Fanes in Literature

This list is based on the specific bibliography collected by Ulrike Kindl in her "Kritische Lektüre der Dolomitensagen von Karl Felix Wolff. Vol.2", only partially modified and integrated.

Rudolf Pannwitz, Ladinersage [Ladinian Saga], in “Mythen”, vol.VI, Münich 1920.
An epic poem in classical hexameters in German, completely based on Wolff's informations; Pannwitz only elaborates on the Fassa tradition about the Arimanni.

Emil Petschnig, Die Verheissene Zeit [The Promised Time], manuscript, 1928.
Archive of the Ladinian Institute “Micurà de Rü”, San Martin de Tor.
This text in German was used as the libretto for the opera by the same name, that was first performed at Innsbruck in 1928. The work proved unsuccessful and was never performed again. The material is completely based on Wolff, i.e. on the Arimanni tradition, as it had been sketched by Ugo de Rossi. Petschnig was in direct touch with Ugo de Rossi at Innsbruck; as a consequence, the text exclusively relies on the Fassan tradition.

Karl Staudacher, Der Fannesreich [The Kingdom of Fannes], manuscript, 1937; mostly published, under the title “Fanneslied" (The Fannes Song), finally selected by the parishioner Staudacher in 1939, by Tyrolia, Innsbruck-Wien 1994.
The ponderous epic poem, in German verses, is composed in compliance with several different metrics, both for the strophe and for the rhyme. Staudacher began his poem about 1930 and completed its manuscript in 1939. All material was elaborated together with Wolff, reshaping its contents, and therefore incorporating both traditions, that of the Badia and that of the Fassa valley.

Eberhard König, Aurona, 1941 (quoted by Wolff in this Dolomitensagen at p.466); no other data are known.

Angel Morlang, "Fanes da Zacan" [Fanes of Old], an adaptation for the popular open-air theater of Wolff's Fanes legend. Wolff greeted it enthusiastically. The text, written in Ladinian from Marebbe, has been published in 1978 by the Ladinian Instiute “Micurà de Rü” of San Martino in Badia. The plot adheres to the Badia valley tradition only, although of course Wolff's version was well known to the Author.

Brunamaria Dal Lago, Il Regno dei Fanes [The Kingdom of Fanes], “Dolomitic epic poem rediscovered and translated by Brunamaria Dal Lago”, Milano 1989. Brunamaria Dal Lago, a very interesting Italian writer of the folkloric gender, reconsiders Wolff's version of the whole Fanes' saga and attempts to develop and interpret it according to her own criteria.
We must note that Dal Lago's work is a quite valid fictional creation, but it is fully autonomous from and has no connection with the genuine Ladinian tradition. While it played a remarkable role in spreading the knowledge of the Fanes' legend in the Italian environment, it unfortunately also drove several readers to believe it were an independent "source" of informations about the Fanes, what it absolutely is not. The novel is, I repeat, a purely fictional elaboration of the saga, developped according to the artist's personal conceptions.

Mauro Neri, Il Cavaliere delle Dolomiti nel misterioso regno di Fanis [The Knight of the Dolomites in the mysterious Kingdom of Fanis], Venice 1991. This fictional elaboration of the material, in Italian, is a fantasy novel both in gender and style, based on both Wolff's and Dal Lago's versions.

Anita Pichler/Markus Vallazza, Die Frauen aus Fanis [The Ladies of Fanis], fragments of Ladinian legends, interpreted and with a postfation by Ulrike Kindl, Haymon, Innsbruck 1992. Writer Anita Pichler elaborates, in German, on a single legendary theme through thirteen separated short novels, albeit connected with each other. In parallel, artist Markus Vallazza develops his vision of the story in twenty-one drawings.

Domenico Zannier, Fanis , Ed. Edizions Laurenzianis, Buie-Friûl 2004. A short poem in Friulian language that follows Wolff's version.

Elsa Runggaldier, L reiam de Fanes e d'autra lijëndes [The Kingdom of Fanes and Other Legends], Union di Ladins de Gherdëina. A collection of legends translated into Gardenese Ladinian.

Peter Bridges, an American diplomat and writer very attentive to Italian and European topics, as he spent several years in Rome, has recently (28/4/08) published, in the web site California Literary Review, a long article about Wolff, the Fanes and their highlands, titled Notes from Italy: A Homer of the Dolomites. I'm happy to thank him here for having kindly signalled this site.

The Italian publisher Giunti has recently re-published the novel by Brunamaria Dal Lago Veneri Il Regno dei Fanes, [The Kingdom of Fanes], quoted above, in co-operation with the Ladinian Cultural Institute of Vigo di Fassa. An interesting multi-medial experiment has been realized this way, as the text is proposed together with the detailed and carefully documented illustrations by the Venetian artist Fabio Visintin and with a CD containing the music composed by Susi Rottonara for her movie Le rëgn de Fanes. The volume has been presented in May at the Book Fair at Turin. Several authorities attended the ceremony, including Fabio Chiocchetti, director of the above mentioned Ladinian Institute. Susi Rottonara's clear voice charmed the attendance with some of her most significant pieces.

Andrea Foches (Museum of Customs and Traditions of the People from Trentino, San Michele all'Adige) published in 2007 by Priuli e Verlucca two small books of legends from Trentino, each with an annexed DVD: Leggende delle Anguane and Leggende dell'Uomo Selvatico. Interesting and enjoyable, they add a few variants (not specially remarkable) to the already known range.

The fantasy writer Adriana Comaschi, from Venice, published recently a volume of fictional legends, inspired by Wolff's works (Sabja de Fek e altri racconti). Domino Edizioni.

With the auspices of the Institut Ladin "Micurà de Ru" of S.Martin de Tor, the book by Nicola dal Falco "Miti ladini delle Dolomiti [Ladinian Myths of the Dolomites] - Ey de Net e Dolasila" has been published by Palombi Editore wirh the annotations and the essay "Narrating the Origins" by Ulrike Kindl.
At first glance, the literary part of the work shows several points of high artistical value, but for the friends of the Fanes its true importance resides in prof. Kindl's work, who exposes here an important and detailed updating of her alreay expressed ideas on the subject. Her opinions, as she is a top rank expert, must always be kept in the highest consideration, although her views are not always coincident with my own. I will therefore meditate upon them thoroughly and expose on this site the result of my reflexions.