Title: Hearts Made out of Rice

General Information about Item:

• Contagious Magic, Homeopathic Magic

• Italian, English

• Italy

Informant Data:

• Gerardo Pisacane is a thirty-year-old male from the south of Italy in the Amalfi Coast, a place near Naples. He lived in Vietri Sul Mare (the first village of the Amalfi coast) from his birth until he turned twenty-three years old. At that point, he moved to Milan for six years and now lives in Hanover. He currently works at Dartmouth as the resident advisor for the Italian language program, exposing American students to Italian language and culture. Coming from the south of Italy, Gerardo has been to many weddings, particularly because he comes from a large family. In December, he even participated in his cousin’s wedding as the best man.

Contextual Data:

Social/Cultural Context: As the bride and groom exit the church upon being married, it is typical that they find a heart outlined from rice containing two letters (the first letters of the first names of the two individuals to be married) on the floor right outside the threshold of the church. It is typical that both the bride and the groom step into the heart and continue to walk, eventually stepping out of it. This practice encourages a joyous union.

Item:

• An outline made of rice, containing the capital first letters of the two individuals being married.

Media File:

Transcript of Associated File:

• Informant: “Sometimes you paint with rice an heart- the silhouette of an heart… Outside of a church, sometimes… yeah an heart, sometimes people paint a heart with rice, using rice- and they use the capital letter of the names. So, Marco e Patricia: M and P.”
• Collector: “Do they have to step in it, or no?”
• Informant: “Yes, they pass – they pass – they cross [into] the heart.”

Informant’s Comments:

• This practice is completed upon exiting the church, once the couple is already married.

Collector’s Comments:

• This piece of folklore contains elements of homeopathic and contagious magic. In fact, the practice of stepping into the heart as a means of blessing the union with love is an example of contagious magic. Just as the feet of the couple have stepped into the heart, their union and entire beings will also be anointed with love. Furthermore, this practice contains elements of homeopathic magic, as the first initials of the two first names of the couple represent the larger lives of the couple as a whole. Just as the letters have found love and are surrounded by love, the two individuals will also find themselves surrounded by love.

Collector’s Name: Isabella Florissi

Tags/Keywords:

• Customary Lore, Contagious Magic, Homeopathic Magic