Description
The conference invites you to discover the mysterious and fascinating figures of Corsican oral heritage and folk beliefs.
A fata, the Corsican fairy, is always young, slender and fresh-faced. Immortal, her splendour never fades.
Over the centuries and across all regions of the island, numerous miracles have been attributed to her. Compassionate and charitable, she often shows her kindness by bestowing water, the source of life. Thus, according to tradition, several of the island’s lakes and ponds are said to have come into being through pure magic.
The fairies of fountains and streams, according to accounts and folk tales, are reminiscent of the mythological Naiads, sisters of the famous Sirens.
These legends also lead us to Phorcos, the legendary sea god who, according to some traditions, is said to have been King of Corsica.
Unlike the fairies, the Surpatori / Streghi (wizards and witches) and the Signadori (healers) are firmly rooted in the reality of the island’s agro-pastoral world, in which they have long played an important role.
What remains today of these beliefs, these practices and these iconic figures of the Corsican imagination?
A fascinating talk offering an opportunity to discover the fairies, witches and healers who populate the history, traditions and collective memory of Corsica.
Free admission.