Castlevania: Curse of Darkness is a manga adaptation of the popular video game of the same name. The manga was written and illustrated by Kou Sasakura and was serialized in Shonen Gangan magazine from 2005 to 2006. The story of Castlevania: Curse of Darkness follows Hector, a former Devil Forgemaster who abandoned his dark powers for a peaceful life. However, when his beloved is murdered by his fellow Devil Forgemaster Isaac, Hector sets off on a quest for revenge. Along the way, he is joined by a mysterious woman named Julia, as well as a devil named Trevor. Together, they travel through the dark and treacherous world of Castlevania, encountering various enemies, including the powerful vampire lord, Dracula.
Marina - Mare, Rina
Ovidio, il poeta romano, credeva che la zona fosse sede di streghe, creature malvagie che si nutrivano del sangue dei bambini e spesso associate alla stregoneria. Le leggende, e Piperno, dicono che le streghe di Benevento si riunivano per la loro sabba intorno a un vecchio noce, dove Satana le aspettava ogni sabato sera.
Together, they travel through the dark and treacherous world of Castlevania, encountering various enemies, including the powerful vampire lord, Dracula. The manga captures the dark and atmospheric tone of the video game, while also expanding on the storyline and providing more depth to the characters. The artwork is detailed and visually stunning, bringing the gothic setting of Castlevania to life.
Italian American Strega Lori Bruno
When Italians immigrated to this country a century ago they brought with them cultural traditions that have gone on to enrich the American way of life. Perhaps most pervasive and beloved is Italian cooking. A far less familiar tradition is Italian witchcraft, known as stregheria. In Sicily, being a strega (female) or stregone (male) is hereditary; one is born into a family of witches and taught the art from birth.
On an afternoon in early December, I drive up to meet Lori Bruno, an Italian-American strega whose family claims descent from the Sicilan strega line of witchcraft. She is also the go-to person in the local real estate market when houses are slow to sell. The Wall Street Journal did a feature article on her during the recent recession, describing how she blesses a house to banish evil spirits. Lori Bruno’s main source of income, however, is from doing psychic readings at Magika, a store she opened a year ago on Wharf Street, in Salem, Massachusetts.
The front of Magika is replete with gift items, statuary, and altars. In the back are two curtained-off spaces for consultation. Lori leads me to an area that she has intentionally set up to feel like a living room. Indeed, it reminds me of my own grandmother’s living room. There are far too many objects to count — keepsakes, paintings, candles, sculptures, altars, two comfortable chairs and a small round table, several large crystal balls and evil eyes, and framed photos of saints, martyrs, and ancestors.
I ask how far back in Lori’s family the strega tradition goes and she tells me that her family ‘s history of witchcraft, magic, and healing date back to at least the 10th century, as do stories of stigmatization and persecution. On her father’s side, the Brunos trace their family back to 969 A.D,. to Jawhar Siqilli Rumi , who ruled the island of Sicily under the Caliph of Bagdad. Her mother’s side claims descent from the philosopher Giordano Bruno , of Nola, Italy, who was burned at the stake as a heretic by the order of the Pope.
Family stories abound of ancestors who stood up for human rights, even in the face of persecution and death. Donna Marietta, a midwife and healer, was burned alive for her practice of treating victims of the Bubonic plague in the 1340s by using Arabic medical texts handed down within the family. During World War II, Lori’s father’s cousin helped Jews by issuing false baptismal papers, saving many Jewish lives. He, his wife, and four children were ordered shot to death by Kappler, who was head of the S.S. in Rome at that time.
The threat of persecution persisted. Lori explains, “ The craft of the wise, or what you call the magical craft, had a stigma upon it, where you could not be saying, ‘I’m a witch, a member of the magical community.’ You couldn’t! The witch craft laws were just repealed in the 1940s in England. Read some of this history. So people were afraid. My mother was afraid when I started to do readings. She says, ‘You can’t do that. They killed our family; there’s a price tag on us.;”
And yet, this Sicilian Strega line of practitioners survived. Historically, the religious energy in Italy was like an accelerant to the strega tradition. Strega families raised their children publicly as Catholics, while privately teaching them the old beliefs and magical practices.
The Sicilian vernacular Catholicism served the strega well. “ We would go to church, we’d say Ava Maria, Ava Diana. Our children would become priests in the Catholic church. And right under their noses, they would warn the mothers, when the Inquisition was coming; the host would be put in the mouth flat — they would turn it up and down. That meant go home and hide everything. What was there to hide? Nothing.
The Sicilian strega was very strong. We had the rolling pin, which is a long stick. We would roll our pasta – that was our wand!” Lori laughs, adding more details of how the practice of stregheria was hidden in plain sight, “The pentacle we used was made on the loaves of the bread we ate. Right there, we would eat it. The inquisitor would come in, ‘Here, have some bread.’ We gave him some,” her voice rising in pitch, “Ha, ha ha! We had some fun.”
Throughout the interview, Lori’s way of speaking ranges from a near whisper, peaceful and calming, to a crescendo that ends in an angry outburst, where she rants against isimists, religious intolerance, usury, and the mistreatment of children. Some topics seem like more neutral territory, emotionally. Like the blessing of a house.
“I go in there to bless a house. I use the earth, the air, water, and fire. The earth is salt. The air is incense, the fire, a candle. The water is Holy water, which I make with kosher salt and water. And then I go all around the house. I ring a bell too. If I smell something bad in the house, I’m very careful. Kay? Cause that could mean there’s a bad spirit in there. And you definitely do an exorcism. And we do that too. I was taught by my father.” At his mention, Lori lets out a sigh. And then, in a soft voice says, “I sometimes wish very much that he was here. In fact, I wish all the time that he was here. And my mom.”
The thought of her parents seems to transport her somewhere else. Her eyes close and we sit in silence. Then, as if breaking frame, she states, “You’re doing something with your house soon. Did you know that? Changing it.You want to add something to this home you live in?” When I don’t answer her, she repeats, “Do you? Or move from it?”
“Possibly move from it,” I tell her.
“Two year cycle. Just closed my eyes. Oh my God, something in two years. It’s good. It’s good . . . there is something with a house that has brick. Your house is like Colonial style?”
I nod. “Has a sun porch on the side?” “Yes,” I tell her, but I’m thinking it’s actually on the front of the house, not the side. She continues, “I see your house. Yeah, you got a good home.” Lori leans her head forward and closes her eyes, concentrating on something. “Taylor, the name Taylor. Who is that?”
I tell her I don’t know a Taylor.
“Remember, these things are coming, right now. . . You have new life around you this year. Family, very good. Europe also. You may be going, cause I see a passport here . . . ” Then she stops talking and remains silent, her eyes closed.
Thirty-nine seconds go by before she speaks again. I feel hyper-vigilant. “There’s a woman by the name of Betty around you. Elizabeth. Going to do some work with you. It could be within a year. . . O.K., let’s get back to this [interview]. I just get taken up with these things. I had to tell you these things, cause they come out.”
I draw the attention back to her and learn of the people in her life — her husband of the past 36 years, her Coven, her son Anthony who does readings, her daughter who has psychic ability, and her new grandchild who definitely does. I ask Lori how she knows this and she says, “I feel it. Every time I’m around her. I predicted her 26 years before she was born and my daughter will stand by that. I told her she would be having a little girl who was dark skinned and would take my place when I was very old.” Lori chuckles, adding, ” I just made 73.”
“Tell me about this,” I say, pointing to one of several large crystal balls in the room. “The crystal ball?” Lori says, somewhat curtly. “It’s not a television set.” Then, her voice softening, she adds, “It’s something you look in and your mind clears and it transports you. You go into another space and another time. That’s what it’s used for — to clear your mind and to make you focus.”
I start to ask Lori how old she was when she knew she was a strega– but before I can complete my question, she states: “I could see the dead. I could see the dead when I was three years old. I thought they were my friends, my play fellows. My mother would say, ‘I’m going to go ahead and put the light out so you can sleep.’ I said, ‘No, I can’t see my friends.’ I never had fear.”
Before I leave, I ask Lori what she considers to be her greatest gift. Without hesitation, she answers, “Helping people. I do readings. I’m a psychic. I bring peace to humanity. That’s the biggest gift I give anybody. And letting people know that they can assume that which is their highest goal.” Her voice drops to a whisper, “That’s my gift.” A sudden strength in her voice, she proclaims, “Opening the door. I’m a door opener. That’s why I wear keys.”
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The action scenes are particularly well-executed, with dynamic illustrations that convey a sense of intensity and excitement. One of the standout aspects of the manga is the character development. Hector's journey from a vengeful and isolated individual to someone who learns to trust and rely on others is compelling and emotionally resonant. The interactions between the characters are also well-written, with moments of levity and camaraderie amidst the dark and dangerous world they inhabit. The manga also delves deeper into the lore and mythology of the Castlevania series, providing fans with additional insights into the world and its history. It explores themes of redemption, sacrifice, and the consequences of one's actions, adding layers of complexity to the narrative. Overall, Castlevania: Curse of Darkness is a captivating manga adaptation that will appeal to both fans of the video game series and newcomers to the Castlevania universe. It successfully captures the essence of the game while also delivering an engaging and standalone story. Whether you are a fan of the game or simply enjoy gothic fantasy tales, this manga is definitely worth a read..
Reviews for "The Dark and Gothic Atmosphere of Castlevania: Curse of Darkness Manga"
1. Mark - 1/5 - I was really disappointed with the "Castlevania: Curse of Darkness" manga. The artwork was subpar at best, with poorly drawn characters and lackluster backgrounds. The story felt rushed and underdeveloped, leaving me feeling confused and disconnected from the narrative. The action scenes were lackluster and lacked the intensity and excitement that I had hoped for. Overall, I would not recommend this manga to any fans of the "Castlevania" series.
2. Sarah - 2/5 - As a fan of the "Castlevania" game series, I was excited to pick up the "Curse of Darkness" manga. However, my excitement quickly turned into disappointment. The art style failed to capture the gothic and dark atmosphere of the games. The characters felt flat and lacked depth, making it difficult to engage with the story. The pacing was off, with important plot points rushing by without proper development. Although I appreciate the effort to adapt the game into a manga, this adaptation fell short of my expectations.
3. Alex - 2/5 - I had high hopes for the "Castlevania: Curse of Darkness" manga, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The artwork was mediocre, with inconsistent character designs and dull backgrounds. The story lacked intrigue and failed to capture the essence of the "Castlevania" series. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it difficult to connect with the characters. Overall, I found this manga to be a lackluster adaptation that failed to do justice to the original game.
4. Emily - 1/5 - The "Castlevania: Curse of Darkness" manga was a huge disappointment for me. The artwork lacked detail and precision, with characters looking generic and uninspired. The story felt shallow and underdeveloped, making it difficult to become invested in the plot or the characters. The action scenes were lackluster and failed to evoke any excitement or tension. Overall, I found this manga to be a lackluster adaptation that failed to capture the essence of the "Castlevania" series.