Superstition in Renaissance Italy: A Mini-Essay

     As historian Jacob Burckhardt highlights, superstition prevailed in many Renaissance societies; however, it was strongest in the Italian providences, where the rise of Humanism reintroduced elements of Greco-Roman mythology and allowed these ancient beliefs to influence the public.[1] Beginning in the thirteenth century, astrology infiltrated the daily lives of both the aristocracy and common man: the lifetime horoscopes of children were drawn at their birth to reveal their fates; the stars were consulted for important decisions and tasking journeys; and astronomers aided military leaders in martial plans, with Guido de Montefeltro, for example, relying on the astrologer Bonatto to predict the most appropriate hours for moving troops to victory.[2] Omens, too, became a distinguishing force in the era and their apparent warnings of upcoming tragedy, like the misfortune resulting from a hunting falcon’s failure to return home, were handled with the upmost gravity.[3] Likewise, evil entities and the tribulations they brought were delicate subjects to Renaissance Italians and two figures were deemed the most dangerous: ombra, which were spirits of the dead who maliciously sought to harm and kill the living, mainly children; and strega, witches who used black magic and pacts with the Devil to enact death, famine, misfortune, and plagues on hapless individuals and communities.[4] In fact, meddling in love – stirring amorous feelings in unsuspecting souls and inciting hatred in loving couples – was thought to be the strega’s favorite pastime.[5] Yet, the strega was not alone in her practice of the dark arts. Incantatore, a male magician who used black magic to advance his own financial and personal gains, and telestae, corrupt clergy who formed alliances with the Devil and his demonic minions, were also highly feared and added a level of suspicion to alchemists and the Church.[6]

Works Referenced

Burckhardt, Jacob. The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy. 1860. New York: Penguin, 1990.
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[1] Burckhardt, 323-344.
[2] Burckhardt, 323-329.
[3] Burckhardt, 329-331.
[4] Burckhardt, 332-337.
[5] Burckhardt, 336-337.
[6] Burckhardt, 3337-344.

Jagged Mouth Doll

$10 - $15 (based on 2017 prices)

Makes one doll

2017’s haunt explored the legend of La Llorona. To expand upon the element of prolicide prevalent in the folklore, I drew inspiration from La Isla de las Muñecas and filled the haunt with dolls to represent the specter’s drowned children. Although the process of transforming dozens of dolls into macabre monsters eventually became rather tiring, the final results were well worth the time and effort.

• One vinyl doll roughly twelve inches in height
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat black*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat gray*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat steel*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat white*
• At least four tablespoons of dark roasted coffee grounds
• One pan large enough to soak the doll’s dress
  

1. Cut out the doll’s eyes and mouth. For visual interest, create jagged edges. To make this process easier, purchase a doll made from thin vinyl or cheap plastic. If it helps, trace the outline of your cut with a marker first.

2. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the doll three even coats of white paint and the facial cavities three even coats of black paint. The number of coats, of course, depends on your desired coverage, so you may apply more or less.

3. Use a brush with splayed bristles to create a stippling effect around the doll’s joints and the edges of the face’s openings. I found that working from dark to light (i.e. steel to gray) produces the best results. Finish the appearance with a slight flecking of black paint. You can do this by either quickly flicking a paintbrush or using an old toothbrush and strumming your finger across the bristles. Since this process flings paint everywhere, it’s best to perform it outside.

4. Boil enough water to completely submerge the doll’s dress and pour it into the pan. Add the coffee. The longer you allow the coffee to brew, the darker the stain will become. Likewise, greater amounts of coffee will produce a richer stain. Submerge the dress in the coffee mixture and soak it until it reaches the color you desire. I soaked mine for four days and scattered the coffee grounds over the top of the fabric to add spots. Remove the dress from the water and allow it to dry. Once the dress had dried, smear its surface with black, gray, and steel paint to create the illusion of dirt and use a pair of sharp scissors to shred the fabric. Concentrate your actions around the edges of the collar, skirt, and sleeves.

5. Add additional grime to the doll by muddying her hair with black, gray, and white paint. If you don’t mind the mess, spread the paint onto the palms of your hands and use your fingers to brush it into the tuffs. Do not worry too much if the hair becomes matted and tangled during this process (it will only enhance the appearance). 

6. Clothe the doll and, if you want, apply further details, such as additional tears and holes to the dress, dried leaves and bits of debris to the hair, or small accessories like beads or buttons.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.

“La Belle Dame sans Merci” (A Poem)

Composed in April of 1819, “La Belle Dame sans Merci” is one of John Keats’ most widely anthologized and recognized poems. Inspired by Alain Chartier’s medieval ballad, the text opens with the narrator stumbling on an aimlessly meandering knight who relates to the startled individual his rendezvous with a mysterious beauty.[1] Although readers and scholars interpret the entity as several things, from a mischievous fairy to a malicious specter, the details of the knight’s meeting with this femme fatale are regularly attributed to a vampire, particularly the trance-like sleep and the death-pale appearance of the knight after his encounter.[2]

O what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
Alone and palely loitering?
The sedge has withered from the lake,
And no birds sing.

O what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
So haggard and so woe-begone?
The squirrel's granary is full,
And the harvest's done.

I see a lilly on thy brow,
With anguish moist and fever dew;
And on thy cheek a fading rose
Fast withereth too.

“I met a lady in the meads
Full beautiful – a faery's child;
Her hair was long, her foot was light,
And her eyes were wild.

“I made a garland for her head,
And bracelets too, and fragrant zone;
She looked at me as she did love,
And made sweet moan.

“I set her on my pacing steed,
And nothing else saw all day long;
For sideways would she lean and sing
A faery's song.

“She found me roots of relish sweet,
And honey wild, and manna dew,
And sure in language strange she said
‘I love thee true.’

“She took me to her elfin grot,
And there she wept and sighed full sore,
And there I shut her wild wild eyes
With kisses four.

“And there she lulléd me asleep,
And there I dreamed – Ah! woe betide!
The latest dream I ever dreamt
On the cold hill side.

“I saw pale kings and princes too,
Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;
They cried, ‘La belle Dame sans Merci
Hath thee in thrall!’

“I saw their starved lips in the gloam
With horrid warning gapéd wide,
And I awoke, and found me here,
On the cold hill’s side.

“And this is why I sojourn here
Alone and palely loitering,
Though the sedge is withered from the lake,
And no birds sing.”[3] 

Works Referenced

Capp, Edwin. “La Belle Dame as Vampire.” Philological Quarterly 27.4 (1948): 89-92. 

Davis, Paul, Gary Harrison, David Johnson, Patricia Clark Smith, and John Crawford, eds. The Bedford Anthology of World Literature: The Nineteenth Century, 1800-1900. Vol. 5. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, 2003.

Keats, John. “La Belle Dame sans Merci: A Ballad.” John Keats: The Complete Poems. New York: Penguin, 1988. 334-335.

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[1] Davis, Harrison, Johnson, Smith, and Crawford, 286.
[2] Capp, 89-92.
[3] Keats, 334-335.

Cursed and Poisoned Apples

$25 - $30 (based on 2018 prices)

Makes two bowls

The farm theme for 2016’s haunt left me with numerous apples and I have spent the last few years finding ways to repurpose them. For the witch den, part of my office’s annual decorating competition, I decided to use the entire allotment to bring into fruition two ideas for poisoned apples which have been swimming around in my creative conscious for years. The first one involved the notorious fruit fabricated into a candy apple. The second involved glass display bowls fashioned to look like cauldrons.

• Eleven artificial apples
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in fire orange
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat black*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in hot cocoa*
• Two one-gallon fish bowls
• One 8 oz. can of oil-based interior wood stain in Jacobean*
• One 33 oz. bag of Spanish moss
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*
• At least four tablespoons of black tea (e.g. Darjeeling, Earl Gary, English Breakfast, etc.)
• One piece of 8” x 11.5” copy paper with labels printed on it
• One pan large enough to soak the copy paper
• Two rubber snakes
  

1. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area give the apples two even coats of orange spray paint. The number of coats is based on your desired coverage for the props, so you may use more or less depending on your preferences.

2. To give the apples a rotten appearance, water down black acrylic paint and brush it over their surfaces (you can also use a spray bottle for the application). Allow the mixture to sit for a minute and then wipe it clean. Repeat this process with additional coats if you want a more muted tone. You may want to experiment with the consistency prior to doing this: the more water you add, the fainter/lighter the wash; the less water you add, the deeper/darker the wash. To enhance the decay, pat hot cocoa paint in random spots to create bruises. Additionally, paint the stems with a dark brown.

3. Thoroughly wash and dry the bowls. If there is any sticker residue, use rubbing alcohol to remove it (soak a paper towel in the solution, let it sit over the area for a few minutes, and wipe away the remaining glue). After cleaning the bowls, roughen their surfaces with coarse sandpaper to help the stain adhere.

4. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, paint the bowls with the stain. I discovered that applying a thin coat and patting it with paper towels produces a hazed appearance. Likewise, brushing the rims and base with a swift downward motion creates the illusion of grime buildup.

5. Once the stain has dried, coat the bottoms of the bowls with a generous amount of glue and affix clusters of Spanish moss. You want enough to remain highly visible after adding the apples, but not so much that it dominates the prop. It may help to work in stages: insert the moss, place a few apples on top of it, and add or subtract moss as needed.

6. After you attached the appropriate quantity of moss, position the apples in the bowls. For aesthetic purposes, randomly arrange them. If you plan for a permanent display or one that will be exposed to the wind and other elements, consider gluing the apples in place to prevent them from moving.

7. Boil enough water to completely submerge the copy paper and pour it into the pan. Add the tea. The longer you allow the tea to brew, the darker the stain will become. Likewise, greater amounts of tea will produce a richer stain. I found that a combination of English and Irish Breakfast brewed for over ten minutes produces a nice, deep brown. Submerge the paper into the tea mixture and soak it until it reaches the color you desire. I soaked mine for eight hours and scattered the loose-leaf tea over the top of the paper to add spots. Remove the paper from the water and allow it to dry.

8. After the paper has dried, cut out the labels, leaving a small border around their edges. To roughen their appearance, use sandpaper to fray their sides and create holes. You can also crumple the paper to produce creases. Once you have achieved your desired level of distress, glue the labels to the sides of the bowls. You can use olive or vegetable oil to add further stains. I discovered that applying a small amount of oil to your index finger and patting it on the paper works well.

9. Coil the rubber snakes around the bowls and glue them in place. For a sturdier hold, use superglue. You want them to appear as though they are wrapped menacingly around the curves of the prop, so it might work best to move in gradual increments, gluing the head down first and slowly working with the body in stages.

10. For further detail, embellish the bowls with aged bones, clusters of feathers, a poisonous drip along the rims (follow the directions outlined in the instructions for the poisoned candy apples), or voodoo beads.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.