The ''Monaciello'' () or ''Munaciello'' ( is a legendary sprite from the ancient folklore of

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adm ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. Monaciello, which means "little

Monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedic ...

" in

Neapolitan Neapolitan means of or pertaining to Naples, a city in Italy; or to: Geography and history * Province of Naples, a province in the Campania region of southern Italy that includes the city * Duchy of Naples, in existence during the Early and Hig ...

, is typically a benevolent man, short and stocky, dressed in a long monk's robe with a broad hood.

Legend

The legend of ''Monaciello'' traces to Naples, where he's thought to live in ruins of abbeys and monasteries that crown the Neopolitan hills. The little monk is custodian of the underground canals and water wells of Naples (the "pozzaro"), with which he is intimately familiar and which give him a surreptitious way to enter the city's piazzas and villas — and where if he isn't paid, he might return to pilfer valuables. Though ''Monaciello'' is known to cause mischief — pulling

cloth Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

es off people, stealing

quilt A quilt is a multi-layered textile, traditionally composed of two or more layers of fabric or fiber. Commonly three layers are used with a filler material. These layers traditionally include a woven cloth top, a layer of batting or wadding, ...

s from bedrooms, and harassing

housewives A housewife (also known as a homemaker or a stay-at-home mother/mom/mum) is a woman whose role is running or managing her family's home—housekeeping, which includes caring for her children; cleaning and maintaining the home; making, buying an ...

— he is largely benevolent. He's known to appear at night to those in desperate need, take them to a hidden treasure, and give them his valuables — possibly the aforementioned pilfered valuables — asking for nothing in return. An expression refers to those who've received sudden fortune: "''Forse avrà il Monaciello in casa''" (perhaps he has had the little Monk in his house). It is thought one might beseech the apparition with food, hoping it will converted to treasure, but not boasting if treasures do appear, lest they vanish as quickly as they came.

Possible explanation

The habits of ''Monaciello'' resemble those of the water carriers of ancient Naples who worked in the numerous tunnels connecting the city's underground wells. The water carriers had to be short to pass through the tunnels, which gave them access to most houses, villas and Palazzos — wearing

overall Overalls, also called bib-and-brace overalls or dungarees, are a type of garment usually used as protective clothing when working. The garments are commonly referred to as a "pair of overalls" by analogy with "pair of trousers". Overalls were ...

s that happen to resemble a monk's garments.

In popular culture

* In the book ''The King of Mulberry Street'' by Donna Jo Napoli, the character Dom (Beniamino), as well as his mother and grandmother, mention the ''Monaciello'', saying he is a kind trickster and protector of children. * In the 2021 film ''

The Hand of God "The hand of God" ( es, La mano de Dios) was a handling goal scored by Argentine footballer Diego Maradona during the Argentina v England quarter finals match of the 1986 FIFA World Cup. The goal was illegal under association football rules bec ...

'', the Little Monk appears as a young boy as opposed to a short, older man. Within the film he grants characters treasure and a moment of levity through his interaction.

Bibliography

* * * {{Source-attribution, {{Cite magazine, magazine=

The New Monthly Magazine ''The New Monthly Magazine'' was a British monthly magazine published from 1814 to 1884. It was founded by Henry Colburn and published by him through to 1845. History Colburn and Frederic Shoberl established ''The New Monthly Magazine and Univ ...

, volume=137, last=Ramage, first=Craufurd Tait, author-link=Craufurd Tait Ramage, title=Wanderings Through Italy In Search Of Its Ancient Remains, publisher=E. W. Allen, year=1866, page=200

External links

The legend of the "Monaciello"
in ''Napoli Sotterranea'' (Naples Underground). Culture in Naples Fairies Italian legendary creatures Sprites (folklore)