Description
Book SynopsisThis volume investigates the physical evidence for magic in medieval and modern Britain, including ritual mark, concealed objects, amulets, and magical equipment.
Trade Review“This is a fascinating, educational, elegantly written, and well-argued collection which pushes the boundaries of mainstream historical and archaeological research, shining a light on a very important subject so far over-neglected. I strongly believe that it should be considered as required reading for undergraduate and graduate students of different disciplines, and for field archaeologists especially involved in commercial archaeology.” (Debora Moretti, Magic Ritual and Witchcraft, Vol. 13 (1), 2018)
“Ronald Hutton, Timothy Eastham and their fellow contributors are to be congratulated on a book full of interest. … the book is largely concerned with the English evidence but with a final glance at Australia and United States. Its great merit is that it takes seriously as a subject of study the puzzling graffiti scratched, drawn and painted in buildings. … the book is really the beginning of a conversation rather than the last word on the subject.” (Richard Suggett, Archaeologia Cambrensis, Vol. 166, 2017)
Table of Contents1. Introduction; Ronald Hutton 2. Magic On The Walls: Ritual Protection Marks in the Medieval Church; Matthew Champion 3. Apotropaic Symbols and Other Measures for Protecting Buildings Against Misfortune; Timothy Easton 4. Instances and Contexts of the Head Motif in Britain; John Billingsley 5. Witch Bottles: Their Contents, Contexts and Uses; Brian Hoggard 6. Concealed Animals; Brian Hoggard 7. Shoes Concealed In Buildings; June Swann 8. Garments Concealed Within Buildings: Following the Evidence; Dinah Eastop 9. Spiritual Middens; Timothy Easton 10. Textual Evidence For The Material History Of Amulets In Seventeenth-Century England; Alexander Cummins 11. Amulets: The Material Evidence; Tabitha Cadbury 12. Cunning-Folk and the Production of Magical Artefacts; Owen Davies and Timothy Easton 13. The Wider Picture: Parallel Evidence in America and Australia; Ian Evans, M. Chris Manning and Owen Davies
