Physical Evidence for Ritual Acts, Sorcery and Witchcraft in Christian Britain

This volume investigates the physical evidence for magic in medieval and modern Britain, including ritual mark, concealed objects, amulets, and magical equipment. The contributors are the current experts in each area of the subject, and show between them how ample the evidence is and how important it is for an understanding of history.

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 ofa conversation rather than the last word on the subject. (Richard Suggett, Archaeologia Cambrensis, Vol. 166, 2017)

Autorentext

John Billingsley, Independent Scholar, UK Tabitha Cadbury, Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery, UK Matthew Champion, Freelance Archaeologist, UK Alexander Cummins, University of Bristol, UK Owen Davies, University of Hertfordshire, UK Timothy Easton, Independent Artist and Sculptor, UK Dinah Eastop, University College London, UK Ian Evans, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia Brian Hoggard, Independent Scholar, UK M. Chris Manning, Dovetail Cultural Resource Group, USA June Swann MBE, Northampton Museum, UK

Inhalt

1. 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