Product Details
Cunning-folk: Popular Magic in English History

Cunning-folk: Popular Magic in English History
By Owen Davies

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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: #1001947 in Books
  • Published on: 2003-01-01
  • Format: Illustrated
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Hardcover
  • 256 pages

Editorial Reviews

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).