The magician, the witch, and the law / Edward Peters.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Peters, Edward, 1936-

Contributor:

Constance L. Rosenthal Book Fund.

Series:

Middle Ages series

Middle Ages.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Magic--History.

Magic.

History.

Witchcraft--History.

Witchcraft.

Physical Description:

xviii, 218 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

[Philadelphia] : University of Pennsylvania Press, 1978.

Summary:

Drawing a distinction between medieval "magic" and early modern "witchcraft," Edward Peters argues that early medieval magic was considered a practical science, requiring study and skill. But as European society became more articulate and self-conscious, the old tradition of magic as a science became associated with heresy and sorcery. Thereafter the Middle Ages knew no safe, learned magic that was not subject to accusation of diabolism in one form or another, and the magician, like the later witch, could be punished for both spiritual and temporal offenses. Through Peters's analysis of the legal, ecclesiastical, and literary responses to this problem, magic and witchcraft are located more accurately in the cultural context of the time, providing important new insights into medieval history.

Contents:

Introduction: Magic in Medieval Culture xi

1. The Transformations of the Magus 1

2. Rhetoric and Magic in the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries 21

3. Learning and Magic in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries 63

4. The Systematic Condemnation of Magic in the Thirteenth Century 85

5. The Sorcerer's Apprentice 110

6. The Magician, the Witch, and the Law 138

Appendix 1. Res fragilis: Torture in Early European Law 183

Appendix 2. Nicholas Eymeric: On Heresy, Magic, and the Inquisitor 196

Appendix 3. The Magician, the Witch and the Historians 203.

Notes:

Includes index.

Includes bibliographical references.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Constance L. Rosenthal Book Fund.

ISBN:

0812277465

OCLC:

3892374