Ritual, Rapture and Remorse: A Study of Tarantism and Pizzica in Salento

Jerri Daboo

Ritual, Rapture and Remorse: A Study of Tarantism and  Pizzica  in Salento
Format
Paperback
Publisher
Verlag Peter Lang
Country
Switzerland
Published
8 March 2010
Pages
286
ISBN
9783039110926

Ritual, Rapture and Remorse: A Study of Tarantism and Pizzica in Salento

Jerri Daboo

This title is printed to order. This book may have been self-published. If so, we cannot guarantee the quality of the content. In the main most books will have gone through the editing process however some may not. We therefore suggest that you be aware of this before ordering this book. If in doubt check either the author or publisher’s details as we are unable to accept any returns unless they are faulty. Please contact us if you have any questions.

This book was awarded a Special Mention Citation in the 2010 competition for the ‘de la Torre Bueno Prize’ by The Society of Dance History Scholars.
In the region of Salento in Southern Italy, the music and dance of the pizzica has been used in the ritual of tarantism for many centuries as a means to cure someone bitten by the taranta spider. This book, a historical and ethnographic study of tarantism and pizzica, draws upon seven hundred years of writings about the ritual contributed by medical practitioners, scientists, travel writers and others. It also investigates the contemporary revival of interest in pizzica music and dance as part of the ‘neo-tarantism’ movement, where pizzica and the history of tarantism form a complex web of place, culture and identity for Salentines today.
This is one of the first books in English to explore this fascinating ritual practice and its contemporary resurgence. It uses an interdisciplinary framework based in performance studies to ask wider questions about the experience of the body in performance, and the potential of music and dance to create a sense of personal and collective transformation and efficacy.

This item is not currently in-stock. It can be ordered online and is expected to ship in 7-14 days

Our stock data is updated periodically, and availability may change throughout the day for in-demand items. Please call the relevant shop for the most current stock information. Prices are subject to change without notice.

Sign in or become a Readings Member to add this title to a wishlist.