Legends Of Florence Part 39

{203a} "Altrimenti L'avrebbero levato il collare."-_Original_.

{203b} "In una altra stella Per raggiungere la sua bella."-_Original_.

{205} _Faceva il verso del lupo_, the deep baying which is a subject of superst.i.tion in all countries.

{207} Friedrich, "Symbolik der Natur."

{208} A humming-top.

{212} The Philological Society (_Circolo_), has also its rooms in this building.

{213} Perche si rendeva alle persone troppo triviale-A graphic sketch of a character who would be peculiarly offensive in a highly patrician community.

{220} "Col mio pugnale ammazato, Col pugnale e sotterato."

{224} Since writing the foregoing, I have found in _Am Urquelle_, vol.

vi. 3, May 1895, a legend credited to a book by A. Bondeson, _Historic Gulbar p Dal_ (Stockholm, 1886), or a story ent.i.tled "The Lover with a Green Beard," which is much the same in incident as this. The editor, H.

Feilberg, notices the affinity of this and other tales to the Vampyre and Burger's "Leonora."

{227} _Zufolo_-a rude flageolet, such as is still commonly played by the shepherds all over Italy.

{238} _Il suo spirito lo fa presentare qualunque ombra_, that is, in any or varied shadow; a _haunting_ shade, and not strictly the mere shadow of the one who is haunted.

{239} That which here follows of the invocation was obtained subsequently by my agent, I think, from another source. What precedes is evidently only a fragment.

{251} The concluding portion of this chapter is taken from the Italian original paper read by me at the first meeting of the Italian Folklore Society in the Collegio Romano, Rome, November 20, 1894.

{253} These references to Marietta Pery are in regard to a certain Italian poetess, of whose work I originally intended to give specimens in this book, but which were omitted as want of s.p.a.ce did not permit their insertion. I hope to include them in another volume of legends.-C. G.

LELAND.

{255} Such incantations are _intoned_ or chanted in a very peculiar style, so that those who can only hear the sound know that it is a magic spell. Therefore they must be expressed very accurately to the letter.

It may be observed that there is a contradiction in the original MS., which here speaks of _three_ companions, and subsequently of two. I believe the latter to be correct.

{259a} Here the name of the lover is p.r.o.nounced by the friends.

{259b} Now in possession of Mrs. January of St. Louis, Missouri.

{262} "Moon Lore," p. 152.

{265} I have no doubt that originally all the spoken parts of this narrative were sung.

{266} Thorns here plainly mean suffering, _Fasio di pruini che ai messo al tuo fratello_.

{269} It is amusing that this stealing oil wherewith to make love-charms, which was denounced so bitterly as d.a.m.nable sorcery at one time, and frequently punished by death, _i.e._, by burning alive, is now tacitly encouraged by the priests. There are churches about Rome in which the oil is placed where it may be stolen or taken, it being understood that a _soldo_ or two shall be left to pay for it.