Covid 19 in Sicily: the existential "medicine” and practices – an appeal to the tradition

DOI: 10.33876/2311-0546/2020-51-3/57-73

Abstract

Summary: This article analyzes the empirics of mental and behavioral models of Sicilians in existential conditions, namely in February – May 2020 during the coronavirus epidemic and quarantine measures in Italy. The study is based on the author’s field material. In the course of the paper, the author addresses such aspects of traditional culture as folk medicine, local cuisine and rituals. Analysis of the realities clearly demonstrates the devotion of a large part of Sicilian society to the ancient cultural strata that have a particular connotation: the ancient remedies, rational and magical, and prevention of diseases and demonic apparitions, as well as therapeutic practices aimed at healing various ailments, but mainly plague and dysentery, which repeatedly struck Sicily. The dietary changes of alimentary habits of the Sicilians, and appeal to certain "health" and cleansing rites have the same focus. The study of empirical material reveals the medieval roots of beliefs and recipes, which the Sicilians appeal to, the role of historical memory, which guarantees preservation of archaic culture, the predominantly folk nature of the cultural substrate addressed by representatives of local society, and the oral way of information transmission. The theory and concepts of anthropology of fear and anthropology of disasters allow to understand the mechanism of this behaviour and the reasons for the revitalization of such a specific culture in these existential for Sicilians conditions, and also to focus on other social issues (the assertion of the society’s identity and the problems of relationships with other communities).

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