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The Dream-Hunters of Corsica
An insight into the prehistoric occult practices still surviving in Corsica. The dream hunters, or mazzeri, are unknown outside Corsica, and probably date from prehistoric times. At night they go hunting - or dream they do so - and kill an animal, in whom they recognize a human face. The next day they announce the death, which always takes place within a year. Where the mazzeri are harbingers of death, the signadori are guardians of life - they practise folk medicine, but more importantly they secure release from the curse of the "Evil Eye". Unlike the mazzeri, who are mere servants of their dark visions, the signadori deliberately cast spells, which are infused with light and hope. Dorothy Carrington investigates these extraordinary phenomena, relics of past times peculiar to this wild, inhospitable land. She draws parallels with the shamanistic practices of the far north and Africa, and with what is known of prehistoric religion, and analyzes the odd and uneasy relationship between this pre-Christian religion and the Christianity imposed on Corsica through the centuries. In Corsica, the occult has retained its everyday place as an explanation of the mysteries of life and death.
224 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1995
About the author
Dorothy Carrington
11 books9 followersFrederica Dorothy Violet Carrington (6 June 1910 – 26 January 2002) was an expatriate British writer domiciled for over half her life in Corsica. She was one of the twentieth century's leading scholars on the island's culture and history about which she wrote numerous books and articles.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 27, 2020
Fans of the benandanti take note! If you liked Carlo Ginzburg's work on the weird Friulian peasants who go fight witches in hell in dream-states, armed with sticks of fennel with God gettin' their back, then you will love this. It's very similar, with some crucial differences and transplanted onto the island of Corsica.
First off, Carrington's discussion of the titular dream hunters, the mazzeri is made all the more lively and vivacious even than Ginzburg's work because 1) she actually met these people and 2) she's very familiar with Corsica, its history and culture. A good chunk of the work sets you up nicely for this seemingly foreboding island's people, with lots of nice and relevant (and firsthand) accounts of local geography, events, and, most importantly, people. For this is a living tradition that over the 20th century became rarer and rarer. Carrington got her boots dirty and hunted down mazzeri where she could find, and these interviews are creepy, harrowing, and beautiful. Counter to their Friulian counterparts, the Corsican mazzeri are literal feral pack hunters in a weird shamany dreamscape, but which often has repercussions good and bad in the actual world, i.e. people dying or not dying depending on how the vision plays out.
All around a fascinating look at yet another obscure European, pre-Christian (?) tradition.
First off, Carrington's discussion of the titular dream hunters, the mazzeri is made all the more lively and vivacious even than Ginzburg's work because 1) she actually met these people and 2) she's very familiar with Corsica, its history and culture. A good chunk of the work sets you up nicely for this seemingly foreboding island's people, with lots of nice and relevant (and firsthand) accounts of local geography, events, and, most importantly, people. For this is a living tradition that over the 20th century became rarer and rarer. Carrington got her boots dirty and hunted down mazzeri where she could find, and these interviews are creepy, harrowing, and beautiful. Counter to their Friulian counterparts, the Corsican mazzeri are literal feral pack hunters in a weird shamany dreamscape, but which often has repercussions good and bad in the actual world, i.e. people dying or not dying depending on how the vision plays out.
All around a fascinating look at yet another obscure European, pre-Christian (?) tradition.
August 17, 2016
I do wish Dorothy Carrington were still alive so that I could talk to her about Corsica. She arrived there in 1948 and was immediately captivated. She travelled around the island talking to the Corsicans and discovering its fascinating history and culture. Eventually, she made Corsica her home and became an expert on its culture and traditions, publishing many books and articles.
I found Carrington's magisterial 'Granite Island: Portrait of Corsica' invaluable when I was researching my first Corsica novel. It introduced me to unknown aspects of Corsica and saved me from many an historical howler.
'The Dream Hunters of Corsica' looks in more detail at certain aspects of Corsican superstitious and spiritual culture and is going to be equally invaluable for my second Corsica novel. In particular, it examines the mazzere, the 'dream hunters', real people whose spirits roamed at night and killed animals in whose faces they saw those of other people who would soon die. This tradition reaches back into the mists of time, long before Christianity came to Corsica's shores. Carrington unravels its origins and even met two mazzere in the course of her researches. Carrington also considers other manifestations of specifically Corsican beliefs, including the signadore, healers who specialised in casting out the Evil Eye.
This is fascinating stuff. The writing is a little disjointed at times and not as fluent as in Granite Island. But Carrington got under the skin of Corsica and really knew how to elucidate complex or difficult to grasp concepts. Her excellent bibliography will facilitate my own researches.
I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand more about why Corsica is such a place apart.
I found Carrington's magisterial 'Granite Island: Portrait of Corsica' invaluable when I was researching my first Corsica novel. It introduced me to unknown aspects of Corsica and saved me from many an historical howler.
'The Dream Hunters of Corsica' looks in more detail at certain aspects of Corsican superstitious and spiritual culture and is going to be equally invaluable for my second Corsica novel. In particular, it examines the mazzere, the 'dream hunters', real people whose spirits roamed at night and killed animals in whose faces they saw those of other people who would soon die. This tradition reaches back into the mists of time, long before Christianity came to Corsica's shores. Carrington unravels its origins and even met two mazzere in the course of her researches. Carrington also considers other manifestations of specifically Corsican beliefs, including the signadore, healers who specialised in casting out the Evil Eye.
This is fascinating stuff. The writing is a little disjointed at times and not as fluent as in Granite Island. But Carrington got under the skin of Corsica and really knew how to elucidate complex or difficult to grasp concepts. Her excellent bibliography will facilitate my own researches.
I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand more about why Corsica is such a place apart.
May 24, 2024
Lengva ranka parašyta ir pakankamai informatyvi knyga apie Korsikos papročius ir prietarus. Pagrindinė tema - vadinamieji mazzeri. Tai žmonės, kurie sapnuoja, kad medžioja, ir sumedžiotą gyvūną susieja su kuriuo nors pažįstamu. Atsibudę praneša tam pažįstamam, kad ji ar jis netrukus mirs. Taip ir įvyksta, bent jau taip sako Korsikos tradicija. Autorė šį fenomeną, žinoma, sieja su ikikrikščioniškomis religijomis, svarsto jo nevienareikšmišką santykį su krikščionybe, lygina su šamanų praktikomis ir kitaip bando suprasti. Pakeliui daug papasakoja ir apie kitus korsikiečių vidinio ir išorinio pasaulio aspektus. Įdomi ir naudinga knyga tiems, kas domisi šiomis gana egzotiškomis temomis. Didelis privalumas, kad parašyta plačiai suprantama anglų kalba, o ne korsikietiškai.
December 22, 2009
This book starts out fairly slow with at least a chapter devoted to the history of the people of Corsica and the sociology of how the people think and some of their customs. This is not why I chose the book but it was of medium interest. I could see later why the author felt she needed to 'flesh out' the people before she wrote about the Mazzeri and the Signadori, giving some cultural insight into why the two still exist even with almost 2 millenia of Christianity on the Isle. The book was written about the 1960's time frame, but I googled and found renewed interest in the subject with the jump in western interest in the occult, so I don't think that the subjects have faded into history.
The Corsica of when she writes is heavily interested in death. Modern ways and medicines hadn't yet flooded the Isle and death was still a familiar topic. The Mazzeri are people who initially or maybe always, chosen against their will to go out and night hunt and after they've made their kills, they check the animal and find who's face it is and that person will die within the year and the signadori are healers, mostly of the evil eye.
The author is a travel writer and only mentions shamanism at the end, and obviously has no idea what it is, which is sort of refreshing, though she jumps to incredible conclusions to talk about a neolithic 'mother goddess' religion, probably influenced by Marijas Gimbutas, unfortunately, as I see absolutely NO indication of such, especially as the only existing megaliths are primarily MALE. But I guess she had to guess at something... she's not a scientist.
BUT due to her writing of the culture and the ideology of the people, I think she's wrong when she says it has nothing to do with shamanism. Because she endeavored to write about the cultural attitudes of the Mazzeri and the signadori, actually MET them and talked to them, they sound at least descended from some type of earlier shamanistic behavior, maybe with different 'jobs' given to different peoples, splitting the labor sort of. For example, she says the mazzeri are sexually/culturally outside of the Corsican norm and egalitarian, which is a definite shamanistic trait as Tungus shaman are often cross dressers etc and often don't marry. With other things, you can see the dregs still existing, but a reader may not know this if they hadn't read a ton about shamanism like I have.
Any way, the book is different, with a very strong travel perspective, it's an interesting way to look at a not yet quite westernized culture in the middle of a western world. Though I don't think it's the most exciting book ever written, I'm glad she wrote it and that I read it, I think it is important.
The Corsica of when she writes is heavily interested in death. Modern ways and medicines hadn't yet flooded the Isle and death was still a familiar topic. The Mazzeri are people who initially or maybe always, chosen against their will to go out and night hunt and after they've made their kills, they check the animal and find who's face it is and that person will die within the year and the signadori are healers, mostly of the evil eye.
The author is a travel writer and only mentions shamanism at the end, and obviously has no idea what it is, which is sort of refreshing, though she jumps to incredible conclusions to talk about a neolithic 'mother goddess' religion, probably influenced by Marijas Gimbutas, unfortunately, as I see absolutely NO indication of such, especially as the only existing megaliths are primarily MALE. But I guess she had to guess at something... she's not a scientist.
BUT due to her writing of the culture and the ideology of the people, I think she's wrong when she says it has nothing to do with shamanism. Because she endeavored to write about the cultural attitudes of the Mazzeri and the signadori, actually MET them and talked to them, they sound at least descended from some type of earlier shamanistic behavior, maybe with different 'jobs' given to different peoples, splitting the labor sort of. For example, she says the mazzeri are sexually/culturally outside of the Corsican norm and egalitarian, which is a definite shamanistic trait as Tungus shaman are often cross dressers etc and often don't marry. With other things, you can see the dregs still existing, but a reader may not know this if they hadn't read a ton about shamanism like I have.
Any way, the book is different, with a very strong travel perspective, it's an interesting way to look at a not yet quite westernized culture in the middle of a western world. Though I don't think it's the most exciting book ever written, I'm glad she wrote it and that I read it, I think it is important.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2026
“Have you ever seen a mazzere killing an animal?' I asked. 'How could I?' Jean replied. 'All that takes place in dreams’”
.
Perhaps reading about people who did magical things in their dreams made my own dreams somewhat more intense. I would wake in a daze, with the remnants of my dream being exposed to the waking hours. I wondered if the mazzere felt the same way as they woke from a night of dream hunting.
.
The mazzere, for those like me who knew nothing about them, formed part of a rich tapestry of Corsican folk traditions. People who went on hunts in their dreams in their local environment. The animals they encountered and hunted in their dreams were somehow symbols of real local people. An injured animal might be seen as an impending serious illness; a successful hunt leading to the death of an animal might mean a death in the village or town was imminent. These people, often women, were left to their own devices within the village; while perhaps not admired, they were respected and slightly feared.
.
The only thing I knew about Corsica was that it was the birthplace of Napoleon. I also seem to remember playing a car racing game on the PS1 set in Corsica. Other than that, like an old map where it had blank spaces, my knowledge of Corsica was very minimal. I guess this book isn’t really an overview of the island, but rather of a small facet of folk tradition, even within Corsica itself. I would say the beginning was really interesting. When Carrington gets stuck into the tradition of the mazzere, it does become a bit dry and heavy going. Another slight niggle was how Carrington kept saying “more on this later.” I felt either expand on that point, or leave it and let the reader come to it naturally.
.
Overall, a fascinating read, if not entirely scintillating in parts.
.
Perhaps reading about people who did magical things in their dreams made my own dreams somewhat more intense. I would wake in a daze, with the remnants of my dream being exposed to the waking hours. I wondered if the mazzere felt the same way as they woke from a night of dream hunting.
.
The mazzere, for those like me who knew nothing about them, formed part of a rich tapestry of Corsican folk traditions. People who went on hunts in their dreams in their local environment. The animals they encountered and hunted in their dreams were somehow symbols of real local people. An injured animal might be seen as an impending serious illness; a successful hunt leading to the death of an animal might mean a death in the village or town was imminent. These people, often women, were left to their own devices within the village; while perhaps not admired, they were respected and slightly feared.
.
The only thing I knew about Corsica was that it was the birthplace of Napoleon. I also seem to remember playing a car racing game on the PS1 set in Corsica. Other than that, like an old map where it had blank spaces, my knowledge of Corsica was very minimal. I guess this book isn’t really an overview of the island, but rather of a small facet of folk tradition, even within Corsica itself. I would say the beginning was really interesting. When Carrington gets stuck into the tradition of the mazzere, it does become a bit dry and heavy going. Another slight niggle was how Carrington kept saying “more on this later.” I felt either expand on that point, or leave it and let the reader come to it naturally.
.
Overall, a fascinating read, if not entirely scintillating in parts.
November 30, 2024
An excellent and well argued examination of an extremely intriguing set of occult beliefs and the landscape whereon they unfold. I was drawn here by my love of other such books (particularly Carlo Ginzburg's The Night Battles), and Dream Hunters definitely satisfies that fascination. I think there is likely more of a connection between the benandanti of the Friuli and the mazzeri than Carrington allows, but on most other points I am in accord with her assessment. Unfortunately portions of the book are coloured by an obvious disdain for men, but being written by a woman otherwise most well recognized as being the ex husband of a nobleman, it's not entirely hard to see why she may feel that way.
February 27, 2024
Fascinating glimpse into a culture with living roots in ancient spiritual traditions. I have no way of knowing how accurate or objective Ms. Carrington's narrative is, but she actually lived on the island of Corsica, whereas I have never been there. I suspect one would have to spend a long time integrating into the culture (as she did) to gain the knowledge and insights expressed in this book.
P.S. I read the book many years ago and was recently reminded of it by a friend who traveled to Corsica last year.
P.S. I read the book many years ago and was recently reminded of it by a friend who traveled to Corsica last year.
May 9, 2020
Lots of interesting Corsican history but each time she touched on the dream hunters it became vague. Not sure the subject warranted expansion from the chapter in her earlier work, Granite Island. All very worthy but a bit dry and text book at times.
September 19, 2024
Too much narrative from the author. The Corsican mythological system offers a unique vantage point into a common primitive belief - an individuals soul can exist within external animals/beings, to see it painted and characterized within an existing culture is incredible, living myth.
July 26, 2008
As modern society progresses parts of Corsica's rich history and traditions are becoming forgotten. British writer Dorothy Carrington recognized this and spent the latter portion of her life putting these things and her experiences down on paper, going so far as to move to Corsica in order to write about it. In The Dream-Hunters of Corsica she focuses primarily on the occult in Corsica which has roots in prehistoric times. The dream-hunters in Corsica are referred to as mazzeri, men and women with the ability to portend illness and death. In their sleep they go "hunting" and kill an animal; as the belief is that each human has an animal partner in the world, the animal of the dream indicates who in the waking life will die within the year.
Carrington branches out to discuss other aspects of Corsican beliefs including some stories of giants, vampires and the signadori, the guardians of the village. Some things Carrington mentions are familiar, such as the Evil Eye, which is important to guard against when complimenting another person as compliments may attract notice of the Eye. My boyfriend's grandmother still makes the gesture to ward off the Eye, to faire les cornes, after making a compliment.
I now have a longer list of several things I want to do in Corsica, such as see the statue-menhirs in Filitosa and visit the "Bridal Veil" near Bocognano. I have a different perspective now of Bonifacio which was said to have been a stronghold of the Laestrygonian giants (see photo in book) and I now want to go back and see it through these new eyes. The photographs in Carrington's book show not only sites around the country but also rural and common experiences such as shepherds making cheese.
My one complaint with the book is the Carrington referred to several things on a superficial level and then immediately followed that with a statement such as, "More on that later". This led to the text feeling repetitive at times, and it frustrated me whose interest was suddenly piqued only to be let down until a later time. All in all, however, this was a great read and makes me eager to leave for our trip back again now.
Carrington branches out to discuss other aspects of Corsican beliefs including some stories of giants, vampires and the signadori, the guardians of the village. Some things Carrington mentions are familiar, such as the Evil Eye, which is important to guard against when complimenting another person as compliments may attract notice of the Eye. My boyfriend's grandmother still makes the gesture to ward off the Eye, to faire les cornes, after making a compliment.
I now have a longer list of several things I want to do in Corsica, such as see the statue-menhirs in Filitosa and visit the "Bridal Veil" near Bocognano. I have a different perspective now of Bonifacio which was said to have been a stronghold of the Laestrygonian giants (see photo in book) and I now want to go back and see it through these new eyes. The photographs in Carrington's book show not only sites around the country but also rural and common experiences such as shepherds making cheese.
My one complaint with the book is the Carrington referred to several things on a superficial level and then immediately followed that with a statement such as, "More on that later". This led to the text feeling repetitive at times, and it frustrated me whose interest was suddenly piqued only to be let down until a later time. All in all, however, this was a great read and makes me eager to leave for our trip back again now.
December 11, 2013
Wasn't sure what to expect. I thought it might be about ancient Corsican lucid dreaming techniques, given the topic of the mazzerri, but it was more about how the history and folklore of Corsica influenced the collective unconscious of the Corsican people. The author arrived on the island in the late 1940s and interviewed many elderly people, so it's interesting to hear their stories and customs from so long ago. The dream hunters, witches and healers have mostly died out so it's hard to distinguish historical fact from fantasy, but I appreciate Dorothy Carrington's reports about what she heard. The book wasn't what I was expecting, but I enjoyed it regardless.
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