chia0erai,
E in co0pa)0a del sole il 0anderai,
E t*tto il f*oco dellOinferno preso di se
Lo porteranno, e daranno forJa,
Al sole di far0i I*esto "ino bollire,
Perche I*esti spilli possano arro"entire,
E con I*esti il li0one ap*nterW
Per non dare piR pace,
E ne bene alla persona
Che I*esto li0one le presenterVK
'e I*esta )raJia 0i farete,
Ln se)nale 0i darete,
Dentro tre )iorni,
Lna cosa "o)lio "edere,
@ "ento, o acI*a, o )randine,
'e I*esto se)nale non a"rW,
Pi* pace Diana non te darV,
Tanto di )iorno che di notte,
'e0pre ti tor0enterV.
The In"ocation to Diana.
Goddess Diana, I do con2*re thee
And !ith *plifted "oice to thee I call,
That tho* shalt ne"er ha"e content or peace
Lntil tho* co0est to )i"e 0e all th5 aid.
Therefore to+0orro! at the stro?e of noon
IOll !ait for thee, bearin) a c*p of !ine,
There!ith a lens or a s0all b*rnin)+)lass.F1G
And thirteen pins IOll p*t into the char0N
Those !hich I p*t shall all indeed be blac?,
#*t tho*, Diana, tho* !ilt place the0 allK
And tho* shalt call for 0e the fiends fro0 hellN
Tho*Olt send the0 as co0panions of the '*n,
And all the fire infernal of itself
Those fiends shall brin), and brin) !ith it the, po!er
Lnto the '*n to 0a?e this $red% !ine boil,F4G
'o that these pins b5 heat 0a5 be red+hot,
And !ith the0 I do fill the le0on here,
That *nto her or hi0 to !ho Otis )i"en is
Peace and prosperit5 shall be *n?no!n.
If this )race I )ain fro0 thee
Gi"e a si)n, I pra5, to 0eK
F1. This appears fro0 "er5 earl5 a)es, as in Ro0an ti0es, to ha"e been re)arded as )ifted !ith 0a)ic
properties, and !as *sed in occ*lt cere0onies.
4 That is, Diana is in"o?ed to send de0ons !ith the "er5 life of the fire of hell to still 0ore increase
that of
the s*n to intensif5 the !ine.G
Ere the third da5
'hall pass a!a5,
Let 0e either hear or see
A roarin) !ind, a rattlin) rain,
@r hall a clatterin) on the plainN
Till one of these three si)ns 5o* sho!,
Peace, Diana, tho* shalt not ?no!.
Ans!er !ell the pra5er IO"e sent thee,
@r da5 and ni)ht !ill I tor0ent theeK
As the oran)e !as the fr*it of the '*n, so is the le0on s*))esti"e of the ,oon or Diana, its colo*r
bein) of
the li)hter 5ello!. o!e"er, the le0on speciall5 chosen for the char0 is al!a5s a )reen one, beca*se it
Dsets
hardD and t*rns blac?. It is not )enerall5 ?no!n that oran)e and le0on peel, s*b2ected to press*re and
co0bined !ith an adhesi"e 0a5 be 0ade into a hard s*bstance !hich can be 0o*lded or *sed for 0an5
p*rposes. I ha"e de"oted a chapter to this in an as 5et *np*blished !or? entitled @ne *ndred ,inor
Arts.
This !as s*))ested to 0e b5 the hardened le0on )i"en to 0e for a char0 b5 a !itch.
CAPTER /I. A 'pell To Win Lo"e
When a !iJard, a !orshipper of Diana, one !ho !orships the ,oon, desires the lo"e of a !o0an, he
can
chan)e her into the for0 of a do), !hen she, for)ettin) !ho she is, and all thin)s besides, !ill at once
co0e
to his ho*se, and there, !hen b5 hi0, ta?e on a)ain her nat*ral for0 and re0ain !ith hi0. And !hen it
is
ti0e for her to depart, she !ill a)ain beco0e a do) and )o ho0e, !here she !ill t*rn into a )irl. And
she !ill
re0e0ber nothin) of !hat has ta?en place, or at least b*t little or 0ere fra)0ents, !hich !ill see0 as a
conf*sed drea0. And she !ill ta?e the for0 of a do) beca*se Diana has e"er a do) b5 her side.
And this is the spell to be repeated b5 hi0 !ho !o*ld brin) a lo"e to his ho0e.F1G
To da5 is Frida5, and I !ish to rise "er5 earl5, not ha"in) been able to sleep all ni)ht, ha"in) seen a
"er5
bea*tif*l )irl, the da*)hter of a rich lord, !ho0 I dare not hope to !in. Were she poor, I co*ld )ain her
!ith
0one5N b*t as she is rich, I ha"e no hope to do so. $Therefore !ill I con2*re Diana to aid 0e.%
F1. The be)innin) of this spell see0s to be inerel5 a prose introd*ction e:plainin) the nat*re of the
cere0on5.G
'con)i*raJione a Diana.
Diana, bella DianaK
Che tanto bella e, b*ona siei,
E tanto ti C piacere
Ti ho fatto,
Anche a te di fare al a0ore,
D*nI*e spero che anche in I*esta cosa
T* 0i "o)lia ai*tare,
E se t* "orrai
T*tto t* potrai,
'e I*esta )raJia 0i "orrai fare(
Chia0erai t*a fi)lia Aradia,
Al letto della bella fanci*lla
La 0andera Aradia,
La fanci*lla in *na canina con"ertira,
Alla ca0era 0ia la in 0andera,
,a entrata in ca0era 0ia,
9on sara piR *na canina,
,a tornerQ *na bella fanci*lla,
#ella cane era pri0a,
E cosi potrV fare al a0ore
A 0io piaci0ento,
Co0e a 0e piacera.
=*ando 0i saro di"ertito
A 0i piacere dirV.
DPer "olere della Fata Diana,
E di s*a fi)lia Aradia,
Torna *na canina
Co0e t* eri pri0aKD
In"ocation to Diana.
Diana, bea*tif*l DianaK
Who art indeed as )ood as bea*tif*l,
#5 all the !orship I ha"e )i"en thee,
And all the 2o5 of lo"e !hich tho* hast ?no!n,
I do i0plore thee aid 0e in 05 lo"eK
What tho* !ilt Otis tr*e
Tho* canst e"er do(
And if the )race I see? tho*Olt )rant to 0e,
Then call, I pra5, th5 da*)hter Aradia,
And send her to the bedside of the )irl,
And )i"e that )irl the li?eness of a do),
And 0a?e her then co0e to 0e in 05 roo0,
#*t !hen she once has entered it, I pra5
That she 0a5 reass*0e her h*0an for0,
As bea*tif*l as eOer she !as before,
And 0a5 I then 0a?e lo"e to her *ntil
@*r so*ls ! ith 2o5 are f*ll5 satisfied.
Then b5 the aid of the )reat Fair5 =*een
And of her da*)hter, fair+Aradia,
,a5 she be t*rned into a do) a)ain,
And then to h*0an for0 as once beforeK
Th*s it !ill co0e to pass that the )irl as a do) !ill ret*rn to her ho0e *nseen and *ns*spected, for th*s
!ill it
be effected b5 AradliaN and the )irl !ill thin? it is all a drea0, beca*se she !ill ha"e been enchanted b5
Aradia.
CAPTER /II. To Find or #*5 An5thin), or to a"e Good Fort*ne
Thereb5
An In"ocation or Incantation to Diana.
The 0an or !o0an !ho, !hen abo*t to )o )o forth into the to!n, !o*ld fain be free fro0 dan)er or
ris? of
an accident( or to ha"e )ood fort*ne in b*5in), as, for instance, if a scholar hopes that he 0a5 find
so0erare
old boo? or 0an*script for sale "er5 cheapl5, or if an5 one !ishes to b*5 an5thin) "er5 desirable or to
find
bar)ains or rarities. This scon)i*raJione one ser"es for )ood health, cheerf*lness of heart, and absence
of e"il
or the o"erco0in) en0it5. These are !ords of )old *nto the belie"er.
The In"ocation.
'ia0o di ,artedi e a b*on ora
,i "o)lio le"are la b*ona fort*na,
/o)lio andare e cercare,
E coll ai*to della bella Diana,
La "o)lio tro"are pri0a dOandare,
Pri0a di sortir di casa
Il 0alocchio 0i le"ero
Con tre )occiole dOolio,F1G
E te bella Diana io in"oco
Che t* possa 0andar0i "ia
Il 0alocchio da dosse a 0e
E 0andala al 0io piR ne0icoK
=*ando il 0alocchio
,i saro le"ato
In 0eJJa alla "ia lo )ettero,
'e I*esta )raJia 0i farei
Diana bella,
T*ttl i ca0panelli
Di 0ia casa bene s*onerai,
Allora contento di casa 0e ne andro,
Perche col t*o ai*to $saro% certo di tro"are,
#*ona fort*na, certo di tro"are
Ln bel libro antico,
CAPTER /II. To Find or #*5 An5thin), or to a"e Good Fort*ne Thereb5
E a b*on 0ercato
,e lo farai co0prareK
T* stessa dal proprietario
Che a"ra il libro
Te ne andrai t* stessa
Lo tro"erai e lo farei,
F1. This refers to a s0all cere0on5 !hich I ha"e seen perfor0ed scores of ti0es, and ha"e indeed had it
perfor0ed o"er 0e al0ost as often, as an act of co*rtes5 co00on a0on) !iJards and !itches. It
consists of
0a?in) certain si)ns and crosses o"er a fe! drops of oil and the head of the one blessed. acco0panied
b5 a
short incantation. I ha"e had the cere0on5 serio*sl5 co00ended or prescribed to 0e as a 0eans of
?eepin)
in )ood health and prosperit5.G
Capitare in 0ano al padrone,
E le farai capitare
In 0ano al padrone,
E le farai entrare
9el cer"ello che se di I*el libro
9on si disfara la sco0*nica,
Le portera, cosi I*esto dellOlibro,
/erra disfarsi e col t*o ai*to,
/erra portato alla 0ia presenJa,
E a poco 0e to "endera,
@pp*re se eO*n 0anoscritto,
In"ece di libro per la "ia to )ettera,
E col t*o ai*to "erra in 0ia presenJa,
E potrV acI*istarlo
'enJa ness*na spesaN
E cosi per 0e
'ara )rande fort*naK
To Diana.
OTis T*esda5 no!, and at an earl5 ho*r
I fain !o*ld t*rn )ood fort*ne to 05self,
Firstl5 at ho0e and then !hen I )o forth,
And !ith the aid of bea*tif*l Diana
I pra5 for l*c? ere I do lea"e this ho*seK
First !ith three drops of oil I do re0o"e
All e"il infl*ence, and I h*0bl5 pra5,
@ bea*tif*l Diana, *nto thee
That tho* !ilt ta?e it all a!a5 fro0 0e,
And send it all to 05 !orst ene05K
When the e"il fort*ne
Is ta?en fro0 0e,
IOll cast it o*t to the 0iddle of the street(
And if tho* !ilt )rant 0e this fa"o*r,
@ bea*tif*l Diana,
E"er5 bell in 05 ho*se shall 0erril5 rin)K
Then !ell contented
I !ill )o forth to roa0,
#eca*se I shall be s*re that !ith th5 aid
I shall disco"er ere I ret*rn
'o0e fine and ancient boo?s,
And at a 0oderate price.
And tho* shalt find the 0an,
The one !ho o!ns the boo?,
And tho* th5self !ilt )o
And p*t it in his 0ind,
Inspirin) hi0 to ?no!
What Otis that tho* !o*ldOst find
And 0o"e hi0 into doin)
All that tho* dost reI*ire.
@r if a 0an*script
Written in ancient da5s,
Tho*Olt )ain it all the sa0e,
It shall co0e in th5 !a5,
And th*s at little cost.
Tho* shalt b*5 !hat tho* !ilt,
#5 )reat DianaOs aid.
The fore)oin) !as obtained, after so0e dela5, in repl5 to a I*er5 as to !hat con2*ration !o*ld be
reI*ired
before )oin) forth, to 0a?e s*re that one sho*ld find for sale so0e rare boo?, or other ob2ect desired, at
a
"er5 0oderate price. Therefore the in"ocation has been so !orded as to 0a?e it applicable to literar5
findsN
b*t those !ho !ish to b*5 an5thin) !hate"er on eI*all5 fa"o*rable ter0s, ha"e b*t to "ar5 the reI*est,
retainin) the introd*ction, in !hich the 0a)ic "irt*e consists. I cannot, ho!e"er, resist the con"iction
that it
is 0ost applicable to, and !ill s*cceed best !ith, researches for ob2ects of antiI*it5, scholarship, and
art, and
it sho*ld accordin)l5 be deepl5 i0pressed on the 0e0or5 of e"er5 bric+Q+brac h*nter and
biblio)rapher. It
sho*ld be obser"ed, and that earnestl5, that the pra5er, far fro0 bein) ans!ered, !ill t*rn to the
contrar5 or
0isfort*ne, *nless the one !ho repeats it does so in f*llest faith, and this cannot be acI*ired b5 0erel5
sa5in)
to oneself, DI belie"e.D For to acI*ire real faith in an5thin) reI*ires lon) and serio*s 0ental discipline,
there
bein), in fact, no s*b2ect !hich is so )enerall5 spo?en of and so little *nderstood. ere, indeed, I a0
spea?in) serio*sl5, for the 0an !ho can train his faith to act*all5 belie"e in and c*lti"ate or de"elop
his !ill
can reall5 !or? !hat the !orld b5 co00on consent re)ards as 0iracles. A ti0e !ill co0e !hen this
principle !ill for0 not onl5 the basis of all ed*cation, b*t also that of all 0oral and social c*lt*re. I
ha"e, I
tr*st, f*ll5 set it forth in a !or? entitled Da"e 5o* a 'tron) WillZ or ho! to De"elop it or an5 other
Fac*lt5
or Attrib*te of the ,ind, and render it abit*al,D [c. London( Geor)e Red!a5.
The reader, ho!e"er, !ho has de"o*t faith, can, as the !itches declare, appl5 this spell dail5 before
)oin)
forth to proc*rin) or obtainin) an5 ?ind of bar)ains at shops, to pic?in) *p or disco"erin) lost ob2ects,
or, in
fact, to finds of an5 ?ind. If he incline to bea*t5 in fe0ale for0, he !ill 0eet !ith bonnes fort*nesN if a
0an
of b*siness, bar)ains !ill be his. The botanist !ho repeats it before )oin) into the fields !ill probabl5
disco"er so0e ne! plant, and the astrono0er b5 ni)ht be al0ost certain to r*n a)ainst a brand ne!
planet, or
at least an asteroid. It sho*ld be repeated before )oin) to the races, to "isit friends, places of
a0*se0ent, to
b*5 or sell, to 0a?e speeches, and speciall5 before h*ntin) or an5 noct*rnal )oin)s+forth, since Diana
is the
)oddess of the chase and of ni)ht. #*t !oe to hi0 !ho does it for a 2estK
CAPTER /III. To a"e a Good /inta)e and /er5 Good Wine b5 the Aid
of Diana
D'!eet is the "inta)e !hen the sho!erin) )rapes
In #acchanal prof*sion reel to earth,
P*rple and )*shin).D
+#5ron, Don E*an, c. 141.
D/in*0 bon*0 et s*a"e,
#onis bon*0, pra"is pra"e,
@ I*a0 d*lcis sapor+a"eK
,*ndana IHtitiaK D
+Latin 'on)s, E. d* ,erit.
e !ho !o*ld ha"e a )ood "inta)e and fine !ine, sho*ld ta?e a horn f*ll of !ine and !ith this )o into
the
"ine5ards or far0s !here"er "ines )ro!, and then drin?in) fro0 the horn, sa5(+
#e"o 0a non be"o il "ino,
#e"o il san)*e di Diana,
Che da "ino nel san)*e di Diana
'i de"e con"ertire,
E in t*tte le 0ie "iti
Lo spandera,
E b*ona raccolta n* "erra
E I*ando a"ro a"*to b*ona raccolta,
9on saro ancora f*ori di scia)*ra,
Perche il "ino catti"o t*i p*ol "enire
Perche p*ol nascere lO*"a
A l*na "ecchia...
E cosi li 0io "ino p*ole se0pre andare
In 0alora+0a io be"endo
In I*esto corno, e be"endo il san)*e,
Il san)*e di Diana col s*o ai*to
La 0ano alla L*na n*o"a io bacero,
Che la 0ia *"a possa )*ardare,
Al 0o0ento che crea lOocchiolo
Alla crescenJa del *"a
E fino alla raccolta,
Che possa "enire il 0io "ino b*ono,
E che si possa 0antenere
Da prendere 0olti I*attrini,
E possa entrare la b*ona fort*na
9elle 0i e "i)ne,
E nel 0iei poderiK
=*ando il 0io "ino pendera
Di andare 0ale., il corno prendero,
E forte, forte lo s*onero,
9el p*nto della 0eJJa notte,
Dentro alla 0ia cantina lo s*onero,
CAPTER /III. To a"e a Good /inta)e and /er5 Good Wine b5 the Aid of Diana
Lo s*onero tanto forte
Che t* bella Diana anche da 0olto lontano,
T* lo possa sentire,
E finestre e porte
Con )ran forJa t* possa spalancare,
A )ran corsa t* 0i possa "enire,
A tro"are, e t* possa sal"ar0i
Il 0io "ino, e t* possa sal"are,
'al"are 0e da )rande scia)*ra,
Perche se il 0io "ino a 0ale andera
La 0iseria 0i prendera.
E col t*o ai*to bella Diana,
lo saro sal"ato.
I drin?, and 5et it is not !ine I drin?,
I drin? the blood of Diana,
'ince fro0 !ine it has chan)ed into her blood,
And spread itself thro*)h all 05 )ro!in) "ines,
Whence it !ill )i"e 0e )ood ret*rn in !ines,
Tho*)h e"en if )ood "inta)e sho*ld be 0ine,
IOll not be free fro0 care, for sho*ld it chance
That the )rape ripens in the !anin) 0oon,
Then all the !ine !o*ld co0e to sorro!, b*t
If drin?in) fro0 this horn I drin? the blood
The blood of )reat Diana +b5 her aid
If I do ?iss 05 hand to the ne! 0oon,
Pra5in) the =*een that she !ill )*ard 05 )rapes,
E"en fro0 the instant !hen the b*d is horn
Lntil it is a ripe and perfect )rape,
And on!ard to the "inta)e, and to the last
Lntil the !ine is 0ade+0a5 it be )oodK
And 0a5 it so s*cceed that I fro0 it
,a5 dra! )ood profit !hen at last Otis sold,
'o 0a5 )ood fort*ne co0e *nto 05 "ines,
And into all 05 land !hereOer it beK
#*t sho*ld 05 "ines see0 in an e"il !a5,
IOll ta?e 05 horn, and bra"el5 !ill I blo!
In the !ine+"a*lt at 0idni)ht, and IOll 0a?e
'*ch a tre0endo*s and a terrible so*nd
That tho*, Diana fair, ho!e"er far
A!a5 tho* 0a5Ost be, still shalt hear the call,
And castin) open door or !indo! !ide,
'halt headlon) co0e *pon the r*shin) !ind,
And find and sa"e 0e+that is, sa"e 05 "ines,
Which !ill be sa"in) 0e fro0 dire distressN
For sho*ld I lose the0 IOd be lost 05self,
#*t !ith th5 aid, Diana, IOll be sa"ed.
This is a "er5 interestin) in"ocation and tradition, and probabl5 of )reat antiI*it5 fro0 "er5 stri?in)
intrinsic
e"idence. For it is firstl5 de"oted to a s*b2ect !hich has recei"ed little attention+the connection of
Diana as
CAPTER /III. To a"e a Good /inta)e and /er5 Good Wine b5 the Aid of Diana
the 0oon !ith #acch*s, altho*)h in the )reat DiJionario 'torico ,itolo)ico, b5 PoJJoli and others, it
is
e:pressl5 asserted that in Greece her !orship !as associated !ith that of #acch*s, Esc*lapi*s, and
Apollo.
The connectin) lin? is the horn . In a 0edal of Ale:ander 'e"er*s, Diana of Ephes*s bears the horn of
plent5.
This is the horn or horns of the ne! 0oon, sacred to Diana. Accordin) to Calli0ach*s, Apollo hi0self
b*ilt
an altar consistin) entirel5 of horns to Diana.
The connection of the horn !ith !ine is ob"io*s. It !as *s*al a0on) the old 'la"onians for the priest
of
'"ante"it, the '*n+)od, to see if the horn !hich the idol held in his hand !as f*ll of !ine, in order to
prophes5 a )ood har"est for the co0in) 5ear. If it !as filled, all !as ri)htN if not, he filled the horn,
dran?
fro0 it, and replaced the horn in the hand, and predicted that all !o*ld e"ent*all5 )o !ell.F1G It cannot
fail to
stri?e the reader that this cere0on5 is stran)el5 li?e that of the Italian in"ocation, the onl5 difference
bein)
that in one the '*n, and in the other the ,oon is in"o?ed to sec*re a )ood har"est.
In the Le)ends of Florence there is one of the /ia del Corno, in !hich the hero, fallin) into a "ast t*n
or
tina of !ine, is sa"ed fro0 dro!nin) b5 so*ndin) a horn !ith tre0endo*s po!er. At the so*nd, !hich
penetrates to an incredible distance, e"en to *n?no!n lands, all co0e r*shin) as if enchanted to sa"e
hi0. In
this con2*ration, Diana, in the depths of hea"en, is represented as r*shin) at the so*nd of the horn, and
leapin) thro*)h doors or !indo!s to sa"e the "inta)e of the one !ho blo!s. There is a certain sin)*lar
affinit5 in these stories.
In the stor5 of the /ia del Corno, the hero is
F1. Pre*ssler, 'orben!endische Alterth\0er, Pt. 1. p. 4.4.G
sa"ed b5 the Red Goblin or Robin Goodfello!, !ho )i"es hi0 a horn, and it is the sa0e sprite !ho
appears
in the con2*ration of the Ro*nd 'tone, !hich is sacred to Diana. This is beca*se the spirit is noct*rnal,
and
attendant on Diana Titania.
Pissin) the hand to the ne! 0oon is a cere0on5 of *n?no!n antiI*it5, and Eob, e"en in his ti0e,
re)arded it
as heathenish and forbidden !hich al!a5s 0eans antiI*ated and o*t of fashion+as !hen he declared
$:::i.
46, 4.%, DIf I beheld the 0oon !al?in) in bri)htness... and 05 heart hath been secretl5 enticed or 05
0o*th
hath ?issed 05 hand...this also !ere an iniI*it5 to be p*nished b5 the E*d)e, for I sho*ld ha"e denied
the
God that is abo"e.D Fro0 !hich it 0a5 or o*)ht to be inferred that Eob did not *nderstand that God
0ade the
0oon and appeared in all is !or?s, or else he reall5 belie"ed the 0oon !as an independent deit5. In
an5
case, it is c*rio*s to see the old forbidden rite still li"in), and as heretical as e"er.
The tradition, as )i"en to 0e, "er5 e"identl5 o0its a part of the cere0on5, !hich 0a5 be s*pplied fro0
classic a*thorit5. When the peasant perfor0s the rite, he 0*st not act as once a certain African, !ho
!as a
ser"ant of a friend of 0ine, did. The colo*red 0anOs d*t5 !as to po*r o*t e"er5 0ornin) a libation of
r*0 to a
fetish and he po*red it do!n his o!n throat. The peasant sho*ld also sprin?le the "ines, 2*st as the
De"onshire far0ers, !ho obser"ed all Christ0as cere0onies, sprin?led, also fro0 a horn, their apple+
trees.
CAPTER I7. Tana and Enda0one, or Diana and End5inion
Dic *ltra End50ione0 indor0it ne)li)entiH.D
D9o! it is fabled that End50ion, ad0itted to @l50p*s, !hence he !as e:pelled for !ant of respect to
E*no,
!as banished for thirt5 5ears to earth. And ha"in) been allo!ed to sleep this ti0e in a ca"e of ,o*nt
Lat0os,
Diana, s0itten !ith his bea*t5, "isited hi0 e"er5 ni)ht till she had b5 hi0 fift5 da*)hters and one son.
And
after this End50ion !as recalled to @l50p*s.D
+DiJ. 'tor. ,itol.
The follo!in) le)end and the spells !ere )i"en *nder the na0e or title of Tana. This !as the old
Etr*scan
na0e for Diana, !hich is still preser"ed in the Ro0a)na Toscana. In 0ore than one Italian and French
!or? I
ha"e fo*nd so0e acco*nt or tale ho! a !itch char0ed a )irl to sleep for a lo"er, b*t this is the onl5
e:planation of the !hole cere0on5 ?no!n to 0e.
Tana.
Tana is a bea*tif*l )oddess, and she lo"ed a 0ar"elo*sl5 handso0e 5o*th na0ed Enda0oneN b*t her
lo"e
!as crossed b5 a !itch !ho !as her ri"al, altho*)h Enda0one did not care for the latter.
#*t the !itch resol"ed to !in hi0, !hether he !o*ld or not, and !ith this intent she ind*ced the
ser"ant of
Enda0one to let her pass the ni)ht in the latterOs roo0. And !hen there, she ass*0ed the appearance of
Tana,
!ho0 he lo"ed, so that he !as deli)hted to behold her, as he tho*)ht, and !elco0ed her !ith
passionate
e0braces. Set this )a"e hi0 into her po!er, for it enabled her to perfor0 a certain 0a)ic spell b5
clippin) a
loc? of his hair.F1G
Then she !ent ho0e, and ta?in) a piece of sheepOs intestine, for0ed of it a p*rse, and in this she p*t
that
!hich she had ta?en, !ith a red and a blac? ribbon bo*nd to)ether, !ith a feather, and pepper and salt,
and
then san) a son). These !ere the !ords, a son) of !itchcraft of the "er5 old ti0e.
'con)i*raJione.
o for0ato I*esto sachetto a Enda0one,
E la 0ia "endetta per IOa0ore,
ChOio ti porta"o, e non ero corrisposta,
Lna altra t* lOa0a"i(
La bella dea Tana t* a0a"i,
E t* non IOa"rai( di passione
Ti str*))erai, "olonta di fare,
Di fare al a0ore t* a"rai,
F1. Accordin) to all e"il !itchcraft in the !orld--especiall5 a0on) the blac? /oodoos +an5 indi"id*al
can
be in2*red or ?illed if the 0a)ician can obtain an5 portion of the person, ho!e"er s0all, especiall5 a
loc? of
hair. This is speciall5 described in Thiodolf the Islander, a ro0ance b5 La ,otte Fo*I*C. The e:chan)e
of
loc?s b5 lo"ers is possibl5 connected !ith 0a)ic.G
E non la potral fare. 'e0pre addor0entato resterai,
Di *n sonno che t*tto sentirai,
E la t*a bella t* "edrai,
,a parlare non potrai
9el "edere la t*a bella,
/olontQ di fare al a0ore
/erra e non la potrai fare
Co0e *na candela ti str*))era,
Ti str*))erai poco a poco,
Co0e *na candele a f*oco,
T* non potrai "i"]re
T* non potrai stare,
Ti sentirai 0ancare,
Che il t*o c*ore ritto se0pre possa stare
E al a0ore piR non potrai fare
Per IOa0ore che io te ho portata "o,
'ia con"ertito intanto odio
Che I*esto Enda0one e la 0ia "endetta,
E cosi sono contenta.
The 'pell.
This ba) for Enda0onO I !o"e,
It is 05 "en)eance for the lo"e.,
For the deep lo"e I had for thee,
Which tho* !o*ldOst not ret*rn to 0e,
#*t bore it all to TanaOs shrine.,
And Tana ne"er shall be thineK
9o! e"er5 ni)ht in a)on5
#5 0e tho* shalt oppressed beK
Fro0 da5 to da5, fro0 ho*r to ho*r,
IOll 0a?e thee feel the !itchOs po!er,
With passion tho* shalt be tor0ented,
And 5et !ith pleas*re neOer contentedN
En!rapped in sl*0ber tho* shalt lie,
To ?no! that th5 belo"ed is b5,
And, e"er d5in), ne"er die,
Witho*t the po!er to spea? a !ord,
9or shall tier "oice b5 thee be heardN
Tor0ented b5 Lo"eOs a)on5,
There shall be no relief for theeK
For 05 stron) spell tho* canst not brea?,
And fro0 that sleep tho* neOer shalt !a?e(
Little b5 little tho* shalt !aste,
Li?e taper b5 the e0bers placed.
Little b5 little tho* shalt die,
Set, e"er li"in), tort*red lie,
'tron) in desire, 5et e"er !ea?,
Witho*t the po!er to 0o"e or spea?,
With all the lo"e I had for thee
'halt tho* th5self tor0ented be,
'ince all the lo"e I felt of late
IOll 0a?e thee feel in b*rnin) hate,
For e"er on th5 tort*re bent,
I a0 re"en)ed, and no! content.
#*t Tana, !ho !as far 0ore po!erf*l than the !itch, tho*)h not able to brea? the spell b5 !hich he
!as
co0pelled to sleep, too? fro0 hi0 all pain $he ?ne! her in drea0s%, and e0bracin) hi0, she san) this
co*nter+char0.
The 'on) of Diana.
Enda0one, Enda0one, Enda0oneK
Per IOa0ore chi 0i porti e che io p*re,
Ti porto tre croci s* I*esto lettoK
/en)o a fare, e tre 0arroni dOIndia,
9el t*o letto "en)o a posare,
E I*esta finestra aperta che la L*na,
'* il t*o letto risplende,
Co0e risplende il nostro a0ore
La, e la pre)o con )ran calore,
Che "o)lia dare sfo)o a I*este d*e c*ore,
Che tanto ci a0ia0o, e se I*esta )raJia,
,i "errQ fatta chi*nI*e sia inna0orata,
'e 0i scon)i*rera
In s*o ai*to correroK
Enda0one, Enda0one, Enda0oneK
'opra te io 0i 0etto al l*0e,
Il t*o $c*ore% io di0eno,
E 0i di0eno io p*re e cosi,
E cosi tanto farV,
Tanto farV e tanto fare00o,
Che *niti ne "ere00o.
The Co*nter+Char0.
Enda0one, Enda0one, EncianioneK
#5 the lo"e I feel, !hich I
'hall e"er feel *ntil I die,
Three crosses on th5 bed I 0a?e,
And then three !ild horse+chestn*ts ta?eNF1G
In that bed the n*ts I hide,
And then the !indo! open !ide,
That the f*ll 0oon 0a5 cast her li)ht
Lpon a lo"e as fair and bri)ht,
And so I pra5 to her abo"e
To )i"e !ild rapt*re to o*r lo"e,
And cast her fire in either heart,
Which !ildl5 lo"es to ne"er partN
And one thin) 0ore I be) of theeK
If an5 one ena0o*red be,
And in 05 aid his lo"e hath placed,
Lnto his call IOll co0e in haste.
'o it ca0e to pass that the fair )oddess 0ade lo"e !ith Enda0one as if the5 had been a!a?e $5et
co00*nin)
in drea0s%. And so it is to this da5, that !ho e"er !o*ld 0a?e lo"e !ith hi0 or her !ho sleeps, sho*ld
ha"e
reco*rse to the bea*tif*l Tana, and so doin) there !ill be s*ccess.
This le)end, !hile a)reein) in 0an5 details !ith the classical 05th, is stran)el5 inter0in)led !ith
practices
of !itchcraft, b*t e"en these, if in"esti)ated, !o*ld all pro"e to be as ancient as the rest of the te:t.
Th*s the
sheepOs intestine *sed instead of the red !oollen ba) !hich is e0plo5ed in beneficent 0a)ic+the red
and blac?
F1. ,arroni dO India. A stron) char0 a)ainst e"il, hence freI*entl5 carried a)ainst rhe*0atis0, [c. The
three
sho*ld co0e fro0 one shell.G
ribbon, !hich 0in)les threads of 2o5 and !oe the $peacoc?Os% feather or la penna 0ali)na+pepper and
salt,
occ*r in 0an5 other incantations, b*t al!a5s to brin) e"il and ca*se s*fferin).F1G
I ha"e ne"er seen it obser"ed, b*t it is tr*e, that Peats in his e:I*isite poe0 of End50ion co0pletel5
departs
fro0 or i)nores the !hole spirit and 0eanin) of the ancient 05th, !hile in this r*de !itch+son) it is
0in*tel5
de"eloped. The conception is that of a bea*tif*l 5o*th f*rti"el5 ?issed in his sl*0ber b5 Dian of
rep*ted
chastit5. The ancient 05th is, to be)in !ith, one of dar?ness and li)ht, or da5 and ni)ht, fro0 !hich are
born
the fift5+one $no! fift5+t!o% !ee?s of the 5ear. This is Diana, the ni)ht, and Apollo, the s*n, or li)ht in
another for0. It is e:pressed as lo"e+0a?in) d*rin) sleep, !hich, !hen it occ*rs in real life, )enerall5
has
for acti"e a)ent so0e one !ho, !itho*t bein) absol*tel5 0odest, !ishes to preser"e appearances. The
established character of Diana a0on) the Initiated $for !hich she !as bitterl5 re"iled b5 the Fathers of
the
Ch*rch% !as that of a bea*tif*l h5pocrite !ho p*rs*ed a0o*rs in silent secrec5.
DTh*s as the 0oon End5nnon la5 !ith her,
'o did ippol5t*s and /erbio.D
F1. The reader !ill find the0 described in 05 Etr*sco+Ro0an Re0ains.G
$@n !hich the reader 0a5 cons*lt Tert*llian, De Falsa Reli)ione , lib. ii. cap. 1., and Pico de
,irand*la, La 'tre)a.%
#*t there is an e:I*isitel5 s*btle, delicatel5 stran)e idea or ideal in the conception of the apparentl5
chaste
Dclear cold 0oonD castin) her li"in) li)ht b5 stealth into the hidden recesses of dar?ness and actin) in
the
occ*lt 05steries of lo"e or drea0s. 'o it str*c? #5ronF1G as an ori)inal tho*)ht that the s*n does not
shine on
half the forbidden deeds !hich the 0oon !itnesses, and this is e0phasised in the Italian !itch+poe0.
In it
the 0oon is distinctl5 in"o?ed as the protectress of a stran)e and secret a0o*r, and as the deit5 to be
especiall5 in"o?ed for s*ch lo"e+0a?in). The one in"o?in) sa5s that the !indo! is opened, that the
0oon
0a5 shine splendidl5 on the bed, e"en as o*r lo"e is bri)ht and bea*tif*l... and I pra5 her to )i"e )reat
rapt*re
+sfo)o +to *s.
The I*i"erin), 05sterio*sl5 bea*tif*l li)ht of the 0oon, !hich see0s to cast a spirit of intelli)ence or
e0otion o"er silent 9at*re, and di0l5
F1. DThe s*n set and *prose the 5ello! 0oon(
The de"ilOs in the 0oon for 0ischiefN the5
Who called her chaste, 0ethin?s, be)an too soon
Their no0enclat*reN there is not a da5
The lon)est, not the t!ent5+first of E*ne,
'ees half the b*siness in a !ic?ed !a5
@n !hich three sin)le ho*rs of 0oonshine s0ile.D
+Don E*an, c:iii.G
half a!a?en it+raisin) shado!s into tho*)hts and ca*sin) e"er5 tree and roc? to ass*0e the se0blance
of a
li"in) for0, b*t one !hich, !hile shi00erin) and breathin), still sleeps in a drea0+co*ld not escape
the
Gree?s, and the5 e:pressed it as Diana e0bracin) End50ion. #*t as ni)ht is the ti0e sacred to secrec5,
and
as the tr*e Diana of the ,5steries !as the =*een of 9i)ht, !ho !ore the crescent 0oon, and 0istress
of all
hidden thin)s, incl*din) Ds!eet secret sins and lo"ed iniI*ities,D there !as attached to this 05th far
0ore
than 0eets the e5e. And E*st in the de)ree to !hich Diana !as belie"ed to be =*een of the e0ancipated
!itches and of 9i)ht, or the noct*rnal /en*s+Astarte herself, so far !o*ld the lo"e for the sleepin)
End50ion be *nderstood as sens*al, 5et sacred and alle)orical. and it is entirel5 in this sense that the
!itches
in Ital5, !ho, 0a5 clai0 !ith so0e ri)ht to be its tr*e inheritors, ha"e preser"ed and *nderstood the
05th. It
is a realisation of forbidden or secret lo"e, !ith attraction to the di0l5 seen bea*tif*l+b5 0oonli)ht,
!ith the
fair5 or !itch+li?e char0 of the s*pernat*ral+a ro0ance all co0bined in a sin)le stran)e for0+the spell
of
9i)htK
DThere is a dan)ero*s silence in that ho*r,
A stillness !hich lea"es rooni for the f*ll so*l
To open all itself, !itho*t the po!er
@f callin) !holl5 bac? its self+controlN
The sil"er li)ht !hich, hallo!in) tree and to!er,
'heds bea*t5 and deep softness oOer the !hole,
#reathes also to the heart, and oOer it thro!s
A lo"in) lan)*or !hich is not repose.D
This is !hat is 0eant b5 the 05th of Diana and End50ion. It is the 0a?in) di"ine or Hsthetic $!hich to
the
Gree?s !as one and the sa0e% that !hich is i0passioned, secret, and forbidden. It !as the char0 of the
stolen
!aters !hich are s!eet, intensified to poetr5. And it is re0ar?able that it has been so stran)el5
preser"ed in
Italian !itch traditions.
CAPTER 7. ,adonna Diana
DThe ,adonna is essentiall5 the )oddess of the 0oon.
^D9aples in the 9ineties,D b5 E. 9. Rolfe.
@nce there !as, in the "er5 old ti0e in Cettardo Alto, a )irl of astonishin) bea*t5, and she !as
betrothed to a
5o*n) 0an !ho !as as re0ar?able for )ood loo?s as herselfN b*t tho*)h !ell born and bred, the
fort*ne or
0isfort*nes of !ar or fate had 0ade the0 both e:tre0el5 poor. And if the 5o*n) lad5 had one fa*lt, it
!as
her )reat pride, nor !o*ld she !illin)l5 be 0arried *nless in )ood st5le, !ith l*:*r5 and festi"it5, in a
fine
)ar0ent, !ith 0an5 brides0aids of ran?.
And this beca0e to the bea*tif*l Rorasa+for s*ch !as her na0e+s*ch an ob2ect of desire, that her head
!as
half t*rned !ith it, and the other )irls of her acI*aintance, to sa5 nothin) of the 0an5 0en !ho0 she
had
ref*sed, 0oc?ed her so bitterl5, as?in) her !hen the fine, !eddin) !as to be, !ith 0an5 other 2eers and
sneers, that at last in a 0o0ent of 0adness she !ent to the top of a hi)h to!er, !hence she cast herselfN
and
to 0a?e it !orse. there !as belo! a terrible ra"ine $balJa%, into !hich she fell.
Set she too? no har0, for as she fell there appeared to her a "er5 bea*tif*l !o0an, tr*l5 not of earth,
!ho
too? her b5 the hand and bore her thro*)h the air to a safe place.
Then all the people ro*nd abo*t !ho sa! or heard of this thin) cried o*t, DLo, a 0iracleKD and the5
ca0e and
0ade a )reat festi"al, and !o*ld fain pers*ade Rorasa that she had been sa"ed b5 the ,adonna.
#*t the lad5 !ho had sa"ed her, co0in) to her secretl5, said( DIf tho* hast an5 desire, follo! the Gospel
of
Diana, or !hat is called the Gospel of the Witches $Il /an)elo delle 'tre)e%, !ho !orship the 0oon.D
D'e la L*na adorerai
T*tto t* otteraiD
DIf tho* adorest L*na, then
What tho* desirOst tho* shalt obtainKD
CAPTER 7. ,adonna Diana
Then the bea*tif*l )irl !ent forth alone b5 ni)ht to the fields, and ?neelin) on a stone in an old r*in,
she
!orshipped the 0oon and in"o?ed Diana th*s(+
Diana, bella DianaK
T* che della )rande cad*ta
,i ai bene sal"ataK
Ti pre)o di far0i *na altra )raJia,
Di far0i farO *n bello sposaliJio,
Lna sposaliJio ricco e Oco0pa)nato
Da 0olte si)nore...
'e I*esta )raJia 0i farai
'e0pre il /an)elo delle 'tre)e
lo asseriro.
Diana, bea*tif*l DianaK
Tho* !ho didst sa"e fro0 a dreadf*l death
When I did fall into the dar? ra"ineK
I pra5 thee )rant 0e still another )race.
Gi"e 0e one )lorio*s !eddin), and !ith it
F*ll 0an5 brides0aids, bea*tif*l and )randN
And if this fa"o*r tho* !ilt )rant to 0e,
Tr*e to the WitchesO Gospel I !ill beK
When Rorasa a!o?e in the 0ornin), she fo*nd her self in another ho*se, !here all !as far 0ore
0a)nificent,
and ha"in) risen, a bea*tif*l 0aid led her into another roo0, !here she !as dressed in a s*perb
!eddin)+)ar0ent of !hite sil? !ith dia0onds, for it !as her !eddin)+dress indeed. Then there
appeared ten
5o*n) ladies, all splendidl5 attired, and !ith the0 and 0an5 distin)*ished persons she !ent to the
ch*rch in
a carria)e. And all the streets !ere filled !ith 0*sic and people bearin) flo!ers.
'o she fo*nd the bride)roo0, and !as !edded to her heartOs desire, ten ti0es 0ore )randl5 than she
had e"er
drea0ed of. Then, after the cere0on5, there !as spread a feast at !hich all the nobilit5 of Cettardo
!ere
present, and, 0oreo"er, the !hole to!n, rich and poor, !ere feasted.
When the !eddin) !as finished, the brides0aids 0ade e"er5 one a 0a)nificent present to the bride+
one
)a"e dia0onds, another a parch0ent $!ritten% in )old, after !hich the5 as?ed per0ission to )o all
to)ether
into the sacrist5. And there the5 re0ained for so0e ho*rs *ndist*rbed, till the priest sent his chierico to
inI*ire !hether the5 !anted an5thin). #*t !hat !as the 5o*thOs a0aJe0ent at beholdin), not the ten
brides0aids, b*t their ten I0a)es or li?enesses in !ood and in terra+cotta, !ith that of Diana standin)
on a
0oon, and the5 !ere all so 0a)nificentl5 0ade and adorned as to be of i00ense "al*e.
Therefore the priest p*t these i0a)es into the ch*rch, !hich is the 0ost ancient in Cettardo, and no! in
0an5
ch*rches 5o* 0a5 see the ,adonna and the ,oon, b*t it is Diana+la Dea della L*na. The na0e Rorasa
see0s to indicate the Latin ros the de!, rorare, to bede!, ror*lenta, bede!ed+in fact, the )oddess of the
de!.
er )reat fall and bein) lifted b5 Diana s*))est the fall of de! b5 ni)ht, and its risin) in "apo*r *nder
the
infl*ence of the 0oon. It is possible that this is a "er5 old Latin 05thic tale. The !hite sil? and
dia0onds
indicate the de!.
CAPTER 71. The o*se of the Wind
DList to the !hoop and !histle of the !inds,
Their hollo! drone as the5 co0e roarin) on,
For stren)th hath 0an5 a "oice, and !hen aro*sed
The fl5in) te0pest calls !ith a!f*l 2o5
And echoes as it stri?es the 0o*ntain+side,
Then crashes in the forest. ear the cr5K
'*rel5 a )od hath set his lions loose
And la*)hs to hear the0 as the5 ra)e afar.D
+C. G. Leland.
The follo!in) stor5 does not belon) to the Gospel of the Witches, b*t I add it as it confir0s the fact
that the
!orship of Diana e:isted for a lon) ti0e conte0porar5 !ith Christianit5. Its f*ll title in the ori)inal
,'.,
!hich !as !ritten o*t b5 ,addalena, after hearin) it fro0 a 0an !ho !as nati"e of /olterra, is La
Pelle)rina delta Casa al /ento+DThe Fe0ale Pil)ri0 of the o*se of the Wind.D It 0a5 be added that, as
the
tale declares, the ho*se in I*estion is still standin).
There is a peasantOs ho*se at the be)innin) of the hill or ascent leadin) to /olterra, and it is called the
o*se
of the Wind. 9ear it there once stood a s0all place, !herein d!elt a 0arried co*ple, !ho had b*t one
child, a
da*)hter, !ho0 the5 adored. Tr*l5 if the child had b*t a headache, the5 each had a !orse attac? fro0
fear.
Little b5 little the )irl )re! older, and all the tho*)ht of the 0other, !ho !as "er5 de"o*t, !as that she
sho*ld beco0e a n*n. #*t the )irl did not li?e this, and declared that she hoped to be 0arried li?e
others. And
!hen loo?in) fro0 her !indo! one da5, she sa! and heard the birds sin)in) in the "ines and a0on)
the trees
all so 0erril5, she said to her 0other that she hoped so0e da5 to ha"e a fa0il5 of little birds of her
o!n,
sin)in) ro*nd her in a cheerf*l nest. At !hich the 0other !as so an)r5 that she )a"e her da*)hter a
c*ff. And
the 5o*n) lad5 !ept, b*t replied !ith spirit, that if beaten or treated in an5 s*ch 0anner, that she !o*ld
certainl5 soon find so0e !a5 to escape and )et 0arried, for she had no idea of bein) 0ade a n*n of
a)ainst
her !ill.
At hearin) this the 0other !as serio*sl5 fri)htened, for she ?ne! the spirit of her child, and !as afraid
lest
the )irl alread5 had a lo"er, and !o*ld 0a?e a )reat scandal o"er the blo!N and t*rnin) it all o"er, she
tho*)ht of an elderl5 lad5 of )ood fa0il5, b*t 0*ch red*ced, !ho !as fa0o*s for her intelli)ence,
learnin),
and po!er of pers*asion, and she tho*)ht, DThis !ill be 2*st the person to ind*ce 05 da*)hter to
beco0e
pio*s, and fill her head !ith de"otion and 0a?e a n*n of her.D 'o she sent for this cle"er person, !ho
!as at
once appointed the )o"erness and constant attendant of the 5o*n) lad5, !ho, instead of I*arrellin) !ith
her
)*ardian, beca0e de"oted to her. o!e"er, e"er5thin) this !orld does not )o e:actl5 as !e !o*ld ha"e
it,
and no one ?no!s !hat fish or crab 0a5 hide *nder a roc? in a ri"er. For it so happened that the
)o"erness
!as not a Catholic at all, as !ill presentl5 appear, and did not "e: her p*pil !ith an5 threats of a n*nOs
life,
nor e"en !ith an appro"al of it.
It ca0e to pass that the 5o*n) lad5, !ho !as in the habit of l5in) a!a?e on 0oonli)ht ni)hts to hear
the
ni)htin)ales sin), tho*)ht she heard her )o"erness in the ne:t roo0, of !hich the door !as open, rise
and )o
forth on the )reat balcon5. The ne:t ni)ht the sa0e thin) too? place, and risin) "er5 softl5 and *nseen,
she
beheld the lad5 pra5in), or at least ?neelin) in the 0oonli)ht, !hich see0ed to her to be "er5 sin)*lar
cond*ct, the 0ore so beca*se the lad5 ?neelin) *ttered !ords !hich the 5o*n)er co*ld not *nderstand,
and
!hich certainl5 for0ed no part of the Ch*rch ser"ice.
And bein) 0*ch e:ercised o"er the stran)e occ*rrence, she at last, !ith ti0id e:c*ses, told her
)o"erness
!hat she had seen. Then the latter, after a little reflection, first bindin) her to a secrec5 of life and
death, for,
as she declared, it !as a 0atter of )reat peril, spo?e a follo!s(+
DI, li?e thee, !as instr*cted !hen 5o*n) b5 priests to !orship an in"isible )od. #*t an old !o0an in
!ho0 I
had )reat confidence once said to 0e, OWh5 !orship a deit5 !ho0 5o* cannot see, !hen there is the
,oon in
all her splendo*r "isibleZ Worship her. In"o?e Diana, the )oddess of the ,oon, and she !ill )rant 5o*r
pra5ers.O This shalt tho* do, obe5in) the /an)elo, the Gospel of $the Witches and of% Diana, !ho is
=*een of
the Fairies and of the ,oon.D
9o! the 5o*n) lad5 bein) pers*aded, !as con"erted to the !orship of Diana and the ,oon, and
ha"in)
pra5ed !ith all her heart for a lo"er $ha"in) learned the con2*ration to the )oddess%,F1G !as soon
re!arded b5
the attention and de"otion of a bra"e and !ealth5 ca"alier, !ho !as indeed as ad0irable a s*itor as an5
one
co*ld desire. #*t the 0other, !ho !as far 0ore bent on )ratif5in) "indicti"eness and cr*el "anit5 than
on her
da*)hterOs happiness, !as inf*riated at this, and !hen the )entle0an ca0e to her, she bade hi0 be)one,
for
her da*)hter !as "o!ed to beco0e a n*n, and a n*n she sho*ld be or die.
Then the 5o*n) lad5 !as sh*t *p in a cell in a to!er, !itho*t e"en the co0pan5 of her )o"erness, and
p*t to
stron) and hard pain, bein) 0ade to sleep on the stone floor, and !o*ld ha"e died of h*n)er had her
0other
had her !a5.
Then in this dire need she pra5ed to Diana to set her freeN !hen loK she fo*nd the prison door
*nfastened, and
easil5 escaped. Then ha"in) obtained a pil)ri0Os dress, she tra"elled far and !ide, teachin) and
preachin) the
reli)ion of old ti0es, the reli)ion of Diana, the =*een of the Fairies and of the ,oon, the )oddess of
the poor
and the oppressed.
And the fa0e of her !isdo0 and bea*t5 !ent forth o"er all the land, and people !orshipped her,
callin) her
La #ella Pelle)rina. At last her 0other, hearin) of
F1. This incantation is )i"en in the chapter entitled DA 'pell to Win Lo"e.DG
her, !as in a )reater ra)e than e"er, and, in fine, after 0*ch tro*ble, s*cceeded in ha"in) her a)ain
arrested
and cast into prison. And then in e"il te0per indeed she as?ed her !hether she !o*ld beco0e a n*nN to
!hich
she replied that it !as not possible, beca*se she had left the Catholic Ch*rch and beco0e a !orshipper
of
Diana and of the ,oon.
And the end of it !as that the 0other, re)ardin) her da*)hter as lost, )a"e her *p to the priests to be p*t
to
tort*re and death, as the5 did all !ho !o*ld not a)ree !ith the0 or !ho left their reli)ion.
#*t the people !ere not !ell pleased !ith this, be ca*se. the5 adored her bea*t5 and )oodness, and
there
!ere fe! !ho had not en2o5ed her charit5.
#*t b5 the aid of her lo"er she obtained, as a last )race, that on the ni)ht before she !as to be tort*red
and
e:ec*ted she 0i)ht, !ith a )*ard, )o forth into the )arden of the palace and pra5.
This she did, and standin) b5 the door of the ho*se, !hich is still there, pra5ed in the li)ht of the f*ll
0oon to
Diana, that she 0i)ht be deli"ered fro0 the dire persec*tion to !hich she had been s*b2ected, since
e"en her
o!n parents had !illin)l5 )i"en her o"er to an a!f*l death.
9o! her parents and the priests, and all !ho so*)ht her death, !ere in the palace !atchin) lest she
sho*ld
escape.
When loK in ans!er to her pra5er there ca0e a terrible te0pest and o"er!hel0in) !ind., a stor0 s*ch
as 0an
had ne"er seen before, !hich o"erthre! and s!ept a!a5 the palace !ith all !ho !ere in itN there !as
not one
stone left *pon another, nor one so*l ali"e of all !ho !ere there. The )ods had replied to the pra5er.
The 5o*n) lad5 escaped happil5 !ith her lo"er, !edded hi0, and the ho*se of the peasant !here the
lad5
stood is still called La Casa al /ento, or the o*se of the Wind.
This is "er5 acc*ratel5 the stor5 as I recei"ed it, b*t I freel5 ad0it that I ha"e "er5 0*ch condensed the
lan)*a)e of the ori)inal te:t, !hich consists of t!ent5 pa)es, and !hich, as re)ards needless paddin),
indicates a capacit5 on the part of the narrator to !rite an a"era)e 0odern fashionable no"el, e"en a
second+rate French one, !hich is sa5in) a )reat deal. It is tr*e that there are in it no detailed
descriptions of
scener5, s?ies, trees, or clo*ds+and a )reat deal 0i)ht be 0ade of /olterra in that !a5+b*t it is
prolon)ed in
a 0anner !hich sho!s a )ift for it. o!e"er, the narrati"e itself is stran)el5 ori)inal and "i)oro*s, for
it is
s*ch a relic of p*re classic heathenis0, and s*ch a s*r"i"al of faith in the old 05tholo)5, as all the
reflected
second+hand ellenis0 of the _sthetes cannot eI*al. That a real !orship of or belief in classic
di"inities
sho*ld ha"e s*r"i"ed to the present da5 in the "er5 land of Papac5 itself, is a 0*ch 0ore c*rio*s fact
than if a
li"in) 0a00oth had been dis co"ered in so0e o*t of the !a5 corner of the earth, beca*se the for0er is
a
h*0an pheno0enon. I foresee that the da5 !ill co0e, and that perhaps not so "er5 far distant, !hen the
!orld
of scholars !ill be a0aJed to consider to !hat a late period an i00ense bod5 of antiI*e tradition
s*r"i"ed in
9orthern Ital5, and ho! indifferent the learned !ere re)ardin) itN there ha"in) been in "er5 tr*th onl5
one
0an, and he a forei)ner, !ho earnestl5 occ*pied hi0self !ith collectin) and preser"in) it.
It is "er5 probabl5 that there !ere as 0an5 to*chin) episodes a0on) the heathen 0art5rs !ho !ere
forced to
)i"e *p their belo"ed deities, s*ch as Diana, /en*s, the Graces, and others, !ho !ere !orshipped for
bea*t5,
as there !ere e"en a0on) the Christians !ho !ere thro!n to the lions. For the heathen lo"ed their )ods
!ith
a h*0an personal s50path5, !itho*t 05sticis0 or fear, as if the5 had been blood +relationsN and there
!ere
0an5 a0on) the0 !ho reall5 belie"ed that s*ch !as the case !hen so0e da0sel !ho had 0ade a fa*:
pas )ot o*t of it b5 attrib*tin) it all to so0e )od, fa*n, or sat5rN !hich is "er5 to*chin). There is a )reat
deal
to be said for as !ell as a)ainst the idolaters or !orshippers of dolls, as I heard a s0all )irl define the0.
CAPTER 7II. Tana, The ,oon+Goddess
The follo!in) stor5, !hich appeared ori)inall5 in the Le)ends of Florence, collected fro0 the people
b5 0e,
does not properl5 belon) to the WitchOs Gospel, as it is not strictl5 in accordance !ith itN and 5et it
co*ld not
!ell be o0itted, since it is on the sa0e s*b2ect. In it Diana appears si0pl5 as the l*nar )oddess of
chastit5,
therefore not as a !itch. It !as )i"en to 0e as Fana, b*t 05 infor0ant said that it 0i)ht be TanaN she
!as not
s*re. As Tana occ*rs in another tale, and as the s*b2ect is certainl5 Diana, there can hardl5 be a
I*estion of
this.
Tana, la Dea della L*na.
Tana !as a "er5 bea*tif*l )irl, b*t e:tre0el5 poor, and as 0odest and p*re as she !as bea*tif*l and
h*0 ble.
'he !ent fro0 one contadino to another, or fro0 far0 to far0 to !or?, and th*s led an honest life.
There !as
a 5o*n) boor, a "er5 *)l5, bestial, and br*tish fello!, !ho !as after his fashion ra)in) !ith lo"e for
her, b*t
she co*ld not so 0*ch as bear to loo? at hi0, and repelled all his ad"ances.
#*t late one ni)ht, !hen she !as ret*rnin) alone fro0 the far0ho*se !here she had !or?ed to her
ho0e, this
0an, !ho had hidden hi0self in a thic?et, leaped o*t on her and cried, D9on 0iO sf*))eraiN sara
0iaK D+DTho* canst not fleeN 0ine tho* shalt beKD And seein) no help near, and onl5 the f*ll 0oon
loo?in)
do!n on her fro0 hea"en, Tana in despair cast herself on her ?nees and cried to it( +
I ha"e no one on earth to defend 0e,
Tho* alone dost see 0e in this strait,
Therefore I pra5 to thee, @ ,oonK
As tho* art bea*tif*l so tho* art bri)ht,
Flashin) th5 splendo*r o"er all 0an?indN
E"en so I pra5 thee li)ht *p the 0ind
@f this poor r*ffian, !ho !o*ld !ron) 0e here,
E"en to the !orst. Cast li)ht into his so*l,
That he 0a5 let 0e be in peace, and then
Ret*rn in all th5 li)ht *nto 05 ho0eKD
When she had said this, there appeared before her a bri)ht b*t shado!5 for0+*no o0bra blanca
!hich said( +
DRise, and )o to th5 ho0eK
Tho* hast !ell deser"ed this )raceN
9o one shall tro*ble thee 0ore,
P*rest of all on earthK
tho* shalt a )oddess be,
The Goddess of the ,oon,
@f all enchant0ent I*eenKD
Th*s it ca0e to pass that Tana beca0e the dea or spirit of the ,oon.
Tho*)h the air be set to a different ?e5, this is a poe0 of p*re 0elod5, and the sa0e as Words!orthOs
DGood5
#la?e and arr5 Gill.D #oth Tana and the old da0e are s*rprised and terrifiedN both pra5 to a po!er
abo"e( +
DThe cold, cold 0oon abo"e her head,
Th*s on her ?nees did Good5 pra5N
So*n) arr5 heard !hat she had said,
And ic5 cold he t*rned a!a5.D
The dra0atic centre is 2*st the sa0e in both. The En)lish ballad soberl5 t*rns into an inc*rable fit of
a)*e
inflicted on a )reed5 5o*n) boorN the Italian !itch+poetess, !ith finer sense, or !ith 0ore s50path5 for
the
heroine, casts the br*te aside !itho*t f*rther 0ention, and apotheosises the 0aiden, identif5in) her
!ith the
,oon. The for0er is 0ore practical and probable, the latter 0ore poetical .
And here it is !orth !hile, despite di)ression, to re0ar? !hat an i00ense 0a2orit5 there are of people
!ho
can percei"e, feel, and "al*e poetr5 in 0ere !ords or for0+that is to sa5, ob2ecti"el5+and hardl5 ?no!
or
note it !hen it is presented s*b2ecti"el5 or as tho*)ht, b*t not p*t into so0e ?ind of "erse or 0eas*re,
or
re)*lated for0. This is a c*rio*s e:peri0ent and !orth st*d5in). Ta?e a passa)e fro0 so0e fa0o*s
poetN
!rite it o*t in p*re si0ple prose, doin) f*ll 2*stice to its real 0eanin), and if it still act*all5 thrills or
0o"es
as poetr5, then it is of the first class. #*t if it has lost its )la0o*r absol*tel5, it is second+rate or inferiorN
for
the best cannot be 0ade o*t of 0ere !ords "arnished !ith associations, be the5 of tho*)ht or feelin).
This is not s*ch a far cr5 fro0 the s*b2ect as 0i)ht be dee0ed. Readin) and feelin) the0 s*b2ecti"el5, I
a0
often str*c? b5 the fact that in these !itch traditions !hich I ha"e )athered there is a !ondro*s poetr5
of
tho*)ht, !hich far e:cels the efforts of 0an5 0odern bards, and !hich onl5 reI*ires the aid of so0e
cle"er
!or?0an in !ords to ass*0e the hi)hest ran?. A proof of !hat I ha"e asserted 0a5 be fo*nd in the fact
that,
in s*ch fa0o*s poe0s as the Findin) of the L5re, b5 Ea0es R*ssell Lo!ell, and that on the in"ention of
the
pipe b5 Pan, b5 ,rs. #ro!nin), that !hich for0ed the 0ost e:I*isite and refined portion of the
ori)inal
05ths is o0itted b5 both a*thors, si0pl5 beca*se the5 0issed or did not percei"e it. For in the for0er
!e are
not told that it !as the breathin) of the )od Air $!ho !as the inspirin) so*l of ancient 0*sic, and the
#ellaria of 0odern !itch+05tholo)5% on the dried fila0ent of the tortoise, !hich s*))ested to er0es
the
0a?in) an instr*0ent !here!ith he 0ade the 0*sic of the spheres and )*ided the co*rse of the
planets. As
for ,rs. #ro!nin), she lea"es o*t '5rin: alto)ether, that is to sa5, the "oice of the n50ph still
lin)erin) in
the pipe !hich had been her bod5. 9o! to 05 0ind the old prose narrati"e of these 05ths is 0*ch
0ore
deepl5 poetical and 0o"in), and far 0ore inspired !ith bea*t5 and ro0ance, than are the !ell+rh50ed
and
0eas*red, b*t "er5 i0perfect "ersions )i"en b5 o*r poets. And in fact, s*ch !ant of intelli)ence or
perception 0a5 be fo*nd in all the DclassicD poe0s, not onl5 of Peats, b*t of al0ost e"er5 poet of the
a)e
!ho has dealt in Gree? s*b2ects.
Great license is allo!ed to painters and poets, b*t !hen the5 ta?e a s*b2ect, especiall5 a deep tradition,
and
fail to percei"e its real 0eanin) or catch its point, and si0pl5 )i"e *s so0ethin) "er5 prett5, b*t not so
inspired !ith 0eanin) as the ori)inal, it can hardl5 be clai0ed that the5 ha"e done their !or? as it
0i)ht, or,
in fact, sho*ld ha"e been done. I find that this fa*lt does not occ*r in the Italian or T*scan !itch+
"ersions of
the ancient fablesN on the contrar5, the5 ?eenl5 appreciate, and e"en e:pand, the antiI*e spirit. ence I
ha"e
often had occasion to re0ar? that it !as not i0possible that in so0e cases pop*lar tradition, e"en as it
no!
e:ists, has been preser"ed 0ore f*ll5 and acc*ratel5 than !e find it in an5 Latin !riter.
9o! apropos of 0issin) the point, I !o*ld re0ind certain "er5 literal readers that if the5 find 0an5
fa*lts of
)ra00ar, 0is+spellin), and !orse in the Italian te:ts in this boo?, the5 !ill not, as a distin)*ished
re"ie!er
has done, attrib*te the0 all to the i)norance of the a*thor, b*t to the i0perfect ed*cation of the person
!ho
collected and recorded the0. I a0 re0inded of this b5 ha"in) seen in a circ*latin) librar5 a cop5 of 05
Le)ends of Florence, in !hich so0e )ood caref*l so*l had ta?en pains !ith a pencil to correct all the
archais0s. Wherein he or she !as li?e a certain #oston proof+reader, !ho in a boo? of 0ine chan)ed
the
spellin) of 0an5 citations fro0 Cha*cer, 'penser, and others into the p*rest, or i0p*rest, WebsterN he
bein)
*nder the i0pression that I !as e:tre0el5 i)norant of ortho)raph5. As for the !ritin) in or in2*rin)
boo?s,
!hich al!a5s belon) partl5 to posterit5, it is a sin of "*l)arit5 as !ell as 0oralit5, and indicates !hat
people are 0ore than the5 drea0.
D@nl5 a cad as lo! as a thief
Wo*ld !rite in a boo? or t*rn do!n a leaf,
'ince Otis thie"er5, as !ell is ?no!n,
To 0a?e free !ith that !hich is not o*r o!n.
CAPTER 7III. Diana and the Children
DAnd there !ithall Diana )an appere
With bo!e in hand ri)ht as an *nteresse,
And sa5d`, ODa*)hter, stint thine hea"inesseKO
And forth she !ente and 0ade a "anishin).D
+Cha*cer $C.T%, DThe Pni)htOs Tale.D
There !as in Florence in the oldest ti0e a noble far0il5, b*t )ro!n so poor that their )iorni di festa or
feast+da5s !ere fe! and far bet!een. o!e"er, the5 d!elt in their old palace $!hich !as in the street
no!
called La /ia Cittadella%, !hich !as a fine old b*ildin), and so the5 ?ept *p a bra"e sho! before the
!orld,
!hen 0an5 a da5 the5 hardl5 had an5thin) to eat.
Ro*nd this palace !as a lar)e )arden, in !hich stood an ancient 0arble stat*e of Diana, li?e a bea*tif*l
!o0an !ho see0ed to be r*nnin) !ith a do) b5 her side. 'he held in her hand a bo!, and on her
forehead
!as a s0all 0oon. And it !as said that b5 ni)ht, !hen all !as still, the stat*e beca0e li?e life, and fled,
and
did not ret*rn till the 0oon set or the s*n rose.
The father of the fa0il5 had t!o children, !ho !ere )ood and intelli)ent. @ne da5 the5 ca0e ho0e
!ith
0an5 flo!ers !hich had been )i"en to the0, and the little )irl said to her brother(+
DThe bea*tif*l lad5 !ith the bo! o*)ht to ha"e so0e of theseKD
'a5in) this, the5 laid flo!ers before the stat*re and 0ade a !reath !hich the bo5 placed on her head.
E*st
then the )reat poet and 0a)ician /ir)il, !ho ?ne! e"er5thin) abo*t the )ods and fairies, entered the
)arden
and said, s0ilin)(+
DSo* ha"e 0ade, the offerin) of flo!ers to the )oddess I*ite correctl5, as the5 did of oldN all that
re0ains is
to prono*nce the pra5er properl5,F1G and it is this(D
'o he repeated the
In"ocation to Diana.
#ella dea dellOarcoK
#ella dea delle freccieK
Della caccia e dei caniK
T* "e)li colle stelle,
=*ando il sole "a dor0ir
T* colla l*na in fronte
Cacci la notte 0e)lio del di.
Colle t*e 9infe, al s*ono
Di tro0be+'el la re)ina
Del cacclatori+re)ina delle notte,
T* che sei la cacciatrice
PiR potente di o)ni,
Cacciator+ti pre)o
Pensa *n poco a noiK
F1. The 0ost i0portant part of !itchcraft is to intone or accent the incantations acc*ratel5, in a 0anner
li?e
that of ch*rch chantin) or Arab recitations. ence the apparentl5 prose for0 of 0ost spells.G
To Diana.
Lo"el5 Goddess of the bo!K
Lo"el5 Goddess of the arro!sK
@f all ho*nds and of all h*ntin)
Tho* !ho !a?est in starr5 hea"en
When the s*n is s*n? in sl*0ber
Tho* !ith 0oon *pon the5 forehead,
Who the chase b5 ni)ht preferrest
Lnto h*ntin) in the da5li)ht,
With th5 n50phs *nto the 0*sic
@f the horn+th5self the h*ntress,
And 0ost po!erf*l( I pra5 thee
Thin?, altho*)h b*t for an instant,
Lpon *s !ho pra5 *nto theeKO
Then /ir)il ta*)ht the0 also the 'con)i*raJione or spell to be *ttered !hen )ood fort*ne or a*)ht is
speciall5 reI*ired.
The Con2*ration of Diana.
D#ella dea del arco del cieloK
Delle stelle e della l*naK
La re)ina piR potente
Del cacciatori e della notteK
A te ricorria0o,
E chiedia0o il t*o ai*to
Che t* possa darci
'e0pre la b*ona fort*naKD
F1. It is to be obser"ed that the in"ocation is strictl5 a psal0 of praise or a h50nN the scon)i*raJione is
a
reI*est or pr!er, tho*)h it often ta?es the for0 of a threat or 0enace. This onl5 e:ists in classic
!itchcraft.G
Fair )oddess of the rainbo!,
@f the stars and of the 0oonK
The I*een 0ost po!erf*l
@f h*nters and the ni)htK
We be) of thee th5 aid,
That tho* 0a5Ost )i"e to *s
The best of fort*ne e"erK
Then he added. the concl*sion(+
D'e la nostra scon)i*raJione
Ascolterai,
E b*ona fort*na ci darei,
Ln se)nale a noi lo dareiKD
If tho* heedOst o*r e"ocation
And !ilt )i"e )ood fort*ne to *s,
Then in proof )i"e *s a to?enKF1G
F1. 'o0ethin) is here o0itted, !hich can, ho!e"er, be s*pplied fro0 0an5 other sit nilar incantations.
It !as
probabl5 as follo!s(+
If tho* art fa"o*rable
And !ilt )rant 05 pra5er,
Then 0a5 I hear
The bar? of a do),
The nei)h of a horse,
The croa?in) of a fro),
The chirp of a bird,
The son) of a cric?et,
et cHtera.
Three or fo*r of these so*nds !ere )enerall5 selected. The5 "ar5 0ore or less, b*t seldo0 0ateriall5,
fro0
these. 'o0eti0es "isible 0anifestations, as, for instance, li)htnin), are reI*ested. To see a !hite horse
is a
si)n that the pra5er !ill be )ranted after so0e dela5. It also si)nifies "ictor5.G
And ha"in) ta*)ht the0 this, /ir)il departed.
Then the children ran to tell their parents all that had happened, and the latter i0pressed it on the0 to
?eep it
a secret, nor breathe a !ord or hint thereof to an5 one. #*t !hat !as their a0aJe0ent !hen the5 fo*nd
earl5
the ne:t 0ornin) before the stat*e a deer freshl5 ?illed, !hich )a"e the0 )ood dinners for 0an5 a da5N
nor
did the5 !ant thereafter at an5 ti0e )a0e of all ?inds, !hen the pra5er had been de"o*tl5 prono*nced.
There !as a nei)hbo*r of this fa0il5, a priest, !ho held in hate all the !a5s and !orship of the )ods of
the
old ti0e, and !hate"er did not belon) to his reli)ion, and he, passin) the )arden one da5, beheld the
stat*e of
Diana cro!ned !ith roses and other flo!ers. And bein) in a ra)e, and seein) in the street a deca5ed
cabba)e,
he rolled it in the 0*d, and thre! itall drippin) at the face @f the )oddess, sa5in)(+
DEcco 0ala bestia dOidollK
=*esto e lOo0a))io che to ti do,
Gia che il dia"olo ti ai*taKD
#ehold, tho* "ile beast of idolatr5,
This is the !orship !hich tho* hast fro0 0e,
And the de"il do the rest for theeK
Then the priest heard a "oice in the )loo0 !here the lea"es !ere dense, and it said(+
D#ene, beneK T* 0i hai fatto
LOoffrando+t* a"rai
La t*a porJione
Della 0ia caccia. AspettaKD
It is !ellK I )i"e thee !arnin),
'ince tho* hast 0ade th5 offerin),
'onic of the )a0e to thee IOll brin)N
Tho*Olt ha"e th5 share in the 0ornin).
All that ni)ht the priest s*ffered fro0 horrible drea0s and dread, and !hen at last, 2*st before three
oOcloc?,
he fell asleep, he s*ddenl5 a!o?e fro0 a ni)ht0are in !hich it see0ed as if so0ethin) hea"5 rested on
his
chest. And so0ethin) indeed fell fro0 hi0 and rolled on the floor. And !hen he rose and pic?ed it *p,
and
loo?ed at it b5 the li)ht of the 0oon, he sa! that it !as a h*0an head, half deca5ed.F1G
Another priest, !ho had heard his cr5 of terror, entered his roo0, and ha"in) loo?ed at the head, said(+
DI ?no! that faceK It is of a 0an !ho0 I confessed, and !ho !as beheaded three 0onths a)o at 'iena.D
And
three da5s after the priest !ho had ins*lted the )oddess died.
The fore)oin) tale !as not )i"en to 0e as belon)in) to the Gospel of the Witches, b*t as one
of a "er5 lar)e series of traditions relatin) to /ir)il as a 0a)ician. #*t it has its proper place in
this boo?, beca*se it contains the in"ocation to and incantation of Diana, these bein) re0ar?abl5
bea*tif*l
and ori)inal. When !e re0e0ber
F1. DLa testa dO*n *o0o piena di "er0e e p*JJolente.D A parod5 in ?ind for the deca5ed cabba)e, 0*ch
co0pleter than the end of the Ger0an tale rese0blin) it.G
ho! these Dh50nsD ha"e been handed do!n or preser"ed b5 old !o0en, and do*btless 0*ch )arbled,
chan)ed, and defor0ed b5 trans0ission, it cannot b*t see0 !onderf*l that so 0*ch classic bea*t5 still
re0ains in the0, as, for instance, in
DLo"el5 )oddess of the bo!K
Lo"el5 )oddess of the arro!K
Tho* !ho !al?Ost in starr5 hea"enKD
Robert #ro!nin) !as a )reat poet, b*t if !e co0pare all the Italian !itch+poe0s of and to Diana !ith
the
for0erOs 0*ch+ad0ired speech of Diana+Arte0is, it !ill certainl5 be ad0itted b5 i0partial critics that
the
spells are f*ll5 eI*al to the follo!in) b5 the bard+
DI a0 a )oddess of the a0brosial co*rts,
And sa"e b5 ere, =*een of Pride, s*rpassed
#5 none !hose te0ples !hiten this the !orld(
Thro*)h ea"en I roll 05 l*cid 0oon alon),
I shed in ell oOer 05 pate people peace,
@n Earth, I, carin) for the creat*res, )*ard
Each pre)nant 5ello! !olf and fo:+bitch slee?,
And e"er5 feathered 0otherOs callo! brood,
And all the lo"e )reen ha*nts and loneliness.D
This is prett5, b*t it is onl5 i0itation, and neither in for0 or spirit reall5 eI*al to the incantations,
!hich are
sincere in faith. And it 0a5 here be obser"ed in sorro!, 5et in "er5 tr*th, that in a "er5 )reat n*0ber of
0odern poetical handlin)s of classic 05thic s*b2ects, the !riters ha"e, despite all their )eni*s as artists,
prod*ced rococo !or? !hich !ill appear to be s*ch to an other )eneration, si0pl5 fro0 their ha"in)
0issed
the point, or o0itted fro0 i)norance so0ethin) "ital !hich the fol?+lorist !o*ld probabl5 not ha"e
lost.
Achilles 0a5 be ad0irabl5 dra!n, as I ha"e seen hi0, in a Lo*is 7I/. !i) !ith a T*r?ish sci0itar, b*t
still
one co*ld !ish that the desi)ner had been a little 0ore fa0iliar !ith Gree? )ar0ents and !eapons.
CAPTER 7I/. The Goblin ,essen)ers of Diana and ,erc*r5
The follo!in) tale !as not )i"en to 0e as connected !ith the Gospel of the Witches, b*t as Diana
appears in
it, and as the !hole conception is that of Diana and Apollo in another for0, I incl*de it in the series.
,an5 cent*ries a)o there !as a folletto, )oblin, or spirit, or de"il+an)el+chi saZ+!ho ?no!s !hatZ and
,erc*rio, !ho !as the )od of speed and of I*ic?ness, bein) 0*ch pleased !ith this i0p, besto!ed on
hi0
the )ift of r*nnin) li?e the !ind, !ith the pri"ile)e that !hate"er he p*rs*ed, be it spirit, a h*0an
bein), or
ani0al, he sho*ld certainl5 o"erta?e or catch it. This folletto had a bea*tif*l sister, !ho, li?e hi0, ran
errands,
not for the. )ods, b*t for the )oddess $there !as a fe0ale )od for e"er5 0ale, e"en do!n to the s0all
spirits%N
and Diana on the sa0e da5 )a"e to this fair5 the po!er that, !hoe"er n*)ht chase her, she sho*ld, if
p*rs*ed,
ne"er be o"erta?en.
@ne da5 the brother sa! his sister speedin) li?e a flash of li)htnin) across the hea"en, and he felt a
s*dden
stran)e desire in ri"alr5 to o"erta?e her. 'o he dashed after as she flitted onN b*t tho*)h it !as his
destin5 to
catch, she had been fated ne"er to be ca*)ht, and so the !ill of one s*pre0e )od !as balanced b5 that
of
another.
CAPTER 7I/. The Goblin ,essen)ers of Diana and ,erc*r5
'o the t!o ?ept fl5in) ro*nd and ro*nd the ed)e of hea"en, and at first all the )ods roared !ith
la*)hter, b*t
!hen the5 *nderstood the case, the5 )re! serio*s, and as?ed one another ho! it !as to end.
Then the )reat father+)od said(+
D#ehold the earth, !hich is in dar?ness and )loo0K I !ill chan)e the sister into a 0oon, and her brother
into a
s*n. And so shall she e"er escape hi0, 5et !ill he e"er catch her !ith his li)ht, !hich shall fall on her
fro0
afarN for the ra5s of the s*n are his hands, !hich reach forth !ith b*rnin) )rasp, 5et !hich are e"er
el*ded.D
And th*s it is said that this race be)ins ane! !ith the first of e"er5 0onth, !hen the 0oon bein) cold,
is
co"ered !ith as 0an5 coats as an onion. #*t !hile the race is bein) r*n, as the 0oon beco0es !ar0
she
casts off one )ar0ent after another, till she is na?ed and then stops, and then !hen dressed the race
be)ins
a)ain.
As the "ast stor0+clo*d falls in )litterin) drops, e"en so the )reat 05ths of the olden ti0e
are bro?en *p into s0all fair5+tales, and as these drops in t*rn re*nite
DEn ri"i]re o* s*r 1Oestan),D
$D@n silent la?e or strea0let lone,D%
as /illon hath it, e"en so 0inor 05ths are a)ain for0ed fro0 the fallen !aters. In this stor5 !e clearl5
ha"e
the do) 0ade b5 /*lcan and the !olf+E*piter settled the I*estion b5 petrif5in) the0+as 5o* 0a5 read in
E*li*s Poll*: his fifth boo?, or an5 other on 05tholo)5. Is canis f*it postea Q Eo"e in lapide0
con"ers*s.
OWhich h*ntin) ho*nd, as !ell is ?no!n,
Was chan)ed b5 E*piter to stone.D
It is re0ar?able that in this stor5 the 0oon is co0pared to an onion. DThe onion,D sa5s Friedrich
$'50boli?
der 9at*r, p. &13%, D!as, on acco*nt of its 0an5 s?ins, a0on) the E)5ptians the e0ble0 and
hiero)l5ph of
the 0an5+for0ed 0oon, !hose different phases are so clearl5 seen in the root !hen it is c*t thro*)h,
also
beca*se its )ro!th or decrease corresponds !ith that of the planet. Therefore it !as dedicated to Isis,
the
,oon+Goddess.D And for this reason the onion !as so hol5 as to be re)arded as ha"in) in itself
so0ethin) of
deit5N for !hich reason 2*"enal re0ar?s that the E)5ptians !ere happ5 people to ha"e )ods )ro!in) in
their
)ardens.
CAPTER 7/. La"erna
The follo!in) "er5 c*rio*s tale, !ith the incantation, !as not in the te:t of the /an)elo, b*t it "er5
e"identl5
belon)s to the c5cle or series of le)ends connected !ith it. Diana is declared to be the protectress of all
o*tcasts, those to !ho0 the ni)ht is their da5, conseI*entl5 of thie"esN and La"erna, as !e 0a5 learn
fro0
orace $Epistles, 16, 1% and Pla*t*s, !as pree0inentl5 the patroness of pilferin) and all rascalit5. In
this
stor5 she also appears as a !itch and h*0o*rist.
It !as )i"en to 0e as a tradition of /ir)il, !ho often appears as one fa0iliar !ith the 0ar"ello*s and
hidden
lore of the olden ti0e.
It happened on a ti0e that /ir)il, !ho ?ne! all thin)s hidden or 0a)ical, he !ho !as a 0a)ician and
poet,
ha"in) heard a speech $or oration% b5 a fa0o*s tal?er !ho had not 0*ch in hi0, !as as?ed !hat he
tho*)ht
of itZ And he replied(+
CAPTER 7/. La"erna
DIt see0s to 0e to be i0possible to tell !hether it !as all introd*ction or all concl*sionN certainl5 there
!as
no bod5 in it. It !as li?e certain fish of !ho0 one is in do*bt !hether the5 are all head or all tall, or
onl5
head and tallN or the )oddess La"erna, of !ho0 no one e"er ?ne! !hether she !as all head or all bod5,
or
neither or both.D
Then the e0peror inI*ired !ho this deit5 0i)ht be, for he had ne"er heard of her.
And /ir)il replied(+
DA0on) the )ods or spirits !ho !ere of ancient ti0es+0a5 the5 be e"er fa"o*rable to *sK A0on) the0
$!as%
one fe0ale !ho !as the craftiest and 0ost ?na"ish of the0 all. 'he !as called La"erna. 'he !as a
thief, and
"er5 little ?no!n to the other deities, !ho !ere honest and di)nified, for she !as rarel5 in hea"en or in
the
co*ntr5 of the fairies.
D'he !as al0ost al!a5s on earth, a0on) thie"es, pic?poc?ets, and panders+she li"ed in dar?ness. @nce
it
happened that she !ent $to a 0ortal%, a )reat priest in the for0 and )*ise of a "er5 bea*tif*l statel5
priestess
$of so0e )oddess%, and said to hi0( +
DOSo* ha"e an estate !hich I !ish to b*5. I intend to b*ild on it a te0ple to $o*r% God. I s!ear to 5o* on
05
bod5 that I !ill pa5 thee !ithin a 5ear.O
DTherefore the priest transferred to her the estate.
DAnd "er5 soon La"erna had sold off all the crops, )rain, cattle, !ood, and po*ltr5. There !as not left
the
"al*e of fo*r farthin)s.
D#*t on the da5 fi:ed for pa50ent there !as no La"erna to be seen. The )oddess !as far a!a5, and had
left
her creditor in asso +in the l*rchK
DAt the sa0e ti0e La"erna !ent to a )reat lord and bo*)ht of hi0 a castle, !ell+f*rnished !ithin and
broad
rich lands !itho*t.
D#*t this ti0e she s!ore on her head to pa5 in f*ll in si: 0onths.
DAnd as she had done b5 the priest, so she acted to the lord of the castle, and stole and sold e"er5 stic?,
f*rnit*re, cattle, 0en, and 0ice+there !as not left !here!ith to feed a fl5.
DThen the priest and the lord, findin) o*t !ho this !as, appealed to the )ods, co0plainin) that the5 had
been
robbed b5 a )oddess.
DAnd it !as soon 0ade ?no!n to the0 all that this !as La"erna.
DTherefore she !as called to 2*d)0ent before all the )ods.
DAnd !hen she !as as?ed !hat she had done !ith the propert5 of the pr I est, *nto !ho0 she had
s!orn b5
her bod5 to 0a?e pa50ent at the ti0e appointed $and !h5 had she bro?en her oath%Z
D'he replied b5 a stran)e deed !hich a0aJed the0 all, for she 0ade her bod5 disappear, so that onl5
her head
re0ained "isible, and it cried(+
DO#ehold 0eK I s!ore b5 05 bod5, b*t bod5 ha"e I noneKO
CAPTER 7/. La"erna
DThen all the )ods la*)hed.
DAfter the priest ca0e the lord !ho had also been tric?ed, and to !ho0 she had s!orn b5 her head.
And in
repl5 to hi0 La"erna sho!ed to all present her !hole bod5 !itho*t 0incin) 0atters, and it !as one of
e:tre0e bea*t5, b*t !itho*t a headN and fro0 the nec? thereof ca0e a "oice !hich said(+
O#ehold 0e, for I a0 La"erna, !ho
a"e co0e to ans!er to that lordOs co0plaint,
Who s!ears that I contracted debt to hi0,
And ha"e not paid altho*)h the ti0e is oOer,
And that I a0 a thief beca*se I s!ore
Lpon 05 head+ b*t, as 5o* all can see,
I ha"e no head at all, and therefore I
Ass*redl5 neOer s!ore b5 s*ch an oath.O
DThen there !as indeed a stor0 of la*)hter a0on) the )ods, !ho 0ade the 0atter ri)ht b5 orderin) the
head
to 2oin the bod5, and biddin) La"erna pa5 *p her debts, !hich she did.
DThen Eo"e spo?e and said( +
DOere is a ro)*ish )oddess !itho*t a d*t5 $or a !orshipper%, !hile there are in Ro0e inn*0erable
thie"es,
sharpers, cheats, and rascals+ ladri, bindolini, tr*ffatori e scrocconi+!ho li"e b5 deceit.
DOThese )ood fol? ha"e neither a ch*rch nor a )od, and it is a )reat pit5, for e"en the "er5 de"ils ha"e
their
0aster, 'atan, as the head of the fa0il5. There fore, I co00and that in f*t*re La"erna shall be the
)oddess of
all the ?na"es or dishonest trades0en, !ith the !hole r*bbish and ref*se of the h*0an race, !ho ha"e
been
hitherto !itho*t a )od or a de"il, inas0*ch as the5 ha"e been too despicable for the one or the other.O
DAnd so La"erna beca0e the )oddess of all dishonest and shabb5 people.
DWhene"er an5 one planned or intended an5 ?na"er5 or a*)ht !ic?ed, he entered her te0ple, and
in"o?ed
La"erna, !ho appeared to hi0 as a !o0anOs head. #*t if he did his !or? of ?na"er5 badl5 or
0aladroitl5,
!hen he a)ain in"o?ed her he sa! onl5 the bod5N b*t if he !as cle"er, then he beheld the !hole
)oddess,
head and bod5.
DLa"erna !as no 0ore chaste than she !as honest, and had 0an5 lo"ers and 0an5 children. It !as said
that
not bein) bad at heart or cr*el, she often repented her life and sinsN b*t do !hat she 0i)ht, she co*ld
not
refor0, beca*se her passions !ere so in"etcrate.
DAnd if a 0an had )ot an5 !o0an !ith child or an5 0aid fo*nd herself enceinte, and !o*ld hide it
fro0 the
!orld and escape scandal, the5 !o*ld )oF1G e"er5 da5 to in"o?e La"erna.
DThen !hen the ti0e ca0e for the s*ppliant to be deli"ered, La"erna !o*ld bear her in sleep d*rin) the
ni)ht
to her te0ple, and after the birth cast her into sl*0ber a)ain, and bear her bac? to her bed at ho0e. and
!hen
she a!o?e in the 0ornin), she !as e"er in "i)oro*s health and felt no !eariness, and all see0ed to her
as a
drea0. F4G
D#*t to those !ho desired in ti0e to reclai0 their
F1. This !as a "er5 pec*liar characteristic of Diana, !ho !as in "ol"ed in a si0ilar 0anner. I ha"e here
o0itted 0*ch needless "erbia)e or repetition in the ori)inal ,'. and also abbre"iated !hat follo!s.
CAPTER 7/. La"erna
4. All of this indicates *n0ista?abl5, in se"eral respects, a )en*ine tradition. In the hands of craft5
priests this
!o*ld pro"e a )reat aid to pop*larit5.G
children, La"erna !as ind*l)ent if the5 led s*ch li"es as pleased her and faithf*ll5 !orshiped her.
DAnd this is the cere0on5 to be perfor0ed and the incantation to be offered e"er5 ni)ht to La"erna.
DThere 0*st be a set place de"oted to the )oddess, be it a roo0, a cellar, or a )ro"e, b*t e"er a solitar5
place.
DThen ta?e a s0all table of the siJe of fort5 pla5in)+cards set close to)ether, and this 0*st be hid in the
sa0e
place, and )oin) there at ni)ht...
DTa?e fort5 cards and spread the0 on the table, 0a?in) of the0 a close carpet or co"er on it.
DTa?e of the herbs Pa*ra and concordia, and boil the t!o to)ether, repeatin) 0ean!hile the follo!in)( +
'con)i*raJione.
Fa bollire la 0ano della concordia,
Per tenere a 0e concordo,
La La"erna che possa portare a 0e
Il 0io fi)lio, e che possa
G*ardar0ele da I*al*n pericolo.
#ollo I*esta erba, 0an non bollo 1Oerba.
#ollo la pa*raF1G che possa tenere lontano
=*al*nI*e persona e se le "iene
LOidea a I*alch*no di a""icinarsi,
Possa essere preso da pa*ra
E f*))ire lontanoK
F1. I con2ect*re that this is !ild popp5. The popp5 !as speciall5 sacred to Ceres, b*t also to the 9i)ht
and its
rites, and La"erna !as a noct*rnal deit5 +a pla5 on the !ord pa*ra, or fear.G
Incantation.
I boil the cl*ster of concordia
To ?eep in concord and at peace !ith 0e
La"erna, that she 0a5 restore to 0e
,5 child, and that she b5 her fa"o*rin) care
,a5 )*ard 0e !ell fro0 dan)er all 05 lifeK,
I boil this herb, 5et Otis not it !hich boilsN
I boll the fear, that it 0a5 ?eep afar
An5 intr*der, and if s*ch sho*ld co0e
$To sp5 *pon 05 rite%, 0a5 he be str*c?
With fear and in his terror haste a!a5KF1G
a"in) said th*s, p*t the boiled herbs in a bottle and spread the cards on the table one b5 one, sa5in)( +
#atteJJo I*este I*aranta carteK
,a non bateJJo le I*aranta carte,
CAPTER 7/. La"erna
#atteJJo I*aranta dei s*peri,
Alla dea La"erna che le s*e
Persone di"en)ono *n /*lcano
Fino che la La"erna non sara
/en*ta da 0e colla 0ia creat*ra,
E I*esti del dal naso dalla bocca,
E dalO orecchio possino b*ttare
Fia00i di f*oco e cenere,
F1. This passa)e recalls stran)el5 eno*)h the !orship of the GrHco+Ro0an )oddess Pa"or or Fear, the
attendant on ,ars. 'he !as 0*ch in"o?ed, as in the present instance, to terrif5 intr*ders or an ene05.
_sch5l*s 0a?es the se"en chiefs before Thebes s!ear b5 Fear , ,ars, and #ellona. ,e0. Acad. of
Inscriptions, ". 8.G
E lasciare pace e bene alla dea
La"erna, che possa anche essa
Abbraciare i s*oi fi)hi
A s*a "ol*ntaK
Incantation.
I spread before 0e no! the fort5 cards,
Set Otis not fort5 cards !hich here I spread,
#*t fort5 of the )ods s*perior
To the deit5 La"erna, that their for0s
,a5 each and all beco0e "olcanoes hot,
Lntil La"erna co0es and brin)s 05 childN
And Otill Otis done 0a5 the5 all cast at her
ot fla0es of fire, and !ith the0 )lo!in) coals
Fro0 noses, 0o*ths, and ears $*ntil she 5ields%N
Then 0a5 the5 lea"e La"erna to her peace,
Free to e0brace her children at her !illK
DLa"erna !as the Ro0an )oddess of thie"es, pic?poc?ets, shop?eepers or dealers, pla)iarists, rascals,
and
h5pocrites. There !as near Ro0e a te0ple in a )ro"e !here robbers !ent to di"ide their pl*nder. There
!as a
stat*e of the )oddess. er i0a)e, accordin) to so0e, !as a head !itho*t a bod5N accordin) to others, a
bod5
!itho*t a headN b*t the epithet of Obea*tif*lO applied to her b5 orace indicates that she !ho )a"e
dis)*ises to
her !orshippers had ?ept one to her self.D 'he !as !orshipped in perfect silence. This is confir0ed b5
a
passa)e in orace $Epist. 16, lib. 1%, !here an i0postor, hardl5 darin) to 0o"e his lips, repeats the
follo!in)
pra5er or incantation( +
D@ Goddess La"ernaK
Gi"e 0e the art of cheatin) and decei"in),
@f 0a?in) 0en belie"e that I a0 2*st,
ol5, and innocentK e:tend all dar?ness
And deep obsc*rit5 oOer 05 0isdeedsKD
It is interestin) to co0pare this *nI*estionabl5 ancient classic in"ocation to La"erna !ith the one
!hich is
before )i"en. The )oddess !as e:tensi"el5 ?no!n to the lo!er orders, and in Pla*t*s a coo? !ho has
been
robbed of his i0ple0ents calls on her to re"en)e hi0.
CAPTER 7/. La"erna
I call special attention to the fact that in this, as in a )reat n*0ber of Italian !itch+incantations, the
deit5 or
spirit !ho is !orshipped, be it Diana herself or La"erna, is threatened !ith tor0ent b5 a hi)her po!er
*ntil
he or she )rants the fa"o*r de0anded. This is I*ite classic, i.e., GrHco+Ro0an or @riental, in all of
!hich
so*rces the 0a)ician relies not on fa"o*r, aid, or po!er )ranted b5 either God or 'atan, b*t si0pl5 on
!hat
he has been able to !rench and !rin), as it !ere, o*t of infinite nat*re or the pri0al so*rce b5 penance
and
st*d5. I 0ention this beca*se a re"ie!er has reproached 0e !ith e:a))eratin) the de)ree to !hich
diabolis0 +introd*ced b5 the Ch*rch since 1;<<+is deficient in Ital5. #*t in fact, a0on) the hi)her class
of
!itches, or in their traditions, it is hardl5 to be fo*nd at all. In Christian diabolis0 the !itch ne"er dares
to
threaten 'atan or God, or an5 of the Trinit5 or an)els, for the !hole s5ste0 is based on the conception
of a
Ch*rch and of obedience.
The herb concordia probabl5 ta?es its na0e fro0 that of the )oddess Concordia, !ho !as represented
as
holdin) a branch. It pla5s a )reat part in !itchcraft, after "erbena and r*e.
APPE9DI7
APPE9DI7
Co00ents on the Fore)oin) Te:ts
'o lon) a)o as the 5ear 1336 I learned that there !as in e:istence a 0an*script settin) forth the
doctrines of
Italian !itchcraft, and I !as pro0ised that, if possible, it sho*ld be obtained for 0e. In this I !as for a
ti0e
disappointed. #*t ha"in) *r)ed it on ,addalena, 05 collector of fol?+lore, !hile she !as leadin) a
!anderin) life in T*scan5, to 0a?e an effort to obtain or reco"er so0ethin) of the ?ind, I at last
recei"ed
fro0 her, on Ean*ar5 1, 138., entitled Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches.
9o! be it obser"ed, that e"er5 leadin) point !hich for0s the plot or centre of the /an)el, s*ch as that
Diana is =*een of the Witches. an associate of erodias $Aradia% in her relations to sorcer5N that she
bore a
child to her brother the '*n $here L*cifer %N that as a 0oon+)oddess she is in so0e relation to Cain, !ho
d!ells as prisoner in the 0oon, and that the !itches of old !ere people oppressed b5 fe*dal lands, the
for0er
re"en)in) the0sel"es in e"er5 !a5, and holdin) or)ies to Diana !hich the Ch*rch represented as bein)
the
!orship of 'atan+all of this, I repeat, had been told or !ritten o*t for 0e in fra)0ents b5 ,addalena
$not to
spea? of other a*thorities%, e"en as it had been chronicled b5 orst or ,icheletN therefore all this is in
the
present doc*0ent of 0inor i0portance. All of this I e:pected, b*t !hat I did not e:pect, and !hat !as
ne! to
0e, !as that portion !hich is )i"en as prose+poetr5 and !hich I ha"e rendered in 0etre or "erse. This
bein)
traditional, and ta?en do!n fro0 !iJards, is e:tre0el5 c*rio*s and interestin), since in it are preser"ed
0an5
relics of lore !hich, as 0a5 be "erified fro0 records, ha"e co0e do!n fro0 da5s of 5ore.
Aradia
is e"identl5 eno*)h erodias, !ho !as re)arded in the be)innin) as associated !ith Diana as chief of
the
!itches. This !as not, as I opine, deri"ed fro0 the erodias of the 9e! Testa0ent, b*t fro0 an earlier
replica of Lilith, bear in) the sa0e na0e. It is, in fact, an identification or t!in+In) of the Ar5an and
'he0itic =*eens of ea"en, or of 9i)ht and of 'orcer5, and it 0a5 be that this !as ?no!n to the
earliest
05th+0a?ers. 'o far bac? as the si:th cent*r5 the !orship of erodias and Diana b5 !itches !as
conde0ned b5 a Ch*rch Co*ncil at Anc5ra. Pipern*s and other !riters ha"e noted the e"ident identit5
of
erodias !ith Lilith. Isis preceded both.
Diana
is "er5 "i)oro*sl5, e"en dra0aticall5, set forth in this poe0 as the )oddess of the )od+forsa?en and
*n)odl5,
of thie"es, harlots, and, tr*th f*ll5 eno*)h, of the D0inions of the 0oon,D as Falstaff !o*ld ha"e fain
had
the0 called. It !as reco)nised in ancient Ro0e, as it is in 0odern India, that no h*0an bein) can be so
bad
or "ile as to ha"e forfeited all ri)ht to di"ine protection of so0e ?ind or other, and Diana !as this
protectress.
It 0a5 be as !ell to obser"e here, that a0on) all free+thin?in) philosophers, ed*cated parias , and
literar5 or
boo?+#ohe0ians, there has e"er been a 0ost *northodo: tendenc5 to belie"e that the fa*lts and errors
of
h*0anit5 are 0ore d*e $if not alto)ether d*e% to *na"oidable ca*ses !hich !e cannot help, as, for
instance,
heredit5, the bein) born sa"a)es, or poor, or in "ice, or *nto Dbi)otr5 and "irt*eD in e:cess, or *nto
inI*isition
in)+that is to sa5, !hen !e are so o"erb*rdened !ith innatel5 born sin that all o*r free !ill cannot set
*s free
fro0 it.F1G
It !as d*rin) the so+called Dar? A)es, or fro0 the do!nfall of the Ro0an E0pire *ntil the thirteenth
cent*r5, that the belief that all !hich !as
F1. ence the sa5in) that to ?no! all !o*ld be to for)i"e allN !hich 0a5 be nine+tenths tr*e, b*t there
is a
tenth of responsible )*ilt.G
!orst in 0an o!ed its ori)in solel5 to the 0onstro*s ab*ses and t5rann5 of Ch*rch and 'tate. For then,
at
e"er5 t*rn in life, the "ast 0a2orit5 enco*ntered do!nri)ht sha0eless, palpable iniI*lt5 and in2*stice,
!ith no
la! for the !ea? !ho !ere !itho*t patrons.
The perception of this dro"e "ast n*0bers of the discontented into rebellion, and as the5 co*ld not
pre"ail b5
open !arfare, the5 too? their hatred o*t in a for0 of secret anarch5, !hich !as, ho!e"er, inti0atel5
blended
!ith s*perstition and fra)0ents of old tradition. Pro0inent in this, and nat*rall5 eno*)h, !as the
!orship of
Diana the protectress+for the alle)ed adoration of 'atan !as a far later in"ention of the Ch*rch, and it
has
ne"er reall5 fo*nd a leadin) place in Italian !itch craft to this da5. That is to sa5, p*rel5 diabolical
!itchcraft
did not find )eneral acceptance till the end of the fifteenth cent*r5, !hen it !as, one 0a5 al0ost sa5,
in"ented in Ro0e to s*ppl5 0eans !here!ith to destro5 the threatenin) heres5 of Ger0an5.
The )ro!th of 'enti0ent is the increase of s*fferin)N 0an is ne"er entirel5 0iserable *ntil he finds o*t
ho!
!ron)ed he is and fancies that he sees far ahead a possible freedo0. In ancient ti0es 0en as sla"es
s*ffered
less *nder e"en 0ore ab*se, beca*se the5 belie"ed the5 !ere born to lo! conditions of life. E"en the
best
refor0 brin)s pain !ith it, and the )reat a!a?enin) of 0an !as acco0panied !ith )riefs, 0an5 of
!hich
e"en 5et end*re. Pessi0is0 is the res*lt of too 0*ch c*lt*re and intro"ersion.
It appears to be stran)el5 o*t of si)ht and o*t of 0ind !ith all historians, that the s*fferin)s of the "ast
0a2orit5 of 0an?ind, or the ensla"ed and poor, !ere far )reater *nder earl5 Christianit5, or till the end
of the
,iddle A)es and the E0ancipation of 'erfs, than the5 !ere before. The reason for this !as that in the
old
DheathenD ti0e the h*0ble did not ?no!, or e"en drea0, that all are eI*al before God, or that the5 had
0an5
ri)hts, e"en here on earth, as sla"esN for, in fact, the !hole 0oral tendenc5 of the 9e! Testa0ent is
*tterl5
opposed to sla"er5, or e"en se"ere ser"it*de. E"er5 !ord *ttered teachin) ChristOs 0erc5 and lo"e,
h*0ilit5
and charit5, !as, in fact, a bitter reproof, not onl5 to e"er5 lord in the land, b*t to the Ch*rch itself, and
its
arro)ant prelates. The fact that 0an5 ab*ses had been 0iti)ated and that there !ere bene"olent saints,
does
not affect the fact that, on the !hole, 0an?ind !as for a lon) ti0e !orse off than before, and the
)reatest
ca*se of this s*fferin) !as !hat 0a5 be called a senti0ental one, or a ne!l5+born conscio*sness of
ri)hts
!ithheld, !hich is al!a5s of itself a tort*re. And this !as )reatl5 a))ra"ated b5 the endless preachin)
to the
people that it !as a d*t5 to s*ffer and end*re oppression and t5rann5, and that the ri)hts of A*thorit5 of
all
?inds !ere so )reat that the5 on the !hole e"en e:c*sed their !orst ab*ses. For b5 *pholdin) A*thorit5
in
the nobilit5 the Ch*rch 0aintained its o!n.
The res*lt of it all !as a "ast de"elop0ent of rebels, o*tcasts, and all the discontented, !ho adopted
!itchcraft or sorcer5 for a reli)ion, and !iJards as their priests. The5 had secret 0eetin)s in desert
places,
a0on) old r*ins acc*rsed b5 priests as the ha*nt of e"il spirits or ancient heathen )ods, or in the
0o*ntains.
To this da5 the d!eller in Ital5 0a5 often find secl*ded spots en"ironed b5 ancient chestn*t forests,
roc?s,
and !alls, !hich s*))est fit places for the 'abbat, and are so0eti0es still belie"ed b5 tradition to be
s*ch.
And I also belie"e that in this Gospel of the Witches !e ha"e a tr*st!orth5 o*tline at least of the
doctrine and
rites obser"ed at these 0eetin)s. The5 adored forbidden deities and practised forbidden deeds, inspired
as
0*ch b5 rebellion a)ainst 'ociet5 as b5 their o!n passions.
There is, ho!e"er, in the E"an)el of the Witches an effort 0ade to distin)*ish bet!een the nat*rall5
!ic?ed
or corr*pt and those !ho are o*tcasts or oppressed, as appears fro0 the passa)e(+
DSet li?e CainOs da*)hter $offsprin)% tho* shalt ne"er be,
9or li?e the race !ho ha"e beco0e at last
Wic?ed and infa0o*s fro0 s*fferin),
As are the Ee!s and !anderin) Min)ari,
Who are all thie"es( li?e the0 5e shall not be.D
The s*pper of the Witches, the ca?es of 0eal, salt, and hone5, in the for0 of crescent 0oons, are
?no!n to
e"er5 classical scholar. The 0oon or horn+shaped ca?es are still co00on. I ha"e eaten of the0 this
"er5 da5,
and tho*)h the5 are ?no!n all o"er the !orld, I belie"e the5 o!e their fashion to tradition.
In the con2*ration of the 0eal there is a "er5 c*rio*s tradition introd*ced to the effect that the spi)e or
)litterin) )rains of !heat fro0 !hich spi?es shoot li?e s*n+ra5s, o!e their brilliant li?e ness to a
rese0blance to the fire+fl5, D!ho co0es to )i"e the0 li)ht.D We ha"e, I do*bt not, in this a classic
tradition,
b*t I cannot "erif5 it. ere *pon the /an)elo cites a co00on n*rser5+rh50e, !hich 0a5 also be fo*nd
in a
n*rser5+tale, 5et !hich, li?e others, is deri"ed fro0 !itch+lore, b5 !hich the l*cciola is p*t *nder a
)lass
and con2*red to )i"e b5 its li)ht certain ans!ers.
The con2*ration of the 0eal or bread, as bein) literall5 o*r bod5 as contrib*tin) to for0 it, and deepl5
sacred
beca*se it had lain in the earth, !here dar? and !ondro*s secrets bide, see0s to cast a ne! li)ht on the
Christian sacra0ent. It is a t5pe of res*rrection fro0 the earth, and !as therefore *sed at the ,5steries
and
ol5 '*pper, and the )rain had pertained to chthonic secrets, or to !hat had been *nder the earth in
dar?ness.
Th*s e"en earth+!or0s are in"o?ed in 0odern !itchcraft as fa0iliar !ith dar? 05steries, and the
shepherdOs
pipe to !in the @rphic po!er 0*st be b*ried three da5s in the earth. And so all !as, and is, in sorcer5 a
?ind
of !ild poetr5 based on s50bols, all blendin) into one another, li)ht and dar?ness, fire+flies and )rain,
life
and death.
/er5 stran)e indeed, b*t "er5 strictl5 accordin) to ancient 0a)ic as described b5 classic a*thorities, is
the
threatenin) Diana, in case she !ill not )rant a pra5er. This rec*rs contin*all5 in the !itch+e:orcis0s or
spells. The 0a)*s, or !itch, !orships the spirit, b*t clai0s to ha"e the ri)ht, dra!n fro0 a hi)her
po!er, to
co0pel e"en the =*een of Earth, ea"en, and ell to )rant the reI*est. DGi"e 0e !hat I as?, and tho*
shalt
ha"e hono*r and offerin)sN ref*se, and I !ill "e: thee b5 ins*lt.D 'o Canidia and her ?ind boasted that
the5
co*ld co0pel the )ods to appear. This is all classic. 9o one e"er heard of a 'atanic !itch in "o?in) or
threatenin) the Trinit5, or Christ or e"en the an)els or saints. In fact, the5 cannot e"en co0pel the de"il
or his
i0ps to obe5+the5 !or? entirel5 b5 his )ood+!ill as sla"es. #*t in the old Italian lore the sorcerer or
!itch is
all or nothin), and ai0s at li0itless !ill or po!er.
@f the ancient belief in the "irt*es of a perforated stone I need not spea?. #*t it is to be re0ar?ed that
in the
in"ocation the !itch )oes forth in the earliest 0ornin) to see? for "erbena or "er"ain. The ancient
Persian
0a)i, or rather their da*)hters, !orshipped the s*n as it rose b5 !a"in) freshl5 pl*c?ed "erbena,F1G
!hich
!as one of the se"en 0ost po!erf*l plants in 0a)ic. These Persian priest esses !ere na?ed !hile the5
th*s
!orshipped, n*dit5 bein) a s50bol of tr*th and sincerit5.
The e:tin)*ishin) the li)hts, na?edness, and the or)ie, !ere re)arded as s50bolical of the bod5 bein)
laid in
the )ro*nd, the )rain bein) planted, or of enterin) into dar?ness and death, to be re"i"ed in ne! for0s,
or
re)eneration and li)ht. It !as the la5in) aside of dail5 life.
The Gospel of the Witches, as I ha"e )i"en it, is in realit5 onl5 the initial chapter of the collection of
cere0onies, Dcantrips,D incantations, and traditions c*rrent in the fraternit5 or sisterhood, the !hole of
!hich
are in the 0ain to be fo*nd in 05 Etr*scan Ro0an Re0ains and Florentine Le)ends. I ha"e, it is tr*e, a
)reat
n*0ber as 5et *np*blished, and there are 0ore *n)athered, b*t the !hole script*re of this sorcer5, all
its
principal tenets, for0*las, 0edica0ents, and 05steries 0a5 be fo*nd in !hat I ha"e collected and
printed.
Set I !o*ld *r)e that it !o*ld be !orth !hile to arran)e and edit it all into one !or?, beca*se it !o*ld
be to
e"er5 st*dent of archHolo)5, fol?+lore, or histor5 of )reat "al*e. It has been the faith of 0illions in the
pastN
it has 0ade itself felt in in n*0erable traditions, !hich deser"e to be better
F1. Friedrich, '50boli?, p. 43&.G
*nderstood than the5 are, and I !o*ld )ladl5 *nderta?e the !or? if I belie"ed that the p*blic !o*ld
0a?e it
!orth the p*blisherOs o*tla5 and pains.
It 0a5 be obser"ed !ith tr*th that I ha"e not treated this Gospel, nor e"en the s*b2ect of !itchcraft,
entirel5
as fol?+lore, as the !ord is strictl5 defined and carried o*tN that is, as a 0ere traditional fact or thin) to
be
chiefl5 re)arded as a "ariant li?e or *nli?e s*ndr5 other traditions, or to be tab*lated and p*t a!a5 in
pi)eon+holes for reference. That it is *sef*l and sensible to do all this is perfectl5 tr*e, and it has led to
an
i00ense a0o*nt of "al*able search, collection, and preser"ation. #*t there is this to be said+and I ha"e
obser"ed that here and there a fe! )enial 0inds are be)l nnln) to a!a?e to it+that the 0ere st*d5 of the
letter
in this !a5 has de"eloped a )reat indifference to the spirit, )oin) in 0an5 cases so far as to prod*ce,
li?e
Realis0 in Art $to !hich it is allied%, e"en a conte0pt for the 0atter or 0eanin) of it, as ori)inall5
belie"ed
in.
I !as latel5 0*ch str*c? b5 the fact that in a "er5 learned !or? on ,*sic, the a*thor, in disc*ssin) that
of
ancient ti0es and of the East, !hile e:tre0el5 acc*rate and 0in*te in deter0inin) pentatonic and all
other
scales, and !hat 0a5 be called the 0ere 0achiner5 and histor5 of co0position, sho!ed that he !as
*tterl5
i)norant of the f*nda0ental fact that notes and chords, bars and 0elodies, !ere in the0sel"es ideas or
tho*)hts. Th*s Conf*ci*s is said to ha"e co0posed a 0elod5 !hich !as a personal description of
hi0self.
9o! if this be not *nderstood, !e can not *nderstand the so*l of earl5 0*sic, and the fol?+lorist !ho
cannot
)et be5ond the letter and fancies hi0self DscientificD is e:actl5 li?e the 0*sician !ho has no idea of
ho! or
!h5 0elodies !ere ancientl5 co0posed.
The stran)e and 05stical chapter Do! Diana 0ade the 'tars and the RainD is the sa0e )i"en in 05
Le)ends
of Florence, "ol. ii. p. 448, b*t 0*ch enlar)ed, or de"eloped to a cos0o)onic+05tholo)ic s?etch. And
here a
reflection occ*rs !hich is perhaps the 0ost re0ar?able !hich all this Witch E"an)el s*))ests. In all
other
'cript*res of all races, it is the 0ale, Eeho"ah, #*ddha, or #rah0a, !ho creates the *ni"erseN in Witch
'orcer5 it is the fe0ale !ho is the pri0iti"e principle. Whene"er in histor5 there is a period of radical
intellect*al rebellion a)ainst lon)+ established conser"atis0, hierarch5, and the li?e, there is al!a5s an
effort
to re)ard Wo0an as the f*ll5 eI*al, !hich 0eans the s*perior se:. Th*s in the e:traordinar5 !ar of
conflictin) ele0ents, stran)e schools of sorcer5, 9eo+Platonis0, Cabala, eretic Christianit5,
Gnosticis0,
Persian ,a)is0 and D*alis0, !ith the re0ains of old Gree? and E)5ptian theolo)ies in the third and
fo*rth
cent*ries at Ale:andria, and in the o*se of Li)ht of Cairo in the ninth, the eI*alit5 of Wo0an !as a
pro0inent doctrine. It !as 'ophia or elena, the enfranchised, !ho !as then the tr*e Christ !ho !as
to sa"e
0an?ind.
When Ill*0ination or Ill*0inC+is0, in co0pan5 !ith 0a)ic and 05sticis0, and a resol"e to re)enerate
societ5 accordin) to e:tre0e free tho*)ht, inspired the Te0plars to the hope that the5 !o*ld 0aster the
Ch*rch and the !orld, the eI*alit5 of Wo0an, deri"ed fro0 the Cairene traditions, a)ain recei"ed
attention.
And it 0a5 be obser"ed that d*rin) the ,iddle A)es, and e"en so late as the intense e:cite0ents !hich
inspired the French *)*enots, the Eansenists and the Anabaptists, Wo0an al!a5s ca0e forth 0ore
pro0inentl5 or pla5ed a far )reater part than she had done in social or political life. This !as also the
case in
the 'pirit*alis0 fo*nded b5 the Fo: sisters of Rochester, 9e! Sor?, and it is 0anifestin) itself in 0an5
!a5s
in the Fin de 'i]cle, !hich is also a ner"o*s chaos accordin) to 9orda* ,+Wo0an be in) e"identl5 a
fish !ho
sho!s herself 0ost !hen the !aters are tro*bled(+
D@h, Wo0an, in o*r ho*rs of easeKD
The reader !ill re0e0ber the rest. b*t !e sho*ld also re0e0ber that in the earlier a)es the "ast
0a2orit5 of
0an?ind itself, s*ppressed b5 the too )reat or )reatl5 ab*sed po!er of Ch*rch and 'tate, onl5
0anifested
itself at s*ch periods of rebellion a)ainst for0s or ideas )ro!n old. And !ith e"er5 ne! rebellion,
e"er5 fresh
o*tb*rst or debacle or !ild in*ndation and b*rstin) o"er the barriers, h*0anit5 and !o0an )ain
so0ethin),
that is to sa5, their 2*st d*es or ri)hts. For as e"er5 freshet spreads 0ore !idel5 its !aters o"er the
fields,
!hich are in d*e ti0e the 0ore fertilised thereb5, so the !orld at lar)e )ains b5 e"er5 Re"ol*tion,
ho!e"er
terrible or rep*)nant it 0a5 be for a ti0e.
The E0ancipated or Wo0anOs Ri)hts !o0an, !hen too enth*siastic, )enerall5 considers 0an as
li0ited,
!hile Wo0an is destined to )ain on hi0. In earlier a)es a contrar5 opinion pre"ailed, and both are, or
!ere,
apparentl5 in the !ron), so far as the f*t*re is concerned. For in tr*th both se:es are pro)ressi"e, and
pro)ress in this respect 0eans not a conflict of the 0ale and fe0ale principle, s*ch as for0ed the basis
of the
,ahabarata, b*t a )rad*al ascertainin) of tr*e abilit5 and ad2*st 0ent of relations or co+ordination of
po!ers+in doin) !hich on a scientific basis all conflict ceases.
These re0ar?s are appropriate to 05 te:t and s*b2ect, beca*se it is in st*d5in) the epochs !hen !o0an
has
0ade herself pro0inent and infl*ential that !e learn !hat the capacities of the fe 0ale se: tr*l5 are.
A0on)
these, that of Witchcraft as it tr*l5 !as+not as it is )enerall5 I*ite 0is*nderstood+is as deepl5
interestin) as
an5 other. For the Witch+la5in) aside all I*estion as to 0a)ic or its non+ e:istence +!as once a real
factor or
)reat po!er in rebellio*s social life, and to this "er5 da5+as 0ost no"els bear !itness+it is reco)nised
that
there is so0ethin) *ncann5, 05steri o*s, and inco0prehensible in !o0an, !hich neither she herself
nor 0an
can e:plain.
DFor e"er5 !o0an is at heart a !itch.D
We ha"e banished the broo0 and the cat and the !or?in) 0iracles, the 'abbat and pacts !ith 'atan, b*t
the
05ster5 or p*JJle is as )reat as e"erN no one li"in) ?no!s to !hat it is destined to lead. Are not the
char0s of
lo"e of e"er5 ?ind, and the en2o50ent of bea*t5 in all its for0s in nat*re, 05steries, 0iracles, or
0a)icalZ
To all !ho are interested in this s*b2ect of !o0anOs infl*ence and capacit5, this E"an)el of the Witches
!ill
be of "al*e as sho!in) that there ha"e been stran)e thin?ers !ho re)arded creation as a fe0inine
de"elop0ent or partheno)enesis fro0 !hich the 0asc*line principle !as born. L*cifer, or Li)ht, la5
hidden
in the dar?ness of Diana, as heat is hidden in lee. #*t the re)enerator or ,essiah of this stran)e
doctrine is a
!o0an Aradia, tho*)h the t!o, 0other and da*)hter, are conf*sed or reflected in the different tales,
e"en as
Eah"eh is conf*sed !ith the Elohi0.
DRe0ains to be saidD+that the Ada0+nable and E"e+il, or Ada0ite asse0bla)es en2oined in the Gospel
of
'orcer5, are not 0*ch, if at all, ?ept *p b5 the no! fe! and far bet!een old or 5o*n) !itches and
"enerable
!iJards of the present da5. That is to sa5, not to 05 ?no!led)e in Central or 9orthern Ital5. #*t a0on)
the
ro*Cs, "i"e*rs, and fast !o0en of Florence and ,ilan+!here the5 are not I*ite as rare as eclipses+s*ch
asse0blies are called balli an)elici or an)elsO balls. The5 are indeed far fro0 bein) *n?no!n in an5 of
the
)reat cities of the !orld. A fe! 5ears a)o a '*nda5 ne!spaper in an A0erican cit5 p*blished a detailed
acco*nt of the0 in the Ddance +ho*sesD of the to!n, declarin) that the5 !ere of "er5 freI*ent
occ*rrence,
!hich !as f*rther "erified to 0e b5 0en fa0iliar !ith the0.
A "er5 i0portant point to all !ho re)ard the finds or disco"eries of ancient tradition as of i0portance,
is that
a deep and e:tensi"e st*d5 of the Italian !itch+traditions !hich I ha"e collected, a co0parison of the0
one
!ith the other, and of the !hole !ith !hat rese0bles it in the !ritin)s of @"id and other 05tholo)ists,
force
the con"iction $!hich I ha"e often e:pressed, b*t not too freI*entl5% that there are in these later records
0an5
"er5 "al*able and c*rio*s re0ains of ancient Latin or Etr*scan lore, in all probabilit5 entire poe0s,
tales, and
in"ocations !hich ha"e passed o"er fro0 the ancient ton)*e. If this be tr*e, and !hen it shall co0e to
pass
that scholars !ill read !ith interest !hat is here )i"en, then 0ost ass*redl5 there !ill be critical
e:a0ination
and "eri fication of !hat is ancient in it, and it !ill be disco"ered !hat 0ar"els of tradition still end*re.
That the !itches e"en 5et for0 a fra)0entar5 secret societ5 or sect, that the5 call it that of the @ld
Reli)ion,
and that there are in the Ro0a)na entire "illa)es in !hich the people are co0pletel5 heathen, and
al0ost
entirel5 )o"erned b5 'etti 0ani or Dse"en 0onthsO children,D 0a5 be read in the no"el of the na0e, as
!ell as
se"eral papers p*blished in di"ers 0a)aJines, or accepted fro0 05 o!n personal ?no!led)e. The
e:istence
of a reli)ion s*pposes a 'cript*re, and in this case it 0a5 be ad0itted, al0ost !itho*t se"ere
"erification, that
the E"an)el of the Witches is reall5 a "er5 old !or?. Th*s it is often e"ident that !here a tradition has
been
ta?en do!n fro0 "erbal deli"er5, the old !o0an repeats !ords or sentences b5 !hole chapters !hich
she
does not f*ll5 *nderstand, b*t has heard and learned. These are to be "erified b5 correlation or
co0parison
!ith other tales and te:ts. 9o! considerin) all this 0ost caref*ll5 and criticall5, or se"erel5 5et
i0partiall5,
no one can resist the con"iction that in the Gospel of the Witches !e ha"e a boo? !hich is in all
probabilit5
the translation of so0e earl5 or later Latin !or?, since it see0s 0ost probable that e"er5 fi:ed faith
finds its
record. There are literar5 0en a0on) the Pariahs of IndiaN there !ere probabl5 0an5 a0on) the
0inions of
the 0oon, or noct*rnal !orshippers of Diana. In fact, I a0 not !itho*t hope that research 0a5 5et
re"eal in
the !ritin)s of so0e lon)+for)otten heretic or 05stic of the dar? a)es the parallel of 0an5 passa)es in
this
te:t, if not the !hole of it.
Set a fe! 5ears, reader, and all this !ill ha"e "anished fro0 a0on) the Italians before the ne!spaper
and
railroad, e"en as a li)ht clo*d is dri"en before a )ale, or pass a!a5 li?e sno!fla?es in a pond. @ld
traditions
are, in fact, disappearin) !ith s*ch incredible rapidit5 that I a0 ass*red on best a*thorit5+and can
indeed see
for 05self that !hat I collected or had recorded for 0e ten 5ears a)o in the Ro0a)na Toscana, !ith
e:ceptionabl5 s?ilf*l aid, co*ld not no! be )athered at all b5 an5bod5, since it no lon)er e:ists, sa"e in
the
0e0ories of a fe! old sorcerers !ho are dail5 disappearin), lea"in) no trace behind. It is )oin)+)oin)+
it is
all b*t )oneN in fact, I often thin? that, old as I a0 $and I a0 t!el"e 5ears be5ond the li0it of e:tre0e
old a)e
as defined b5 the D*?e of ,arlboro*)h in his defence%, I shall 5et li"e to hear the rap of the a*ctioneer
Ti0e
as he bids off the last real Latin sorcerer to DeathK It 0a5 be that he is passin) in his chec?s e"en as I
!rite.
The !o0en or !itches, ha"in) 0ore "ital it5, !ill last a little lon)er+I 0ean the traditional ?indN for as
re)ards innate nat*ral de"elop0ent of !itchcraft and p*re c*sto0, !e shall al!a5s ha"e !ith *s
sorceresses,
e"en as !e shall ha"e the poor+*ntil !e all )o *p to)ether.
What is "er5 re0ar?able, e"en to the bein) diffic*lt to *nderstand, is the fact that so 0*ch an tiI*e
tradition
s*r"i"ed !ith so little chan)e a0on) the peasantr5. #*t le)ends and spells in fa0ilies of hereditar5
!itches
are far 0ore li?el5 to li"e than fashions in art, 5et e"en the latter ha"e been ?ept since 4<<< 5ears.
Th*s, as E.
9e"ille Rolfe !rites( DThe late 'i)nor Castellani, !ho !as the first to reprod*ce !ith fidelit5 the
2e!eller5
fo*nd in the to0bs of Etr*ria and Greece, 0ade *p his 0ind that so0e s*r"i"al of this ancient and
e:I*isite
trade 0*st still e:ist so0e!here in Ital5. e accordin)l5 0ade dili)ent search... and in an o*t of the
!a5
"illa)e disco"ered )olds0iths !ho 0ade orna0ents for the peasants, !hich in their character indicated
a
stron) s*r"i"al of earl5 Etr*scan art.DF1G
F1. I a0 here re0inded, b5 a stran)e coincidence, that I ha"in) redisco"ered the "er5 ancient and lost
art of
the Chinese ho! to 0a?e bottles or "ases on !hich inscriptions, [c., appeared !hen !ine !as po*red
into
thern, co00*nicated the disco"er5 on the spot !here I 0ade it to the brother of 'i)nor CastellaniN 'ir
Anstin
La5ard, !ho had sent for hi0 to hear and 2*d)e of it, bein) present. 'i)nore Castellani the 5o*n)er !as
o"erseer of the )lass+!or?s a ,*rano, in !hich I 0ade the disco"er5. 'i)nore Castellani said that he
had
heard of these Chinese "ases, and al!a5s re)arded the stor5 as a fable or i0possible, b*t that the5
co*ld be
0ade perfectl5 b5 05 process, addin). ho!e"er, that the5 !o*ld cost too 0*ch to 0a?e it profitable. I
ad0it
that I ha"e little faith in lost arts be5ond reco"erin). Described in 05 boo? $*np*blished% on the
*ndred
,inor Arts.G
And here I !o*ld re0ar?, that !here I ha"e !ritten perhaps a little too bitterl5 of the indifference of
scholars
to the c*rio*s traditions preser"ed b5 !iJards and !itches, I refer to Ro0e, and especiall5 to 9orthern
Ital5.
G. PitrC did all that !as possible for one 0an as re)ards the 'o*th. 'ince the fore)oin) chapters !ere
!ritten,
I recei"ed 9aples in the 9ineties, b5 E. 9e"ille Rolfe, #.A., in !hich a deep and intelli)ent interest in
the
s*b2ect is !ell s*pported b5 e:tensi"e ?no!led)e. What !ill be to the reader of 05 boo? partic*larl5
interestin) is the a0o*nt of infor0ation !hich ,r. Rolfe )i"es re)ardin) the connection of Diana !ith
!itchcraft, and ho! 0an5 of her attrib*tes beca0e those of the ,adonna. DThe !orship of Diana,D as
he
sa5s, Dpre"ailed "er5 e:tensi"el5... so 0*ch so, that !hen Christianit5 s*perseded Pa)anis0, 0*ch of
the
heathen s50bolis0 !as adapted to the ne! rites, and the transition fro0 the !orship of Diana to that of
the
,adonna !as 0ade co0parati"el5 si0ple.D ,r. Rolfe spea?s of the ?e5, r*e, and "erbena as s50bols
of
DianaN of all of these I ha"e incantations, apparentl5 "er5 ancient, and identified !ith Diana. I ha"e
often
fo*nd r*e in ho*ses in Florence, and had it )i"en to 0e as a special fa"o*r. It is al!a5s concealed in
so0e
dar? corner, beca*se to ta?e an5 a!a5 is to ta?e l*c?. The bronJe fro) !as an e0ble0 of DianaN hence
the
Latin pro"erb, DOe !ho lo"es a fro) re)ards it as Diana.D It !as 0ade till recent ti0es as an a0*let. I
ha"e
one as a paper+!ei)ht no! before 0e. There is also an incantation to the fro).
That !herein ,r. Rolfe tacitl5 and *nconscio*sl5 confir0s !hat I ha"e !ritten, and !hat is 0ost
re0ar?able
in this 05 o!n !or?, is that the !iJards in Ital5 for0 a distinct class, still e:ercisin) )reat po!er in
9aples
and 'icil5, and e"en possessin) "er5 c*rio*s 0a)ical doc*0ents and cabalistic charts, one of !hich
$fa0iliar
to those !ho ha"e seen it a0on) the Ta?r*ri and Arab sorcerers in Cairo, in their boo?s% he )i"es.
These
probabl5 are deri"ed fro0 ,alta. Therefore it !ill not see0 astonishin) to the reader that this Gospel
of the
Witches sho*ld ha"e been preser"ed, e"en as I ha"e )i"en it. That I ha"e not had or seen it in an old
,'. is
certainl5 tr*e, b*t that it has been !ritten of 5ore, and is still repeated here and there orall5, in separate
parts,
I a0 s*re.F1G
It !o*ld be a )reat )ratification to 0e if an5 a0on) those into !hose hands this boo? 0a5 fall, !ho
0a5
possess infor0ation confir0in) !hat is here set forth, !o*ld ?indl5 either co00*nicate it or p*blish it
in
so0e for0, so that it 0a5 not be lost.
F1. In a "er5 recent !or? b5 ,essrs. 9iceforo and 'i)hele, entitled La ,ala /ita a Ro0a $DE"il Life in
Ro0eD%, there is a chapter de"oted to the Witches of the Eternal Cit5, of !ho0 the !riter sa5s the5
for0 a
class so hidden that Dthe 0ost Ro0an of Ro0ans is perhaps i)norant of their e:istence.D This is tr*e of
the
real 'tre)e, tho*)h not of 0ere fort*ne+tellers, !ho are co00on eno*)h.G
The Children of Diana, or o! the Fairies Were
#orn
All thin)s !ere 0ade b5 Diana, the )reat spirits of the stars, 0en in their ti0e and place, the )iants
!hich
!ere of old, and the d!arfs !ho d!ell in the roc?s, and once a 0onth !orship her !ith ca?es.
There !as once a 5o*n) 0an !ho !as poor, !ith o*t parents, 5et !as he )ood.
@ne ni)ht he sat in a lonel5 place, 5et it !as "er5 bea*tif*l, and there he sa! a tho*sand little fairies,
shinin)
!hite, dancin) in the li)ht of the f*ll 0oon. DGladl5 !o*ld I be li?e 5o*, @ fairiesKD said the 5o*th,
Dfree
fro0 care, needin) no food. #*t !hat are 5eZD
DWe are 0oon+ra5s, the children of Diana,D replied one( +
DWe are children of the ,oonN
We are born of shinin) li)htN
When the ,oon shoots forth a ra5,
Then it ta?es a fair5Os for0.
DAnd tho* art one of *s beca*se tho* !ert born !hen the ,oon, o*r 0other Diana, !as f*llN 5es, o*r
brother,
?in to *s, belon)in) to o*r band.
DAnd if tho* art h*n)r5 and poor... and !ilt ha"e 0one5 in th5 poc?et, then thin? *pon the ,oon, on
Diana,
*nto !ho tho* !ert bornN then repeat these !ords( +
DOL*na 0ia, bella L*naK
PiR di *na altra stellaN
T* sei se0pre bellaK
Portate0i la b*ona fort*naKO
DO,oon, ,oon, bea*tif*l ,oonK
Fairer far than an5 starN
,oon, @ ,oon, if it 0a5 be,
#rin) )ood fort*ne *nto 0eKO
DAnd then, if tho* has 0one5 in th5 poc?et, tho* !ilt ha"e it do*bled.
DFor the children !ho are born in a f*ll 0oon are sons or da*)hters of the ,oon, especiall5 !hen the5
are
born of a '*nda5 !hen there is a hi)h tide.
DOAlta 0area, l*na piena, sai,
Grande *o0o sic*ro t* sarei.O
DOF*ll 0oon, hi)h sea,
Great 0an shalt tho* beKO
Then the 5o*n) 0an, !ho had onl5 a paoloF1G in his p*rse, to*ched it, sa5in)(+
The Children of Diana, or o! the Fairies Were #orn
DL*na 0ia, bella L*na,
,ia se0pre bella L*naKD
D,oon, ,oon, bea*tif*l ,oon,
E"er be 05 lo"el5 ,oonKD
F1. Fi"epence Ro0an 0one5.G
And so the 5o*n) 0an, !ishin) to 0a?e 0one5, bo*)ht and sold and 0ade 0one5, !hich he do*bled
e"er5
0onth.
#*t it ca0e to pass that after a ti0e, d*rin) one 0onth he co*ld sell nothin), so 0ade nothin). 'o b5
ni)ht he
said to the ,oon+
DL*na 0ia, L*na bellaK
Che to a0o piR di altra stellaK
Di00i perche e fatato
Che io )nente $niente% ho )*ada)natoZD
D,oon, @ ,oon, !ho0 I b5 far
Lo"e be5ond another star,
Tell 0e !h5 it !as ordained
That I this 0onth ha"e nothin) )ainedZD
Then there appeared to hi0 a little shinin) elf, !ho said( +
DT* non de"i aspettare
Altro che lOai*tare,
=*ando fai ben la"orare.D
D,one5 !ill not co0e to thee,
9or an5 help or aid canOst see,
Lnless 5o* !or? ind*strio*sl5.D
Then added( +
Io non daro 0ai denaro
,a lOai*to, 0io caroKD
D,one5 I neOer )i"e, Otis clear,
@nl5 help to thee, 05 dearKD
Then the 5o*th *nderstood that the ,oon, li?e God and Fort*ne, does the 0ost for those !ho do the
0ost for
the0sel"es.
DCo0e IOappetito "iene 0an)iando,
E "iene il )*ada)no la"orando e rispar0iando.D
DAs appetite co0es b5 eatin) and cra"in),
Profit res*lts fro0 labo*r and sa"in).D
To be born in a f*ll 0oon 0eans to ha"e an enli)htened 0ind, and a hi)h tide si)nifies an e:alted
intellect
and f*ll of tho*)ht. It is not eno*)h to ha"e a fine boat of Fort*ne.
D#iso)na anche la"orare
Per farla bene andare.D
DSo* 0*st also bra"el5 ro!,
If 5o* !ish the bar? to )o.D
D#en fare00o e ben dire00o,
,al "a la barca senJa re0o.D
DDo 5o*r best, or tal?, b*t 0ore
To ro! the boat 5o*Oll need an oar.D
And, as it is said+
DLa fort*na a chi dQ
A chi to)lie cosi sta,
=*alche "olta a)li oJiosi
,a il piR ai laboriosi.D
DFort*ne )i"es and Fort*ne ta?es,
And to 0an a fort*ne 0a?es,
'o0eti0es to those !ho labo*r shir?,
#*t oftener to those !ho !or?.D
Diana, =*een of the 'erpents, Gi"er of the Gift of
Lan)*a)es
In a lon) and stran)e le)end of ,ela0bo, a 0a)ian and )reat ph5sician of di"ine birth, there is an
in"ocation
to Diana !hich has a proper place in this !or?. The incident in !hich it occ*rs is as follo!s( +
@ne da5 ,ela0bo as?ed his 0other ho! it !as that !hile it had been pro0ised that he sho*ld ?no!
the
lan)*a)e of all li"in) thin)s, it had not 5et co0e to pass. And his 0other replied( +
DPatience, 05 son, for it is b5 !aitin) and !atchin) o*rsel"es that !e learn ho! to be ta*)ht. And tho*
hast
!ithin thee the teachers !ho can i0part the 0ost, if tho* !ilt see? to hear the0, 5es, the professors
!ho can
teach thee 0ore in a fe! 0in*tes than others learn in a life.D
It befell that one e"enin) ,ela0bo, thin?in) on this !hile pla5in) !ith a nest of 5o*n) serpents !hich
his
ser"ant had fo*nd in a hollo! oa?, said(+
DI !o*ld that I co*ld tal? !ith 5o*
Well I ?no! that 5e ha"e lan)*a)e,
As )racef*l as 5o*r 0o"e0ent,
As brilliant as 5o*r colo*r.D
Then he fell asleep, and the 5o*n) serpents t!ined in his hair and be)an to lic? his lips and e5es, !hile
their
0other san)(+
DDianaK DianaK DianaK
Re)ina delle stre)eK
E della notte osc*ra,
E di t*tta la nat*raK
Delle stelle e della l*na,
E di t*tta la fort*naK
T* che re))i la 0area,
Che risplendi il 0are nella seraK
Colla l*ce s*lle onde,
La padrona sei del oceano,
Colla t*a barca, fatta,
Fatta Q 0eJJa l*na,
La t*a barca ril*cente,
#arca e l*na crescenteN
Fai se0pre "elo in cielo,
E in terra s*lla sera,
E anche Q na"i)ate
Riflettata s*lla 0are,
Pre)hia0o di dare a I*esto,
=*esto b*on ,ela0bo,
=*al*nI*e parlare
Di I*al*nI*e a00aliKD
The In"ocation of the 'erpentsO ,other to Diana.
Diana, =*een of the 'erpents, Gi"er of the Gift of Lan)*a)es
DDianaK DianaK DianaK
=*een of all enchantresses
And of the dar? ni)ht,
And of all nat*re,
@f the stars and of the 0oon,
And of all fate or fort*neK
Tho* !ho r*lest the tide,
Who shinest b5 ni)ht on the sea,
Castin) li)ht *pon the !aters+,
Tho* !ho art 0istress of the ocean
In th5 boat 0ade li?e a crescent,
Crescent 0oon+bar? bri)htl5 )lea0in),
E"er s0ilin) hi)h in hea"en,
'ailin) too on earth, reflected
In the ocean, on its !aterN
We i0plore thee )i"e this sleeper,
Gi"e *nto this )ood ,ela0bo
The )reat )ift of *nderstandin)
What all creat*res sa5 !hile tal?in)KD
This le)end contains 0*ch that is "er5 c*rio*sN a0on) other thin)s an in"ocation to the firefl5, one to
,efitia, the )oddess of 0alaria, and a lon) poetic prophec5 relati"e to the hero. It is e"identl5 f*ll of
old
Latin 05tholo)ic lore of a "er5 0ar?ed character. The !hole of it 0a5 be fo*nd in a forthco0in) !or?
b5 the
!riter of the boo?, entitled, DThe Lnp*blished Le)ends of /ir)il.D London, Elliot 'toc?.
Diana as Gi"in) #ea*t5 and Restorin) 'tren)th
Diana hath po!er to do all thin)s, to )i"e )lor5 to the lo!l5, !ealth to the poor, 2o5 to the afflicted,
bea*t5 to
the *)l5. #e not in )rief, if 5o* are her follo!erN tho*)h 5o* be in prison and in dar?ness, she !ill brin)
li)ht(
0an5 there are !ho0 she sin?s that the5 0a5 rise the hi)her.
There !as of old in ,ontero0 a 5o*n) 0an so *)l5 that !hen a stran)er !as passin) thro*)h the to!n
he
!as sho!n this Gianni, for s*ch !as his na0e, as one of the si)hts of the place. Set, hideo*s as he !as,
beca*se he !as rich, tho*)h of no fa0il5, he had confidence, and hoped boldl5 to !in and !ed so0e
bea*tif*l 5o*n) lad5 of ran?.
9o! there ca0e to d!ell in ,onteroni a !onder f*ll5 bea*tif*l biondina, or blonde 5o*n) lad5 of
c*lt*re
and condition, to !ho0 Gianni, !ith his *s*al i0p*dence, boldl5 0ade lo"e, )ettin), as !as also *s*al,
a
ro*nd 9o for his repl5.
#*t this ti0e, bein) 0ore than *s*all5 fascinated in )ood tr*th, for there !ere infl*ences at !or? he
?ne! not
of, he beca0e as one possessed or 0ad !ith passion, so that he h*n) abo*t the lad5Os ho*se b5 ni)ht
and da5,
see?in) indeed an opport*nit5 to r*sh in and seiJe her, or b5 so0e desperate tric? to 0aster and bear
her
a!a5.
#*t here his plans !ere defeated, beca*se the lad5 had e"er b5 her a )reat cat !hich see0ed to be of
0ore
than h*0an intelli)ence, and, !hene"er Gianni approached her or her ho0e, it al!a5s espied hi0 and
)a"e
the alar0 !ith a terrible noise. And there !as indeed so0ethin) so *nearthl5 in its appearance, and
so0ethin) so a!f*l in its )reat )reen e5es !hich shone li?e torches, that the boldest 0an 0i)ht ha"e
been
appalled b5 the0.
#*t one e"enin) Gianni reflected that it !as foolish to be afraid of a 0ere cat, !hich need onl5 scare a
bo5,
and so he boldl5 "ent*red on an attac?. 'o )oin) forth, he too? a ladder, !hich he carried and placed
a)ainst
the lad5Os !indo!. #*t !hile he stood at the foot, he fo*nd b5 hi0 an old !o0an, !ho earnestl5 be)an
to be)
hi0 not to perse"ere in his intention. DFor tho* ?no!est !ell, Gianni,D she said, Dthat the lad5 !ill ha"e
none
of theeN tho* art a terror to her. Do b*t )o ho0e and loo? in the )lass, and it !ill see0 to thee that tho*
art
loo?in) on 0ortal sin in h*0an for0.D
Then Gianni in a roarin) ra)e cried, I !ill ha"e 05 !a5 and 05 !ill, tho* old !ife of the de"il, if I
0*st ?ill
thee and the )irl tooKD 'a5in) !hich, he r*shed *p the ladderN b*t before he had opened or co*ld enter
the
!indo!, and !as at the top, he fo*nd hi0self as it !ere t*rned to !ood or stone, *nable to 0o"e.
Then he !as o"er!hel0ed !ith sha0e, and said,
DEre lon) the !hole to!n !ill be here to !itness 05 defeat. o!e"er, I !ill 0a?e one last appeal.D 'o
he
cried( +
D@h, "ecchiaK tho* !ho didst 0ean 0e 0ore ?indl5 than I ?ne!, pardon 0e, I be) thee, and resc*e 0e
fro0
this tro*bleK And if, as I !ell !een, tho* art a !itch, and if I, b5 beco0in) a !iJard, 0a5 be freed fro0
05
trials and tro*bles, then I pra5 thee teach 0e ho! it 0a5 be done, so that I 0a5 !in the 5o*n) lad5,
since I
no! see that she is of th5 ?ind, and that I 0*st be of it to be !orth5 of her.D
Then Gianni sa! the old !o0an s!eep li?e a flash of li)ht fro0 a lantern *p fro0 the )ro*nd, and,
to*chin)
hi0, bore hi0 a!a5 fro0 the ladder, !hen loK the li)ht !as a cat, !ho had been anon the !itch, and
she said(
+
DTho* !ilt soon set forth on a lon) 2o*rne5, and in th5 !a5 tho* !ilt find a !retched !orn+o*t horse,
!hen
tho* 0*st sa5( +
DOFata DianaK Fata DianaK Fata DianaK
lo "i scon)i*ro
Di dare *n po di bene,
A I*ella po"era bestiaKO
E poi si tro"era
Lna )rossa capra,
,a *n "ero caprone,
E t* dirai(
O#ona sera, bel caprone,O
E I*esto ti risponderQ
O#*ona sera )alant*o0o
'ono tanto stanco, io
Che non 0i sento+
Di andare piR a"anti.O
E risponderai al solito,
OFata Diana "i scon)i*ro,
Di dare pace e bene
A I*esto caproneKO
DOFair5 DianaK Fair5 DianaK Fair5 DianaK
I con2*re thee to do so0e little )ood
To this poor beast.O
Then tho* !ilt find
A )reat )oat,
A tr*e he+)oat,
And tho* shalt sa5,
OGood e"enin), fair )oatKO
And he !ill repl5,
OGood e"enin), fair sirK
I a0 so !ear5
That I can )o no farther.O
And tho* shalt repl5 as *s*al,
OFair5 Diana, I con2*re thee
To )i"e to this )oat relief and peaceKO
DThen !ill !e enter in a )reat hall !here tho* !ilt see 0an5 bea*tif*l ladies !ho !ill tr5 to fascinate
theeN
b*t let th5 ans!er e"er be, O'he !ho0 I lo"e is her of ,onteroni.O
DAnd no!, Gianni, to horseN 0o*nt and a!a5KD 'o he 0o*nted the cat, !hich fle! as I*ic? as tho*)ht,
and
fo*nd the 0are, and ha"in) prono*nced o"er it the incantation, it beca0e a !o0an and said(+
DIn no0e della Fata DianaK
T* possa di"enire
Ln )io"ane bello
#lanco e rossoK
Di latte e san)*eKD
DIn the na0e of the Fair5 DianaK
,a5est tho* hereb5 beco0e
A bea*tif*l 5o*n) 0an,
Red and !hite in h*e,
Li?e to 0il? and bloodKD
After this he fo*nd the )oat and con2*red it in li?e 0anner, and it replied(+
DIn the na0e of the Fair5 DianaK
#e tho* attired 0ore richl5 than a princeKD
'o he passed to the hall, !here he !as !ooed b5 bea*tif*l ladies, b*t his ans!er to the0 all !as that
his lo"e
!as at ,onterone.
Then he sa! or ?ne! no 0ore, b*t on a!a?in) fo*nd hi0self in ,onterone, and so chan)ed to a
handso0e
5o*th that no one ?ne! hi0. 'o he 0arried his bea*tif*l lad5, and all li"ed the hidden life of !itches
and
!iJards fro0 that da5, and are no! in Fair5 Land.
9ote
As a c*rio*s ill*stration of the fact that ithe faith in Diana and the other deities of the Ro0an
05tholo)5, as
connected !ith di"ination, still s*r"i"es a0on) the Italians of Dthe people,D I 0a5 0ention that after
this
!or? !ent to press, I p*rchased for t!o soldi or one penn5, a s0all chapboo? in !hich it is sho!n ho!,
b5 a
process of con2*ration or e"ocation and n*0bers, not onl5 Diana, b*t thirt5+nine other deities 0a5 be
0ade
to )i"e ans!ers to certain I*estions. The !or? is probabl5 ta?en fro0 so0e old 0an*script, as it is
declared
to ha"e been disco"ered and translated b5 P. P. Francesco di /illano"a ,onteleone. It is di"ided into
t!o
parts, one entitled Circe and the other ,edea.
As s*ch !or?s 0*st ha"e pict*res, Circe is set forth b5 a pa)e c*t of a "er5 *)l5 old !o0an in the
0ost
0odern cost*0e of sha!l and 0ob+cap !ith ribbons. 'he is holdin) an ordinar5 candlestic?. It is I*ite
the
ideal of a co00on fort*ne+teller, and it is probable that the !ords ,a)a Circe s*))ested nothin) 0ore
or
less than s*ch a person to hi0 !ho D0ade *pD the boo?. That of ,edea is, ho!e"er, I*ite correct, e"en
artistic, representin) the sorceress as con2*rin) the 0a)ic bath, and !as probabl5 ta?en fro0 so0e
!or? on
05tholo)5. It is e"er so in Ital5, !here the 0ost )rotesI*e and 0odern conceptions of classic s*b2ects
are
0in)led !ith 0*ch that is acc*rate and bea*tif*l+of !hich indeed this !or? s*pplies 0an5 e:a0ples.

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ARADIA, or the Gospel of the Witches

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