La Taranta

The ‘taranta‘ is a mythical and harmless spider, whose symbolic significance relates to the physical and mental disturbances allegedly caused by a bite. The myth originated in South Italy, where orgiastic pagan rituals preserved it from 800 B.C. to 1300 A.D. Around 1700, the Roman-Catholic church started interfering. Those who had fallen victim to the taranta could be cured by beholding a statue of St. Paul. Dancing to music of a violin, tambourine and accordion, the devil could be expelled. This specific exorcism took place every year on 28 July, which was a harvest day. In black-and-white images with a voice-over, Mingozzi illustrates the history of this myth.