Two
women busy knitting socks |
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| All the tales passed down from generation to generation
contain elements like characters or situations, connected
with the world of magic, of the supernatural, the divine. |
| In these legends, one can observe a distinctive substratum
of religious sensation, half way between fear and reverence,
which often border on superstition. |
| Demons—and monstrous creatures in general—were
used above all to protect children, who often rashly run into
harm’s way. |
| However, in the imagination of common folks, the aim was
to guide and eventually mend the ways of adults: the stories
served as deterrents against covetousness, and against all
forms of behavior considered wrong or at least unsuitable
by the community. |
| In a more general sense, it seems clear that magic, superstition
and “religion” (in the broad sense) were—until
a few decades ago—an indivisible entity, infused and
sustained daily life. |
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