The origin of Myths in Sicily can be traced back to the Paleolithc age . The famous etchings found in the cave of Addura on mount Pellegrino in Palermo, rappresent complex hunting scenes with animal and human rappresentations. The images suggest a moment of hunting that could be linked to magic rituals. In these arcaic images, religious elements can already be noticed. The “Stentinello” civilization, in the Neolithic time, is filled with new elements. These new elements are due to the oriental influences and to the interest of people in  both sailing and breeding . The frame of time we are referring to can be collocated between the fourth ad the fifth millenium A.C.

This period of time is full of various elements such as the unbaked pottery shaping and spreading of the stylized eye symbol. The eye symbol probably “spread” due to the relation with the solar cults. An important turning point is the beginning of the practise of agriculture in the prehistoric communities. The cult of the mother nature , one of the most antique, is common to all the mediterrenean communites.

According to historic sources (Thucydides, Diodoro Siculo,Dionigi of Alicarnasso) , in Sicily, before the arrival of the greeks,  the Elimi where present in the west part of the island. In the central and south-west part were the Sicani, and in the east part the Siculi arrived later on.  The data obtained from the archeological studies, confirm what the litterature sustains. Event though it is hard to find myths that belong to a pre-greek age, there are some indigenous elements in the elaboration of the myths.

There is a fundamental consideration to make: the mediterrenean area is a common ground, therefore many myths, of both greek or indigenous origin, correspond. An element that can be found in both is the “mother nature” . The Greeks insight regarding this element is patriarchal. On the contrary, the sicilian myths offer a matriarchal perspective.

The sicilian myths present various influences: antique mediterrenean civilizations,elimi and sicani,Phoenician-Punic , Aegean-Cretans, the mycenaeans, prolatini and latins, italics and lastly romans. Sicilian myths were born in this background and it isn’t easy to recreate the genesis of every single myth. There are some coincidences between the invasions of the Achei and of Latins and later on of the Dori and the Italics. The greek colonization in Sicily begins from the beginning of the eight century B.C. It is clear though, that contacts with the minoan, mycenaean and Greek worlds began before for commercial and cultural exchanges.

The Calcidesi founded Naxos, Lentini, Imera and Zancle. The Dorians who came from  Corinth, arrived at  Ortigia and created a first comminuty in Siracusa. The Rhodium-Cretans arrived at Gela and Agrigento. The Megarians at Megera Iblea and Selinunte. The cultural and religious heritage of the Greeks present a very large panorama full of different components. Some myths present original elements that have detemined their ultimate structure. For other myths we can only assume less accredited assumptions. The origin of myths in Sicily has a tight relation with the nature of the island and it fenomenon.  In this way the land becomes the symbol of the mother nature that creates seasons by also taking in account the climate and the fertile territory. The Etna volcano, that erupted lava and fire, influenced the religious beliefs. The sea, rivers, woods, mountains and caves also played an imporant role. Some of the most important myths we should remember are Cocalo, Dedalus and Minosses, Demtra and Core, of Palici. Certain sicilian myths can be linked to the medival times, like for example the legend of Colapesce. In Sicily we can also find myths that refer to the legends of King Arthur of England, due to the cultural influence from english communities. Also, various classical authors played an important role in sicilian mythology. The most important ones that we should remeber are Homer, and Esiodo. Also the historican Diodoro Siculo from Agira, whose work is key to the understandment of the history of the island.  In addition we also remeber Thucydides, Strabone, Polibio, Pausiana, Plutarch, Theocritus, Ovid, Virgil, Pindaro, Plinius, Cicerone. In particular, Cicerone traces a loyal description of the sicilian traditions and the cults of the island in his work Verrine. Le main work that regard the ancient Sicily and that also include information about the mythology of the island are the works of Adolf Holm, “Storia della Sicilia nell’antichità “(Torino 1896-1901) and of Edward Augustus Freeman, The history of Sicily from the earliest times (Oxford 1891-1894). The beginning of the 20th century, marks a change in the study process of the sicilian mythology. The work of Emanuele Ciaceri, “Culti e miti nella storia della Sicilia antica” (Catania 1911), is still valid at present for the great amount of information and it’s historical- religious research. The work “Arte e civiltà della Sicilia antica “(Voll I-IV, Città di Castello 1935) of Biagio Pace is also of great relevance due to his analysis and archelogical research. The work of  Eugenio Manni, “Sicilia pagana”(Palermo 1963) highlights the indigenous cults.

Ancient myths are fascinating even considering the fact that the public they are exposed to is limited. When one talks about mythology one is delivering and discovering the mysteries of the ancient civilizations. Written work is the most common form of communication amoung men. Putting aside the written form, what remains are symbols, paintings, archeological remains of iconographic rappresentations of our anchestors. Through myths one can also try to retrace, maybe also reconstruct history when in lack of written sources. If one reads between the lines of a myth it is almost always possible to find hidden truths about history.