The tradition of Segnature: underground indigenous practices in Italy
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Date
2019
Authors
Puca, Angela
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ISASR in association with the Study of Religions, University College Cork
Published Version
Abstract
From the Janare in Campania to the Masche in Piemonte, the Italian
regions have a long history of local healers and folk witches, also known as
Segnatori. Shrouded in folklore and secrecy, these traditions are still alive and
practised across the country, especially in the countryside. Data collected during
two years of fieldwork between 2016 and 2018 suggest that the sole way to engage
with these local healers is through either being part of the community or their
family. There is also a firm reticence on the part of the witches and their community
members to talk about the practice and the rituals involved. By analysing how folk
magic has been concealed within and reshaped by the boundaries dictated by the
dominant religious system and the cultural framework, I will argue that this
practice is ingrained in the life of local Italian communities, somehow framing the
way people explain their sense of religiosity or lack thereof. The matter of an
evolving syncretism – from Catholicism to Paganism - will also be addressed as a
key element to confirm the resilience of such traditions. Lastly, I will analyse the
significance of their enduring core for the conceptualisation of magic found in the
cultural fabric.
Description
Joint JISASR-JBASR Special Issue
Keywords
Segnature , Segnatori , Folk magic , Italy , Indigenous , Shamanism , Magic , Witchcraft , Contemporary
Citation
Puca, A. (2019) 'The tradition of Segnature: underground indigenous practices in Italy', Journal of the Irish Society for the Academic Study of Religions, 7, pp. 104-124.