Mafia ritual derives from Carboneria and Masonic oath traditions
Evidence
In Recupero (1987: 313) we discover that the mafia ritual has the distinct flavor of a simplified version of the rituals of the Carboneria-a nineteenth-century political fraternity which fought for Italy’s independence-and, more remotely, of the Freemasons. The initiation ritual of the Carboneria involves knives, blindfolds, blood, fire, and the invocation of a saint-Saint Theobald, protector of the sect. The climax is also familiar: “I consent, and wish, if I perjure myself, that my body may be cut in pieces, then burnt, and my ashes scattered to the wind” (MacKenzie 1967: 324-327). Similarly, the vastly elaborate Masonic ritual contains a grander version of the oath still used nowadays: “If I have the misfortune and the shame of breaching my oath, I consent to be myself sacrificed: may my eyes be deprived of light with a red hot iron bar; may my body be execrated by the Sons of the Widow.” The accompanying declarations of the Freemasons’ ritual echo certain descriptions of the mafia’s: “I swear to obey without hesitation the orders of the Sovrano… Under no circumstances will I neglect to help the weak and the innocent” (Repubblica, March 23, 1990). — Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Business of…, 395
Categorization
- XREF: Gambetta’s claim that the mafia simplified prior fraternal rituals supports his broader argument that mafia trademarks are adaptations, connecting to Milgrom on low-cost formalities signaling group membership. — connects to: Mazzini-founder myths persist due to mafia’s resemblance to Carboneria ritual — Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Business of…, 698; The ‘decina’ unit of ten predates the modern mafia by at least a century; Mafia ceremonial mythology functions like corporate culture to build cohesion. (+1 more)
- corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Business of…, 395
Broader Connections
- The conspiracy’s oath derived from West African ritual traditions
#qualifies(0.75)