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The following is part of a book in preparation that I am writing about this period when my family stopped living in Italy in 1925. —J. Ré Crivello

“In the folk tradition of Cuneo and throughout Iamonte (Italy), a woman did not become a masca through traditional witchcraft initiation rites (such as covens or blood pacts), but exclusively through the physical and obligatory transfer of her powers before dying. [1, 2]

Around 1925, these rural beliefs were still deeply rooted in the oral history of the Alpine and Langhe communities in Cuneo. The ‘ritual’ was in reality an agonizing act of survival for the elderly masca.”

By 1925, the women designated as masche in the villages of Cuneo were not marginalized hermits, but what Italian anthropology calls “domestic witches.” They were seemingly ordinary women from the community (often healers, midwives, or elderly women with profound knowledge of medicinal herbs) who attended Mass on Sundays and participated in the Catholic sacraments, concealing their secret heritage within their own families (Google).

June 9, 1915

I became a Masca one afternoon when an aunt of mine, let’s call her Aunt Maria, passed away. My mother called me and accompanied me to an old house in Paesana. I had visited it before. I was 14 years old. The house was on a hillside on the way to Mount Monviso. The sides of the hill narrowed, while the trees, if you looked behind you, covered the entire slope. The valleys of Cuneo protected us and at the same time instilled in us that spirit of resistance. For us, our homeland is our language and the mountains. We have a sense of belonging and dignity regarding our traditions, and we have withstood centuries of cultural assimilation.

My mother hadn’t told me anything about what was going to happen, only: «Aunt Maria is dying.» When I entered, the room was full of people surrounding her. Her pale face and gray hair contrasted with her red blouse. They sat me down beside her. She gave me her hand and died. I felt something inexplicable, as if her knowledge had been transferred to me. I looked around. Everyone’s eyes were on me.

They gave me a wooden ladle and a book of spells. As I approached my mother, she said:

«You are…» As we left, people sang a waltz from Cuneo, which went something like:

«You will always be ready

To do good, and defeat evil

Your strength comes from the mountain.

And it will accompany you.»

As we walked down the path, my mother repeated in a low voice: «My daughter is Masca.» I didn’t understand that change. I imagined she was possessed. I imagined she had grown older than normal. I whispered to myself:

You’ll always be ready.

Domenica

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Notes:

—01 Domenica was one of the grandmothers of the writer/Editor J. Ré Crivello.

—02 In the folk tradition of Cuneo and throughout Piedmont, a woman did not become a masca through traditional witchcraft initiation rites (such as covens or blood pacts), but exclusively through the physical and obligatory transfer of her powers before dying.

Around 1925, these rural beliefs were still deeply rooted in the oral history of the Alpine and Langhe communities in Cuneo. The “ritual” was, in reality, an agonizing act of survival for the elderly masca.

The “Ritual” of the Transfer of Powers

According to Piedmontese legends, masche possessed the gift of extreme longevity or a kind of immortality, but they still aged and fell ill. In order to die in peace and free her soul, a masca was obligated to transfer her magical energy to another living person (usually a young woman in the family, such as a daughter or granddaughter). [1, 2, 3] The transfer did not require complex ceremonies, but was carried out through very ordinary and specific methods:

• Direct physical contact: It was enough for the dying old woman to shake the young woman’s hand or touch her on her deathbed. At that moment of contact, the powers automatically passed to the new bearer. [1]

• The passing of the Book of Command: The most celebrated method consisted of inheriting the Book of Command. This was a legendary book with black covers that contained the texts, incantations, and magical formulas to control the forces of nature and perform curses or healings. [1, 2, 3]

• Everyday objects: If no relative was nearby, the masca could transfer its power by touching or handing over an ordinary household object, such as a broom, a mestolo (kitchen ladle), or a ball of yarn. If an innocent soul touched that object, they immediately became the new masca.

The double life of the masche in the 1920s

The Etymology of the Term «Masca»

The etymology of the word «Masca» is uncertain; however, the Piedmontese term has Lombard origins and first appeared on November 22, 643 AD in the Edict of Rothari. According to the edict, Masca was associated with the figure of the witch:

«Si quis eam strigam, quod est Masca, clamaverit»

which roughly translates as «If anyone calls her a witch, it is because she is a Masca.»

However, the term «Masca» also appears to have Spanish origins. In fact, according to some studies, it derives from the verb «mascar» (to chew). Furthermore, the word «masca» seems to descend from the Arabic word «masakha,» which means «to transform into an animal.» This last theory might be the most plausible, given that witches had the ability to transform into animals.