New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-16
WITCHES OF THE ROMAGNA.
A NEW VOLUME OF FOLKLORE BY MR.
LELAND.

folk lore and popular customs, MI. Leiahu has nv"
achieved IA task for which he should receive the
gratitude only OF the specialists In tradition but
also Of those trained IN medieval and classical learn
Ing This true though each OF these three classes
of scholars will have a bono TO pick with him, ana
will probably be nowise consIderate about the manner
of picking It, Unfortunately Mr.. Leland is sensitive
10 criticism. Militant he Is himself. and IN
measured his censurc Is for phases OF thought
particularly for phases OF religious thought which are
obnoxious to him, one would think that lie might
shrug his shoulders and reply with smile wien
those who follow where he has blazed the way, point
out-as In the nature of the case must happen-~here
he has made mistakes.
The critics familiar with the literature OF the Middle
AGES especially the OF the Church II was
In that period Of suppOsihtious gloom VIII say
that, while Mr.. Lcands report OF the popular HI
carnations and magical practice In the Ronasna may
be- verbally and literally correct lie has msnerpreted
the relations OF the Church TO the world lie ms
taken his cue from the Italian feetinlwrs particularly
from Senator Comparetti. who. In spite Of his vas'
learning and his important contributions 10 the
knowledge of Italian archaeology and popular 'rau
ton has looked with almost defiant presidency at ohN
one side of the problem lie has shown determine
ton to eXalt the populace at the expense oil IN
ecclesiastical system which, aside from all questions OF
divine origin and the like is distnctively an Italian
creation. Everything grs to show that Italy com
priscs the same human nature. the same genius, the
same legal acumen, the same literary po'en'ia''
lies that once Distinguished the rulers OF the Roman
Empire but The obvious Inference from this TACT Is
that the people have only themselves to blame Tor
what happened In the interval between the decline Of
the old Empire and the rise Of the modern Kingdom
II seeis like Il contradiction terms 10 censure tile
Church. The prelacy and the priesthood for being what
they wcrc while diating the obStinacy
with which the people chung to antique superstton
The clcw to the labyrinth Is the tendency which runs
ike red thread through the whole fabric OF Italian
Mi tudp fDr
tzation under legal forms. Narrowly examined, the
same mental conditions that produced The ancient
empire produced also the medieval papacy fOpn
lar election eliminated In each case in system the
perfect mechanism Of which seemed for the time bens
to render the general suffrage superluous The
Church In It's time Just as the empire had been De-
fore. the ultimate outcome Of the popular sent,
ment. II 1t had not been. the Reformation "ou'u
have been easy and certain In Italy as u was IN
Northern Europe All men are supcrsutions the
difference being that the turn creduity taxes varies
with iniivduals and with races, and one class with
a beam I'm its own eye large enough 10 cause acute
strabsmus points the finger of scorn at the mote that
Affects the vision OF others. Just because 1t was
the organized expression OF popular sentiment the
italian Church. measured by German or Anglo-Saxon
conceptions, was super, titious Mr.. Leland wh'e
exhibiting regard for curious authors o! the
medieval period that might be called credulons cru
rises the priests for not ridiculng magic and witch
craft How can they. when they believe IN I'd"
malefcent truth Of this ANTIQUE rubbish lust as ui'
laity do If the peasants are TO he excused on 'he
more or less scientific plea Of heredy. the same en-
cuse may be made for the priesthood II becomes "
matter OF blood and there II ends.
The mention OF the eccentric literature OF the past
which Mr. Leland makes OF raises the point which
will probably be urged against nm py ciasSi'"'
scholars. His thesis is that the stories an, hcaht'
lions which he has collected belong In traditloh 10
period antedating Roman civilization In many cases
INIT hr
proved only by tho aborious collation. Of facts ana
expressions In classical literature. References 10 the
confused works that were born OF the wchcrall craze
In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries weaken IN
stead of strengthen the argument. The real Qu'a-
ton as between the classical scholar and the okorSt
&c how great the influence of antique literature
in producing the modern popular tales and customs
Professor Crane pointed out long ago that "a very
Interesting study might be made OF the Italian popular
tales In relation to literary versions winch may
be the originals and Nerucci has maintained with
considerable show OF truth that boD the popular tale
and the popular in Italy be traced In most
coses IN q literary origin Contamination OF the
spontaneous imaginings Of the people with the more
deliberate Pigments OF literature has been possible IN
Italy ever since the Greek colonis,s settled ABOUT
sybars and Crotona and the possibility has Increased
with every century, as literature has widencd the
circle of It's influence. one Of the most significant
anecdotes In Mr.. Lelands book is that in which he
relates his experience with ignorant person who
pressed him TO accept as genuine Incarnation OF Oh
time wltchcraft verses fun OF demoniac hrc' b
unfortunately copied from Arosto. Practically there
Is no limit TO accidents Of this sort that may have
happened In the times Of Latin supremacy.
From the point OF view Of the folk lore expert,
Mr. Leland may be criticised-asde from particulars
on his failure to place the theory which he evolves
from his cases In harmony with Itself lie cannot
bring himself to nor To disagree with the notion
that popular tradition terminates spontaneously.
tn ole fl.ath he
not DO Of obtaining an incarnation In It's really
antique form. That is difficulty. but the most
important obstacle is raised by the authors own
denial Of the common experience that magic always
takes I'D the caston usages Of religion. but never
uses them In the same way for the same purpose
that religion does. He the phrase Of
Bishop Corbc that fairies remained "of the old pro
fession. among peasants OF those countries which
accepted the reformed religion. But Bishop Cobet
was certainly right. and Mr.. Leland can S~Iy sus-
tain his view OF the survival OF the Old EtrlsOan
Pantheon in the fancy OF his humble friends in the
Tuscan Romagna by tactly assuming what he eX-
psessly denies II the process by which these people
have handed down their old religion is historical
one there is need nf appeal 10 animism, fetch
ISM shamanism. and other superstious terms OF mod
ern science, which not an addition to knowledge
but merely picturesque expressions OF ignorance NO
people In history possessed OF religion has been
without q system of magic. and there never has been
q time when people did distinguish between their
religion and their magic 1t IL definite proof Of cor
rupt tradition that the Romagnan peasants use what
they call the old religion for purposes Of magic. and
call those imaginary beings spirits whom their an
ccstors worshpped gods. That the names of these
spirits and the methods OF Incarnation, II not the
actual formulas, arc antique is plainly to be
ciated with the fact that there has been but
religious revolution of Importance in Italy since classic
tImce Mr. Leland dwells the fact that witch
craft I'm Italy is and has been. not dabolism. but
paganism. The same is true OF other countries. as
eny one may observe In the barbarous names OF the
spirits invoked I'm tho old books the subject. The
whole question Is OF the deepest interest.
because 1t has put history, medieval and