A01=Anne Lawrence-Mathers
Alchemy in medieval texts
Astrology in medieval Europe
Author_Anne Lawrence-Mathers
Category=DB
Category=DSBB
Category=NH
Category=NHDJ
Category=QRYX2
Category=VXWM
Christianity and the occult
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eq_biography-true-stories
eq_history
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_mind-body-spirit
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
History of magic in Europe
Illuminated grimoires
Magic and religion in the Middle Ages?
Manuscript studies
Medieval esotericism
Medieval magic manuscripts
Royal patronage of magic
Product details
- ISBN 9780300244434
- Dimensions: 152 x 235mm
- Publication Date: 11 Mar 2025
- Publisher: Yale University Press
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Hardback
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A fascinating and highly original history of medieval magic told through twenty key illuminated manuscripts
Medieval Europe was preoccupied with magic. From the Carolingian Empire to Renaissance Italy and Tudor England, great rulers, religious figures, and scholars sought to harness supernatural power. They tried to summon spirits, predict the future, and even prolong life. Alongside science and religion, magic lay at the very heart of culture.
In this beautifully illustrated account, Anne Lawrence-Mathers explores the medieval fascination with magic through twenty extraordinary illuminated manuscripts. These books were highly sought after, commissioned by kings and stored in great libraries. They include an astronomical compendium made for Charlemagne’s son; The Sworn Book of Honorius, used by a secret society of trained magicians; and the highly influential Picatrix. This vivid new history shows how attitudes to magic and science changed over the medieval period—and produced great works of art as they did so.
Medieval Europe was preoccupied with magic. From the Carolingian Empire to Renaissance Italy and Tudor England, great rulers, religious figures, and scholars sought to harness supernatural power. They tried to summon spirits, predict the future, and even prolong life. Alongside science and religion, magic lay at the very heart of culture.
In this beautifully illustrated account, Anne Lawrence-Mathers explores the medieval fascination with magic through twenty extraordinary illuminated manuscripts. These books were highly sought after, commissioned by kings and stored in great libraries. They include an astronomical compendium made for Charlemagne’s son; The Sworn Book of Honorius, used by a secret society of trained magicians; and the highly influential Picatrix. This vivid new history shows how attitudes to magic and science changed over the medieval period—and produced great works of art as they did so.
Anne Lawrence-Mathers is professor of history at University of Reading. She is the author of Medieval Meteorology and The True History of Merlin the Magician and coauthor of Magic and Medieval Society.
