essay
Tears of blood: the Calabrian villanella and immigrant epiphanies
studies in italian american folklore • Logan, Utah • Published In 1993 • Pages: 11-51
By: Chairetakis, Anna L., Del Guidice, Lusia.
Abstract
This is a study of Calabrian polyphonic song-poems, VILLANELLA, which are sung by Italian-American women, kin and friends who meet in small groups. The songs employ figurative language and metaphor. The imagery of the natural world and body such as flowers, trees, fruit, birds, serpents, eyes, breast and hair express feminine beauty, fertility, sentiment, bonding, and sexuality. The songs leading motif is female sexuality: the desirability of women and women's' inherent erotic power, which is conveyed as having magical and supernatural dimension. Chairetakis includes examples of the poems in Italian and English, and also discusses the cultural and historical context of the songs and singing.
- HRAF PubDate
- 2000
- Region
- North America
- Sub Region
- Regional, Ethnic and Diaspora Cultures
- Document Type
- essay
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Social Scientist
- Document Rating
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- Ian Skoggard ;1999
- Field Date
- 1975-1988
- Coverage Date
- 1950-1990
- Coverage Place
- New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island, United States
- Notes
- Anna L. Chairetakis
- Includes bibliographical references (p.49-51)
- LCCN
- 93021459
- LCSH
- Italian Americans