Nighttime Battles: Witchcraft and Agricultural Worship in the 16th and 17th Centuries

Author: (Italian) Carlo Ginzburg
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-12-01
Features: In the 16th century, a peculiar nocturnal activity prevailed in the Friulian region of Italy. Farmers born with the afterbirth would, on certain nights of the year, fall into a trance-like sleep, while their souls would leave their bodies to join battles with witches in the fields. This ancient ritual for drew the attention of the Catholic Church, leading to a series of investigations that spanned nearly a century. The Inquisition strove to classify the midnight wanderers, the "Benedanti," as practitioners of heretical witchcraft, and their intervention ultimately led to the demise of these traditional beliefs. Carlo Ginzburg meticulously compiled and studied the details of a series of religious trials from the Friulian region, vividly depicting how these "Benedanti," under the escalating pressure of the Church, began to confuse their own identities and ultimately identify themselves as witches. Moreover, he masterfully reconstructed the psychological state of the peasants during this period, making this book a significant work in the study of popular culture history.