The Snapper That Would Not Die
On the negotiable boundary between life and what comes after it.
Italy
A Folktale of the Dolomites and the Origin of Edelweiss
This story explains the origins of the edelweiss flower and why the Dolomite peaks are so hauntingly bare.
Art, Literature, and Rooming Houses
In 1976 and 1977, I attended University in Perugia, Italy. I received my degree (in an accelerated programme) after subjecting myself to two years there, studying what was termed Humanities and Interpreting. The Interpreting part of the curriculum is straightforward; the Humanities, perhaps less so. My studies on that side
Tanna, Queen of the Crodères: A Neolithic Folktale
Several years ago my son and I went hiking through the Lavaredo Pass, high in the Dolomites. It was warm down in the valley, but as we went higher, the temperature dropped considerably despite the sunny weather. As we climbed, we came upon the remnants of trenches, fortifications and tunnels
Sanguanél, Salvanèl, Mazariol, and Mazaròl
Continuing recent essays about quirky northern Italian stories, here are some intertwined creatures that roam through their folklore. These particular stories, not very well known in English sources, touch upon memory loss, losing one’s way, and environmental concerns. Sanguanél and Salvanèl The first little creature has two slightly different
Camalò: Centre of the World or Portal to the Underworld
Lately, I find myself recalling places and stories from Italy. Here is a recollection from the Province of Treviso, in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy. The village is called Camalò. It’s not particularly remarkable to look at or to pass through. Back in the 1970s, when driving to
Fireflies, Mermaids and Skeins of Thread
Folktales from the Euganean Hills Years ago I lived near the area of the Colli Euganei (the Euganean Hills). They only rise to between 300-600 metres in height, but with everything else around them being completely flat, they do stand out. The area is named after an ancient pre-Roman
Whatever Happened to the Hunchback’s Mummified Penis?
What a nice day for a family picnic! Sometime during the late summer of 1976, a friend and I were rather aimlessly driving around the Friuli region of Italy. I wasn’t seeking anything in particular but was interested in seeing what had remained of the gorgeous medieval towns that
From Another Time: The Māori Voice of Albania
It was in the late summer of 1974. I had recently come to live in northern Italy, had not yet begun my final year of high school, and could not yet speak Italian. There were no English language television or radio programmes. I was sixteen years old, unhappy about my
Caterina Vizzani (AKA Giovanni Bordoni): A Transgender Life in the 1700s
Transgender issues are nothing new. Ancient Egyptians had gender bending rulers, as did many other ancient cultures. But let us explore an intriguing individual from the 1700s. Born female in Rome in 1719, Caterina Vizzani lived a short life, dying in Siena at the age of 24 years in June
Marozia: A Medieval Lesbian Ghost
Look what happens when you don't confess to "wanton lust"! The stories are there, but you sometimes need to seek them out. Marozia is less than a mere footnote in history, but at least she is noted. She lived and she had a story, and thanks
Learning A New Language; Or Calling a Nun a Whore
In July of 1974 I found myself in Castelfranco Veneto, a large town northeast of Venice. The “old” medieval part of the town was encircled with a moat and crenellated walls while the circular road around those walls was surrounded with renaissance (or later) buildings, most with archways (called “portici”
Strangers on a Train; Or How I Met Your Father
Looking back, I now see that trains and train stations have been a constant backdrop in my life — hours of commuting to high school, travelling to and from university, going to visit my parents when we lived in different regions of Italy. It was on one of these trips from
750 Hours on a Train
Living in northern Italy in the late 1970s I would take a commuter train every morning, at 5 or 6 AM, and ride just under two hours from Treviso to Vicenza, where I was attending high school. I was 16 or 17 years old at the time. Each morning, painfully
The Orcolat: Pink Floyd, the Ogre, and the Real Voice of the Quake
The earthquake in Northern Italy happened on May 6, 1976, at exactly 9 PM. Later major aftershocks occurred on the 11th and 15th of September. I was there and will always remember. Not at the epicenter, but certainly well within the range where the earthquake was felt. But first a
Lions Made of Fish and Shit
On either side of the bottom of the steps leading up to the Duomo of Treviso in the Veneto Province of northeastern Italy, lie two salmon-pink lions. They are made of fish and shit. No one knows who sculpted these beasts. They date from the Romanesque period, likely created sometime
Education through Scarcity
In June 1974, at the age of 16, my parents and I moved from Canada to Italy. I had just completed Grade 11, acquired my driver’s license, and begun to create a certain type of life in Canada largely focused on dating, movies, malls, clothing, television and other suburban
Skin
She was likely in her 60s when I knew her, but she seemed much older. Not necessarily older in a physical way, rather in terms of life experiences and traditions. A southern Italian with dark grey hair, shot through with strands of white — strong looking hair. Her calves were enormously
Second Class
The aesthetic of a second class train station waiting room in 1970s Italy.