FESCENNINE VERSE

Latin Fescennini Versus, also called Carmina Fescennina, early native Italian jocular dialogue in Latin verse. At vintage and harvest, and probably at other rustic festivals, these were sung by masked dancers. They were similar to ribald wedding songs. It is clear from the literary imitations by Catullus (8454 BC), in one of his epithalamiums, that they were very free, even obscene, in language. Horace (658 BC) states that they became so abusive that a law that forbade a malum carmen (evil songi.e., charm intended to hurt) was invoked against them. It was believed that the verses averted the evil eye; hence, some early historians connected the name with fascinum (enchanting, bewitching). The true derivation may be from Fescennia, an Etruscan city. In their origin they may have had a magico-religious intentabuse, buffoonery, and obscenity being well-known fertility or luck charms. Whether they developed into the dramatic satura (medley, or hodgepodge) that was the forerunner of Roman drama has been debated by modern scholars. See also epithalamium.