Madonna Oriente
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Madonna Oriente or Signora Oriente - The Lady of the Orient, also known as La Signora del Gioco or the Lady of the Game, was the name of the Moon goddess that was worshipped in a cult that developed in Milan towards the end of the 14th century. Two women from higher society, Sibillia Zanni and Pietrina de' Bugatis, were brought before the Inquisition in 1384 and again in 1390 on the claims that they worshipped this goddess and were the first women to be sentenced to death by it for being witches.
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The story
The following section is a story as reported by the two women. Sibillia reported that from the age of sixteen, each Thursday evening she was invited to Madonna Oriente's secret festivities. According to Pierina de' Bugatis, these were usually held in the tidy and cleaned elegant houses of the rich. If the house was tidy, it was blessed. There were always numerous participants, both alive and already dead, including those that were beheaded or hanged and that were ashamed to raise their head due to this. Besides people, a pair of each animal species also had to come, except for donkeys and foxes. The donkey was not allowed to be present because of its close connection to Christ and the Lady saw herself as equal to him among her fellowship. As to the foxes, the reasons are not clear. Breaking these rules would mean the end of the world.
During the festivity, people ate, drank and danced. Many animals were slaughtered and cooked, but their bones and the skin were not to be damaged. They were collected in a bag and at the end of the meeting the Lady stroked the bag with the head of a baton and all the animals were revived. If a bone was missing, it was replaced with the wood of the elderberry.
Beside the entertainment, the Lady of the East also taught her followers secret knowledge; the use of herbs and other medical knowledge, finding stolen things, fortune-telling and countering evil charms. The followers were likewise permitted to teach these arts to other people, under the condition that they not tell them about their fellowship.
Interrogation and persecution
In 1384, Sibillia was interrogated for the first time. The interrogator, friar Ruggero from Carate, did not believe her story and had her sent home with only a light penance: for three Sundays, she had to stand at a Churches' door during the mass with two large yellow crosses and three fingers sewn on her dress. The first time by the Franciscans at the Vercellina door of Saint Francis, the second time by the Augustinian church of Saint Mark and for the third time by the Dominican church of Saint Eustorgius. She also had to stop going to the festivities. Pierina de' Bugatis confessed that she "believes Oriente is mistress of her 'society' as Christ is master of the world." She was given the same penance.
None of the women, according to their words, were able to resist the temptation of further participating in the festivities, partially also because they did not understand why it would be wrong to have fun and learn something. Sabillia told that she visited the Lady two more times. The second time, she said, she threw a pebble in the brook running in front of the house for fun. The lady was very angry with her for doing this and forbade her to return again.
In 1390 Sibillia was interrogated by another friar, Beltramino di Cernuscullo. He listened to her with attention and wanted further clarifications. Sibillia noticed that the friar was very interested in her story so she could be calm. In fact, he was not at all interested in Signora Oriente, but wanted Sibillia to confess serving the Devil. He forced her, probably by torture, to do so. Then he turned her over to the secular authority that sentenced her to death by stake. Two months later Pierina de Bugatis was sentenced for having confessed the same crime.
Although the ladies were not the first to be persecuted for witchcraft by the Church authorities, they were the first in the the following systematic persecutions by the Inquisition. It was claimed in the past that persecuting witches was the Inquisition's new role after Cathars and the Templars were exterminated. However, it is now clear that the witch-hunt originated amongst common people and was only later adopted by it.
Goddess of the Moon
Madonna Oriente is the Italian translation of the Latin words "Domina Oriens". It has been demonstrated that this name was used to denote the Moon (Lewis & Short). This means that the ladies were believing in the goddess of the Moon under one of its names. It is not clear whether there were indeed more members of her circle. Otherwise, the Moon goddess had many different names in different cultures. In Greek mythology, she is called Artemis, in the Roman one Diana and in German tradition Holda. Nevertheless, the participants of the rites of Madonna Oriente still viewed themselves as good Christians. In the eyes of the Inquisition, they were worshipping the Devil.
It is usually held that the meetings were of spiritual nature. The pagan rituals still pervaded the otherwise Christian society at that time. These practices were varied in their form but had a similar meaning. They worshipped the forces of nature and acknowledged a prominent religious role for women. Perhaps these two ladies were going in the trances and were having visions to get the access to secret knowledge. Such visions have been reported from all over the world in all times.
See also
- Paculla Annia - ancient Roman rites of Bacchanalias countain elements of Medieval European witchcraft.
- Alice Kyteler - first documented case of a woman persecuted as having become a witch through sexual intercourse with the Devil.
- Benandanti Fellowship - fertility cult
- Moon (mythology)
- witchcraft
- witch-hunt
References
- Richard Kieckheffer, Forbidden Rites: A Necromancer's Manual of the Fifteenth Century (Magic in History), page 155. Pennsylvania State University Press, February 1, 1998. ISBN 0271017511
- Carlo Ginzburg, Raymond Rosenthal (translator), Ecstasies : Deciphering the Witches' Sabbath. University Of Chicago Press, June 14, 2004. ISBN 0226296938
- Jan Peter und Yury Winterberg: Hexen - Magie, Mythen und die Wahrheit (Witches - Magic, Myths and the Truth). A documentary movie. ASIN B0001W1L0U. - in German, DVD was issued on 6th April 2004
- Luisa Murraro, La signora del Gioco, Feltrinelli, Milano, 1976 - in Italian
- Mario Graziano Parri, La signora del gioco. F. Cesati, 1984. ISBN 8876670270 - in Italian
- Massimo Centini: Le schiave di Diana: Stregoneria e sciamanismo tra superstizione e demonizzazione (Nuova atlantide). ECIG, 1994. ISBN 8875455880
Categories: Christian history | Lunar goddesses | Milan | Occult | Paganism | Religious persecution | Witchcraft
