Tempo di lettura: 3 minuti
In the magical dimension of Sardinia, there are malevolent spells aimed at causing harm to animals or people, sometimes also affecting their emotional or economic spheres.
Essentially, we can distinguish malevolent spells into:
evil eye, commonly called in Sardinian “
ogu pigau,” and curses, namely the terrifying “
mazzinas.”
Regarding the evil eye, we recommend reading the related article
by clicking here.
HOW THEY WORK
Curses are a tool used by witches or “bruxas” to harm others from a distance. The operating principle is identical to that used with the famous
voodoo dolls, so we are dealing with what is defined as “
sympathetic magic,” in which the magical effect is achieved by using a symbolic representation of the person or their sphere of life (emotions, work, etc.) that one wishes to harm.
Unlike voodoo dolls, mazzinas are not created solely in anthropomorphic form but can be made using small animals, such as lizards, or packets with pins and objects belonging to the victim (even nails or hair), objects whose sole purpose is to enhance the power of the person casting the spell, as, like in all enchantments, the driving force behind them is the will of the practitioner.
EFFECTS
The effects of a curse can be extremely varied. Due to its immense malevolent power, a curse is not limited to causing physical discomfort to the victim, leading to serious and difficult-to-diagnose pathologies, and it can even trigger demonic possession or death.
HOW TO REMOVE THEM
Removing a curse and eliminating its effects requires a series of rituals that go far beyond the simple recitation of “brebus.” If finding someone who can remove the evil eye is already increasingly difficult, finding someone who can eliminate curses is almost impossible.
PREVENTION
Unlike the evil eye, there is only one way to avoid becoming a victim of a curse, and this method necessarily requires consulting individuals capable of providing personal protections and removing an already active curse.
CASE STUDIES
The following cases were reported to us by those directly involved.
- A curse created to prevent a pregnancy was made with a pin piercing a sprout, all placed in a glass and hidden in the victim’s home.
- Two “prácticas” were called to a house in Villacidro where a curse was suspected. One of the two women managed to locate the curse at a specific point, and through a particular ritual, it was retrieved. A priest was present with the two women (I don’t recall if he was the parish priest of Cagliari Cathedral). The curse was handed over to him.
It was later discovered that the priest simply threw the curse into the fire without “undoing” it, condemning the family to remain under the influence of the maleficio.
- A woman brought towels, gifted by a relative, in which a curse was identified, to a magician in Cagliari, famous a few decades ago for advertisements on television. The woman asked to have the curse undone, and the magician replied that he could not because he had created that curse on commission. In that case, the magician, unethically, also revealed who had commissioned the maleficio.
CURIOSITIES
In his book “
Witches, Exorcists, and Treasure Hunters,”
Salvatore Loi describes the practices used during the inquisitorial period. We thus find the use of the “
Espidda, scuidda, or iscuidda,” the name given to wild onion.
The head of the onion was taken and carved into a human figure, into which nails, pins, or thorns were inserted to bring illness or death to victims.
The same use was made of “
su suergiu,” in which cork was the main material. It was used to recover stolen items and to cast malevolent spells.
