Gods and Worms

In the preface Ginzburg asks, "is it possible to speak of reciprocal movement between the two levels of culture?" (xxii) This is something with which I have struggled to rectify with the practice of history because as often we hear of the need to place viewpoints in the context of their time the ability to evaluate the origin of a mentality is often limited by our sources as well as the context in which we ourselves exist. The Cheese and the Worms provides an excellent example of how microhistory can help address this conundrum. The miller Mennochio is and his interrogations are a point for which the author can bridge the modern observer with the concerns of a exceptional yet not untypical person living in a time of change and expanding knowledge. But the author also asserts that, "behind this thin fabric of themes and issues of contemporary events one glimpses the massive presence of different and much more ancient traditions." (19) Thus, Ginzburg is attempting to understand not only a sixteenth century inquisitional trial, but also the world mentality of a European peasantry with traditions and beliefs that existed side by side with the culture of the dominant classes (nobility/clergy) for centuries and perhaps even longer. This shows how microhistory can indeed tells us about the quotidian and the larger context.