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Giufa: The Fool of Sicily
| Article
# : |
18535 |
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Section : |
CULTURE
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| Issue
Date : |
4 / 1991 |
3,007 Words |
| Author
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Angelo Costanzo
Angelo Costanzo is professor of English at Shippensburg
University. He specializes in slave narrative biography. A
related article, "Living Under Mongibello," appeared in the
May 1990 issue of The World & I. |
Recently, on a visit to my relatives in the ancient hill town of Montedoro, situated in the Western part of Sicily, I heard my cousin tell a story that I had heard many times, years before as a youngster in America, related to me by my grandmother. As my cousin told the story Giufa, tirati la porta! ("Giufa, Pull the Door After You!"), he used animated gestures and tried to simulate the authoritative voice of Giufa's mother, who, before leaving for church, had reminded her son to pull the door after him when he left the house. Of course, Giufa who took everything literally, did pull the door--right off its hinges--and carried it on his back to church!
Everyone present expressed amusement over the story, even though they had heard it numerous times before and were well versed in many of the other Giufa tales. Indeed, of all the many well-known folktales that circulate among the ordinary men and women of Sicily, perhaps the stories of Giufa, the lovable fool, most reveal significant insights into the characteristics and lives of Sicilians themselves.
The Giufa stories are particularly unusual and interesting because several subversive elements coexist in most of the tales. Not only are there attacks upon the ruling societies of church and state, but there are also assaults upon criminals and common people. Most interesting of all, there are strong, direct attacks upon men in general.
One must remember that Sicily has had a long history of repeated subjugation under foreign domination and tyranny. For centuries, Sicilian men and women lived the lives of virtual slaves. During these times, they learned to survive by expressing themselves in indirect ways such as playing roles, wearing masks, and using subversive devices in song and story. Foreign oppression also contributed to the development of secret, subsequently criminal, societies. Consequently, it is no wonder that the Sicilian folktale became an important vehicle for undermining established authority. Furthermore, it enabled victims of oppression to regain some degree of satisfaction.
Dumb luck and mother-son bonds
One reason the Giufa stories are immensely popular in Sicily is that they deal with the close relationship between a mother and her son. Sicilians deeply honor the mother figure, and it is well known that Sicilian sons maintain strong, lasting connections with their mothers. This mother-son linkage is partly due to the fact that men and women possess a deep love for their children
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