Wandering Adventure Party

"L'Alber, o ALBERER, è un enorme uccello di fuoco che porta sventura a chi lo vede." — Dario Spada: Gnomi, fate, folletti e altri esseri fatati in Italia, p. 14I find the "Alber" to be a very interesting creature indeed. It is a "bird of fire" whose approach is heralded by a disturbing whistle, and then everyone has to flee inside their houses and bar doors and windows so that they don't perceive it and suffer misfortune as a result. That description would make me inclined to identify it as a #WildHunt -type phenomena, perhaps similar to the Australian Wildg'fahr. But what also makes me curious is its name. Is "Alber" derived from "albero", Italian for "tree" or "mast"? If so, perhaps this is no "bird" after all, but a flaming pole - which would make it kin to the "flaming pole"-type apparitions from German folklore as well. #Italiano #folklore

"Una delle loro occupazioni principali è quella di succhiare da un orecchio il sangue ai neonati che rapiscono dalle culle per nasconderli nei tronchi delle querce." — Dario Spada: Gnomi, fate, folletti e altri esseri fatati in Italia, p. 13And with the very first encyclopedia entry, we already have child-stilling "little people" - the "Abitatrici Dei Campi" ("Inhabitants of the Fields", if I've gotten this right). Although unlike their German counterparts, they do not replace the stolen children with changelings, and I am not sure if this is better or worse. #Italiano #folklore #kidnapping