The Pentamerone, or The Story of Stories/Notes
NOTES.
It was my intention to have appended to this Collection of Stories a body of illustrative Notes, including Dr. Grimm's highly interesting analysis of some of the most curious ones; but the extent to which the volume has already gone precludes my indulging this wish. I shall therefore subjoin only a few remarks upon the passages in the work to which I have called attention: for these I am chiefly indebted to Dr. Liebrecht's Notes.
Fairy Mythology of the Pentamerone.—The mythological characters introduced in these stories, Dr. Grimm observes, may be divided into two classes; "the gentle and kind ones are always feminine, the inimical and bad ones are common to both sexes: the former are called Fate, the latter Uorco and Uorca." We also meet with the masculine Fato, a fay, who is however not necessarily a beneficent being, but simply a person fatato (fem. fatata)—chi ha la fatazione, i. e. under a spell, or is gifted with supernatural powers. On the nature of the Uorco and Uorca much might be said; I can only here refer to Mr. Keightley's remarks in his Tales and Popular Fictions, p. 223, and his Fairy Mythology, ii. 237. The Orco (from the Latin Orcus,) resembles the Persian Ghool, and corresponds to the French Ogre; the nearest approach to him in Germany is the Wilde Man. Mr. Liebrecht has translated the Uorca by the German Hexe: our English Witch is however a very different creature; the Ogress is, like her husband, a cannibal, which is a sufficient distinction.
The Monaciello, or little monk, occurs frequently in these tales; he is a kind of little lucubo. "The people of Naples," says Mr. Keightley, "describe him as a short, thick kind of little man, dressed in the long garments of a monk, with a broad-brimmed hat. He appears to people in the dead of night, and beckons to them to follow him. If they have courage to do so, he leads them to some place where treasure is concealed."
Another frolicksome little Neapolitan sprite is the Mazzamauriello, of whose peculiar features I am ignorant.
The Maga answers to our Sorceress; she is also called a Fata, as in the story of the Dragon. A belief in Mermaids, or Syrens, prevailed in modern Italy; we have an instance of it in the Story of 'The Two Cakes.'
Lucia Canazza. Page 2.—A kind of country-dance or Catubba, in which the man says to his partner, "Lucia, Lucia Canazza!" (Lucia, you rogue!). The poet Sgruttendio, in his "Tiorba e Taccone." describes this dance as follows:—
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"O Lucia, all Lucia
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"O Lucia, ah Lucia!
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Second Day. Page 115.—The following is the list of games mentioned here:—Anca Nicola—Rota de li cauce—Guarda mogliere—Covalera—Compagno mio ferutosò—Banno e commannamiento—Ben venga lo Masto—Rentinola mia Rentinola—Sareta la Botta—Ssauta parmo—Preta'uzino—Pesce marino— Agnelo—Anola tranola—Rrè mmazziero—Gatta cecata—La lampa a la lampa—Stienne mia cortina—Ttravo luongo—Le Gallenelle—Lo viecchio n' è benuto—Scarreca varrile—Mammara a Nnocella—Saglie pengola—Li Forasciute—Sgarriglia Mastodatto—Vienela vienela—Che tiene 'mmano l'aco e lo ffilo—Auciello, auciello, mancca de fierro—Grieco o Acito—Aprite, aprite porte a ppovere Farcone.
Covalera is similar to our 'Hide and Seek'; but in the Neapolitan game one seeks and all the rest hide themselves. Cortese (a contemporary poet and friend of Basile) explains it thus:—The seeker is chosen by counting of the party (juocano a lo tuocco): he must declare that he will not look where the others hide. When all are hidden, they call out 'Vienela, viene!' (Come, come!). When he finds any one, he holds him fast and cries out, 'Auciello, auciello!' (Bird, bird!), upon which the one caught has in turn to seek.
Cortese, in one of his letters to Messer Uneco, (probably Basile himself under this name,) gives a description of most of these games, and many more. That called here Agnelo is probably a dance in a ring mentioned in his "Ciullo e Penia," in which they sing—
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"A la rota, a la rota.
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"Round about, round about,
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The rest of the verses are wanting, Galiani observes; but the song appears to come from the times of Charles III. of Durazzo (died 1386), and Queen Margaretha of Anjou.
Scarreca Varrile (Unload the cask) is similar to our Leapfrog, only that one jumps upon, not over, the other's back.
Mammara a Nocella is, I think, like our 'Ride a-cherry-stone.' Two persons join hands, and form a seat, upon which a third sits and is thus carried about, whilst they sing this unmeaning verse:
"A mammara e nocella
No succo de pedctella
Tanta ne fece mammata
Che roppe la caudara."
Aprite, aprite porte, &c.—Our 'Frog in the middle and can't get out.' All dance round in a circle, except the one in the middle, who sings:—"Aprite, aprite porte a povere Farcone!" or as Cortese quotes them,—"Apere le porte, ca Farcone vole ntrare." Upon which all lift up their hands, without letting go, and sing, "Le porte stanno aperte, si Farcone vole entrare," (The gates stand open, if Falcon wishes to come in). If the Falcon can then get out of the ring, he is free; if not, the dance begins again. See Galiani, Del Dial. Napol. p. 118.
Fourth Day, Page 235.—The games mentioned here are as follows:—Sseca-mautone—Ccapo o croce—Cucco o viento—Mazz' e ppiuzo—La Morra—Paro o sparo—La Campana—Le 'Nnorchic—Le Ccastellucce—Accosta palla—Chioppa o separa—Lo Tuocco—La Palla—Li Shriglie.
Capo o croce.—A game known to the Romans by the name of 'Caput aut navim.' Our 'Toss up,' or 'Head or tail.'
Mazza e piuzzo.—Explained above at page 236, note.
La Morra.—A well-known game. The Romans called it 'Micare,' (sc. digitis). It was formerly played in Germany, and called 'Fingerlein snellen.'
Paro o sparo.—'Even or odd.' It was called by the Greeks artiazein, and by the Romans 'Par impar.'
Lo Tuocco.—Perhaps our English game of 'Tag' (Touch, from the Latin tango or tago), in which one, who is called Tag, runs after and tries to touch the others; when he succeeds he cries Tag, and the one touched becomes Tag in his turn.
Galiani (in his treatise Del Dial. Napol. p. 114) has collected the little songs, or fragments of songs, found in Basile and Cortese. The first here given runs as follows:—
"Fruste ccà Margaritella,
Ca sì troppo scannalosa,
Che ped' ogne poco cosa
Tu vuoje 'nnanze la gonnella,
Fruste cca Margaritella"
It is very difficult, Galiani observes, to determine the date of the origin of this song, as there have in all ages been many Margaritas who have in like manner demanded a battle gown. The second song, which Galiani has overlooked, runs thus:—
"Vorria crudel tornare,
Chianelletto, e po stare
Sotto a sso pede, ma si lo ssapisse,
Pe straziareme sempre corrarisse."
The third song he assigns to the time of Frederic II.:—
"Jesce, jesce sole, |
Mannancenne priesto, |
The fourth he thinks originated in the time of the kings of the House of Anjou, and may allude to their journeys to Provence and Lombardy. The two last were formerly sung with dancing in a ring.
"Non chiovere, non chiovere,
Ca voglio ire 'n Franza,
Da Franza a Lombardia,
Dove stà Maddamma Luda."
Sword-dance. Page 241.—This amusement, which Basile refers to in several places, is common to many countries, and of ancient origin. In Naples the people dance it either with naked swords in their hands, or with sticks wreathed round with flowers: hence the dance has the name of 'Mperticata (stick-dance); it is more commonly called Intrezzata. During the Carnival, parties of men of the lower class dance this in masks. The song which accompanies the dance is also called 'Mperticata. The custom prevailed in Spain in ancient times, and is mentioned in Don Quixote. Mr. Liebrecht suggests that, if not derived from the Romans, it may have been introduced into Naples by the Spaniards. In Germany the Waffentanz was also of very ancient origin, and was brought to this country by the Anglo-Saxons. See Strutt's Sports and Pastimes for a description of the Morris Dancers. Until within a few years, it was retained in the annual processions of the civic Guild at Nonvich—a curious relic of our ancient pageantry, which the ruthless spirit of innovation has swept away. The Norwich "Whifflers," or sword-dancers, accompanied by "Snap," (a large figure of a dragon, derived from the story of St. George) preceded the Mayor and Corporation in their procession on Guild-day: the whifflers were dressed in a motley costume, and whiffled or swung a sword about them with inconceivable dexterity. The whifflers are mentioned by Shakespear, and were formerly known in London pageants.
THE END.