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"Nordic Mists" on the Strait. The roots Northern Sicilian Romanticism
28-46Views:149The present essay aims at tracing the influences of Northern European Romanticism on the works of some Sicilian authors of the early Nineteenth century. The objective is to debunk the myth of a “lower” level of the Italian Romantic literature when compared to the Nordic literature, as it is not focused on the representation of the dark areas of the self, of supernatural, fantastic, and irrational themes that are present in reality. Some ballads by Felice Bisazza (1809- 1867) and Vincenzo Navarro (1800- 1867) are examined. In these works the narration of popular legends highlights a ghostly and horrifying universe, mirroring real situations, such as the violence of the noble class and patriarchy, or the injustice of social inequality. A play by Giuseppe La Farina (1815- 1863), entitled L’abbandono di un popolo (1845), will be then considered; the author portrays the anti-Spanish revolt of 1676 in Messina by focusing on the disturbing and underground forces that intersect with the revolutionary movements. Lastly, the production by Tommaso Cannizzaro (1838- 1921) as translator will be analyzed: the writer makes the fascinating world of Scandinavian mythology available to the Sicilian and Italian public, through the translations of some cantos by the medieval Edda antica.