History of Magic

By: Lorenzo Manara
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  • Summary

  • Ever wonder about the magic of old? Dive into a world of spells, potions, and age-old mysteries in this exciting exploration of history, from the ancients to the Middle Ages.

    Each episode of the "History of Magic" podcast is based on rigorous historical research, drawing from ancient, medieval, and modern sources. Through papyri, parchments, manuscripts, and chronicles of the time, we will retrace the different forms of magic that have characterized the history of the Mediterranean and Northern European regions: from the rituals of the ancient Egyptians and the Greco-Roman world to the magical arts of medieval sorcerers.

    I am Lorenzo Manara, and I will guide you on this journey to discover the "History of Magic"!
    Lorenzo Manara
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Episodes
  • The pact with the devil

    The pact with the devil
    Jul 29 2024
    The magical ability most emblematic of the medieval wizard and witch is the evocation of demons, and more precisely, the Devil himself. This association might seem like a product of contemporary imagination, but it's actually a cultural cornerstone of European folklore from the year 1000 onwards.The concept of making deals with the Devil as a shortcut to gain advantages arose during the Middle Ages. This period saw a confluence of ancient superstitions and burgeoning economic and commercial activity, leading to a metaphorical "legalized exchange" between mortals and supernatural beings.While there are certainly older examples of supernatural evocations, as evidenced by the necromancers and psychagogues of Ancient Greece, the legal concept behind the pact with the devil is rooted in the contractual instruments and legal system of the Middle Ages. This system arrogantly permeated all aspects of daily life, including religious and esoteric ones.The idea that a divine or otherworldly being would require a signed document to enforce agreements with humans might seem strange today. However, in the Middle Ages, the concept of contracts, both written and oral, became increasingly important for dealings with demons. This shift in thinking can be seen by some historians as the origin of capitalism.
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    16 mins
  • The Medieval and Modern Witch

    The Medieval and Modern Witch
    Jul 22 2024
    Latin terms strix or striga referred to nocturnal travelers. Ancient authors, like Pliny the Elder, described them as flying spiritual beings that fed on human blood. The word "strix" gives us the modern name for the strigidae family, which includes nocturnal birds of prey like owls and tawny owls. More importantly, it's the root of the word we still use for girls persecuted by treacherous inquisitors, a term associated with a specific era in our collective imagination: the Middle Ages. Ironically, the witches burned at the stake during the Inquisition weren't even medieval.The idea of midwives and healers living on the village outskirts, labeled as devil-cooperating witches and seen as innocent victims of an ignorant society, is actually quite modern. This concept first appeared during the dawn of the Renaissance.The most famous treatise on witchcraft is the Malleus Maleficarum, published in 1487 in Germany by two Dominican friars. Despite its popularity, it was never officially endorsed by the Church.
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    11 mins
  • The magic potion

    The magic potion
    Jul 15 2024
    The enchanting of liquids to create magical potions has been a practice within literary fantasy culture for millennia. In Homer's Odyssey, Circe, the goddess skilled in potions, rituals, and metamorphosis, serves as the specialist in the art of pharmakon, a term encompassing remedies that can be both poisonous and medicinal, just like medicinal plants, drugs, and magical potions themselves. After administering her poisoned concoction to Odysseus' crew, she transforms them all into beasts – all except Odysseus.The hero receives help from Hermes. Hermes grants him the effects of another, beneficial medicine: the moly plant. This plant has a black root and a white flower resembling milk, and only gods could effortlessly pluck it from the ground.Here's a quote from the text: "'Behold,' Hermes said, 'go to the houses of Circe with this beneficial medicine, which the mortal day can remove from your head. I will reveal to you all Circe's deadly wiles. She will make a drink for you, she will throw poisons into the food, but even in this way she will not be able to bewitch you: the beneficial medicine that I will give you will prevent it, and I will reveal everything to you.' (...) 'He handed me the medicine, tearing it from the ground and showed me its nature. Black was the root and the flower similar to milk. The gods call it moly, and it is hard for mortal men to tear it away: but the gods can do anything.'"
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    10 mins
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