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This wonderful article was found at Raven Grimassi’s site. The original link also has some wonderful photos.
– EnzoA JOURNEY AROUND THE FIGURE OF THE BEFANA
by Claudia and Luigi Manciocco
This book [House Without A Door] is dedicated to the legend of the Befana, who has had an important role in the imagination of children. It is not, however, a book for children even if the child’s world, the magic sphere, the mysteries and games of childhood, the fables and fantasy are recurring themes. Those who wish to relive with us the magic of the first wonders of infancy, and understand the meaning and origins of this extraordinary figure should be prepared to undertake a long voyage that will carry us back in time, to the origins of man’s history. We’ll discover what makes this personage so mysterious and arcane, because this little old lady so dear to children has continued to fascinate them for centuries, and they still await her arrival on the night of her holiday.
It’s possible to demonstrate historically through archeological and anthropological statistics how archaic traces of civilization were conserved in the traditions of the Mediterranean world and survive through the form of images and symbols regarding mythic figures, such as that of the Befana. Some images connected to the figure of the Befana are revealed in an archaic agricultural context when the homes became stable and the cult of domestic folklore was established.
[picture at original link]
Befana sitting amidst the harvest – by Bartolomeo Pinelli, 1825For the full article, please go to the original link.
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