David Castleton (Author)
In the 16th century in the Friuli region of Italy, a group known as the Benandanti (or 'Good Walkers') would go out on certain nights armed with fennel stalks to do battle against witches and warlocks, thereby protecting crops and livestock from their malign influence. The Benandanti believed they had been endowed with supernatural powers due to 'being born in the caul' and they often carried their preserved cauls with them. They claimed they could shapeshift into wolves or other animals, journey outside the body, foretell the future, and speak with the dead. Despite their good intentions, some Benandanti found themselves accused of witchcraft and heresy, with their nocturnal journeys seen as a type of witches' Sabbath. #history #folklore #gothic #weird #supernatural #occult #magic
Mar 4 at 6:22pmWeb
Show threadcohanMar 4
@david_castleton it's funny- as I read their activities and powers, the first thing I thought was-- but, they *are* witches themselves! Witch doesn't equate with evil, those are just bad witches.. but I wouldn't expect the Church to make that distinction...lol
Show threadDavid Castleton (Author)Mar 4
@cohanf It was how the church defined it at the time. Unlike in medieval times, when white magic was largely tolerated, by the early modern period all magic was seen as satanic.
Show threadDavid Castleton (Author)Mar 4
@cohanf Actually, having said that, alchemy and Enochian magic weren't always seen that way, but they were often regarded with suspicion.
Show threadcohanMar 4
@david_castleton yes, exactly, all comes down to Church propaganda against all the pre-Christian religions-- the typical image of the Christian devil himself is a twisted slur attempting to discredit forest deities, and of course they were 100% against all female centred knowledge/traditions.
Show threadben morettiMar 6
@david_castleton my family is from Friuli
Show threadvexillomancerMar 8
The caul as a sign of power - there's something profound about that membrane between worlds marking someone from birth. In my research I've noticed how protective traditions across cultures often associate golden or luminous signs with those who guard thresholds. The Benandanti's fennel stalks feel like another marker of that in-between state. Not quite weapon, not quite symbol, but something that operates in both realms at once.