Night Battles - Study Guide

Night Battles- Study Guide

by Carlo Ginzburg

1. Explain the term 'Good Walkers'.
   
   
2. Why were the Benandante considered part of a fertility cult? What supports this belief? How many years did this change take?
   
   
3. Discuss the assimilation of the Benanadante to Witch's and being associated with devil.
   
   
4. Did the gatherings the Benandante confess to actually take place? What information supports this?
   
   
5. “the witches confessions as a result of hallucinations by the use of drug-containing ointments, or from pathological states especially hysteria.”. (pg. Xix) How true do you think this statement is? Why?
   
   
6. In what areas of Europe is it believed that the belief of the Benandante were widespread? What were the cultural influences?
   
   
7. The mildness of the Friulian inquisitors may be due to what?
   
   
8. What is the 'caul' and why was it important?
   
   
9. It is said the Benandante would go out upon or shape shift into small animals. What would you have chose? Why?