Page:Transactions of the Second International Folk-Congress.djvu/225

 Leland. — Etrusco-Roman Remains. 187 peasant must go at midnight to the middle of the field or vine- yard, and say : " FoUetto Tinia ! Tinia ! Tinia 1 A te mi racommando ; Che tu mi voglia perdonare, Si ti ho maladetto, Non r ho fatto con cattiva intenzione ; Lo ho fatto sohanto In atto di collera ; Se tu mi farei tornare una buona raccolta, Folletto Tinia, sempre te benedico ! " " Folletto Tinia, Tinia, Tinia ! Unto thee I commend me ! That thou wilt pardon me If I have cursed thee, I did not do it with ih-will ; I did it only in anger, If thou wilt give me a good harvest, I will ever bless thee ! " There is also an herb called Tigna identified with this spirit. It is much used in magic to repel Tinia when he injures crops, and there is a special incantation attached to it. Tigna is the Marquis de Carabas of the Italian version of " Puss in Boots", i.e., a very great and wealthy lord. Even more interesting is the Tuscan spirit of the vineyards, wine-cellars, and wine. This is Faflbn, whose name is but little changed from Fufluns, the ancient Etruscan Bacchus. Among the peasantry it is corrupted to Flavo, and even Fardel, but my chief authority gave it as Faflon. Her nephew, who was em- ployed to go about on market-days and verify this lore from old peasants, thought it should be Fafld. He is described as being " d'una bellezza da fare incantare'' (" enchantingly beautiful"), and is given to good-natured mischief. When the contadini are gathering grapes, Faflon comes invisibly and knocks their panniers all about ; but if they take it pleasantly ; he replaces everything, and then they hear his ringing laughter. Sometimes he falls in love with a pretty girl, and of course wins her.

Once'there was a peasant who had a very beautiful daughter.