Ancient Roman Customs in Modern Italy

[@toldinstone]

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[@barrankobama4840]

I can't believe that speaking abput Italian amulets against malocchio (evil eye) you didn't show the most popular, even today, the red horn! 😄

[@CatFish107]

Nooooope

[@sIightIybored]

Roman chariots having truck nuts is not something I expected to hear.

[@scottclark7559]

Came here to say this 😂.

[@jackesioto]

Turns out, truck nuts have been around for several thousand years.

[@dunkelsteinen1747]

Not just the nuts, but the bolt too! It's a whole fixture

[@PaszerDye]

9:58 i see professor Garett is also up-to-date with memology

[@stankythecat6735]

It made me laugh out loud

[@philippcniklas]

hoc tua, exspue in illud!

[@noreply-7069]

​@@philippcniklas "this is yours, spit on it" says the translator about your reply.

[@coquimapping8680]

@@philippcniklas omfg 🤣

[@RafaelGarcia022]

Small addendum on the evil eye: its origin has to do with how vision was thought to function. While we now understand light hits our eyes and the signal is sent to our brains, in antiquitiy it was theorised our gaze was something coming out of our eyes and impacting the world. It stood to reason, then, that a glare with ill intent would cast a curse on the subject. Which is a good way to mention that intent was thought to have an effect on your actions too; if someone was jealous of you, it would bring you bad luck. The evil eye is an extension of this idea

[@claudiodidomenico]

6:48 To this day, having your bed so that your feet point towards the door is considered unlucky in parts of Italy, such as my home region of Abruzzo. 8:50 In most of the south, the evil eye is called "malocchio" (literally translates to evil eye). But in Abruzzo, it's called "ammìdie" which translates to the Italian invidia, meaning envy.

[@BoxStudioExecutive]

That's interesting, according to Eastern traditions having a bed positioned such that your feet are not pointed towards the door is considered bad luck. Traditions that have contrary counterparts in other parts of the world are fascinating.

[@claudiodidomenico]

@BoxStudioExecutive That's crazy! Doesn't surprise me though. Even now that I live in Naples, which is quite close culturally and geographically to my hometown, I still find they have different interpretations of the same customs, often related to death.

[@Rynewulf]

If anything feng shui-esque furniture position culture and evil eye culture seem almost universal. I reckon theres some fundamental psychology going on thats had us worried about bed angles and eye curses since before records began

[@Romb1000]

You should look into Aromanian (wallachian/vlach) traditions, especially when it comes to funerals, we tend to follow ancient Roman tradition to the point. It is a weird culture that masks its tradition with Christianity, but we are very much following old Roman traditions. These still persist to this day.

[@craig1479]

You're missing the point. The blog Is about Roman traditions in Italy, not Romania or Wallachia.

[@navienslavement]

@craig1479 you aren't the brightest one, are you?

[@minhthai4915]

Let's stay civil please haha​@@navienslavement

[@lorddervish212quinterosara6]

@@craig1479 bruh

[@noreply-7069]

​@@craig1479 No he isn't missing anything. You are however.

[@terminationshock1356]

Knowing you are a heavy metal fan makes me like you even more Garrett. Greetings from Sicily

[@riccardomaestroni]

I was NOT expecting the hawk tuah girl lmao

[@KarlKarsnark]

Thank you for giving Dio a shout out! The "Rainbow in the Dark" nod was the cherry on top :)

[@susanmazei1834]

I'm not necessarily a metal fan, but that awesome song is a great favorite if mine.

[@erodas4222]

This one of my all-time favourite Videos of yours. Its simply fantastic when history relates to things in everyday life and how I can never use the word "fascinating" again.

[@SusanN-x4j]

I read somewhere that the cookies with pine nuts and anise found at traditional Italian American wedding receptions had a Roman origin. At my wedding, we had trays of these cookies from an Italian bakery, and we brought the cookies around to the tables of guests at the receiption. There were also sugar coated almonds distributed in little wrappings of white net, but I think that custom might have a later origin from the anise flavored cookies. Supposedly, anise is good for digestion and the Romans may have flavored little cakes with it as something to eat after large feasts.

[@ClassicalNumismatics]

Happy 2025 Garrett, for many more years of entertaining videos!

[@christopherevans2445]

I hope that includes you too Leo

[@triciaschymanski9348]

I married into an Italian family. Mom's 1st language was Italian, and the second was English. When that woman got mad, Lordlol. I miss her so much, rest her soul, and awesome cooking. She went home at the age of 101 years young!

[@spindoctor6385]

In Australia it is a "bad omen" to get married in September as this is the month that the two major football leagues (Australian rules football and rugby league) have their finals (playoffs) The most common day for weddings is the first Saturday of October because it is the first weekend day in Spring that does not conflict with the religion of sport.

[@LukeBunyip]

Everything stops for the Festival(s) of the Boot

[@spededucation8564]

Lol, as an Australian that is news to me and my friends.

[@Makrangoncias]

I had to think about this long and hard to make sense of October being a spring month... but yeah it checks out.

[@spindoctor6385]

@spededucation8564 Really? If you try to book a big wedding venue for the first Saturday in October, or any Saturday in October 2025, I guarantee that they will be booked out. But the last weekend in September you will have no trouble.

[@CelticShae]

Had to like and comment for the pic of yourself toward the end. Well done. Absolutely worked. I love this channel so much! 🤘

[@525Lines]

In America, used to be the body was laid out in the parlor to sit for a day or two while people came by to pay their respects. A hundred years ago there was a movement to change the parlor into a living room and move the viewings to a funeral parlor.

[@Kholdaimon]

The "metal salute" works really well against the evil eye, I have been a metal fan for over 25 years and have yet to encounter one! I can recommend it to anyone...

[@dennisdezarn5895]

🤘

[@nni9310]

How's you hearing faring?

[@AlexYorim]

Here I thought it was a symbol of cuckoldry

[@Kholdaimon]

@@nni9310 My right ear is pretty bad, but this is not caused due to metal concerts, but some medical problems... ;-) All concerts are loud though...

[@lodevijk]

Great video. Your style of narration is very easy to digest and take in. And i really was surprised by the example with the bull horns

[@seanwelch71]

Your Dio mention is perfect. He was a serious artist.

[@scottchenoweth4937]

Thanks, Dr. Ryan. Always enjoyable and informative content.

[@xaviotesharris891]

Lovely as it would be to join you on a tour in June in Italy, my trip to Rome and Florence this past June convinced me that I will never again travel to Italy at any time except the dead of winter.

[@noreply-7069]

As a Finn, I get where you're coming from!

[@natalieaguirre8576]

One of my favorite videos from you. Thank you so much

[@jangtheconqueror]

The part about hand gestures is fascinating. I never thought about the origin of these gestures but it totally makes sense. American culture incorporates a lot of Italian things, and given how important hands are for communication in Italian, it makes sense that that's one of the things that made it over.

[@playme129]

Very interesting. Thanks for posting.

[@orsiniproductionstudios3042]

Wonderful video, as always! Thank you!

[@markgreco1962]

I have Rainbow in the dark on my Roman Tour Playlist

[@OptimusPrinceps_Augustus]

I have "Caligula" by the Dickies on mine

[@metalheadjackass]

I did the Chris Pratt meme at the mention of Dio and the mano cornuta. Great vid as always, rock on brother !!

[@BMCKTN]

Your videos are helping me fight my depression. Part of it is your talent for presentation. Another part is my fascination with the ancient world. Another part is my fascination with Rome specifically as despite my general interest, I don't know a lot about Ancient Rome. Another part is your videos distinctly assist in my own personal spiritual journey. Gratias tibi ago.

[@zainmudassir2964]

Hope you win your fight against depression 💪

[@HP-Greenblatt]

Same, videos like this help me get through each day. Pax vobiscum

[@nni9310]

I never would have guessed that you were part Italian, and Southern Italian at that. You're calm, rational and speak in an even fashion. However, those characteristics and your face and demeanour make me think of you as an incarnation of an ancient Roman of the Senatorial rank.

[@GogaBolz]

Thanks for another great summary! Though I can't focus on anything but the shadow on your t-shirt, that makes you look drenched in sweat in every video 😁

[@michaeldunne338]

Great video. I thought I heard about the heavy metal sign - the Manu Cornuta - but surprised to hear the explanation all the same. The two tours sound very interesting.

[@tulsatrash]

Thanks for the explaination of the evil eye.

[@edoardoputzu2804]

Ok so: I'm sardinian (for them who don't know Sardinia is the second biggest island in the Mediterranean, we have a culture that's effectively distinct from the italian one in some fields but we're still Italy) and about the wedding we have basically what u've described, with a mix of pagan and Christian traditions that differ from village to village ('cause sardinia like have a different culture for EVERY DIFFERENT VILLAGE (called "bidda" in sardinian from the latin "villa", like what it happened with the french "ville"), in fields like dialect, general culture, traditions, cousine (is worse than mainland Italy is more like the situation that there is in Ireland)). About the funeral yes we had professional mourners women untill very recently, and I would not be surprised if u can find the also now in the most remote villages in the mainland. For the evil eye here is VERY IMPORTAN, especially in villages, people that compliment with u, for example, without touching u are envious and are putting u the evil eye ("ogu malu" in sardinian). To contrast this u can wear jewels, like is done also in "continente" (continental Italy) with the cornetto napoletano, the mano cornuta, the "fiche" sign (the one with the thumb between the fingers that resembles some tumors that appear in animal genitals (yep Ik is strange)) or the wearing of necklaces with Holy Mary or crosses. We also use christian symbols but mostly the "coccu" that's a little sphere of black glass that should resemble an eye and that probably come from a mix of punic and roman traditions. Su coccu is mostly still used a lot with children for example but also fot necklaces, rings or earrings. We also use coral jewels for love, probably from the association of corsl with Adonis and Venus (in Cagliari for example there are the remains of a temple of Adonis where archeologist found coral used in the cerimonies). But if u get the evil eye u can get it off by getting the "mexina de s'ogu" ("medicine of the eye") that can be done only by women that got that taught from another woman on the death bed, or similar things. Sa mexina de s'ogu consist in putting oil, egg or grain seeds in water and see if the float or not (meanwhile pronouncing specific prayers that have to be taught), this tradition is very similar to what we have also is southern mainland Italy, but Idk if this has pagan origins. We don't have technically the spitting to contrast the evil eye, but they have it in modern Greece. But we (talking of Italy now) have a lot of traditions that come front roman culture: carnival, the festival of Saint Agatha in Catania (that probably come from a festival related to the goddess Isis), the festival of "serpari" (those who catch snakes) in Abruzzo (that comes from the cult of the snake chtonic goddess Angitia), the Corajisima (a Calabrian doll hang in houses in the time of Easter that come from Dionysiac cults) and a lot more.

[@nordwestpassage]

Thanks, very interesting!

[@helgaioannidis9365]

I have a dear friend from Sorso in provincia di Sassari. I myself live on the island of Rhodes in the Aegean. When she visited me she said it felt so familiar here. The culture has a lot in common. She taught me to say "che Dio te mantenga" after a compliment ❤

[@edoardoputzu2804]

@@helgaioannidis9365 AHAHAHAH, hilarious. Anyway yep greek and italian vulture are very similar🇮🇹❤️🇬🇷

[@RonJohn63]

6:08 New Orleans black people's funerals used to have a jazz band play mournful music on the way from the church to the graveyard, and joyful music afterwards, on the way to the deceased's family's house. The "second line" was neighbors dancing behind that part of the procession. (In the 1980s, it got culturally appropriated by rich and bohemian white people.)

[@jonsmith6331]

Amazing episode as always

[@Imperiused]

11:08 I love the little Easter Eggs in there for the people that both watch and listen!

[@nate21886]

9:36 TIL that Roman generals invented truck nuts.

[@Aureus_]

I’ve always wondered about this, I thought an example of this was hand gestures coming from Roman Oratory Gestures.

[@Jody-kt9ev]

I live near Austin, Texas. The hand symbol for the Longhorn Football team is the same as in your video.

[@ha-meemfirozezaman1417]

Didn't know that flipping the bird was also one of the gestures to ward of evil eyes 😂😂 (Timestamp - 9:48)

[@christianwestling2019]

You having a italian great grandmother explains why you look similair to depicitons of Gaius Julius Caesar. :) Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

[@Wyattinous]

Regardless of how things morph and change, the fact we know so many of these root practices is truly a gift. 11:09 a handsome picture of our man Garrett to close off 2025 😂❤

[@CrustyBread____]

He should take a screenshot of it and make it the new channel pfp

[@josephmarzullo]

My family came from southern Italy and will sometimes lay down while eating and talking. I always thought this was reminiscent of Ancient Rome.

[@RichardHinds-qs2mi]

Lol brother, My first concert was 13 years old in the Rio grande valley in Deep South Texas, of priest and maiden. Priest was touring point of entry and Maiden was touring killers. It was amazing. Ps- have Loved your podcast since the beginning man. Blessings.

[@cowymtber]

I'm only coming if we listen to Dio non stop, Dr. Ryan.

[@GnomaPhobic]

This was a great video. I had no idea that our wedding and funeral customs had such ancient origins! I admit I still don't really understand the Evil Eye thing, it seems sort of silly to think that envious looks from strangers can harm you.

[@jackesioto]

Superstitions rarely make much if any sense.

[@MalharetasLair]

It stems from the way vision was thought to work before we figured out what's actually going on with it. It was conceptualised as something radiating out of your eyes, thus having some sort of (even physical) impact on your surroundings. You can easily see how intent (and belief in magic, which was basically universal) factor into it, don't you?

[@moscowcowboy_13]

Happy Holidays, love that Kanagawa wave tshirt, where did you find it? Visiting Rome with you is definitely on my bucket list. Pray that I get a great job in the meantime.

[@athaliapyzer3579]

Uniqlo in Tokyo. I took over ToldInStone’s costuming and wardrobe responsibilities (from his mother) when we married 😂

[@DavidLC11]

It’s interesting that your great-grandparent was from Eboli. My great-grandfather was from the next commune over, Serre.

[@mariahamilton5305]

There was someone at work who wore a small metal phallus round his neck, but I don't think it was to deflect the evil eye (!), more attract certain types of attention;)

[@OptimusPrinceps_Augustus]

We stay with family in Naples every year for the summer and fall 👍

[@natalieaguirre8576]

I'm hoping that you will do a video on Trier, Germany

[@oldrabbit8290]

so our most famous obscene gesture also originated from the Roman?

[@alphated]

I was looking for this comment 😂. Garrett just gave the oldest explanation for the “finger.”

[@marcydrake9159]

All roads lead to Rome!

[@morpheus24]

Nice One, Garret.

[@erinrising2799]

hey random question, did they have something like Christmas Carols? Like Saturnalia Carols?

[@Aeyekay0]

Interesting stuff, great video

[@jackt2053]

what is the painting at 2:17? it’s beautiful and i’d like to archive it :)

[@kajus1723]

Conversation by the spring

[@susanmazei1834]

One of your most interesting videos. I really enjoyed it and also appreciate your personal perspective. I wonder if what the Romans labeled as the evil eye is the equivalent of what we in modern times give the label of toxic people. Toxic people can often negatively affect those around them.

[@kathleensavoy1736]

I wouldn't have clocked you as a Dio fan, but it absolutely tracks ;) 🧿

[@BichaelStevens]

My USSR-born-raised mom does the 3 spits over the shoulder whenever talking about something bad, to "not jinx it"

[@glbale]

My Russian wife recognised some customs - May being unlucky for weddings, professional mourners (she thinks her great grandmother was one), the feet of the dead person facing the door.

[@eotikurac]

same in croatia

[@rcknross]

lots of interesting information

[@darioa.5381]

Saying "Hello!" when entering your house even if you know the house is empty.

[@burnstick1380]

9:37 what is that middle thing called? Im sure it was popular with about 50% of the roman population ;)

[@hazorg16]

The evil eye segment fascinated me, we have the concept of evil eye (nazar) in Turkey and the custom goes all the way back to Central Asian steppes. The glass evil eye beads (nazar boncuğu) can be found in anywhere in Anatolia and the Balkans, they are sort of like amulets but come in only one shape; a circular eye like figure. Also weirdly, pushing the thumb between the index and the middle finger also has meaning in Turkey; it is called 'Nah' and it usually means 'F*ck you', as the thumb symbolizes the penis and other fingers symbolize the vagina; but it can mean all sorts of things depending on the context, almost all of them confrontational or defiant.

[@alexander63736]

Orta Asyayla bir alakası yoktur

[@StormKidification]

Yeah im sure the concept goes back to the central asian steppes and not the people you conquered that start with a G and end with a reek that just so happen to have the exact same customs of the evil eye as both the italian and ancient romans.

[@hazorg16]

@StormKidification at least write nazar boncuğu in a google search before you come here to spit hateful shit. be better

[@ozne_2358]

@6:48 "feet towards the door" : and in fact, probably for this reason, sleeping in beds so that your feet point towards the door of the room, it's considered bad luck in some parts of Italy.

[@rundbaum]

awwww . . . 'so far away.' i love yur commenting on the neopolitan background, one of my roommates in ny was from there, he talked about how in the 30s they used to parade that statue of the madonna up & down bronx & harlem & it really put the scare of christ in him. they had to use a wood burning stove & had rats, they had just moved here from naples. one time we had the same dream, & it was about roman spain, i woke up & i'd had this dream of walking thru dusty streets in a rotting, dark ages town & i described the decorative motifs i could see on all the buildings. he'd had a dream the night before where he could see all the same motifs. i'm 4% 'iberian' according to my dna so maybe me & this guy had some kind of ancient dna going on there, who knows . . .

[@frankparis9408]

Great that you mentioned Ronnie James Dio.

[@echopeakbicycling85]

And it's own Latin name.

[@Mouritzeen]

DIO

[@user-vl1tb1xx2d]

9:59 this still exists in my country and it’s the only way of preventing evil eye. Usually adults do it to children (they only pretend to spit on the child) and say “ptiu ptiu să nu te deoache” (literally * spitting sound * so that he/she may not evil eye you)

[@usergiodmsilva1983PT]

I can't believe you forgot wedding cake! The confarreatio would have been the perfect Segway to your sponsor!

[@SubTroppo]

Are there any links between the horoscope sections of newspapers and ancient Rome or does it go back much, much further?

[@jownbey]

my great grandfather came from Syracuse to Miami and wound up a neon lighting specialist

[@Epicmadnesslol]

I'm in the caribbean & we have a variation of the "evil eye". A small smoking ritual is done to cleanse it.

[@BiggestCorvid]

2:55 i remember the preacher saying this at my brother's wedding. My sister leaned over and said, "ALL veins flow to the heart, thats why they're veins." Later the officiant at her wedding said this same thing and she didnt say a thing.

[@jonathanmulville4833]

Great vid

[@anthonyberent4611]

I think that there were professional mourners at some funerals in Milan in the 1960s, when I lived there as a kid, so it may not have died out as a profession in the 19th century.

[@timbotron78]

"Apparent parallels can conceal worlds of difference." = poetry

[@ninamartin1084]

The 'figa' symbol of the thumb tucked between the index and middle fingers is still very much alive in Brazil, which had a lot of Italian immigrants. I have several I inherited from my grandmother

[@BigSwift9]

It’s a long “Rainbow in the Dark” indeed 🤘

[@edankriss141]

I peeped Hawk Tuah in there! Time for a colab.

[@eccoeco3454]

I have a whole project as an anthropology student cataloguing Italian traditions and folklore and trying to work out the origin

[@WAFFENAMT1]

Yep...2000 years is going to make a difference like it or not...just think how different 2000 years from now will be...

[@jimbobjones5972]

In the wedding ceremony of the Byzantine Rite (used by both the E. Orthodox and some jurisdictions under Rome), both the bride and groom are crowned. Was the crowning of the groom not performed among the Roman pagans?

[@zsrqpooha]

Ya can feel the history in this one

[@usergiodmsilva1983PT]

Killer shirt! 😂 Up the Irons!

[@ThumbSipper]

10:35 that gesture has another meaning as well, it's a mocking gesture against anyone who's been cheated upon by their partner, it's supposed to represent a bull's head (the fingers are horns, so to speak) because in Italy "cornuto" ("horned") is an insult for exactly that. Apparently it's an extremely old meaning, having it's roots in greek mythology where king Minos was cheated on by his wife Pasiphae with a sacred bull gifted by Poseidon, making him a Cornutoby modern definition. MAYBE, this is the most commonly agreed upon origin of the term anyway but there isn't universal agreement.

[@leonemaledetto1500]

Immediatamente I thought of birthday parties and stadium teams

[@ChloeVitagliano]

Hi I follow your videos and I live in Rome, what are you gonna be doing in June

[@Lucianoarqueologia]

Until recently, funeral happened at home here in Brazil. And until this day, putting your bed with your feet towards the door is considered a bad omen.

[@dersitzpinkler2027]

“Words in different languages that happen to rhyme” A neat phrase

[@AGS363]

9:36 So the "Truck nuts" have roots in antiquity!

[@dondouglass6415]

Great video... Huzzah 🤘

[@Boardwoards]

Wish you pointed out the other dio references to ancient Rome! Rad tho

[@HeatherFarris]

While all of this is interesting to learn about I’m so glad it’s just that for me… learning and not believing.

[@marinaaaa2735]

You should do one of these with spain and romania. Isolation means that both countries preserve certain customs italy and france lost.

[@Andre-tv1ig]

romania doesn't have any roman culture. They are just a romanized dacians who became slavic in medieval times.

[@samuelmelcher]

I dated an Italian-American guy in college, and his first reaction upon seeing those gaudy reconstructions of painted classical statues was "Oh the Romans *were* Italian"

[@what8562]

The system of patron/clientele looks like mafia, with father at the top of the pyramid

[@jeffreyschweitzer8289]

So many of these are closely similar to Jewish customs…such as spitting three times (“kinehora (no evil eye) ptui ptui ptui”) to repel the evil eye. Coincidence? Or related? The Ashkenazi Jews originated from the Jews of Rome and some of these customs may have been shared.

[@OptimusPrinceps_Augustus]

Ancient times

[@alimanski7941]

The Evil Eye is thousands of years older than Rome. It first spread from Mesopotamia, Jews probably picked it up when they were sovereign before Rome conquered the region. What's interesting though is the bridal veil - it also appears in Jewish weddings, but supposedly has an explanation in the story of Isaac and Rebecca (not improbable that it's a post-hoc rationale of an adopted Roman tradition, though)

[@dragondawn420]

@@alimanski7941 I wouldn't be surprised that having a bride wear a veil on her wedding day was a widespread custom in the greater Mesopotamian area (and elsewhere, too). What's really interesting to ponder are the differing reasons that various religions give for that tradition.

[@OptimusPrinceps_Augustus]

@@dragondawn420 Turn your watch back

[@skellagyook]

It's also found in the Middle East. It was practiced all over the (esp. Eastern) Mediterranean. And Ashkenazi Jews have both Middle Eastern and Italian/other Mediterranean ancestry.

[@t.vanoosterhout233]

There's always a good reason to mention RJD! Have a good 2025. I certainly do contemplate visiting Rome (again) this year, if only to walk through that door.

[@duckpotat9818]

Interestingly you can still hire professional mourners in India and there are still funeral processions before the cremation. Wedding dresses are also saffron (or red, pink, maroon). I wonder if there's an Indo-European connection

[@AldemirVieirajrchem]

The tradition of having a "lararium" in the entrance of the houses survived, but now they are saints.

[@lorisperfetto6021]

Amazing