Fantastika-re About Transnational Route(s): Representations of Migration in Sicilian Folk Tales

Abstract In Sicily, Giuseppe Pitrè is considered a pioneer in the field of folkloric studies. His work initiated interest in folk traditions and paved the way for many other collections of folk tales. This article examines three stories from Almanaccu Sicilianu, a large collection of Sicilian folk tales and documents that Nino Falcone collected directly from ordinary people. These three stories are concerned with emigration. Using content analysis as a method, the aim of this article is to highlight how those who “stay put” in a land heavily affected by the diaspora employ traditional tales/songs in Fantastika-re (fantasizing) about the route(s) some paesani (co-villagers) took. By drawing on John Clute's concept of Fantastika, this article aims to inform our understanding of how, in the Sicilian context, those who remain and/or return are brought to Fantastika-re, to imagining or fantasizing about unreal or future paths because they have been influenced by stories about emigration.