Magic in Britain : A History of Medieval and Earlier Practices

Melrose, Robin

ISBN 10: 1476674000 / ISBN 13: 9781476674001

Published by McFarland & Company, 2018

About this Item

Seller Inventory # 30652371-n

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Magic in Britain : A History of Medieval and Earlier Practices
• Publisher: McFarland & Company
• Publication Date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1476674000
• ISBN 13: 9781476674001
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

Magic, both benevolent (white) and malign (black), has been practiced in the British Isles since at least the Iron Age (800 BCE-CE 43). "Curse tablets"--metal plates inscribed with curses intended to harm specific people--date from the Roman Empire. The Anglo-Saxons who settled in England in the fifth and sixth centuries used ritual curses in documents, and wrote spells and charms.

When they became Christians in the seventh century, the new "magicians" were saints, who performed miracles. When William of Normandy became king in 1066, there was a resurgence of belief in magic. The Church was able to quell the fear of magicians, but the Reformation saw its revival, with numerous witchcraft trials in the late 16th and 17th centuries.

About the Author

Robin Melrose is a retired senior lecturer in English and linguistics at England's University of Portsmouth. He lives on the Isle of Wight in southern England.