Popular Magic: Cunning-folk in English History
| Author | : Owen Davies |
| Publisher | : Bloomsbury Publishing |
| Total Pages | : 263 |
| Release | : 2007-06-01 |
| ISBN-10 | : 9780826442796 |
| ISBN-13 | : 082644279X |
| Rating | : 4/5 (79X Downloads) |
Download or read book Popular Magic: Cunning-folk in English History written by Owen Davies and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2007-06-01 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cunning-folk were local practitioners of magic, providing small-scale but valued service to the community. They 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 malvolent witchcraft. In a world of uncertainty, before insurance and modern science, cunning-folk played an important role that has previously been ignored.
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