Hello again. Today's post for A Tithe in Blood delves into a real-world author referenced in the story. That writer is Isabella di Morra, an Italian poet of the 16th century.
Honoka's journey into blood magic began with her finding fictionalised notes on the art written by Isabella di Morra, after enjoying the author's other works beforehand. In real life, Isabella wrote numerous sonnets and poems, which can be read in numerous compilations.
The story of Isabella is unfortunately a tragic one. An intelligent and well-educated daughter of Italian nobility, Isabella di Morra was imprisoned by her envious brothers in the family's castle, her few links to the outside world being a scarce few friendships cultivated while confined. Her brothers, suspicious of her having formed a romantic relationship through letters allegedly exchanged with others, would eventually murder her at only 25 years old.
Isabella's poetry, written while imprisoned, is a stark contrast to that of many other contemporary writers. Bereft of flowery prose or stylistic flourishes, she writes in a straightforward and at times forceful manner, venting her frustrations, despair, and longing for freedom into her passages. Her direct and personal style would take time to be appreciated by the literary world, her poetry recovered and distributed posthumously, and only gaining wider popularity after being rediscovered later in the 20th century.
Honoka's adoration of her works in A Tithe in Blood is the result of the openness with which Isabella addresses the darkness of the human condition and her circumstances, the faint rays of hope she writes of in search of a divine resolution to her pain, and the hate for the injustices dealt to her.
For those wishing to read Isabella di Morra's poetry themselves, numerous copies exist both in the public domain and in published books, with various translations available from the original Italian. They're highly recommended, even to those who don't often read poetry, as her heartfelt and direct style make them very accessible.
- Suriko