Title: The Cimaruta and Other Magical Charms from Old Italy
Author: Raven Grimassi
Rating: 2/5
I purchased this book when I first moved to Italy because I wanted to learn more about Italian talismans; however, the more I read this, the more I realize it's not Italian. I originally asked my Italian instructor if she had a cimaruta; she did not even know what it was. This reaction became a reoccurring theme as I asked neighbors and my physical therapist. I had to show them a picture of the book and still received different variations of "I've never heard of it but I'll look into it."
As I began reading Grimassi's book, I quickly realized why. While this talisman is originally from ancient Italy, it is no longer used here. Now the Corno and other items have replaced it. The cimaruta is more of an American neopagan item now. 'The Cimaruta and Other Magical Charms from Old Italy' is touted as being one of the most in-depth books about the cimaruta; however, most of the information needs to be Scholastic or peer-reviewed. Most of the data used in this book is from old transcripts in the 1800s by English settlers, not from actual Italians. It took a lot of work to track down information about many images and things he claimed. Since I live in Italy, I journeyed to Bologna to the museum to look at the Etruscan cimaruta that Raven Grimassi claims is there, only to find they had no record of it.
While I was greatly impressed with Raven Grimassi finding the information on the cimaruta, I was expecting much better from a book with these kinds of claims. Researching more about the author, Raven Grimassi, I pieced together that while he wrote many books and articles about Italian stregheria, he never actually visited Italy or spoke with actual Italians. His mother was from Campagna, Italy, but he was raised in California, and his limited Italian views were shaped by that of Italian Americans.
If you are interested in the cimaruta, I cannot recommend this book; however, do a quick Google and read the Wikipedia articles. I assure you you will get the same information and save yourself the money.
Comentários