Witches of Benevento

WITCHES OF BENEVENTO

GLOSSARY
breathe= respirare

The legend of the witches has given to Benevento the fame of ‘Town of the Witches’, and still today in this place you can breathe a magical and intriguing area.

GLOSSARY
date back= risalire a
worship=culto, adorazione

It seems that the legend of the witches of Benevento dates back to the Samnite and the Roman antiquity, when, in the IV century BC, the ancient colonists of Magna Graecia transplanted in the Samnium the orgiastic worship of Cybele.

GLOSSARY
it is told that=si dice che
walnut tree=albero di noci

Unlike other towns, where the Witches had an often sad fame, Benevento has the record of a suggestive legend that has inspired poets and artists for centuries.

It is told that, among their rites, the witches had the custom to meet, in the nights between Saturday and Sunday, around a big walnut tree to give birth to their demoniac Sabbath. They could fly on horseback of a broom and they could become invisible to indiscreet eyes.

Around the great walnut tree a savage jumble started. People had really fear of these women. In fact, they thought that they could cause abortions and deformities in the newborns and believed that they had the ability to pass under the doors during the night. From here, the term Janara in dialect means in fact ‘door’.

GLOSSARY
savage jumble=brontolio selvaggio
newborns=neonati

Therefore, Benevento is really known for its history and for this suggestive legend. It is an ancient place to visit for its charm, a place to visit the magic walnut tree, and a place where the witches met to make their witchcrafts…

GLOSSARY
therefore= perciò
witchcraft=stregoneria

CREATIVITY

A wordwall

A game

WITCHES OF BENEVENTO

An acrostic

Witches are ugly
It's not difficult to meet them
Think about their magic spells
Cruelity to children
Hatred for kids
Evil ladies who
Spend time scaring people