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When the local wizard was the repository of all wisdom

Before the arrival of ‘proper’ doctors, everyone in the Middle Ages, from rulers to peasants, turned to magic practitioners and cunning folk for healing and advice

11 May 2024

9:00 AM

11 May 2024

9:00 AM

Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic Tabitha Stanmore

The Bodley Head, pp.304, 20

What do you do when one of your possessions goes missing? Search behind the sofa cushions? Ask other members of the household where they put it? If you lived in Renaissance England, there’s a chance you would have consulted a local magician for advice, especially if the lost item was of value.

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