Popular Magic: Cunning-folk in English History

Description

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.

Owen Davies is Reader in Social History at the University of Hertfordshire, UK. He is the author of numerous books, including The Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft and Magic (2017), America Bewitched: The Story of Witchcraft after Salem (2013) and Magic: A Very Short Introduction (2012).

"His book is well researched, making excellent use of court reports and press items from the eighteenth century to the twentieth. A very valuable contribution to historical folklore studies." -- Citation as runner up for the Katherine Briggs Folklore award 2003 "a detailed and valuable survey of a poorly understood group of people" -- Daniel Cohen "absorbing, entertaining and informative" -- Northern Earth "the first comprehensive history of English cunning craft" -- The Cauldron