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| Michael Martin's Mythologies of the Wild God, resting on the tanned hide of a deer hunted by my father |
For this is the season of the hunt
And when the moon is quite full
All the forest is washed white with her milk
And the crisp air kisses the skin
Delicate as a faerie’s wing.
~ Michael Martin, “The Huntsman,” Mythologies of the Wild God
Knowing my devotion to Sant’Uberto di Liège and Sant’Eustachio, the patron saints of hunters, a friend had generously promised to take me to the magnificent Casina Vanvitelliana on November 3rd, the feast of Sant’Uberto. Built in 1782 by Carlo Vanvitelli at the behest of King Ferdinando IV di Borbone, this exquisite Rococo hunting lodge stands on a tiny islet in Lake Fusaro, near Bacoli, connected to the shore by a wooden bridge.
The visit was intended as a pilgrimage of sorts, an opportunity to honor the memory of my forefathers, who were avid hunters, and reflect upon a tradition that has long held both spiritual and ancestral significance for me. Alas, with my trip to Napoli canceled, this excursion, too, has been postponed.
Though I couldn't make the journey, I still devoted time to prayer and meditation, accompanied by Michael Martin’s Mythologies of the Wild God (Angelico Press, 2024), a collection of poetry I had originally packed for the trip. While the pilgrimage must wait, prayer, remembrance, and the obligations we owe our ancestors need not. Evviva Sant’Uberto!
~ By Giovanni di Napoli, November 3rd, Feast of Sant'Uberto di Liège
