Magic in the Middle Ages

by Richard Kieckhefer

Overview

How was magic practiced in medieval times? How did it relate to the diverse beliefs and practices that characterized this fascinating period? This much revised and expanded new edition of Magic in the Middle Ages surveys the growth and development of magic in medieval Europe. It takes into account the extensive new developments in the history of medieval magic in recent years, featuring new material on angel magic, the archaeology of magic, and the magical efficacy of words and imagination. Richard Kieckhefer shows how magic represents a crossroads in medieval life and culture, examining its relationship and relevance to religion, science, philosophy, art, literature, and politics. In surveying the different types of magic that were used, the kinds of people who practiced magic, and the reasoning behind their beliefs, Kieckhefer 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781108796897
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	09/09/2021
Edition description:	3rd ed.
Pages:	300
Sales rank:	252,971
Product dimensions:	6.02(w) x 8.98(h) x 0.59(d)

About the Author

Richard Kieckhefer has taught in Religious Studies and History and is now Emeritus Professor at Northwestern University, where his work focuses on the history of late medieval religious culture and the history of magic and witchcraft, with particular focus on the late Middle Ages. His published books include European Witch Trials: Their Foundations in Popular and Learned Culture, 1300–1500 (1976), Repression of Heresy in Medieval Germany (1979), Unquiet Souls: Fourteenth-Century Saints and their Religious Milieu (1984), Forbidden Rites: A Necromancer's Manual of the Fifteenth Century (1997), Theology in Stone: Church Architecture from Byzantium to Berkeley (2004) and Hazards of the Dark Arts: Advice for Medieval Princes on Witchcraft and Magic (2017).

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Magic as a crossroads; 2. The classical inheritance; 3. The twilight of paganism: Magic in Norse and Irish culture; 4. The common tradition of medieval magic; 5. The romance of magic in courtly culture; 6. Arabic learning and the occult sciences; 7. Invocation and conjuration of angels; 8. Conjuration of demons; 9. Prohibition, condemnation, and prosecution.

Editorial Reviews

'Richard Kieckhefer offers a panoramic view of a very diverse set of problems in his cogently organised and revealing book … imaginative and stimulating …'. Journal of Medieval History

'… a readable and lively book, whose particular strengths are its confidence and clarity in defining different sorts of magical activities, and the sharp illustrative details … he deserves congratulations.' History

'The range of primary texts, often quoted from manuscript, and the coverage of secondary literature, in many languages, are impressive features. This is a valuable survey which few will read without learning something new.' The Times Higher Education Supplement

'… stands out amid the many speculative efforts which preceded it; it can be highly recommended as a concise and authoritative history of medieval magic.' Ambix

'This book can be highly recommended.' Medical History

' … an excellent introduction to an interesting and expanding subject.' BBC History Magazine

From the Publisher