illustrations

acknowledgments

foreword

metaphor of black madonnas: argument and underlying assumptions

``folklore is the culture of the subaltern classes'': theoretical premises

a world in motion with a woman at the center: artifacts, myths, stories, rituals of everyday life

stories and politics of justice, equality, and rights to life of the poor

carnevale: the laughter of the goddess---festival defying the powers that be, ritual of how people would like to live in freedom, equality, and abundance

``a carniliviari semmu tutti aguali,'' at carnival we are all equal: Viareggio, Putignano, and Acireale

black madonna of Siponto: a woman humiliated black madonna and sibyls of Loreto: women prophets black madonna of the poor of Foggia

multicultural dimensions of black madonnas: multicultural liberation theologies and politics

multicultural liberation theology of easter in the streets

heresies, sibyls, fables, Lilith, and witches: ``un mondo senza padroni e senza guerre,'' a world without bosses and without wars

black madonnas and remembering the future: contemporary cultural and political transformation of Italy

notes

bibliography

index