Magic in Medieval Manuscripts, Sophie Page, 2004; expanded hardback edition by British Library 2017. Small but perfectly formed: this books is a little jewel to brighten the dark January evenings. This is not a manual of spells and charms, though a number are included, nor is it simply a picture book, though the illustrations are…
Begun in 1604 and published in 1611, the King James Version became the Authorised Version of the Bible, and has never been out of print. Rebecca Ireland looks at it in the context of the study of magic and folklore. This monumental work of translation and refinement of all the Biblical texts known to exist…
As part of our series looking at older books, Rebecca Ireland talks about Ella Mary Leather’s classic collection of Herefordshire folktales. If local informants can be believed witches were rife in Herefordshire in the 19th century; cows were cursed or cured; the evil eye was a constant threat, and simply offending a neighbour could lead…
Executing Magic in the Modern Era: Criminal Bodies and the Gallows in Popular Medicine takes an in-depth look at the fascination that the bodies of criminals and their means of execution have exercised over the human mind for many centuries. In the Roman era, the blood of gladiators was believed to have curative properties…