Benandanti: Anti-Witches & The Inquisition
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- čas přidán 2. 05. 2020
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The witch trials throughout medieval Europe have become renowned for their relentless, brutal torture and widespread execution. Whether floated as a form of class warfare, patriarchal dominance or religious persecution, the stories that remain are pitch black with their depictions of callous violence. Likewise, the legacy of The Medieval Inquisition, is too one of severe brutality and overzealous, corrupt authoritarians crushing those with differing beliefs and lifestyles. Despite this, there is one story from history of a group of individuals in Northern Italy that whilst crossing over with both The Inquisition and witch trials, somehow came out the other side with relatively few casualties. So unbelievable were the stories that came from the individuals involved, that The Inquisitors themselves wrote many off as simple fantasists in the face of their sincere admissions. Known as the Benandanti, this was a group of people whose story was truly one of the strangest in the myths, legends and lore of historical Witchcraft.
SOURCES
Ginzburg, Carlo. (1966) The NIght Battles: Witchcraft and Agrarian Cults in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. The John Hopkins University Press, MD, USA.
Peters, Edward M. (1989) Inquisition. University of California Press, CA, USA
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Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017
Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that. - Zábava
I have wanted to know more about the Benandanti for a long time! Thank you. I think they have a lot in common with shamans.
the summation of this really made it for me. what, indeed, is not to love about riding into battle on the back of war-rabbit.
Just in the middle of doing dishes and looking for something to listen to. Perfect timing 👍
that was great. Fennel and sorghum battles on hares and cats! Superb.
You are the best for several situations: cooking and dog walking are the points at which I really listen in depth to the subject and sponge it all up; I listen to favorites when going to sleep so I can fade to sleep just listening to your voice and cadence. And I listen when I'm folding large quantities of laundry. You're a frequent companion,and you don't even know it.
You, ObsoleteOddity and Ian on Horrorbabble. The best voices, speed, rhythm. Thanks for the lullaby voice and the stimulating content. I appreciate the depth of research tremendously, and I think it's a fantastic and generous use of your time and accumulated knowledge. Thanks for sharing. I'm a patron for the foreseeable future, and what little I toss in your hat is far less than your final product deserves.
I don't think you were talking about me when you spoke of someone suggesting your channel, but just a couple days ago I was watching one of Obsolete Oddity's videos and at the ends of his episodes he often addresses the audience directly to speculate on the story he's just finished or to share his own stories, shout outs, etc - like you do. That time he was asking what we, his Oddites, thought about his idea to do podcasts. I got all excited and wrote to tell him about your show and podcasts, how much I enjoy your offerings, and that the both of you having podcasts would be heavenly.
Thank you so much for making this video. So informative and easy to listen to. Well done sir! ❤
Another cracking episode, we've been long time listeners here at WM, and you never fail to entertain! Your channel is one of a select few that inspired us to begin our own. Hope you are well!
just in time for my workout!
Really enjoyed listening great story.
This is awesome, why did I not already know this?
Yay! Only lunchtime and you've already made my day 😎
Bummed out that I missed the last live chat 😔
The questions not being recorded may have to do with them being standard types of question that "everybody knows". That, and parchment is expensive.
Loved it!!! It's never occurred to me before that their might be a history of witchcraft and magic cults in medieval europe. All I knew is t he witchcraft trials where poor women were basically murdered on flimsy reasons in a truly horrific time in European history. And the US as well...I was married to a Parris who started the witch trials in salem . So I read all books on that I could get from the local library while married to a decendent. But I'm hooked! I did once have a copy of The Golden Bough by Fraser that included European pagan practices and right now I wish I'd kept it!!
I bought and read Ginzberg's book a few years ago. It is a fascinating read, and it really surprised me that the Inquisition was not as rabid about persecuting (at least killing) these Benandanti. The book is available on Amazon. It is repetitive, but some characters were questioned repeatedly over several years. Witches were not so fortunate, of course.
You be safe, Ben, OK?
The myth of the Benandanti werewolves who would hunt evil, descend into hell to fight evil and prevent starvation and other catastrophe
That's not really Benandanti, but a peripheral case of a man called Thiess of Kaltenbrun, who was nicknamed the Livonian Werewolf, but he's only connected because Carlo Ginzburg, the foremost Benandanti scholar, compared his beliefs to their beliefs. Thiess wasn't even geographically nearby them, let alone an influence. Most benandanti myths have them spirit walking instead of turning into or possessing animals, but there's a lot of animal myths too so the connection is suggested.
There are other counter-witches in Europe, like the Perchtenlaufen battles of Germany, the Kresnik vampire hunters of Dalmatia, the Balkans Dhampir vampire hunters, Serbian zduhacs who transform into dragons to fight storms, and the Hungarian taltos. The Benandanti as a word should typically be used only from the Friulian strain of these folk traditions; if you use benandante as an umbrella term, you erase the cultural and historical context of the other traditions, and muddy the waters of what a benandante even is in the first place.
Meat on a Friday! That witch is evil
I have a doubt That i carry DNA of Benadanti….
Eating meat on a Friday? Shoot, maybe I'm a witch. 😯
So the Benandante are real? I thought this was made up from that show. Interesting 🤔