Palici

The Palici are sacred twins, indigenous Sicilian deities, venerated before the arrival of Phoenicians or Greeks in Sicily. The Palici were born from the waters of a sulfurous lake or from fissures beside it. They are mentioned in the writings of Ovid and Virgil. Vestiges of their temple beside Lake Naftia were visible as late as the sixteenth century. Their parentage is subject to debate:

• Their mother may be Aetna or Thalia, not the Muse but a Mount Aetna Nymph.

• They may be sons of Adrano, Zeus, or Hephaestus. (To complicate matters, the Thalia from Mount Aetna may be Hephaestus’ daughter.)

• The Palici may have no parents—they may have simply sprung from Earth or water.

The Palici are spirits of justice, rebellion and revolution:

• From 460–440 BCE, Sicilians rebelled against Greek invaders. Their capital city was named Palike to honor the Palici.

• In 104 BCE, Salvio, leader of the second War of the Slaves against the Romans, invoked the Palici, considered patrons of slaves.

Vows and oaths were taken before the Palici because no one would dare lie. They administer justice swiftly, punishing liars with blindness. (The modern Sicilian custom of swearing by one’s eyes is a vestigial memory of the Palici.) Their primary shrine was at Lake Naftia near the modern towns Mineo and Palagonia. (Palagonia derives from Palici.) Lake Naftia, called the Cradle of the Palici, was considered their birthplace.

Oaths and verdicts were rendered at their shrines, which were judicial as well as spiritual centers. Decisions rendered by the Palici were final and binding, definitively so. People were immersed in their springs, and:

• If they emerged, the Palici had deemed them innocent.

• Those who died had been punished by the Palici.

Don’t envision these springs as serene, still waters. The Palici’s waters roil, boil, and can be extremely deep. Levels of sulfuric fumes vary, sometimes reaching dangerously toxic levels. (Birds or small animals tossed in did not survive the poison fumes.) Verdicts could also be rendered via divining tablets that were tossed into the lake’s gurgling craters. Guilt or innocence was interpreted based on whether the tablets resurfaced and the manner in which they did.

ALSO KNOWN AS:

The Palaci; Palikoi

ORIGIN:

Sicily

FAVOURED PEOPLE:

Slaves (their shrine was a sanctuary for mistreated slaves who could not be forced to leave), the oppressed, the unjustly accused, fighters for justice

SACRED SITE:

The Palici are associated with geysers, sulfurous lakes, and springs. Their sacred lake is now harnessed for industrial use to produce carbonated beverages.

SEE ALSO:

• Adrano
• Aetna
• Hephaestus
• Mephitis
• Muse
• Zeus

SOURCE:

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses – Written by Judika Illes Copyright © 2009 by Judika Illes.