Transgression and Tarantella among Catholic Women in Calabria

Abstract

This chapter focuses on two manifestations of the tarantella tradition in Catholic Southern Italy, exploring not only the connections between them but also the ways in which performance mediates the ambiguity of the social positions of the women who dance tarantella in their different contexts. The pilgrimage to the Madonna della Montagne in Polsi, Italy is described and contextualized in the history of tarantism from Saint Paul to contemporary stage performances as well as its causes and cures through the performance of tarantella music. The chapter relies on the ethnographic work of Marta Porcino, Karen Lüdtke; and Goffredo Plastino.