Journey around the magical world of the Befana. 978-88-31214-01-8

€25.00 (In Stock)

With a Preface by Prof. Luigi M. Lombardi Satriani

In this essay, the authors, through a rigorous analysis, retrace the stages of a “multi-secular cultural shaping,” according to the expression of Luigi M. Lombardi Satriani. A journey from prehistory to the technological era and contemporary multimedia, from the domestic hearth to the virtual hearth, outlining the features and functions of a character, like the Befana, who appears linked to the cult of ancestors and serves as a bridge between new generations and ancestral traditions. 

Journey into the Magical World of the Befana Realistic and Imaginary Functions of a Multi-Secular Myth 

Luigi Manciocco: multimedia artist and anthropologist. Teacher of Sculpture Design and Plastic Decoration at the Art High Schools of Rome. In the 1990s, he exhibited in a solo show in New York, Atlantic Gallery. Margot Palmer Poroner entrusted him with the Roman editorial office of Artspeak, an art magazine in New York. His artistic research, parallel to his theoretical work in the ethno-anthropological field, is expressed through environments and video installations inspired by the poetics of white. He currently collaborates with «Zeta. International Journal of Poetry and Literature», Campanotto Editore, publishing essays on art and anthropology. He is part of the Editorial Board of the Online Journal «The Global Review». Since 2016 he has been President of the Cultural Association “Elide Aps”.  

Claudia Manciocco: translator, essayist. Pupil of A.M. Ripellino, she studied Slavic Philology and Anglo-American Literature, specializing in anthropological research, particularly on the relationships between folklore, theater, and literature. In 1995, together with Luigi Manciocco, she published the anthropological essay Una casa senza porte. Viaggio intorno alla figura della Befana, Rome, Melusina. Ripetta Prize for Nonfiction. She is the author, together with Luigi Manciocco, of a second anthropological essay: L’Incanto e l’Arcano, Rome, Armando Editore, 2006. She translated from English the historical essay by Bryan Moynahan, La Sinfonia di Leningrado, Il Saggiatore, Milan, 1917. She is currently employed as a translator at the Ministry of the Interior. In 2016, together with Luigi Manciocco, she founded the Cultural Association “Elide Aps”. 

In this essay, the authors, through a rigorous analysis, retrace the stages of a “multi-secular cultural shaping,” according to the expression of Luigi M. Lombardi Satriani. A journey from prehistory to the technological era and contemporary multimedia, from the domestic hearth to the virtual hearth, outlining the features and functions of a character, like the Befana, who appears linked to the cult of ancestors and serves as a bridge between new generations and ancestral traditions. This volume completes two previously published texts and is therefore focused on the figure of the Befana: it deepens and expands the developments of technology in relation “to anthropology and figures of folklore. In particular, it has been expanded with insights and observations on the figure of the donkey in mythology, as in the Sacred Scriptures (Old Testament and Gospel, with the example of Balaam’s donkey) and in literature.” The authors develop the theme of magical flight starting from shamanic rites spread from Siberia to Central Asia. This theme has also been examined with respect to Western cultures, with images of mystical flight in certain saints, such as Saint Rita of Cascia. The authors have introduced a chapter dedicated to technology, taking into account new developments, such as the Internet of Things, smart toys, pervasive connectivity, and increasingly accentuated interaction in the virtual world. The authors themselves write: “As can be inferred from the title, this essay is dedicated to a figure that occupies such a large part of the childhood imagination of all times. However, contrary to what one might think, this is not a book aimed at children; although, it must be said, the world of childhood, the magical sphere, the mysteries linked to childhood, and sometimes fairy tales and fantasy, play a fundamental role here, and the very figure of the child is often at the center of the themes addressed. Those who wish to relive with us the magical world of the first wonders of childhood and understand the meaning and origin of this extraordinary figure, prepare to embark on a long journey that will take us back in time, to the origins of human history. In this way, we will discover what makes this character so mysterious and arcane, why this old woman so dear to children has continued for so many centuries to fascinate them, and to make them wait every year on the night of the festival for her arrival.” 

Pages: 336

Cover: Paperback

Year of publication: 2019

Tel: +39 0639378291

Viale Aurelio Saffi, 95 

00152 - Rome - Italy

Email: info@avioedizioniscientifiche.it

FAQ 

 Download Policies

Sales and Return Policies

Payment methods

Created in 2020 Avio Edizioni Scientifiche srl VAT: 15202361000