Corleone, a Tale of Sicily

La joven se preocupa porque su amado tendrá que viajar a Corleone, en Sicilia, donde los peligros acechan en todo lugar. Si supiera de lo que se trata, del peligro que correrá, no se hubiera embarcado en aquella aventura.

De F. Marion Crawford, Corleone, a Tale of Sicily

En vocabulario encontramos brigand y de la historia contamos algo de Corleone

 

“The mafia is not a band, nor anything of that sort. It is the resistance which the whole Sicilian people opposes to all kinds of government and authority… ”

 

'This mafia—what is it?' he asked. 'We hear it spoken of, but we do not any of us really know who is the head of it, nor what it can do.'

'It has no head,' answered the young girl. 'Perhaps it is hard to explain, because you are not a Sicilian. The mafia is not a band, nor anything of that sort. It is the resistance which the whole Sicilian people opposes to all kinds of government and authority. It is, how shall I say? A sentiment, a feeling, a sort of wild love of our country, that is a secret, and will do anything. With us, everybody knows what it is, and evil comes to everyone who opposes it—generally death.'

'We are not much afraid of it, since we have the law on our side,' said Orsino, rather incredulously.

'You are not afraid because you do not understand,' answered Vittoria, her voice beginning to express her anxiety again. 'If you knew what it is, as we know, you would be very much afraid.'

She spoke so simply and naturally that it did not occur to Orsino to be offended at the slight upon his courage.

'We shall take an escort of soldiers to please you,' he said, smiling, and drawing her to him again, as though the discussion were over.

But her terror for him broke out again. She had not told him all she knew, still less all she suspected.

'But I am in earnest!' she cried, holding herself back from him so that he could see her eyes. 'It is true earnest, deadly earnest. They mean to kill you—in the end, they will! Oh, tell me that you will not go!'

'San Giacinto has bought the place——'

'Let him go, and be killed, then, and perhaps they will be satisfied! What do I care for anyone but you? Is it nothing, that I love you so? That we have told each other? That you say you love me? Is it all nothing but words, mere words, empty words?'

'No, it is my whole life, dear——'

'Then your life is mine, and you have no right to throw it away, just to please your cousin. Let him get a regiment of soldiers sent there by the government to live in Santa Vittoria. Then after three or four years the brigands will be all gone.'

A small band of brigands, Bisaccia, 1862

'Three or four years!' Orsino laughed, in spite of himself…

Before dinner he went to see San Giacinto, whom he found alone in his big study, sitting in his huge chair before his enormous table. He was so large that he had his own private furniture made to suit his own dimensions. The table was covered with note-books and papers, very neatly arranged, and the gray-haired giant was writing a letter. He looked up as Orsino entered and uttered a sort of inarticulate exclamation of satisfaction. Then he went on writing, while Orsino sat down and watched him.

'Do you happen to have a gun license?' asked San Giacinto, without looking up.

'Of course.'

'Put it in your pocket for the journey,' was the answer, as the pen went on steadily.

'Is there any game about Camaldoli?' enquired Orsino, after a pause.

'Brigands,' replied San Giacinto, laconically, and still writing.

He would have said 'woodcock' in the same tone, being a plain man and not given to dramatic emphasis. Orsino laughed a little incredulously, but said nothing as he sat waiting for his relative to finish his letter. His eyes wandered about the room, and presently they fell on a heavy sole-leather bag which stood by a chair near the window. On the chair itself lay two leathern gun-cases obviously containing modern rifles, as their shape and size showed. With a man's natural instinct for arms, Orsino rose and took one of the weapons out of its case, and examined it.

'Winchesters,' said San Giacinto, still driving his pen.

'I see,' answered Orsino, feeling the weight, and raising the rifle to his shoulder as though to try the length of the stock.

'Most people prefer them in Sicily,' observed San Giacinto, who had signed his name and was folding his note carefully.

'What do you want them for?' asked the younger man, still incredulous.

'It is the custom of the country to carry them down there,' said the other. 'Besides, there are brigands about. I told you so just now.'

San Giacinto did not like to repeat explanations.

'I thought you were joking,' remarked Orsino… (Excerpts from chapter 6 and 8 from Corleone, A Tale of Sicily, by Francis Marion Crawford)

 

Vocabulario

Brigandage: es la práctica del robo armado. Es practicado por un “brigand”, una persona que usualmente vive en una banda, del robo y el pillaje.

La palabra brigand entró en el inglés vía Francia del italiano, allá por 1400. Bajo las leyes de la guerra los soldados que actúan por su cuenta, operando en cadenas de mando, son brigands, susceptibles de ser juzgados bajo las leyes civiles como criminales comunes.

La mala administración y el tipo de terreno aumentan el desarrollo de los brigands.

En los Estados Unidos un ejemplo de brigands serían los hermanos Harpe.

Brigands: forajidos, bandoleros.

 

Para saber

Corleone contribuyó con los eventos del Italian Risorgimento con la revolucionaria acción de Francesco Bentivegna quién, después de participar de las revueltas de 1848, capitaneó una insurrección contra los Borbones hasta que fue arrestado y fusilado en 1856.

Corleone contribuyó a la Gran Guerra con 105 muertos y numerosos heridos en los campos. Después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial un movimiento de campesinos ocupó las tierras vacantes, liderados por el sindicalista Placido Rizzotto, que luego fue ejecutado por la Mafia.

Después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial Corleone se hizo notoria por dar a luz a varios peligrosos bandidos que llegaron a ser protagonistas de sangrientas luchas por el poder dentro de la Mafia.

 

Artículos relacionados

… fue el primer tratado mayor sobre la mafia en literatura, y usó el entonces original recurso del cura incapaz de testificar en un crimen debido al secreto de confesión. … Francis Marion Crawford

Cuando Michael asesina a Sollozzo y al capitán McCluskey, un oficial de policía pagado por los mafiosos, el conflicto se intensifica… Resumen El Padrino

The story of the development of this hotel is as interesting as the novel itself… The Savoy Hotel

 

Resources

Corleone, a Tale of Sicily. Full story