Epiphany is also the day for La Befana! The latest in my slightly sinister winter holiday folklore collection: the Italian Christmas witch. La Befana is a witch of Italian folklore who brings sweets & gifts to good children and coal or cinders to bad children on Epiphany Eve. She flies on her broom and comes down the chimney. It’s dangerous to watch her. She’s both grandmotherly and a witch, beloved & ridiculed. 🧵

#linocut #printmaking #Epiphany #Christmas #folklore #Befana #12daysofchristmas

@minouette

I'm currently taking Italian-language evening classes, and had a few discussions with my teacher about her.

@juergen_hubert very timely!

Thanks, I am interested in all this winter folklore and connections between stories.

@minouette

I'm currently taking Italian-language evening classes, and had a few discussions with my teacher about her.

@juergen_hubert @minouette it's one of the canon monsters in the Italian-folk fantasy setting for 5E Brancalonia, which I recommend. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/acherongames/brancalonia-the-spaghetti-fantasy-rpg

@luigirenna @minouette

I bought much of the line, although I haven't read everything yet.

Right now, I am trying to re-read the initial setting book in the original Italian.

@juergen_hubert @minouette I am impressed by your commitment. I have been going through the expansions recently specifically looking for references to Calvino's folk tales this time around. The pop culture ones (movies and songs) in the main handbook are really nice, and some of them quite obscure. One that I spotted is a mountain chain on the island of Tasinnanta (fantasy Sardinia) is named after an old RPG association started in the 80s in Cagliari ("La Porta d'Argento") and made me wonder how many others are there that I am missing