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Description
*Includes pictures
*Includes contemporary descriptions of various practices of magic
*Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading
*Includes a table of contents
"The Anglo-Saxon charms... are of outstanding importance because they provide more than vague references of exceptional and short texts. They cannot be said to reveal everything, for there are numerous points in which they lamentably fail us, but they are numerous enough and, taken as a body, complete enough to give more than a tantalising hint of a strange world. The veil of mystification enveloping magic appears to be thin and transparent here." - G. Storms, Anglo-Saxon Magic (1948)
Great Britain is an ancient land steeped in history and tradition. Its rolling countryside is dotted with prehistoric burial mounds and stone circles. Brooding castles hold tales of bloodshed and honor. Medieval churches have elaborate stained glass windows and gruesome carvings, reflecting a mixture of hope and darkness.
Through all of this runs a deep current of the practice of magic. Court magicians thrilled royal patrons with tales of communing with the dead in moldering graveyards, alchemists labored in hidden laboratories tried to turn base metals into gold, and in the countryside, local "cunning folk" mixed herbs and made incantations. These practices stand in contrast to high magic, including such occult arts as astrology, divination, necromancy, and alchemy, which required literacy, an extensive and expansive personal library, and a fair amount of education. As such, some magicians became important figures in the royal court, such as the famous John Dee, who practiced alchemy and wrote a dictionary documenting the language of angels. Most commoners were not literate and couldn't afford education or books, and thus their magic consisted of separate traditions and techniques that only occasionally overlapped with high magic.
Before the 20th century, with its radios, televisions, and international travel, all levels of British society were fascinated by magic and superstition. At the same time, a comprehensive look at British folk magic is simply impossible. Large volumes have been written about the local beliefs in regions and individual counties, and there has been considerable variation of practices over space and time, but much has been lost. Since folk magicians were for the most part illiterate and worked in a hostile cultural environment throughout much of their history, little was written down.
That said, there is still a rich body of literature about British folk magic. While the practitioners of folk magic may have been poor, the tradition in which they worked certainly was not. Many of their spells had ancient roots and expressed a deep knowledge of the people and the land in which they lived. It was an enduring system of magic that survived religious persecution, the laughter of the educated classes, and the march of modernism (at least to some extent). Traces of these folk practices have survived up to the present time, making it unlikely that they will ever die out completely.
British Folk Magic: The History of Magical Practices across Great Britain offers a sampling of Britain's folk magic, including the common cures and spells carried out by regular people. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about British folk magic like never before.
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