A KOREAN LEGEND ABOUT FORBIDDEN LOVE

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

Gyeongju is the old capital of Korea. This city, a World Heritage Site, thrived under Silla dynasty. It is renowned for the Royal Tombs and the remains of old palaces and temples.

We walked in the woods and came across a legendary pond. A friend of us told us a legend connected to it.

She said, “One day, Silla’s King Soji went out of his palace and met a rat that told him to follow a crow. King Soji followed the bird and was led to this pond. Once here, he met an old man that gave him a letter urging him to get back to the royal palace and shoot a case of geomungo (a traditional Korean musical instrument) with an arrow. The king did so and found that a Buddhist monk and a woman of high rank were hiding inside the case. They both had been shot to death. Obviously, they were making love illegally.”

At the time, the illicit lovers were not numerous. If King Soji lived now, he wouldn’t have enough arrows to hit them all!

Ettore Grillo, author of these books:

– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily (English version)

– A Hidden Sicilian History (English version)

– The Vibrations of Words (English version)

– Travels of the Mind (English version)

– Una Storia Siciliana Nascosta (versione in lingua italiana)

– Viaggi della Mente (versione in lingua italiana)

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

AUTUMN COLORS IN KOREA

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

For those who love nature and beautiful landscapes, autumn is the best season to visit Korea.

What I enjoy most is climbing Palgong Mountain up to Gatbawi Buddha. On the peak, a Buddha statue stands peacefully. This Buddha wears a traditional Korean hat called ‘Gat’ in Korean, and is well-known for answering believers’ prayers. It is said that a monk made the statue to appease his mother’s soul.

Another place I usually visit in autumn is Haeinsa. There is a seven kilometers trail leading to the temple from the bus stop. In some stretches, the path runs along a stream. As we were walking along it, I took some pictures. However, the photos can not fully describe the romantic atmosphere of the place, the vivid multicolored falling leaves, and the murmur of the water that flows from the mountain and forms little ponds here and there.

Finally, we arrived at Haeinsa after walking for three hours. This temple is a World Heritage Site, for it keeps Printing Woodblocks of the Tripitaka Koreana. Buddha’s sutras were engraved on wood blocks to protect the country from the invasion of Mongolia. And then, they were printed and spread.

While walking to the temple, we enjoyed the beautiful autumn landscape, especially the autumn yellow and red leaves in the trees. There were a lot of fallen leaves on the ground. They are metaphor for human life. Leaves sprout, become green, then they change color, wither, and fall off the branches. Human life is like that. The cycle of life!

Ettore Grillo, author of these books:

– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily (English version)

– A Hidden Sicilian History (English version)

– The Vibrations of Words (English version)

– Travels of the Mind (English version)

– Una Storia Siciliana Nascosta (versione in lingua italiana)

– Viaggi della Mente (versione in lingua italiana)

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

THE ROCK OF CERES IN ENNA (SICILY)

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

Ceres is the Latin name for Demeter, the well-known goddess of agriculture in Greek Mythology. Since the Romans had no gods of their own, they adopted the Greek gods.

The Romans revered Ceres so much that, in times of famine, even the Senate of Rome used to send a delegation to Enna, where it was believed to be the home of Ceres, to appease the goddess.

The Rock of Ceres is near the Castle of Lombardy. According to a friend of mine, who is an archeologist, the ancient temple of Ceres, the main in Sicily, was just on the Rock of Ceres and collapsed because it was too close to the edge of the rock.

Whether my archaeologist friend’s thesis is true or not, one thing is certain: The place is full of charm and mystery. From up there you can see almost all of Sicily: Mount Etna with its plumes of smoke, the Madonie mountain range, the beautiful town of Calascibetta, and much more.

When a church or a temple has occupied an area, it leaves an atmosphere rich in sacredness in that place, which lasts for centuries and millennia. Standing on the top of the Rock of Ceres, you can feel this arcane energy of peace and mystery even now. The subtle scent of the Divinity never fades!

Ettore Grillo author of these books:

– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily

– A Hidden Sicilian History

– The Vibrations of Words

– Travels of the Mind

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

A DEVOTIONAL SICILIAN CAKE: I CUDDUREDDI

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

Visiting Enna without seeing the Sanctuary of Papardura is like visiting Palermo without seeing Monreale. It is a unique place. No tour guide can skip it.

On September 13 and 14, there is a special festival. Both gates to the sanctuary are open and the faithful make special devotional cakes called cuddureddi. They are made of water and flower and have a special shape, for they look like intertwined rings. They are also hard to eat.

The cuddureddi date back to Demeter’s time. Once people decorated them with poppy seeds. These days they are plain, for the poppy was too reminiscent of the pagan goddess Demeter to whom it was sacred.

Inside the church, above the altar, is the holy image of Jesus on the Calvary, imprinted on the rock. Both the altar and the church are a continuation of the cave where long ago the holy image was found.

According to a historian from Enna, called Father Giovanni, in the year 1659 Jesus appeared to a Franciscan nun and asked her to clean a cave in Papardura because there was his image on the rock. The cave was cleaned and actually, the image of Jesus appeared.

Apart from its sacredness, the place deserves to be visited for its beauty and for the landscape in which it is inserted.

Ettore Grillo author of these books:

– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily

– A Hidden Sicilian History

– The Vibrations of Words

– Travels of the Mind

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

EUNUS, THE REBELLIOUS SLAVE

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

One of the interesting things to visit in Sicily is the bronze statue of the slave Eunus. It is located in Enna, in the center of Sicily, at the foot of the Lombardy Castle.

Eunus was a Syriac slave who lived in Enna under masters. His dream was to be a free man. To pursue his dream of freedom, he rebelled against both his masters and Roman laws, giving rise to a slave war.

In 1960, the city of Enna placed a commemorative marble plaque near the statue of the slave. In summary, the plaque reads: Two thousand years before Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery, the humble slave Eunus uttered a cry of freedom in this fortress, claiming the right of every man to be born free and to die free.

Ettore Grillo author of these books:

– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily

– A Hidden Sicilian History

– The Vibrations of Words

– Travels of the Mind

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

THE MAIN TEMPLE OF DEMETER IN SICILY

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

According to some, the main temple of Demeter in Sicily stood where the cathedral of Enna now stands. The construction of the Catholic temple was commissioned by Queen Eleonora d’Angiò at the beginning of the fourteenth century. She was a fervent Catholic and wanted to eradicate the cult of Demeter which was still alive in the hearts of the people of Enna.

In 1942, the king of Italy declared the cathedral of Enna a national monument and in 2008, UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site.

Since the building of the cathedral, the procession in honor of Demeter has been replaced by the one in honor of Our Lady, but basically nothing has changed. The devotion of the people of Enna towards Demeter is still unaltered; just the name of the deity has changed.

Today, the municipal band performed some musical pieces in front of the cathedral. However, the joy of the past years was missing. For the second consecutive year, the mother goddess Demeter could not be celebrated.

Ettore Grillo author of these books:

– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily

– A Hidden Sicilian History

– The Vibrations of Words

– Travels of the Mind

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

TRAVELS TO DEFEAT ANXIETY AND PANIC ATTACKS

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

Travels of the Mind is set in the lounge of a club of noblemen, in a small Sicilian city. It is the first book I have written. This is the second edition.

A few members of the club of the noblemen, sitting in the lounge, tell each other their travel stories. They also discuss topics related to their travels, like love, understanding the mind, afterlife, and so on.

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Besides being a travel guide, it is also a self-help book. The main character in the novel got over his anxiety and panic attacks thanks to the help of people he met during his travels. One of these is a mystic woman, named Natuzza Evolo, who lived in Calabria, a region near Sicily.

The book tells real travels to Tanzania, Tokyo, London, New York, etcetera. Overall, it is enjoyable and easy to read.

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

RUNNING AROUND LAKE PERGUSA (SICILY)

Posted on by Ettore Grillo
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Lake Pergusa is the only natural lake in Sicily. It has neither tributary nor distributary. Perhaps its water comes from an underground spring or from the rivulets that run through the surrounding hills when it rains.

This lake is mythic, for Kore was abducted by Hades in this place.

These days, the myth has given way to a modern car race circuit which rings the lake. Since motor racing is less frequent, the racetrack has become a paradise for runners and cyclists. The air in the area is unpolluted, for the lake is surrounded by trees.

Today, early in the morning I went there. I covered the five kilometers of the circuit by running slightly. Every now and then, I stopped on the shore of the lake, near the reeds, and did some physical exercises.

Holistic disciplines claim that body and mind are connected. I agree. By taking care of your body, you also take care of your spirit.

Ettore Grillo author of these books:

– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily

– A Hidden Sicilian History

– The Vibrations of Words

– Travels of the Mind

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

CEMETERIES IN SICILY

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

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Enna’s cemetery is large enough to look like a town.  It has broad avenues and tall tombs. Many tombs are similar to small houses. They have a room inside with walled niches and an altar where once was celebrated Mass on November 2.

I dare say that the cemeteries in Sicily are unique. I have visited some burying places while traveling around the world, but they were completely different than the Sicilian cemeteries, for every population on earth has its own way of treating the dead, depending on its culture and traditions.

In Italy, before the Napoleonic edict, the dead were buried in the churches. Later, this custom fell into disuse.

My maternal grandmother, Paolina, used to keep in her family tomb a few chairs for herself and her family, relatives and friends that came to visit the tomb or had the chance to pass by it.

This is an excerpt from November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily

Ettore Grillo author of these books:

– November 2 The Day of the Dead in Sicily
– A Hidden Sicilian History
– The Vibrations of Words
-Travels of the Mind
http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

THE DAY OF THE DEAD CELEBRATION IN SICILY

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

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PRESS RELEASE
Now Available for Kindle, iPad, and other e-Readers

Novel Captures The Day of the Dead Celebration in Sicily

November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily is a thought-provoking story that captivates from beginning to end. The Day of the Dead is an important festival in many cultures, originating 3,000 years ago in Mexico with the Aztecs. Visiting Spaniards in the 1500s adopted the celebration, taking it home to Europe.

It is a day when children receive gifts from those who have died, and they eat special bone-shaped cakes. Cemeteries are packed with visitors placing flowers at gravesites and lighting candles in their tombs, which can look like small houses.

On such a day on the isle of Sicily, Mario Chiaramonte goes to the cemetery to visit the graves of his friends and relatives. As he strolls through the graveyard, he sees some special tombs, including those of a poet, a nobleman, and a Mafia boss. Mario also discovers some truths about living, its goodness and evil, and ultimately comes to see his own life in a different perspective.

Expect romance, adventure, life, death, and a rollicking good read, including this cultural note:

“In some tribes that I visited in Tanzania, the dead were buried in front of the house where they had lived, but before being placed into an underground niche on the side of the pit that had been dug, the dead person was put on a chair in front of his house for a few hours. This way, the relatives and friends could offer condolences to the family.” Such is life … and death.

About the Author: Ettore Grillo was born in 1946 in Enna, Sicily, where he was an attorney for 37 years. This is his fourth work. His previous books are Travels of the Mind, The Vibrations of Words, and A Hidden Sicilian History.

“The cultural heritage behind the fascinating celebration The Day of the Dead is explored in this finely honed novel. We are pleased to be the publisher.” – Lynn Eddy, VP of acquisitions, Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Agency

Ettore Grillo author of these books:

– November 2 The Day of the Dead in Sicily
– A Hidden Sicilian History
– The Vibrations of Words
-Travels of the Mind
http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo