In his book, The World of Witches, Julio Baroja writes of southe-
rn Europe "There seems to have been a flourishing cult of Diana among
European country people in the 5th & 6th Centuries, and she was
generally looked upon as a Goddess of the woods and fields, except by
those trying to root out the cult, who thought she was a devil". In
the authors notes, for chapter 4, he adds that the cult also wor-
shipped a male deity called Dianum. In 906 A.D., Regino of Prum wrote
in his instructions to the Bishops of the Kingdoms of Italy, concern-
ing this cult. Here he states
"...they ride at night on certain beasts with Diana, goddess of the
pagans, and a great multitude of women, that they cover great distan-
ces in the silence of the deepest night, that they obey the orders of
the goddess...by speaking of their visions (they) gain new followers
for the Society of Diana..."
The following Chronology will demonstrate the continuation of this "Society of Diana" up through the centuries to modern times.
1006 A.D. : 19th book of the Decretum (entitled Corrector)
associates the worship of Diana with the common
pagan folk.
1280 A.D. : Diocesan Council of Conserans associates the Witch Cult with the worship of a Pagan Goddess
1310 A.D. : Council of Trier associates witches with the goddess Diana (and Herodias)
1313 A.D. : Giovanni de Matociis writes in his Historiae Imperiales, that many lay people believe in a nocturnal society headed by a queen they call Diana
1390 A.D. : A woman was tried by the Milanese Inquisition for belonging to the "Society of Diana", she confessed to worshipping the "goddess of Night" and stated that "Diana" bestowed blessings on her
1457 A.D. : 3 women tried in Bressanone, confess that they belonged to the "Society of Diana" (as recorded by Nicholas of Cusa).
1526 A.D. : Judge Paulus Grillandus writes of witches in the town of Benevento who worship a goddess at the site of an old walnut tree.
1576 A.D.: Bartolo Spina writes in his Quaestico de Strigibus. listing info gathered from confessions, that witches gather at night to worship "Diana", and have dealings with night spirits.
1647 A.D.: Peter Pipernus writes in his De Nuce Maga Beneventana & De Effectibus Magicis, of a women named Violanta who confessed to worshipping Diana at the site of an old walnut tree in the town of Benevento.
1749 A.D.: Girolamo Tartarotti associates the Witch Cult with the ancient cult of Diana, in his book Del Congresso Nottorno Delle Lammie.
1890 A.D.: Author Charles Leland associates the Witch Cult with the goddess Diana, as a survival of the ancient ways, in his book Etruscan Magic & Occult Remedies.
1894 A.D.: Lady Vere de Vere, after investigating witchcraft as it then existed in the Italian Tyrol region, wrote an article in La Rivista of Rome (June 1894) stating that "...the Community of Italian Witches is regulated by laws, traditions, and customs of the most secret kind, possessing special recipes for sorcery."
1895 A.D.: Professor Milani (Etruscan Scholar & Director of Archaeological Museum in Florence) states that various elements of ancient Etruscan occultism have been "marvelously preserved"in the "Italian Witch Tradition." Professor Milani was familiar with the works of both Lady Vere de Vere and Charles Leland.
This theme continues through various authors (T.C. Lethbridge, Carlo Ginzburg, Doreen Valiente) into the 1900's and current era. Books written since 1950's are common enough and probably do not need listing here.
Source material for Chronology:
Ecstacies-deciphering the witches Sabbath
Night Battles-witchcraft and agrarian cults (by Ginzburg)
Etruscan Magic & Occult Remedies, Legends of Florence,
Aradia; gospel of the witches (by Charles Leland).
The World of Witches, by Julio Baroja.
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