The Night Battles: Witchcraft and Agrarian Cults in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth CenturiesBased on research in the Inquisitorial archives, the book recounts the story of a peasant fertility cult centered on the benandanti. These men and women regarded themselves as professional anti-witches, who (in dream-like states) apparently fought ritual battles against witches and wizards, to protect their villages and harvests. If they won, the harvest would be good, if they lost, there would be famine. The inquisitors tried to fit them into their pre-existing images of the witches' sabbat. The result of this cultural clash which lasted over a century, was the slow metamorphosis of the benandanti into their enemies - the witches. The author shows clearly how this transformation of the popular notion of witchcraft was manipulated by the Inquisitors, and disseminated all over Europe and even to the New World. The peasants' fragmented and confused testimony reaches us with immediacy, enabling the reader to identify a level of popular belief which constitutes a valuable witness for the reconstruction of the peasant way of thinking of this age. |
Contents
The night battles | 1 |
The processions of the dead | 33 |
The benandanti between inquisitors and witches | 69 |
The benandanti at the sabbat | 99 |
Appendix | 147 |
Notes | 173 |
| 205 | |
Other editions - View all
The Night Battles: Witchcraft and Agrarian Cults in the Sixteenth and ... Carlo Ginzburg Limited preview - 2013 |
The Night Battles: Witchcraft & Agrarian Cults in the Sixteenth ... Carlo Ginzburg Limited preview - 2011 |
Common terms and phrases
abjure ACAU accused aforesaid angel Anno integro appeared asked asserted Bastiano Battista Moduco battles beliefs benan benandanti bewitched body born Brazzano called captain caul century Church Cividale confessions conventicles cult cure danti dead declared denunciation devil Ember Days Ember seasons European Witchcraft evil fact faith Felice da Montefalco fennel fertility fight Friuli Friulian Furious Horde Gasparutto Gasperina Gerolamo Giovanni harvests heresy Hexenprozesse Holda Holy Office Ibid incl Inquisition inquisitor of Aquileia interrogation Josaphat judges lassico later Latisana Marchetto Maria Panzona Menichino Michele Soppe Monfalcone Montefalco mother myth night Oberstdorf Olivo Orderic Vitalis peasant Perchta Pietro popular priest provveditore Questioned replied reverend father inquisitor rite Rotaro sabbat Sion sorcery sorghum soul spells spirit stalks summoned superstitions tell things Thursday told traditions Udine Uffizio unnumbered leaves usque ad annum valley of Josaphat vicar village wander werewolves witches and benandanti witches and warlocks woman women