The Witches of Alicodi: Flying Women, Storm Cutters and One Psychedelic Bread
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By: Massimiliano Palmesano
Translated from Italian
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-The Aeolian Islands and forms of thought that are held in the area-
Alicudi (5 km2) is one of the smallest and wildest islands in the Aeolian Volcanic Archipelago
Along with Pilikudi (9 km2), its twin.
This group of islands sits off the northern coast of Sicily.
The largest island is called Lipari with a settled population of about 12,821 inhabitants,
During the summer days, the tourist population rises to about 20,000 residents.
During the fascist rule, some of the islands were used as concentration camps for political prisoners.
The Aeolian Islands are named after Aeolus III, son of Poseidon and ruler of the spirits
in Greek mythology.
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In Auli folklore, the name of Alicudi is always associated with fantastic and mysterious stories:
Mara/Marot (witch) flying to Palermo (a cultural metropolis that was a natural port city)
Or even to Africa, humans who turn into animals, fishermen who know magic formulas
To 'cut' the trumpets of the sea, soothsayers, oracles and other mysterious and mythical presences.
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Today, most of the Liparis (natives of the island and tradition) who inhabit the islands firmly believe
The Auli folklore and the truths of the extraordinary visions left by the Marats.
The Aeolian Islands still retain an aura of mystery and charm, inhabited since prehistoric times.
In short, the myth is deeply rooted in the book of the Odyssey and tells about a classical family from ancient Greece, the son (King Oson)
Striving for the father's place, the father is jealous of his son, and the daughter is probably objectified as some kind of kingdom.
In a small village called 'Quatropani', there is a belief to this day about a tiny fairy
Known as 'u fudditt' a little elf or 'u cappidduzzu' which translates to a little hat.
The elf / the little hatter, was seen jumping from one mountain peak to another on the island,
Which for the Liparis signifies double-valued news, often frightening or discouraging.
The little elf can hand out lavish gifts or mischievous pranks. Because of this duality, the islanders
Prefer not to meet 'Yo-Podit' \ 'Yo-Capidozo'.
If this happens, you have to deal with him very carefully and precisely so that he doesn't get angry.
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Alicodi Island
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-Island of the Storm Cutters-
If in Lipari, which is the most populated tourist island, the traditions and legends of these people were preserved,
So it's likely that Alicodi Island is a treasure chest of superstitions and enduring extraordinary stories.
The island was always sparsely populated, we are talking about a maximum of 1500 inhabitants between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.
The face of the government then collapsed following the huge wave of immigration of the 20th century.
Today, the residents of Elikodi are about 100 people, an island inhabited mainly by fishermen and farmers.
Through family lines whose origins have been lost in the mists of time, the ancient ritual is passed down
How to 'cut' the trumpets of the sea and the storms that hit the fishing boats.
Many on the island claim that they know the ritual and have practiced it several times with success.
The old fishermen explain that when you can glimpse a sea trumpet or an approaching storm on the horizon, the 'cutter' takes up a position at the bow of the boat and starts
Whisper the formula accompanied by words and a series of mudras. (Mudra- series of hand movements that release and channels energy).
To this day, the fishermen make it a point to go on a long voyage only with people who know how to cut through storms.
The tradition of the 'cutters' suggests a connection with the founding substrate-mythology of the island and seems to be a kind of power that the lord of the archipelago, the god of the winds Aeolus gave to its inhabitants.
The connection between Aeolus and the ability to "cut" the storms is apparently a direct and demonic twisting of the power called Podito or sometimes even called by the name of Satan.
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- women and flying boats -
More than anything else, Alykodi, which the Greeks called Arikosa, is an island of flying women
and of extraordinary visions.
The inhabitants of Alikudi, known as maharearcudare, according to popular stories managed to transform
themselves to crows and cats, cast an evil eye and perform powerful spells, but above all they
Master the power of aviation in order to reach Palermo, where you fly to take part in a stream of life
Full of events that are often mentioned in folklore.
Some of the folk tales go as far as Tunisia and other places on the coast of Africa.
Places from which flying women returned carrying unusual objects and clothes that did not exist
To no one ever seen on the island.
The arcudrian witches were able to float in the air, ride on brooms like their medieval land 'counterparts',
But they also managed to take flight through small fishing boats.
Many of the inhabitants of the island swore that they saw these sights while the lights sailed through the sky,
On starry nights and a full moon.
Often, the passengers who flew in the night sea skies were the fishermen's wives who engaged in long and dangerous fishing trips, for this reason
The witches flew in search of their husbands in order to protect them
against the dangers of the sea and in order to complete the fishing trips and supervise their return home.
The meetings of the Marots of Alikudi were held on the beaches, men and women alike rejoiced and cheered around
Tables full of every delicacy.
The fishermen saw these meetings from their boats, which according to the stories were held on strips of beach
inaccessible from the ground and hidden by cliffs.
It seems that many came to the beach to participate in the banquets, while paying close attention to respecting the ceremonial taboo that was required - as soon as they were received
Welcomed by the Marots to the meeting, the fishermen were required not to complain about the quality of the food and drinks offered, which were sometimes bitter.
Those who did not respect this taboo were beaten and thrown into the sea.
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Today, the few Arcudars who inhabit the island say they haven't seen anything in a while, but they all firmly believe in the truth of these extraordinary visions.
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A very common story on the island tells of three women dressed in black (as in the case of Lipari
and the three figures called Aeolus) seen on the beach preparing a magic potion with water
in a bowl while saying secret spells.
The potion was used by the marae for flight and sometimes the potion was offered to fishermen to open their doors
The doors of consciousness to fantastic realms.
Water as an elemental characterizes many of the stories of metamorphosis told by women who are able to transform
themselves to birds, especially crows. They poured water into a tub in which they wet their feet,
And within a few minutes they changed their shape into birds and flew away towards distant places.
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The belated witch, by Luis Ricardo Falero
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-on psychedelic baking-
According to some hypotheses, the cause of the strange visions of the inhabitants of Alikodi is due to the consumption of bread made with rye infected with the fungus
a parasite of grasses called claviceps purpurea,
Also known as argot in folk tradition, and in French translates to spur.
The word ergot is derived from the black horn-shaped sclerotia that grow on the stems of the plant
and looks like an ear of a Goat-Ear-Goat.
The same parasitic fungus that led the scientist Albert Hoffman to the discovery of lysergic acid.
In high doses, the fungus causes ergotism - food poisoning caused by eating ergot or food
infected with it. The poisoning causes various physical and mental symptoms, some of which are expressed through
Convulsions and nervous attacks, diarrhea, vomiting, itching, mania and hallucinations.
In a situation of non-treatment or prolonged ergot nutrition, edema, necrosis and in some cases may develop
Many of lack of treatment even to death.
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There are two hypotheses about the presence of ergot mushrooms in Elicudi:
One hypothesises that the grains came from food products imported to the island from Palermo and Sinai, the other maintains
These are small local tumors that were affected by the fungus.
In any case, it seems that the Arcodars consumed bread on a daily basis from a mixture of different grains,
including infected rye.
This certainly explains the heroes of the collective hallucinations that lasted for years and created a huge variety of
Folk tales and legends.
Anthropologists have focused the story of Alikodi on the period between 1902-1905,
A time when hunger, migration and poverty forced the islanders to make bread with rye products
Cheap and tainted with argot.
A situation where due to the extreme hunger experience, the nature of the hallucinations was affected. Many report proms
luxurious and beach parties full of delicious delicacies.
On the other hand, most of them ate ergot bread.
One of the better known anthropological theories is that the Auli people were heralds of the hippies that broke out only 60-70 years after them.
The essential difference is the unconscious consumption of a hallucinatory substance, which led to deep and inexplicable experiences and above all,
Uncontrollable compared to modern hippies and psychonauts who consume
These materials are in the ads.
According to this point of view, in these three years, the islanders had to deal with seizure
A rather extended reality.
They had to get used to changing states of consciousness and piques, and finally had to recognize visions
To the point of considering them as absolute truth.
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Ergot mushroom
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-Mysterious hypotheses and artistic roots on the way to Elosis-
There are some elements that raise questions about this version of the facts, namely about the context
Between Arkodri and Argot.
First of all, it seems strange that a plethora of such common beliefs and stories could be produced.
are so common that they have been introduced in cultural narratives that follow a philological path between them,
in just three years.
It must be clearly taken into account that we are referring to events that must have had a profound effect on the entire community and the figure of the visionary hero on the island,
But only three years seem few compared to epics written over decades and hundreds of years.
Too little information to be able to explain recurring paradigms, parallel experiences and scenarios.
It is likely that all the described scenarios happened within these years.
But it is no less likely that the hypothesis of a conscious and cultural use of argot is a legacy
of ancient religious practices.
In fact, witches in the European tradition, and in southern Italy in particular, were, among others, Expertdominae herbarum - the 'visionary witches', those who control the hallucinatory visions and are able to produce ointments and potions capable of transporting to supernatural and magical dimensions
For those who use them, As clearly stated in the legend of the witches of Benevento.
Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that the mahare (mahare) of Alikudi knew well the ergot and its visual properties and used it for ritual purposes.
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(Wall relief of Perselos)
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It is important to emphasize that the Auli people knew the parasite very well, so much so that they coined a specific name
To denote the ears of rye affected by the fungus growing on the island, they used to call it
'Coals' because of the color and the black spores that produce a dark smoke-like dirt.
It should be taken into account that there are a large number of stories in which preparations for the use of water are talked about,
As in the case of the three women or the crow woman.
Bowls and cups probably contained a mixture of elements that caused vision states, element
which can also be deduced from the detail referring to the bitter water served during banquets.
It is known that most deliriant techniques and psychotropic agents are concentrated in plants
which were used by witches in their recipes, are characterized by a strong bitter taste.
The stubbornness of an ancient shamanic paradigm does not allow the use of ergot to be placed as something
Perhaps possible, occasional or chronologically limited, but as a central unified element of ecstatic knowledge
of flying women..
A fascinating play, but it seems that, especially in Italy, it finds a lot of resistance in the academic field.
In truth, the witches of Alicudi and Benevento are only a small part of the hypothesis.
The presence of rye indicates an archaic connection that the Aeolian tradition maintained with its Greek origins,
Attributed to ancient ritual mysteries held at Eleusis in honor of the Olympian goddess Demeter in ancient Greece.
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(a wall relief attributed to Demeter)
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The Elousis Mysteries are characterized by secret rituals to which only initiates were admitted.
Their foundation dates back to at least 1500 years before Christ (the second century AD according to the Homeric hymns),
Long before the Greeks established colonies in southern Italy and the Aeolian Islands
And among other things they brought with them religious traditions and forms of thought.
It is possible that the Mystery Sect (as happened in all kinds of places, including Rome), led or opened it
its secret gates also among the inhabitants of the Aeolian archipelago?
And what does argot have to do with this whole story?
The mysteries included, among other things, rituals that allowed the initiates to participate in the ritual kingdoms
of the gods, which they almost certainly reached thanks to the substances contained in the ritual drink Kykeon.
The Kaikoun vehicle has been debated for quite a few years now:
The drink may contain opium poppies, often depicted with goat ears
As characteristics of Demeter and her daughter Persephone, also psychotropic mushrooms of the genus Psilosieve,
As represented on the Parcelus relief, it depicts a mother and daughter intending to exchange mushrooms.
It is already clear to us that Calbisps purpurea was used to prepare the cake, as has been emphasized extensively
for years by Giorgio Samorini, a world-renowned ethnobotanist, who produced several articles
On the archeology of the Eleusis Mysteries and the intoxicating speculations of the drink of the Gods-Kaikaun.
Apparently the witches of Alicudi pass on mysterious knowledge that is thousands of years old, as old as the Aeolian Islands and its inhabitants,
And maybe they are just unconscious visionaries who are able to influence the local tradition to the point of real and fantastic confusion.
One thing is for sure, even if you are not lucky enough to catch flying women and boats in the starry sky of the Auli summer, the tiny island of Alicodi can captivate you with its mystery and turn reality into a fantastic vision.
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Link to Massimiliano's article and blog
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File to download the booklet 'THE ROAD TO ELEUSIS'
