Magic in the Middle Ages

Richard Kieckhefer

doi:10.1017/CBO9781139923484

How was magic practised in medieval times? How did it relate to the diverse beliefs and practices that characterised this fascinating period? In Magic in the Middle Ages Richard Kieckhefer surveys the growth and development of magic in medieval times. He examines its relation to religion, science, philosophy, art, literature and politics before introducing us to the different types of magic that were used, the kinds of people who practised magic and the reasoning behind their beliefs. In addition, he shows how magic served as a point of contact between the popular and elite classes, how the reality of magical beliefs is reflected in the fiction of medieval literature and how the persecution of magic and witchcraft led to changes in the law. This book places magic at the crossroads of medieval culture, shedding light on many other aspects of life in the Middle Ages.

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Magic in the Middle Ages

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Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-iv

Contents
pp v-vi

List of illustrations
pp vii-viii

Foreword to the Canto edition
pp ix-xiii

Preface
pp xiv-xvi

1 - INTRODUCTION: MAGIC AS A CROSSROADS
pp 1-18

2 - THE CLASSICAL INHERITANCE
pp 19-42

3 - THE TWILIGHT OF PAGANISM: MAGIC IN NORSE AND IRISH CULTURE
pp 43-55

4 - THE COMMON TRADITION OF MEDIEVAL MAGIC
pp 56-94

5 - THE ROMANCE OF MAGIC IN COURTLY CULTURE
pp 95-115

6 - ARABIC LEARNING AND THE OCCULT SCIENCES
pp 116-150

7 - NECROMANCY IN THE CLERICAL UNDERWORLD
pp 151-175

8 - PROHIBITION, CONDEMNATION, AND PROSECUTION
pp 176-201

Further reading
pp 202-213

Index
pp 214-219

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Magic in the Middle Ages

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