From Publishers Weekly:
Corsica's unique occult inheritance, descended from the Megalithic cult of the dead, is threatening to disappear. So says Carrington, whose Granite Island: A Portrait of Corsica, won the Heinemann Award in 1971, and who here speculates eloquently on that inheritance's decline in the wake of the island's prosperity following WWII. Although much of the material presented here dates from the 1950s, Carrington meets her aim?to define and set down the islander's waning beliefs. Discussed in particular are the ways of the mazzeri, whose dreams predict illness and death; the ways of the signadori, or guardians of village life; the ways of the benandanti, who act deliberately to ensure prosperity; and the Evil Eye, vampires and sorcery. Also covered is the island's fatalistic form of Christianity, in which free will has little place, since Corsicans believe, like the mazzeri, that lives are programmed from birth. This is an engaging and useful resource for travelers and folklorists. Photos; map.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist:
Corsica is a complex, enigmatic, and thoroughly fascinating place, as presented here by Carrington, whose intimate understanding of its history and culture is possessed by few others. In 1948 she first ventured to the intriguing island, beginning an enduring connection to it and its people. But it was the period of the 1950s when Carrington gathered substantial material on the mazzeri"those who hunt and kill by night in dreams." The megalithic faith, pagan cults, Christianity, and occult practices all figure prominently in the customs and beliefs of Corsicans. Still, it is rather wondrous to partake of Carrington's awesome depth of knowledge as she reveals traditions and tales, leading readers to confront the dream-hunters that have so mesmerized the author herself. Alice Joyce
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