Stregoneria
Encyclopedia
Stregoneria is an umbrella term for the Folk Magic practices of Italy
. The word Stregoneria itself is simply Italian for witchcraft. The use of the word Stregoneria to describe Italian Folk Magic is common mostly among Italian-American practitioners. Practitioners of Folk Magic traditionally would usually be called something along the lines of fixers, healers, or those who help, but to be called a witch would be a direct insult. Virtually all practitioners would have considered themselves Roman Catholic and witches in Italian folklore and Roman Catholicism are traditionally connected to the devil.
Practices of Stregoneria include making Brevi, or charm bags, and healing the Malocchio Although Stregoneria does indeed make use of a variety of Catholic practices, due to the use of magic Stregoneria, unlike Benedicaria
, tends to be more at odds with the teachings of the Catholic Church, blending Catholic and Pre-Christian traditions.
is Italian Folk Catholicism that, in its purest form, is completely in line with the teachings of the Catholic Church. Stregoneria and Benedicaria often overlap, specifically in the intercession of the Saints, Catholic prayers, and the use of Catholic Sacramentals. Many practitioners of both Benedicaria and Stregoneria typically make use of each other’s practices to the point where it’s almost impossible to see where one ends and the other begins.
is form of Italian Neo-Paganism that makes use of much of the magical practices of Stregoneria, but lacks the more traditional Catholic based worldview in place of a Neo-Pagan outlook on magic and the world.
LINKS:
Southern Italian Traditionalist Craft
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The word Stregoneria itself is simply Italian for witchcraft. The use of the word Stregoneria to describe Italian Folk Magic is common mostly among Italian-American practitioners. Practitioners of Folk Magic traditionally would usually be called something along the lines of fixers, healers, or those who help, but to be called a witch would be a direct insult. Virtually all practitioners would have considered themselves Roman Catholic and witches in Italian folklore and Roman Catholicism are traditionally connected to the devil.
Practices of Stregoneria include making Brevi, or charm bags, and healing the Malocchio Although Stregoneria does indeed make use of a variety of Catholic practices, due to the use of magic Stregoneria, unlike Benedicaria
Benedicaria
Benedicaria, which means "Way of Blessing," is a relatively new term for a number of loosely-related family-based folk traditions found throughout Italy, most notably in southern Italy and Sicily...
, tends to be more at odds with the teachings of the Catholic Church, blending Catholic and Pre-Christian traditions.
Stregoneria and Benedicaria
BenedicariaBenedicaria
Benedicaria, which means "Way of Blessing," is a relatively new term for a number of loosely-related family-based folk traditions found throughout Italy, most notably in southern Italy and Sicily...
is Italian Folk Catholicism that, in its purest form, is completely in line with the teachings of the Catholic Church. Stregoneria and Benedicaria often overlap, specifically in the intercession of the Saints, Catholic prayers, and the use of Catholic Sacramentals. Many practitioners of both Benedicaria and Stregoneria typically make use of each other’s practices to the point where it’s almost impossible to see where one ends and the other begins.
Stregoneria and Stregheria
StregheriaStregheria
Stregheria is a form of ethnic Italian form of Wicca originating in the United States, popularized by Raven Grimassi since the 1980s. Stregheria is sometimes referred to as La Vecchia Religione The word stregheria is an archaic Italian word for "witchcraft", the modern Italian word being...
is form of Italian Neo-Paganism that makes use of much of the magical practices of Stregoneria, but lacks the more traditional Catholic based worldview in place of a Neo-Pagan outlook on magic and the world.
See also
- BenedicariaBenedicariaBenedicaria, which means "Way of Blessing," is a relatively new term for a number of loosely-related family-based folk traditions found throughout Italy, most notably in southern Italy and Sicily...
- CornicelloCornicelloCornicello, Italian for "little horn", is an amulet worn to protect against the evil eye. In the Southern Italian Dialects, it is called cuornuciello or variants thereof.-Origins and styles:...
- Folk Christianity
- Folk MedicineTraditional medicineTraditional medicine comprises unscientific knowledge systems that developed over generations within various societies before the era of modern medicine...
- Malocchio
- Italian Cunning Folk
LINKS:
Southern Italian Traditionalist Craft