Description
Hello and welcome to Medieval Magic and Witchcraft!
During medieval times magic and witchcraft lurked down the streets of every city, town, and small village across Western Europe.
But what did it look like? Who practiced it?
We begin our study in the ancient Mediterranean world, discovering the kinds of magic and witchcraft practiced by those who understood occult knowledge. Here, distinctions will be made between what was acceptable “religion” and what was considered subversive “magic” in the ancient world.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, magical texts were preserved by Islamic forces that had pushed westward into Egypt and Spain. They added new ideas to classical Western magical traditions, most notably seen in the rise of ceremonial magic in the medieval university.
The spread of magical texts so prominent in the medieval world would come under fire during the Renaissance Era. It is at this time, as well, that we see the rise of the European “witch craze.”
I think it’s important to know where our traditions come from! I look forward to sharing and learning with you all!
Course duration is 6 video lecture course.
