Hagstones in The Amalfi Curse: Symbol Analysis and Study Guide

Introduction: A Stone with a Hole, a Tool with a Purpose

In The Amalfi Curse, the hagstone—a stone with a natural hole worn smooth by the sea—appears as a small but potent object. It first surfaces in the Register of Incantations as the required tool for a divination spell, then reappears in the hands of two very different women: the manipulative Savina and the self-sacrificing Mari DeLuca. Over the course of the novel, the hagstone strand evolves from a practical instrument for locating sunken objects into a symbol of love, legacy, and the true meaning of treasure. Its journey mirrors the novel’s central tension between empirical science and supernatural belief, and its final meaning is inseparable from the theme that love, not gold, is the greatest prize.

Literal Description and Function

The hagstone is a stone with a naturally occurring hole, often found on beaches. In the novel’s world, the streghe—sea witches of Amalfi—use a strand of six such stones for the incantesimo divinatorio, an incantation “to discern the location of items in the water.” The register lists the tool plainly: “a strand of six sea-derived hagstones.” This is the only incantation that requires hagstones; other spells use fossils, shells, or no tool at all. The stones are thus specifically associated with finding—not with controlling tides or conjuring storms, but with locating something lost beneath the waves.

The physical description is consistent across the novel. When Savina retrieves her strand, Haven notes “a strand of smooth gray stones, each with a tiny hole allowing the cord to feed through.” The strand “must have weighed a few pounds,” and one stone bears “a tiny starfish fossil embedded within.” This same starfish fossil appears again in the epilogue, when Mari gives Lia the strand she used to rescue her from Ischia, confirming that the two strands are the same object—or at least that the novel deliberately links them.

Recurrence and Transformation

The hagstones appear at three key moments, each time with a different weight.

1. The Register (Chapter 4) – The stones are introduced as a neutral, almost clinical tool. The register is a list of spells, and the hagstones are simply the attrezzo for divination. No emotional or symbolic weight is attached yet.

2. Savina’s Offer (Chapter 39) – Savina retrieves the strand and offers it to Haven, promising to “lead you right to it”—meaning whatever treasure Haven seeks. Here the hagstones become a bargaining chip, a lure. Savina’s use of the stones is transactional: she wants Haven to marry her son Enzo and bear children to continue the strega line. The stones are a means to an end, tied to manipulation and the pursuit of riches. Haven, though intrigued, hands them back, refusing to be bought.

3. Mari’s Gift (Epilogue) – Decades later, Mari gives the same strand to Lia, explaining that it was used to rescue her from imprisonment on Ischia. Mari’s words reframe the stones entirely: “the treasure one seeks, whether by using the hagstones or by some other means, does not necessarily mean jewels or gems or expensive things. Your rescue from Ischia is proof of it.” She closes Lia’s fingers around the stones and concludes, “Sometimes the greatest treasure to be found is…love.” The hagstones, once a tool for finding sunken loot, become a symbol of the love that saved Lia—and of the love Mari and Holmes shared.

This transformation is the heart of the symbol. The same physical object that Savina uses to tempt Haven with material wealth becomes, in Mari’s hands, a reminder that the most valuable thing the stones can locate is not gold but human connection.

Character Connections

Mari DeLuca – Mari is the strega who resents her powers, yet she uses the hagstones for the most selfless act in the novel: locating Vivi’s cimaruta to rescue Lia from Castello Aragonese. The divination spell, powered by the hagstones, leads directly to Lia’s freedom. Mari’s gift of the strand to Lia is an act of maternal love—she is not Lia’s biological mother, but she has raised her as her own. The stones carry the memory of that rescue and the love that motivated it.

Savina – Savina represents the corrupting potential of the same power. She uses the hagstones not to save but to coerce. Her offer to Haven is conditional: “If you will let yourself fall in love with Enzo… I can lead you right to it.” For Savina, the stones are a tool for personal gain and the continuation of her lineage, even at the cost of Haven’s autonomy. Her desperation—she has lost her daughter Bria and fears the curse will take Enzo—makes her sympathetic, but her use of the hagstones is ultimately self-serving.

Haven Ambrose – Haven, the skeptical scientist, is caught between these two models. She recognizes the hagstones from the register and is momentarily tempted by Savina’s promise of “the greatest undiscovered riches.” But she refuses, realizing that “I wasn’t as shallow as Conrad.” Her rejection of Savina’s bargain is a turning point; she chooses integrity over treasure. Later, when she learns the full story of Mari and Holmes, she comes to understand that the real treasure was never gold.

Lia – As the recipient of Mari’s gift, Lia becomes the keeper of the symbol. She is the one who carries the hagstones forward, passing them down through generations of women. Her role is to preserve the memory of love and sacrifice, not to use the stones for personal gain.

Thematic Resonance

The hagstones sit at the intersection of several major themes.

Empirical Science vs. Supernatural Belief – Haven, a marine scientist, initially dismisses the hagstones as superstition. She has no explanation for the yacht sinking or the strange currents, but she clings to data and logic. The hagstones force her to confront the possibility that the supernatural is real. When she holds Savina’s strand, she feels its weight and sees the starfish fossil—evidence that cannot be explained away. The symbol thus embodies the novel’s central conflict: the rational mind versus the inexplicable.

Maternal Sacrifice and Inherited Power – Mari’s gift to Lia is an act of maternal sacrifice. She gives away the very tool that saved Lia’s life, entrusting it to the next generation. The hagstones become a physical link between mothers and daughters, a reminder that power is inherited but also that love is the true inheritance. Savina’s desperate desire for a grandchild to carry on the line echoes this theme, but her motivation is fear, not love.

The Sea as a Sentient, Responsive Force – The hagstones are sea-derived, and their power depends on the sea’s cooperation. The divination spell works only because the sea “reveals” what is hidden. This aligns with the novel’s portrayal of the ocean as a living entity that can be read and influenced. The stones are a conduit for that relationship.

Deception and the Erosion of Trust – Savina’s use of the hagstones is deceptive; she hides her true intentions behind a promise of treasure. The stones become a tool for manipulation, eroding Haven’s trust in her. In contrast, Mari’s use is transparent and selfless. The symbol thus highlights the difference between using power for control and using it for love.

Love as the True Treasure – This is the ultimate message of the hagstones. Mari’s final words to Lia—that the greatest treasure is love—redefine the entire novel’s quest. The hagstones, which could locate any sunken fortune, are ultimately worthless compared to the love that saved Lia and the love that Mari and Holmes shared. The symbol completes its arc: from a tool for finding treasure to a token of the only treasure that matters.

Study Questions

1. How does the hagstone strand’s function change from the Register to the epilogue?

Answer: In the Register, the strand is a neutral tool for the divination incantation, used to locate items in water. In Savina’s hands, it becomes a bargaining chip to coerce Haven into marrying Enzo. In the epilogue, Mari gives the same strand to Lia as a keepsake, reframing it as a symbol of love and sacrifice. The stones’ meaning shifts from practical utility to emotional legacy.

1. What does the starfish fossil on the second hagstone signify?

Answer: The starfish fossil is a unique marker that links Savina’s strand to Mari’s. It appears in both scenes, confirming that the same physical object passes through different hands. The fossil also suggests the sea’s enduring presence—a tiny remnant of marine life embedded in the stone, symbolizing the permanence of the natural world and the continuity of the strega lineage.

1. How does Haven’s reaction to the hagstones reflect her character development?

Answer: Haven initially treats the hagstones with scientific skepticism, but when she holds them, she feels their weight and recognizes the starfish fossil, which she cannot explain away. Her decision to hand them back to Savina shows her refusal to be manipulated. Later, after learning Mari’s story, she comes to understand the stones’ true meaning, moving from a purely rational worldview to one that accepts the possibility of love as a guiding force.

1. In what way do the hagstones connect the themes of maternal sacrifice and inherited power?

Answer: The hagstones are passed from Mari to Lia, a maternal figure to a surrogate daughter. Mari’s sacrifice—using the stones to rescue Lia and then giving them away—embodies the theme of maternal love. The stones also represent inherited power: they are a tool of the streghe, passed down through generations. Savina’s desire to have a grandchild to inherit the power mirrors this, but her motivation is fear, not love. The hagstones thus highlight the difference between power used for control and power used for love.