David Castleton (Author)Mar 4
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
Show threadvexillomancer
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.
Mar 8 at 6:36amWeb