The Importance and Evolution of Folk Dance: Tradition-Revival-Identity

In the description of the days dedicated to the field research, De Martino studies ad locum tarantism and the aspects that this ancient custom encompasses, guaranteeing solutions to the “crisis of presence†. From this point of view, the magic of traditional societies can be perceived as a compass in understanding the primordial representations of the world, through which De Martino distances himself from Benedetto Croce's optics and seeks to understand the world of magic using Heidegger’s existentialist instruments, that provides answers to the problem of the “crisis of presence†and the “anxiety of history†, through the solution provided by the magic ritual, of the “rescue from the crisis†. In fact, this Heideggerian concept is treated separately in the chapter, trying to follow a series of aspects that can explain the many facets of this existential concept: from individual psychological aspects, such as suffering or fear of death, to the cultural frames of communities, that are contextualized historically. Last but not least, the intention to provide a clear and multi-angular image of tarantism made me investigate in detail De Martino’s itinerary in Lucania, following the way in which the scholar doubled the observation, which followed in detail the specific ritual steps, with the analysis of a theoretical nature, in order to verify to what extent there is a high degree of validity between the intuitions of his thinking and the specific-therapeutic function of the ritual dance. It is known about the relationship of the Italian scholar with Romanian folklore, treated and viewed in comparison with the forms of manifestation of the Italian popular culture. In this context, fascinating aspects and similarities of tarantism and the ritual elements of the Romanian Căluș were noted. By examining the convergence of these cultural practices, we gain a deeper understanding of the universal characteristics present in different folk traditions.