In medieval Europe, magic was an everyday occurrence. There were spells to protect grain from rats, to cure snakebite, to identify a thief in a crowd. While the church usually treated magic as a foolish superstition, sorcerers had simply been tricked by the Devil into believing that they had magical powers, this ridicule did not stop people from practicing magic and many surviving manuscripts contain such spells and rituals. Some volumes are even wholly dedicated to magic, ranging from complex incantations to summon demons or angels to short charms that could be worn or spoken for protection.

Drawing upon the manuscripts of the British Library, Rory MacLellan will guide you through spells to treat snakebite, to make bread dance, and even to summon demons that will help you find buried treasure. He will talk about protective charms for childbirth, curses to guard books from theft, spells to prank your neighbours, and the surprising Christian elements and priestly practitioners of medieval magic.