Legends of Florence: Collected from the People, First SeriesLeland, Charles Godfrey
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Legends of Florence: Collected from the People, First Series
Leland, Charles Godfrey
Folk literature, Italian -- Italy -- Florence
{227} _Zufolo_—a rude flageolet, such as is still commonly played by the
shepherds all over Italy.
{238} _Il suo spirito lo fa presentare qualunque ombra_, that is, in any
or varied shadow; a _haunting_ shade, and not strictly the mere shadow of
the one who is haunted.
{239} That which here follows of the invocation was obtained
subsequently by my agent, I think, from another source. What precedes is
evidently only a fragment.
{251} The concluding portion of this chapter is taken from the Italian
original paper read by me at the first meeting of the Italian Folklore
Society in the Collegio Romano, Rome, November 20, 1894.
{253} These references to Marietta Pery are in regard to a certain
Italian poetess, of whose work I originally intended to give specimens in
this book, but which were omitted as want of space did not permit their
insertion. I hope to include them in another volume of legends.—C. G.
LELAND.
{255} Such incantations are _intoned_ or chanted in a very peculiar
style, so that those who can only hear the sound know that it is a magic
spell. Therefore they must be expressed very accurately to the letter.
It may be observed that there is a contradiction in the original MS.,
which here speaks of _three_ companions, and subsequently of two. I
believe the latter to be correct.
{259a} Here the name of the lover is pronounced by the friends.
{259b} Now in possession of Mrs. January of St. Louis, Missouri.
{262} “Moon Lore,” p. 152.
{265} I have no doubt that originally all the spoken parts of this
narrative were sung.
{266} Thorns here plainly mean suffering, _Fasio di pruini che ai messo
al tuo fratello_.
{269} It is amusing that this stealing oil wherewith to make
love-charms, which was denounced so bitterly as damnable sorcery at one
time, and frequently punished by death, _i.e._, by burning alive, is now
tacitly encouraged by the priests. There are churches about Rome in
which the oil is placed where it may be stolen or taken, it being
understood that a _soldo_ or two shall be left to pay for it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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