Dances with Spiders: Crisis, Celebrity and Celebration in Southern Italy (Epistemologies of Healing, 4)

With its roots in one of the most well known and long-lasting healing rituals to be found in Europe, the tarantula s music and dance has returned to the limelight. For centuries, the rite of the tarantula was the only cure for those bitten or possessed by the mythic Apulian spider. Its victims had to dance to the pizzica pizzica (the local tarantella) for days on end. Today, the pizzica has become a popular music and dance craze. This book explores how and why it has boomed in the Salento, creating repercussions on a national and international level. The author asks whether this current popularity has anything to do with the historic ritual of tarantism and whether the intention of recovering well being still comes into play. While personal stories and experiences confirm this, a vital shift appears in the Salento: from the confrontation of life crises to the vibrant promotion and celebration of a local sense of identity and celebrity. Introduction: Tarantula Territory -- 19 Part I. Past And Present Spider Webs : 1. Seeking St Paul: Historical And Contemporary Enactments ; 2. Webs Through Time: Origins And History Of Tarantism -- Part Ii. The Spider's Cult Today : 3. Curing Myths And Fictive Cures: Views Of Believers And Sceptics 81 ; 4. Ads And Antidotes: Celebrity Versus Conservation ; 5. Sensing Identities And Well-being: Personal Motivations And Experiences -- Part Iii. From Ritual To Limelight 139 : 6. Spiderwomen Transfixed: Negotiating Crisis And Cure ; 7. Tarantula Threads And Showbiz Airs: Fine-tuning Performances 161 ; 8. Spiderwomen Transformed: Celebrating Well-being -- Part Iv. Conclusion : 9. Dancing Beyond Spiders. Karen Lüdtke. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 221-238), Filmography (p. 239), And Index. For centuries, the rite of the tarantula was the only cure for those ‘bitten'or ‘possessed'by the mythic Apulian spider. Its victims had to dance to the local tarantella or ‘pizzica'for days on end. Today, the pizzica has returned to the limelight, bringing to the forefront issues of performance, gender, identity and well-being. This book explores how and why the pizzica has boomed in the Salento and elsewhere and asks whether this current popu- larity has anything to do with the historic ritual of tarantism or with the intention of recovering well-being. While personal stories and experiences may confirm the latter, a vital shift has appeared in the Salento: from the confrontation of life crises to the vibrant promotion and celebration of a local sense of identity and celebrity. For centuries, the rite of the tarantula was the only cure for those bitten or possessed by the mythic Apulian spider. Its victims had to dance to the local tarantella or pizzica for days on end. Today, the pizzica has returned to the limelight, bringing to the forefront issues of performance, gender, identity and well-being. This book explores how and why the pizzica has boomed in the Salento and elsewhere and asks whether this current popu- larity has anything to do with the historic ritual of tarantism or with the intention of recovering well-being. While personal stories and experiences may confirm the latter, a vital shift has appeared in the from the confrontation of life crises to the vibrant promotion and celebration of a local sense of identity and celebrity. With its roots in one of the most well known and long-lasting healing rituals to be found in Europe, the tarantula's dance has now become a popular music and dance craze. In this book the author examines the history and evolution of the ritual