Product Description

Local practitioners of magic, providing small-scale but valued services to the community, cunning-folk were far more representative of magical practice than the arcane delvings of astrologers and necromancers. Mostly unsensational in their approach, cunning-folk helped people with everyday problems: how to find lost objects; how to escape from bad luck or a suspected spell; and how to attract a lover or keep the love of a husband or wife. While cunning-folk sometimes fell foul of the authorities, both church and state often turned a blind eye to their existence and practices, distinguishing what they did from the rare and sensational cases of malevolent witchcraft. In a world of uncertainty, before insurance and modern science, cunning-folk played an important role that has previously been ignored.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1251745 in Books
• Published on: 2003-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

Review
'Nothing doth more harm in a state than that cunning men pass as wise.' Francis Bacon

About the Author
Owen Davies is Lecturer in History at the University of Hertfordshire and the author of A People Bewitched (1999).

Customer Reviews

Reprinted and re-titled
This book has now been reprinted and re-titled as "Popular Magic: Cunning-folk in English History".