FIG. 120.
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1. Silenzio. |
1. Silence, hold your tongue. |
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2. Negativa. |
2. Denial, no. |
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3. Bellezza. |
3. Beauty. |
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4. Fame. |
4. Hunger, I want food. |
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5. Besseggiare. |
5. To make a long nose, to mock, etc. |
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6. Fatica. |
6. Labour, fatigue. |
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7. Stupido. |
7. Stupid, blockhead, donkey, asses' ears. See p. 416. |
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8. Guercio. |
8. Squint-eyed. |
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9. Ingannare. |
9. To cheat, to deceive. |
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10. Astuto. |
10. Crafty, cunning. |
Only a study of the curious book itself can afford full information upon all these gestures.
236:377 New English Dictionary, s.v. "Chironomy."
236:378 Scoperta della Chironomia ossia dell' arte di gestire con le mani, Dell' Abate Vincenzo Requeno, Parma, 1797, p. 13.
236:379 "Janus geminus a Numa rege dicatus, qui pacis, bellique argumento colitur, digitis ita figuratis, ut trecentorum quinquaginta dierum nota per significationem anni, temporis, et ævi se Deum indicaret."--Pliny, xxxiv. 7.
236:380 "Simulacrum ejus plerumque fingitur manu dextera 300 et sinistra sexaginta quinque numerum tenens, ad demonstrandam anni dimensionem."--Macrobius, Saturn. i.
236:381 Abate Requeno, op. cit. p. 14.
240:382 Abate Requeno, op. cit. p. 40.
240:383 Before venturing; to reproduce this interesting system for which the Abate claims such antiquity, great pains were taken to ascertain if it is known and practised in our English systems of teaching the deaf and dumb. The constant reply of experts, as to whether this or any similar system of manual numeration was taught, has been: "I know of no ancient system"! Only by a negative process has it been found that this system is not used by modern teachers. It is therefore here recorded as bearing much on what has to be said upon gestures of the hand, so intimately connected with the belief in the evil eye.
242:384 Jahn, Aberglauben, etc., frequently uses this argument as a proof that the objects he is speaking of were used as amulets, e.g. p. 47, of a female figure with the hand on the mouth he says: "Die sich zum Theil durch den Henkel als Amulete ausweisen."
243:385 Another plate, with the sun's rays terminating in a hand, is in Wilkinson, i. 40.
243:386 E. Wallis Budge, The Nile, p. 13.
245:387 In the Ashmolean Museum are three small Egyptian amulets evidently for suspension. They are open hands of the usual blue pottery, but small, and almost identical in type with many a coral hand to be seen to-day in the Naples shops. No doubt the open hand has been worn as a protection throughout the thirty centuries since these little charms were made.
246:388 See Fig. 115, p. 267, which, though modern, probably represents by Oriental unchangeableness equal antiquity.
246:389 This is fully supported by the account given by the Abate Requeno of the statue set up by Numa Pompilius, in which the pose of the hands was specially ordered.
246:390 Deut. xvi. 18; Dan. ii. 49; i Kings vii. 7.
246:391 Murray's Handbook for Spain, 1855, vol. i. p. 301.
247:392 The arms of Ulster are simply a large hand in this position, filling up the entire "field." Perhaps the most apt and the best-known illustration of the holding up of the hand as a powerful gesture is the account in Exodus xvii. 11: "And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed." Then because he could not hold it up continually it was held up by Aaron and Hur. The Scriptures are full of examples showing the great importance of manual gestures.
249:393 The frequent reference in Scripture to the lifting up of the hands fully confirms the importance of this attitude of prayer: "Lift up your hands in the sanctuary" (Psalm cxxxiv. 2). The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice" (Psalm cxli. 2). "I stretch forth my hands unto thee" (Psalm cxliii. 6). "He lifted up his hands, and blessed them" (St. Luke xxiv, 50). See also Psalm xxviii. 2, lxiii. 4, cxix. 48, and many other passages.
250:393a See Fig. 13. Jahn also explains what these shells typify. Phallic students will readily understand them.
251:394 This hand shows precisely the same gesture as those over the arch at the Alhambra, and upon the drums of Tunis. "The open hand was represented on the coins of some of our Saxon kings in the tenth century; on one it is accompanied by Alpha and Omega" (Twining, Symbols and Emblems of Early Christian Art, p. 6).
252:395 Mimica degli Antichi, Andrea de Jorio, Napoli, 1832, p. 227.
252:396 Fig. 109, No. 17 of Jorio, is from a Greek vase published by Millin--vas. ec. V. I tav. 66, by Inchirami, Galleria Omerica, ec. tav. 76. He says that of this picture Minerva is the protagonista, the central object towards whom the eyes of all the other figures are directed. The scene appears to represent a council of armed heroes, amongst whom Minerva brandishes her lance. A careful study of the gestures leads to the conclusion that there is a difference of opinion between those on her right and those on her left, for reasons which he points out.
Minerva turns her face to the right, while she raises her left arm with the hand open; she seems to be in the act of stepping forward to the left, and is pointing her left hand while brandishing her lance in the same direction. The old man sitting on her right is holding his right hand spread out and reversed, as if to signify "Go gently," or "Don't excite yourself." The woman standing raises her left hand with palm extended as if saying to the goddess, "Listen! Keep quiet!" These two figures then being in tranquil attitudes seem to say, "Wait; go carefully; the business is doubtful." The sitting warrior has his left band open, palm upward, a little raised--a position when the hand is flat denoting a question asked, while the raising it upward denotes much disapproval of the words of his opponents. The standing figure behind him has his right hand raised so as to show vivacity in his whole body, and indicates his entire and active disapproval of the counsel of the others. The whole picture represents Minerva proposing some great operation, which those on her right discountenance, and advise prudent waiting, while those on the left support and urge it with heat and animosity.
The whole picture is one of manual gesture telling a plain story.
Fig. 110, No. 18 of Jorio, is from a vase in the collection of Sir John Coghill, and is fully described by Millingen. Jorio says the principal figure is Bacchus, closely watching the conversation of the other persons, who are at the same time making gestures as ancient as they are modern, relating to a special quarrel between the two women. The one on the left, fixing her eyes on her companion, and thrusting out her right forefinger to accentuate her look, says with emphasis, 'Thou!' That this 'thou' is intended as a reproach may be argued from her look; but more certainly from the attitudes of herself as well as of her companion. Indeed she also stares back at her, lifts up both her arms in angry surprise and denial at the same time. Further, with the like significance, she throws back the upper part of her body, so as to enable her to steady herself on her feet. The other person, perceiving the anger of her opponent, raises her left hand and with thumb and forefinger makes the sign of love or friendship (see 5, Fig. 119). Jorio points out how cleverly the artist has told the story, and how plain all these things are to a Neapolitan: how that jealousy is shown in the left-hand woman, while the satyr goes on playing his pipes in apparent unconcern, while Bacchus also is taking the liveliest interest, etc.
255:397 John Prætorius, De Pollice, Lipsiæ, 1677, p. 42. He refers to the Italian phrase "far le fiche."
255:398 "The fig and the phallus were carried in processions in honour of Bacchus. Hence in Italy arose the term far la fica."--Payne Knight, Symb. Lang. p. 30.
255:399 "To fig" (a person) is, "Einen durch Trotz oder Verachtung andeutende Verwegungen mit den Fingern beleidigen" (Hilpert).
255:400 This is described by Ovid (Fast, v. 433): "Signaque dat digitis medio cum pollice junctis."
"Favebant ii, qui manum in obscænum modum formabant."--De Pollice, 43.
256:401 Atkinson, Forty Years in a Moorland Parish, quoted in Athenæum, May 23, 1891, p. 662.
256:402 Walter Besant, Dorothy Forster, 1885, p. 7. Scene laid in Northumberland.
256:403 Mimica degli Antichi, p. 155.
"Al fine delle sue parole il ladro
Le mani alzò con ambeduo le fiche,
Gridando: Togli, Dio, chè a te le squadro."
Inferno, Canto xxv. 1-4.
"E fe le fiche a Dio 'l superbo vermo."
Il Quadrir, ii. 19.
"E fe le fiche a Dio il mostro rio,
Stringendo i denti ed alzando le braccia."
Ib. iii. 10.
"Poi facea con le man le fiche al cielo
Dicendo: Togli, Iddio; che puoi più farmi?
L'Italia Liberata, Canto xii.
The latter authors are quoted by Cary.
"Se poi viene un susurrone
E lodando vi scompone,
Presto il pollice volgete
Sotto l'indice, 'l tenete
A lui ritto ritto in faccia
Sin che parti, ovver si taccia."
Marugi, Capricci sulla Jettatura, p. 134.
The author says in a note: "This is the most efficacious of all the expedients up to this time practised. Make trial of it, and you will be grateful to me."
258:408 Mimica degli Antichi, Napoli, 1837, p. 89.
260:409 Mimica degli Antichi, Napoli, 1837, p. 92.
261:410 Mimica, p. 100.
262:411 "It shall hang like a meteor o'er the cuckold's horns" (Merry Wives of Windsor, Act ii. Sc. 2). "An old cuckold with horns on his head" (Much Ado about Nothing, Act ii. Sc. 1). Marston in his Malcontent, Act iv. Scene 5, calls Agamemnon, Prince Arthur, and Hercules, cornutes. So also Ben Jonson in Every Man in his Humour, Act iii. Scenes 3 and 6, also in Act v. Scene 5, alludes to both horns and cuckolds.
262:412 Spectator, No. 446.
263:412a See Mano Pantea, post, p. 318.
264:413 Mimica degli Antichi, p. 109.
264:414 Mimica, p. 120. It has already been remarked that every species of charm of whatever kind soever against the evil eye is called in the vernacular un corno; hence the above. Later on we shall see that he is mistaken, or at least some have been invented since his day.
265:415 The illustrations from the Ravenna mosaics are all from photographs in the writer's possession, obtained on the spot.
268:416 This angel is not shown in Fig. 107, but in the great mosaic it appears next the angel with the open hand.
269:417 The importance attached to manual gesture in the rites of the Roman Church is proved by the minute directions as to the position in which the celebrant is ordered to make the sign of the cross at Mass. He is to turn the little finger of the right hand towards the object which he is to bless, keeping the right hand straight with the fingers extended and joined together with the thumb (from Pontificale Romanum, Venetiis, 1836).
270:418 The hand in this position is, however, made and sold as an amulet. One of these is on Fig. 83 as a horse amulet, and a small one in coral is on Fig. 112, among the charms for personal wear.
272:419 Mimica, pp. 46, 126.
272:420 This gesture is called the Phallic hand (Forlong, Rivers of Life, p. 461).
272:421 This is seen again in the Indian goddess, Fig. 115, who is grasping two large rings while making the mano cornuta with both hands.