Tradition / Region: Italian Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Mountain dweller
The Myth
High in the southern Alps, around the village of Andrista, there is said to live a strange creature called the Badalisc. It dwells in the dark forests above the settlement, hidden among rocks, snow, and twisted trees. It has a great head wrapped in goat skin, small horns, a vast gaping mouth, and glowing eyes that shine in the night.
The Badalisc does not live quietly. Throughout the year it troubles the people of the village. It lurks in the woods, watching, listening, knowing their secrets. Though rarely seen, its presence is felt—mischief, unease, whispers of wrongdoing. The villagers know it must be dealt with.
So every year, on the eve of Epiphany, when winter lies deep upon the mountains, the men of the village go out to capture the creature.
They enter the forest masked and disguised. Among them are hunters, sweepers who clear the way, an old man and old woman, a hunchback who strikes the ground with his stick, and a young maiden who serves as bait, for the Badalisc is said to be stirred by desire. After searching the woods, they bind the creature with a rope and drag it down from the mountains into the village.
It is led into the square before the gathered community.
The Badalisc itself does not speak. It is wild and dumb. But through an interpreter its words are given voice. A long speech is read aloud—its “confession.” In this speech the creature reveals the hidden faults, scandals, petty sins, and foolish schemes of the villagers. Nothing escapes it. It mocks, exposes, and ridicules the community. As the words are spoken, the hunchback beats his stick rhythmically, marking the weight of each accusation.
The villagers listen. They laugh, they wince, they recognize themselves in the creature’s gossip.
When the speech is finished, the mood shifts. Singing begins. Dancing follows. Food is shared, especially the great dish of polenta prepared for the occasion. The Badalisc sits in a place of honor during the feast, no longer a menace but part of the celebration.
On the following day, its time among humans ends. The rope is removed. The Badalisc is released and allowed to return to the forest, back to its mountain home.
There it waits through another year—watching, listening, gathering secrets—until once again winter comes, and the villagers climb into the woods to bring it down.
Gallery
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Badalisc. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 14, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badalisc
Interpretive Lenses
Religious Readings
- Christian Ascetic Deep Dive
Philosophical Readings
- Nietzschean Deep Dive
Psychological Readings
- Jungian Deep Dive
Esoteric Deep Dive
- Hermetic Deep Dive
Political / Social Readings
- Marxist Deep Dive
Other
- How to Invite The Badalisc