Menocchio, the 'anachronism' apparent

Menocchio first seemed to me to be nothing short of an enigma, an anachronism even. I think this is most likely the very purpose of not only Ginzburg but micro-historians in general. I believe the reason Menocchio appears as an anachronism is due to our misconceptions and reductionism in understanding social collectivism or popular culture. In this case, it would be 16th century Italy. As in the articles we read for the first class would state, Ginzburg sought out an 'outcast' to better understand a time, place, and culture. The Cheese and the Worms and Montaillou have many similarities in theme, form, and function.

One thing really struck out at me, which may be obvious to somebody who specializes in Christendom and Inquisition histories, but both the works of both inquisitions describe heresy in the same exact terms as one would describe a plague or scourge. Both inquisitions are hell-bent on not only eradicating heresy, but understanding how it spreads and assuming it can spread in a virus-esque manner. (Ginzburg, 104) In Montillou the inquisitors concluded that heresy could spread as easily as peeping through a door upon heretical practices or even living in a space which had a hole and direct line to a heretical household. (Ladurie 37. 41) These scenes are detailed how the respective inquisitions engaged with heresy as a town engages a plague. I found this notion to be not only extremley interesting, but extraordinarily insightful to the mindset of inquisition.

Ginzburg seeks out to understand how popular culture as well as textual sources impact the minds of people, especially the peasants who are nearly forgotten in history. At least until the rise of the Annals and Marxist history. However, Ginzburg brings up an interesting notion about cultures based off of oral tradition. That of the permanence of the status quo. Perhaps this was one of the greatest facets of Menocchio, the notion of the impermanence of the status quo. He called, time and time again, for a 'new world'. Ginzburg describes how interesting this is since many cultures based off of oral tradition find it nearly impossible to see beyond their own limits. In an essence, the fishbowl effect. (Ginzburg, 73). Because they are illiterate, notions beyond the mythical past and nearly unknown to them which results in a sort of permanency of the current social apparatuses.