The
archaeological site of Cevo |
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Within the boundaries of Cevo, Val Saviore, in the province of Brescia, Italy, an group of amateur searchers has identified an extensive archaeological site consisting of:
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A study of the circle
remains made using a computer Cad system has revealed that the
stones form three circles and a sinistral spiral.
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Il
colle dell'Androla |
Il colle dell'Androla visto dall'alto (foto aerea)
From many points of view, the
hill with the name of Androla can be considered a probable place of worship
and astronomical observatory.
There are many traces to support this theory, starting from the geographical
position. In fact, the hill is in such a position to allow anyone standing
on its summit to dominate the valley with a 360 degree view of all the
surrounding mountains. Further to being a natural observation post for
defence purposes, this makes it an ideal spot for watching the sky (observing
the movements of the sun, moon and stars). This was the direction first
taken by our observation in an attempt to identify eventual signs that
would reveal the presence of finders used for measuring the time, the
seasons and the movements of heavenly bodies.
The existence of what may be the remains of stone masses arranged in a
circle can be seen from the aerial photograph of the hill and has been
further confirmed by a first superficial prospecting of the area surrounding
the small church standing at the top of Androla.
On the top of the hill, there is a heeled stone perfectly in line with
the South and East-West. This stone is of triangular shape (tetrahedric).
The church itself is an indirect testimonial of the ancient use of Androla
as an observatory. The oldest part is in fact a square construction with
four openings in line with the four cardinal points.
Furthermore, this small church is an introduction to the ancient cultural
use of Androla.
The first part of the building has in fact been constructed in the point
where local beliefs indicate the witches' meeting ground to be.
In this respect, D.A.Morandini writes: “An ancient tradition tells
that, under the Androla Chapel, there were copper mines known as ramine
(copper flakes). The Androla Chapel is perhaps the best viewpoint in the
whole of Valle Camonica. Once the copper mines were exhausted, they were
abandoned, leaving the deep and frightening tunnels. Well: those people
who imagined a serpent with a golden ring, that no-one could approach
because its look would kill, inhabited those witches' caverns. These fantastic
frightening creatures, during the fury of the tempests, left their subterranean
dominions to perform the strangest of dances under the rain in the meadows
on Androla.[1]
Three important elements can be deduced from Morandini's tale: the existence
of copper mines, the reference to a “serpent people” and the
presence of witches.
Copper mines and witches dancing under the "fury of the tempest"
could be connected, since, as testified by local sayings, Colle dell'Androla
is still struck by many bolts of lightning even today. The fact that the
hill attracts lightning (the withces dancing?) can obviously be related
to the presence of caverns or metal mineral mines.
Regarding the presence of stone rings, since remotest times, in various
parts of the world, Colin Wilson reports the opinion of the archaeologist
Lethbridge who states "magic was the great purpose to achieve through
witches' rites, and their way of reaching their objective was to turn
to collective excitement. The rings of stone on our hills and the frenetic
dances of the witches had this great scope. It was the same in all the
ancient world. The magic power, at least thus it was believed, was generated
by these dances and was contained and directed towards its objective by
stone circles, arranged so that the power could not be dispersed in the
surrounding countryside".[2]
The name Androla, after all, could derive from antrum, antro, cavity or
cave.
The derivation from antrum, antro, seems to concern also Andrista, the
village immediately below Androla and which can be reached from the hill
by means of a rocky path that passes near to the caverns or mines inhabited
by the witches.
Andrista = Antrum istum = this cavity
Androla = Antrum illum = that cavity.
According to tradition, the witches guarded the serpent of the golden
ring in the Androla caves and the serpent is an element of great importance
for the study of local traditions and in identifying possible ancient
cults.
In Andrista, for example, the tradition of the Basilisc is still observed.
The
tradition of the Basilisc |
In January, according to traditions,
the Brescian valleys and countryside, especially in Val Saviore and in
Franciacorta, see the arrival of the Basilisc, a serpent that the legend
says is stumpy with cows horns on its goatskin head, born from an egg
laid by an old cockerel and hatched by a poisonous toad.
· The Cernunno is associated
with many animals, but particularly with the bull and the stag and is
similar to the mythical serpent with a ram's head (goat – ram).
· Usually the Cernunno
is represented with stag's horns, accompanied by a serpent with a ram's
head.[3]
The Basilisco is sometimes depicted with a cockerel's head and snake's
tail.
In medieval bestiaries, the Basilisco (from basilìskos, little
king – the king of serpents) appears as a crowned serpent, honoured
by its subjects. However, some interpretations would have the horned serpent
as symbol of lust, and in fact, in the 1400s lues was known as “basilisco
disease”.
In Val Saviore there are still traces of ancient pagan rites dedicated
to the “divin biscio”(divine snake) and Cevo retains the memory
of a legend that would have the “serpente dell’anello”
protected in a cavern by a cove of witches. Angelo Moreschi, recalling
the rite held on 5 January in Andistra, a division of Cevo, speaks of
“Badilisc” as a hairy serpent, with a huge head, two enormous
eyes and a gigantic mouth. Mouth which pronounces, after a procession
accompanying the "monster" through the village streets, all
the most important events of the year to the mockery of the people (the
“discorso del Badilisc”) (Badilisc's speech).
G.P. Salvini (Giornale di Brescia) describes the mysterious beast as “short
and stumpy like a salami, with or without claws” and recalls how
its look enchants and its venomous breath "scorches" the grass:
“its whole aspect wrinkles the skin, and turns hair as bristly as
a chestnut husk”.
If the serpent-dragon has a ram's head and cow's horns, this could mean
that the legend was created to indicate that the time it refers to was
that in which the Dragon's head (Spring equinox) was similar to Aries
(Age of Aries) when this still had the cow's horns (Torus), Age of Torus.
Therefore a period close to the recent passage (or in act) from the Torus
epoch to that of Aries. The period in question is 2220 a.C. (Torus from
4.380 B.C. to 2.220 B.C. and Aries from 2.220 B.C. to 60 B.C.). This was
followed by the Pisces era (present) which we are leaving to enter that
of Aquarius. The period in question is that of a transition between eras.
Names given to the Basilisco are among the most various: Bés fuì,
Bés Galilì (in Franciacorta), Carbon (in Carnia), Talzelwurm
or Stollwurm (in Austria and in Switzerland) and, in scientific terms,
“Eloderma europaeum”, relation of the Eloderma sospectum,
a large poisonous lizard from the American deserts, otherwise known as
Gila. The scientific name was attributed to the Basilisco by an Austrian
zoologist after newspapers in the 30s had described the animal as being
50 to 90 centimetres in length, with a short tail and squat legs, stumpy,
with an aggressive character and ill-meaning look.
Salvini recalls that even the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture was forced
to investigate and in the text by Willi Ley, “Animal Legends and
Stories”, published by Bompiani in 1951 (quoted by Salvini) there
are the testimonials of who actually saw and photographed the Basilisco.
Basilisco is also mentioned in number three of “Brescia rivista”,
the monthly magazine directed by Carlo Agarotti and printed by the Rothari
publishing house in Leno. In this case the serpent is associated with
the Bissaboga (winding road) and the Besolà (from which ‘mbesolat,
entwined) or Bossolà, a cake that is well-known to Brescian tables.
The
cult of the serpent
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The serpent of the golden ring,
guarded by the witches under Colle dell’Androla, is associated with
the serpente della “preda” (serpent of stone), visible, according
to tradition, among the woods opposite the locality of Molinello where
we have found the remains of a settlement which was probably used for
the cult and to observe the stars.
The cult of the serpent can probably be ascribed to the Celtic influence,
as has in any case been shown by a rock incision in the locality of Naquane
which represents the god Cernunno accompanied by a serpent and with a
torques hanging from his right arm. E. Anati attributes the incision to
a period from between 1100 and 16 B.C. (last period in which the Camuni
incisions were made).
The Camuni Cernunnos is the Celtic Lug, the luminous, who in the Gundestrup
Caldaia (cauldron?) is depicted with stag's horns, a torques in his right
hand (the traditional ring?) and a serpent in his left hand.
The Celtic influence is witnessed anyway by the incisions representing
the four-wheeled carriage again dated by Anati as belonging to the last
period of Camuni production (roughly after 1000 B.C.).
Traditions linked to the serpent recall Cernunnos, as we have seen, and
this is an aspect of great importance to be investigated inasmuch as it
concerns the Celtic civilisation.
The reference to the serpent, however, could infer stars of particular
interest when aligning the megalithic circles.
The symbols of the Zodiac, correctly interpreted, should be based on 13
and not 12 signs. In fact, the ecliptic, in fact, after Libra enters Scorpio
which occupies only a few degrees (241-248) and then in Ofiuco, which
occupies from 248 to 266 degrees.
Sagittarius arrives after Ofiuco.
The Ofiuco constellation, associated with that of the Serpent, is represented
by a human figure holding a serpent in his hands and sometimes entwined
with it.
The name derives from the Greek ofiòkos, or “he who holds
the serpent”.
In the period between November and January, Ofiuco is particularly evident
in the sky to the East, before sunrise.
Therefore it is not improbable that "he who holds the serpent"
or Cernunno, was identified with Ofiuco.
If we observe the sky of 1998, we see that the sun rises (at 7.40) for
the first time in Ofiuco, abandoning Scorpio, on December 1st and rises
for the last time in Ofiuco (at 7.55) on 18 December. The day after, 19
December, the sun rises in Sagittarius.
In 1998, therefore, the period influenced by the presence of Ofiuco as
a reference for sunrise goes from 1 to 18 December.
If we now leap back to 500 B.C., in this period the Celts at Cevo could
observe the sky through their megalithic finders.
The sun rose at 6.50 in Ofiuco on 1 November leaving Scorpio where it
had remained until 31 October. The sun remained in Ofiuco until 18 November
(when it rose at 7.15), then to pass, on 19 November, into the sign of
Sagittarius.
The period influenced by the presence of Ofiuco in 500 B.C. was therefore
that between the 1st and the 18th of November.
Festivities linked to the serpent, therefore, will all probability can
be collocated in the period between November 1 and 18 (now December 1
and December 18). A period in which there was the Celtic New Year which
began at Samain (the solar rising of Antares with the Moon in a particular
position) granting the possibility of contact between the human world
and the divinities.
The period was dedicated to Lug in his acceptance of Cernunno and the
goddess Morrigan.
The
Celts at Cevo |
The Celts were firmly established
in the Po Valley before the start of the IV century B.C. and according
to Livio, they arrived there in the era of Lucio Tarquinio the Superb
who governed Rome from 534 to 508.
Some scholars such as Alexandre Bertrand, as Peter Berreford Ellis recalls[4],
backdate their descent to northern Italy to the years around 1000 B.C.
The same Livio in fact writes that “they [the Celts] crossed the
Alps passing through the lands of the Taurini and the valley of the Dora
Baltea, winning the battle against the Etruscans near to the Ticino. And
hearing that the place in which they had stopped was called Piana degli
Insubri, that is, with the same name of a sub-tribe of the Edui, in this
they saw a prediction which they seconded by founding a city”.
The reference to the Insubri makes us think that during the conquest of
Belloveso and Elitovio, the Celts had encountered settlements made previously
by Celtic people. Populations that, as stated by A.Bertrand (La religion
des Goulois - The Religion of the Gauls) had supplanted the megalithic
populations through a gradual unification.
If so, the Celts living in Italy before the conquest of Belloveso could
belong to the culture of the Campi di Urne, or rather, people dedicated
to agriculture, living in small communities and expert in the working
of bronze and, later on, of iron. In many places, they lived on fortified
hills and used to bury their dead, after cremation, in clay urns.
In theVIII century B.C., the evolution of iron works enabled the Celts
to fabricate prestigious axes, scythes and other equipment which they
used to work the ground with relative ease.
Cevo, from this point of view, represents an ideal place for a settlement.
Colle dell’Androla dominates Valle Camonica and Val Saviore appears
to be easily defendable. Up and down valley from Cevo there are mineral
mines rich in iron and Colle dell’Androla conceals copper mines.
The area has generally a particularly mild climate and the slopes facing
South are almost always exposed to the sun. The locality of Molinello
and surrounding lands are fertile and have continued to render crops of
wheat, rye and barley, and the raising of animals. Therefore we can believe
that the ancient “serpent people” were perfectly at their
ease in Val Saviore.
Molinello, even recently, was the destination of annual rogations [5]
along the viasa üsca. Traditional Christian rites have often developed
in places where pagan rituality existed and it is not unlikely that reference
to Roman Robigalia has sprung from more ancient traditions. The presence
of a chalybeate spring nearby further qualifies the area as a possible
place dedicated to ancient medicine (it is wellknown that the Druids were
herbal experts and equally able physicians and that many sacred springs
were dedicated to hydropic cures).
It is not surprising, therefore, that at Molinello there is a nemeton
(sanctuary), or a place of cultural and therapeutical qualification.
Il
Molinello |
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Molinello
appears as a series of overlapping terraces supported by stone walls.
Along the walls there are stones positioned in a way to recall tombs
and dolmen, while others create the idea of broken menhir. This gives a strong impression of a fortified village or a castle-type structure, but these settlements were usually protected by a rocky backdrop, so that only the part towards the valley plains were vulnerable but easy to defend. Behind the terraces, not wide enough to think of agricultural exploitation, there are no rocks, but flat areas on which there are evident traces of megalithic circles. It cannot be thought that this set of stones is simply a ganda (random heap of stones). In this respect, it must be said that there are many "gandas" in the fields around Molinello, which served as a deposit for the stones removed from the meadows. An interesting detail is that the "gandas" were planted with elder (Ruis in the tree alphabet). The elder keeps its berries until late December and is associated with witches[6] and is also the tree of the Day of Justice. |
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Its month is from
25 November to 22 December, day of the Winter Solstice (Justice?). So
the month of the elder is that of the death of the sun and its rebirth.
Wild Elder, Peith, is the herald of Ruis and is associated with the rush.
Moreover, to the south-west of the possible centre and lower down, near
to the constructions now used as stables, there are stones arranged in
such a way to suggest a finder with which to define the alignment between
the stones in the circular and the heavenly vault.
With regard to the stone wall constructions, it should be noted that the
Celts, as shown by recent archaeological digs, were expert builders.
The
chalypeate spring |
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| North-west of Molinello there is chalypeate spring. A series of oriented stones marked with triangular finders indicate a sinusoidal path connecting Molinello to the spring. About half-way, there is a stone mass, clearly grooved, and whose form recalls that of a serpent's head. Below the head, the mass clearly shows a stone step. Considering the survival of legends and feasts linked with the serpent, the idea cannot be ignored that the serpent's head stone could be an altar placed half-way between the megalithic circle and the chalypeate spring for cult purposes. |
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DÚs
Merlin |
The possible value of Molinello
regarding the cult, the chalypeate spring and Androla is strengthened
also by the presence of Dòs Merlin at Saviore.
Dòs Merlin, collocated between the parish church and the cemetery,
and now defaced by the installation of radio repeaters, reveals the presence
of a megalithic circle.
With regard to this, Morandini also writes that here there was a castle
named "Merlino, nor other have we of other castle-keepers than the
name of a certain Merlilo. What tradition can tell us is that probably
the context of things dates back to far-off times and that the Castle-keepers
were the Lords and Tyrants of the land and that all was subordinated to
these castles, and that for religious zeal or to contrast their tyranny,
they were destroyed, especially Merlino who was burnt to ashes with his
keepers by the fury of the people when, in a particular encounter with
a procession, the Pagans raped and robbed the Catholic maidens”[7],
etc. etc.
Merlino was, for the Celts, the name indicating a high Druid office. The
presence of a Merlino at Saviore can indicate that the valley, in its
Camuno context, occupied a particular religious importance.
Saviore |
Marta Loreschi tells us that: “ At about 1 Km from Saviore, on the road to Fabrezza, there is a rocky path that descends to the valley. Ascending to the left of the road, a few steps take you to a dry wall constructed with large stones which continues towards west, north-west. Near to the path, the wall seems to form a sort of elipse (the two axes are respectively 10 and 7-8 m. approximately), with two openings in east and west directions. The ground is slightly sloping. On the same path, before arriving at “Plot della Campagna” (about ten minutes), after the area confined by barbed wire, the path turns east. On the right you can note a heap of rocks and vegetation called “Castello”. At the top there are the remains of megalithic walls arranged in a semi-circle. On the sides from south-west to north, the stones have decayed and are covered with vegetation.(Bulletin from Centro Camuno di Studi Preistorici – 13-14 page 192).
Recovery
of traditions |
Up to now, we have given brief
notes concerning an archaeological site which deserves in-depth study.
However, it should not be forgotten that, further to the possible developments
relative to the archaeological survey, great interest is suscitated by
the recovery of traditions.
An example?
“At Carneval time – writes Morandini – every year through
these villages those night dogs fatti sulle strade dalle donne attruppate
dei filò, where with ancient unknown tongue they use their soprano
voices, one to sing and the other replying in chorus as a lament, called
by us "The Voices" and in Saviore "The Songs", ridiculous
for us in their sense but admirable in their sweetness, their method,
simplicity and more so in their ancient origins. These are remains of
those ancient costumes or feasts, perhaps Pagan orgies that denote the
simplicity, liberty and sincerity of those costumes”.
Conclusions |
Visits and the first surveys
can reasonably lead us to affirm that the localities Androla and Molinello
(we could add Dòs Merlin at Saviore) were places dedicated to the
cult and observation of the sky.
It is equally reasonable to think that the megalithic circles, dolmen
and stone constructions are to be associated with the traditions relative
to the “serpent”, or “divin biscio” (divine snake),
which represent the survival of ancient cults concerning Cernunno (the
Celtic god Lug), associated with the Ofiuco constellation.
The number of places visited allows us to say that Cevo, with suitable
studies and appropriate surveys, should be an area of considerable archaeological
and anthropological interest.
Dott. Silvano Danesi (e.mail: info@silvanodanesi.org)
Dott. Domenico Scoppio
For their co-operation, we thank: Dott. Donatella Salvetti, Franca Leonardi, Dott. Paolo Maglio, Prof. Franco Rabbi (metallurgic analysis), Prof. Stefano Segatori (chemical analysis)
Brescia, 30 giugno 1999