The Night Battles

The Night Battles is a landmark historical study and a primary example of microhistory. Carlo Ginzburg examines the benandanti, peasants from the Friuli region of Italy who believed their spirits fought witches and warlocks during their sleep to protect local crops. This volume 1 exploration uses inquisitorial archives to detail how these good walkers viewed themselves as defenders of fertility, while the church viewed their nocturnal visions as evidence of diabolical witchcraft.

This work of European history analyzes the cultural clash between agrarian traditions and ecclesiastical authority. Ginzburg demonstrates how local beliefs were recast into stereotypes of satanic conspiracy. Categorized as a study of religion, spirituality, and witchcraft, the text explores the intersection of historiography and anthropology. The author provides a detailed analysis of the Friulian trials to illuminate broader historical processes regarding persecution and popular belief in early modern Italy.