#janare

A Janara is, in the tradition of the rural and peasant world of southern Italy, a witch.

The witches would have a particular tree around which realize their rituals. This tree is the walnut, tree that is also associated to Diana, goddess of the Moon, patron of the Wild. The exact location of the walnut is not known, legends says that it was felled by San Barbato, but that another walnut grew in the same spot.

“Unguento unguento, mandame alla noce di Benevento supra acqua et supra vento et supre ad omne maltempo…”

"Ointment, ointment, take me to the Benevento's walnut tree, over water and over wind and over any bad weather" is the formula magica that witches would have pronounced, before taking off towards the Sabbath which took place right under the walnut tree.

A nice book mentions these legends: "Misteri, segreti e storie insolite di Napoli" by Agnese Palumbo and Maurizio Ponticello in the chapter "Benevento, le Janare attorno al Noce".

Some more sources are: https://www.youreporter.it/foto_la_legenda_del_noce_di_benevento_ed_altro/?refresh_ce-cp

Their name's origin is yet uncertain, it might come from "Dianare" which were the Diana's priestess, devoted to the moon, or it could came from "ianua" the latin word for "door" (I'll explain why down here, keep reading). These figures were located in Benevento, in the region of Campania.

The Janare were terrifying women, with very long hair, afraid of the sunlight, that came out at night. It's said that to catch a janara the hunter had to pull her by the hair and bring her inside their house. At that point the janara would protect the house from the others janare and would heal the family by using the herbs.

Usually the janare were famous for causing troubles and dancing with the devil around the walnut trees, nearby the rivers.

They were able to summon storms, cause infertility and sickness in children. They were blamed also for stealing mares, braid their mane/tail and make them run all night long, causing them to often die from exhaustion in the morning.

Their name is associated to the word "door" because to keep them away from the house people used to place a bag full of salt or a little broom hanging out the door so the janara would spend all the night counting the salt grains/ broom's bristles until the dawn... when they would hide from the sunlight.

I was wondering if you'd know any reliable source for studying janare and the history of witchcraft in Sannio or Campania in general. I only found something about the Grande Noce di Benevento, but there was nothing more.

Grazie ✨

nei versi antichi di un delirante poeta francese;

sei già stata amata, quindi,

e viaggi nel tempo e nello spazio,

crudele portatrice di strazio e bellezza,

graziosa complice dell'inganno nel vino.

di @luigimancini