Medieval Magic

Abstract

Abstract Despite the condemnations uttered by some theologians at the time, there was a flowering of intellectual interest in magic in the medieval period. Natural magic was an aspect of experimental science, and angelic magic was practised as a religious exercise. The Crusades and the mistaken attribution of the ‘witch craze’ as medieval have shaped the popular conception of the period as one of intolerance. This chapter shows, through examples from magical manuscripts, how branches of medieval scholarship were enlightened. Magic was a product of dialogue with and inspiration from Judaic and Arabic traditions that preserved ancient knowledge otherwise lost in the Christian West. The importance of Spain and Byzantium in this process is explored.

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