Charms and Charming in Europe

Historical records of charms, the verbal element of vernacular magic, date back at least as far as the late middle ages, and charming has continued to be practiced until recently in most parts of Europe. And yet, the topic has received only scattered scholarly attention to date. By bringing together many of the leading authorities on charms and charming from Europe and North America, this book aims to rectify this neglect, and by presenting discussions covering a variety of periods and of locations - from Finland to France, and from Hungary to England - it forms an essential reader on the topic.

OWEN DAVIES Lecturer in History, University of Hertfordshire, UK DAVID ELTON GAY Lecturer in Folklore, School of Continuing Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA SANDA GOLOPENTIA Professor of French Studies, Brown University, Rhode Island, USA HENNI ILOMAKI Chief Librarian of the Finnish Literature Society, Finland LEA T. OLSAN Professor Emerita of English, University of Louisiana at Monroe, USA EVA POCS Associate Professor, Janus Pannonius University, Pécs, Hungary W. F. RYAN Former Librarian of the Warburg Institute, Professor of Russian Studies and author T. M. SMALLWOOD Researcher ULRIKA WOLF-KNUTS Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Åbo Akademi University, Finland