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P.
G. Maxwell-Stuart.
The
Occult in Medieval Europe 500-1500.
Palgrave,
2005.
264pp.
Publisher's
recommended price
Hardback ISBN 1403902909, £47.50
Paperback ISBN 1403902895, £15.99
The medieval period is
often seen as an age of superstition. This study challenges this
assumption, offering students a varied collection of documents - many
of which appear in English for the first time - surveying what people
throughout Europe actually thought and believed about the occult
sciences at the time. The various branches of magic, divination,
astrology and alchemy which helped people to make sense of their world
are presented through translated extracts from religious, legal,
medical and scientific documents.
Contents:
Introduction
THE CREATED UNIVERSE
Portents and Prodigies
Occult Properties of the Natural World
Signs on the Human Body
Non-Human Entities
Miracles
Methods of Divination
THE PARALLEL UNIVERSE OF MAGIC
Popular Practices
Ritual Magic
Hostile Magic, Demons, and Witchcraft
Prohibition, Reservation, and Scepticism
INTERPRETING AND MANIPULATING THE UNIVERSE
Astrology
Alchemy
Bibliography
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