Miti, leggende e superstizioni del Medio Evo
- by Arturo Graf
One of the most interesting books I have ever read is called Miti, leggende e superstizioni del Medio Evo. Since it is written in Italian and since no English translation was published, I will share a little of what this magnificent book has to say.
Written in the late 19th century by Arturo Graf, it explores the myths, legends and superstitions of the Middle Ages, centering on the idea of the earthly paradise. But instead of focusing on the original biblical account of Eden, Graf traces the vision of a lost state of happiness and innocence in the medieval imagination across cultures.
The book begins with the story of Adam and Eve in a wondrous garden in the Book of Genesis. This garden is believed to be in the eastern part of a region called Eden. But where is Eden? Graf recounts how the location varies: Eden is in the east, in Mesopotamia, in India or beyond, separated from us by the ocean, in the opposite hemisphere, on an island, and maybe not on earth at all. It is real – but hidden somewhere.
He then explores the question, what is Eden like? Since Scripture offers so little detail, the imagination steps in to fill in the story. Graf tells of legends that describe a place of perfect order, beauty, and innocence, but one that is also filled with giants, luminous bodies, strange beings and exaggerated lifespans. Adam becomes more than human, and these exaggerated images become a reflection of what humanity is missing.
But it is perhaps the final question that is most intriguing: who can reach this earthly paradise?
Some travelers approach Eden as saints, with fasting, prayer, longing, and purity; others as adventurers or conquerors. Others almost stumble upon it by wandering too far.
And yet, it is almost always near, glimpsed, bordered, guarded or visited only partially. Again and again travellers come close, only to reach a wall, a gate, a fiery barrier, a mountain, a river, a mist, a dragon. Or they enter briefly and cannot remain. Or they see only from the threshold.
So who, then, can enter?
Dante arrives, and he is not turned away. Why? Because for Dante, earthly paradise is not an external place to be found. It is not lost across the ocean, nor a hidden island found by chance or wandering. Instead, it is reached through a moral and spiritual journey – through purification and transformation. Eden is not just a marvellous place to be imagined or found; it is a condition or state to be recovered.
Graf’s last lines are so moving and sad that it feels like the end of a civilization’s dream. For centuries humanity dreams of this place, this lost paradise. But by the time we reach Astolfo, and then Faust, something has changed. Astolfo is called the last visitor to the earthly paradise. After him comes Faust: still curious, still restless, but when he sees the flaming sword of the cherub, he does not stop, but passes by.
The golden and jewelled gate, once dreamed of by so many and crossed by so few, is now, to the modern world, closed forever.
Has the modern world ceased to search for Eden, as Graf suggests, or do we still seek it in ways he might no longer recognize?
Comments (3)
It’s interesting how Graf say that in the Middle Ages, Eden could be found in a specific place, but it was inaccessible. I think that in the modern world, perhaps Eden is not localized but is everywhere. And it is no longer inaccessible – it simply appears in forms we do not expect: in nature, in the miracle of life, in friendships.
So maybe what needs to be recovered is not a place, but a way of seeing – a kind of re-enchantment or openness to the wonder and meaning in what might otherwise seem ordinary.
Continuiamo a cercare una vita senza mancanze; una condizione in cui tutto “torna”, in cui si è finalmente in pace. Solo che non la chiamiamo più Eden. In questo senso, il desiderio resta identico – cambia solo il linguaggio.
Forse questa domanda può essere letta anche alla luce dello snobismo cronologico. Se una cultura è convinta che il passato fosse ingenuo, “meno evoluto”, e che il presente sia più lucido, più realistico, allora idee come Eden, paradiso perduto, innocenza originaria vengono percepite come favole superate. Non vengono più prese sul serio, e quindi smettono di essere cercate esplicitamente. In questo senso, sì, lo snobismo cronologico può far sembrare che la ricerca dell’Eden sia finita. Ma non elimina il desiderio di una vita piena, né il senso che qualcosa manca. Si crea così una sorta di scissione: da un lato, “non credo a queste cose”; dall’altro, “eppure continuo a desiderarle”. È qui che nasce una sensazione molto moderna: inquietudine e difficoltà a riconoscere ciò che si cerca.