..... Recently the origin of the word "Mafia" came up. I think I always took it for granted or never gave it much thought, but here is what the calendar said.
"One of the theories about how the word Mafia entered the language is that it started as an acronym for the rallying cry of the Sicilian resistance forces. Morte alla Francia Italia anelia! is translated as "Death to the French is Italy's cry." There is another opinion that Mafia is a corruption of an Arabic word meaning "refuge". In Sicily's violent history, people regularly ran for the hills to seek refuge from the invader."
There is an Urban Legend in Sicily that on the evening of what is called "the night of the sicilian vespers," a Sicilian woman went into one of the churches in Palermo and found her daughter being raped by a French soldier. Legend has it that she then ran out into the streets yelling "Ma fia Ma fia" which translates into "My daughter! My daughter! Some believe that this is where the word "Mafia" might have originated from.
The Night of the Sicilian Vespers actually took place in Sicily sometime around the 13th century. It was a rebellion / uprise against the French troops allowed to occupy Sicily by a King that had taken over control of Sicily, supposedly with the backing of the Pope.
The locals were forced to pay heavy taxes to the King. At the time Palermo was being inhabited by French troops. Legend has it that the French inahbitants, with the backing of the King, made it a tradition to force newly married Sicilian brides to spend the night with them BEFORE being with their new husbands on their wedding night. The French inahbitants of Sicily, backed by the King, were abusing the Sicilian people in many different ways, especially the woman. On one particular night while the sicilian people were attending an evening prayer service of vespers, a group of French officials came by to join in and began to drink. They then began to fondle the breasts of the women and with that the sicilian men decided to finally defend the honor of their woman. A revolt started throughout Palermo, and the sicilian men killed the French inahbitants. Hence the term : Night of The Sicilian Vespers."
