Munaciello

## Introduction

Munaciello is a wannabe creditor of Augus Each Uisge, who caused a headache for Ash Glashtyn during the Winter Court.

## Appearance

Gwyn ap Nudd said that Munaciello dresses in red.

## Personality

Munaciello is known as a drunkard, and will drink whatever is convenient. Ash noted that Munacielloe is also a liar and not keen to share important information.

## Life

Ash said that Munaciello '[s]uckled on the teat of church wine or something'.

The linchetti used to feed on the nightmares of Geroid of Lough Gur. When Augus destroyed Lough Gur with the Blight, Geroid went to the Seelie Court for asylum. But he began hallucinating and went berserk, so Gwyn was forced to kill him.

Munaciello told Ash that he started paying off some of Augus' 'debts', largely relating to fae Augus had hurt or killed during Augus' kingship. That way, Munaciello could go to Augus and demand something from Augus for doing it. Munaciello believed that Augus owed the linchetti a debt for taking away part of their food source, so Munaciello promised the linchetti some treasure. When he led the linchetti to the treasure, Macieh claimed he discovered the treasure first, and had promised it to someone else. Munaciello and Macieh fought. 'Munaciello’s [had] been leading people to treasure all his life, [and] he . . . was beginning to come up dry.' This made him desperate. The linchetti cursed Munaciello 'to not feel drunk anymore'.

Since Augus had a notoriously large and well-kept wine cellar, the linchetti wanted some of it. But since Augus' lake was destroyed, no one could get at it. Munaciello started criticizing the Unseelie Court wine during the Winter Court. Ash attempted to smooth things over with his dra'ocht, but Munaciello became almost vicious about it. Ash brought a nicer bottle to him, and talked with him, to see what was wrong. They continued to meet for a few weeks, where Munaciello often lied about what was happening. Munaciello finally asked Ash - seemingly since Ash is Augus' brother - if Ash could get the wine for him. Ash didn't know where the wine cellar was, and reasoned it was destroyed along with Augus' lake. The whole situation began affecting Ash's glamour, and to reflect on the Unseelie Court, as Ash, in his position as Inner Court, was working to repay this debt.

Ash wanted to pay the 'debt' on Augus' behalf, without Augus having to worry about it, but Gwyn impressed upon him that he couldn't, and that the debt was impossible, anyway, and so an alternative was required by fae law. Gwyn advised him to tell Augus, who could meet with the linchetti, explain he couldn't pay, and ask for a more reasonable debt. Gwyn also explained that Augus didn't owe debts to those he'd hurt or killed, and merely fulfilled those he did out of guilt, but that Ash accepting them anyway had made them materialize, so they were actually owed in some form, and this was why Ash's glamour stopped working properly in the Unseelie Court.

Ash was reluctant to involve Augus, and argued with Gwyn over it. But Gwyn explained that Ash literally could *not* repay the 'debt', and that by doing what Ash was doing, he was taking the choice away from Augus, and piling more debts *onto* him, which ultimately just hurt Augus more. Ash left their conversation with a solution, and presumably made good on Gwyn's proposal. It is possible, in that case, that the linchetti removed the curse from Munaciello.

## Skills

Munaciello's special skill is bringing others to treasure.

## Folklore/Mythology

'The *Monaciello* or *Munaciello* (meaning "little Monk" in Neapolitan) is a fairy of the tradition of Naples, Italy. He is usually depicted as a short thick kind of little man dressed in the long garments of a monk with a broad brimmed hat. . . . The tradition of the Monaciello seems to pertain exclusively to that portion of Southern Italy consisting of Naples and its surroundings.' The Monaciello supposedly resides in the remains of 'Abbeys and Monasteries that crown many of the hills of this area. He is an expert in the underground passages of Naples, and goes through them in order to attend old palaces and' harass people. 'He is also fond of playing tricks: to pull clothes off people, to steal quilts from bedrooms, to harass housewives.'

He is also 'thought to be a beneficent spirit; he appears to people always at the dead of night, only to those who are in sorest need, who themselves have done all that they could do to prevent or alleviate the distress that had befallen them, and after all human aid had failed. He mutely beckons to them to follow him. If they have courage to do so, he leads them to some place where treasure is concealed, stipulating no conditions for its expenditure, demanding no promise of repayment, exacting no duty or service in return; it is not known if this treasures are the fruits of ill-got gains or the fruits of peaceful industry treasured up for occasions of love and charity. Several are said to have made sudden fortunes through him, and hence when anyone has had a sudden increase of fortune they say "*Forse avrà il Monaciello in casa*" (perhaps he has had the little Monk in his house). This beneficent household demon may also be propitiated by food which they expect to see converted into gold; but he must not boast of such supernatural gifts, else they vanish as they come.'

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 *The Ash and Gwyn Interludes*, Chapter 2: Debt. Accessed 02 May 2021.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Monaciello". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monaciello. Accessed 02 May 2021.