Local Myths

Myths, legends, proverbs and sayngs of Deglio Faraldi and Liguria represent a very interesting cultural and folkloristic heritage. Let’s introduce our discovery travel with a curious story that we heard from our grandparents, handed down from generation to generation. This story is set in Deglio Faraldi, and we know it as:

A Sotta de Basue - The Puddle of the Witches:

A Sotta de Basue is a legend set in Prato dei Coppetti, a old field located in Deglio Faraldi just above the restaurant of the village. Coppetti is known for its considerable extension, a surprising characteristic if you consider the typical geography of our Liguria in which mountains and hills follow each other without interruption. In this place our ancestors did various agricultural activities, first of all the hay harvest. Evidence of this work are the remains of an ancient pulley used for hay transport to the village. In occasion of this activity families of the village were gathered to work: the men mowed the hay and the kids kept the pulley running, pushing the hay bales to the valley…

Kids were enjoyed doing this work. But one time, a child, after having pushed with too energy, found himseld at the edge of the precipice; he had to cling to the hay bale to save his life. The kid remained clinged to the hay bale for the whole transport time watching the emptiness below him, standing suspended in the air at tens and tens of meters of haltitude. Luckly he arrived alive at the village. The farmers breathed a sigh of relief when the child touched the ground with his feet; the sight of a kid that cross the sky suspended in the air holding on to a thin rope its a frightening show. Some deciliters of adrenaline and a strong biceps have been the essential ingredients to write this episode on the book of happy ending stories. It was a breathtaking event really happened in the past. But Prato dei Coppetti is also known for mystic and mysterious facts. Let's forgot the history....and let's open the more insidious door of the legend! Are you ready for A Sotta de Basue? Get ready and continue...

Popular tradition says that Prato dei Coppetti is somehow related to the occult; a place where witches and goblins gave life to legends and mysteries. These were the stories that the elders of each family told to the kids every evening, in the light and heat of the fireplace. One of these stories is A Sotta de Basue...

Once upon a time, a very poor grower decided to go to Deglio Faraldi. The man was worried by drought and low earings but after having worked hard he managed to collect a little pile of wheat. Carrying the sack of wheat on his back the grower reached Deglio, where the milling provided him a very small bag of flour. By now it was already evening, but the man started walking again. When he reached Prato dei Coppetti, the bells tower of Deglio rang midnight; but at the last bell tolling, something extraordinary was ready to happen. Beautiful girls dressed with flowers and every kind of wealth appeared from nothing singing and dancing in the Prato dei Coppetti that was magically illuminated by this unbelievable show.

Totally astonished, the man released a shout of enthusiasm and, unfortunately, all the girls and the magic disappeared suddenly. The man felt guilty because his voice and his shout made disappear everything of that incredible beauty. The man decided to start walking again but in the mean time he tried to load the sack over his shoulder he discovered that it was so full of flour that he could hardly bear the weight.

The following day, the grower reached Deglio completely exhausted but full of joy. In the Church square, the typical meeting place of the hamlet,  the man met the villagers and he told them the incredible event happened few hours before. Some of them believed that the grower was kind of mad...but other ones took a handful of flour and the biggest sack they had and waited the next evening to reach Prato dei Coppetti. When they got there, the bells tower rang midnight and at the last bell tolling, the magic appeared. They shouted amazed by that supernatural event, so the girls, the music and the dance disappeared leaving the men in the darkness. Everything looked like the evening before but something had gone wrong: the big sacks of the men were full of stones instead of flour.

Now it's your turn. If you reach the field you can see how many piles of stones are spread in Prato dei Coppetti, expecially in its proximity, where other smallest fields are! You'll also see the Sotta de Basue. In ligurian dialect sotta means an area of ground in depression, like a swamp; basue means witches. A Sotta de Basue is located on the westernmost side of Coppetti. In this shadowy corner of the field, water coming from the hills and from the rain forming a little pond that remain muddy for several months during the year. Here, a black grass grow with a sharp form and in messy wisps.

In Sotta de Basue witches and goblins gathering still today in full moon nights to celebrate their rituals. And still today, the 1st may night of each year thousands and thousands of people coming form the valleys of our territory meet themselves to celebrate the warm coming season. Who knows, maybe something really happens?

Typical Sayings and Proverbs:

Let's start our analisys with the main character of our proverbs: the donkey! Some sayings as example to represent the ligurian wisdom:

Chi lava a testa a l'ase perde tempu, lescïa e savun.

Translation: If you wash the head of the donkey you lose time, water and soap.
Meaning: To explain somethings to a stubbon person is a useless task and a great loss of energies. In any case, the donkey is not only synonymous with stupidity and stubbornness. Somethimes, the donkey can be sysonymous of cunning:

L'ase dunde u casse inn-a votta u nu ghe passa ciû a segônda.

Translation: If the donkey falls into a place one time, he won't do it a second time.
Meaning:  Be cunning like the donkey, so you can learn something by your mistakes and not repeat them in future!

Practicality is an important instrument for a ligurian. Otherwise, aesthetics is not always so important:

A bellessa a no fa boggî a pûgnatta.

Beauty it's not necessary to makes boil a pot.

We conclude with some pearls of philosophy of life:

O mêgo o va e o ven, e chi ha o mâ se o ten.

Even if you meet your doctor frequently, you always have to deal with your pains.

Duî capitani, nave in ti schêuggi.

If a ship has two captains, soon she will crash into the rocks.

A forsa de tia l'oegia a-o can, s'o no l'addenta ancheu o l'addenta doman.

If you pull the ears of a dog everyday, maybe he don't bite you today but he will bite you tomorrow for sure.

A chi no ghe piaxe o vin, o Segnô o ghe leve l'ægua.

For those who hate wine, God should also take out water.