Cunning Folk

Life in the Era of Practical Magic

De: Tabitha Stanmore

Narrado por: Anna Wilson-Jones

Bloomsbury presents Cunning Folk by Tabitha Stanmore, read by Anna Wilson-Jones.

"Rich and lively."—New York Times Book Review

A vibrant look at an unsettled and strangely familiar time that overturns our assumptions about the history of magic.

Imagine: it’s the year 1600 and you’ve lost your precious silver spoons, or maybe they’ve been stolen. Perhaps your child has a fever. Or you’re facing a trial. Maybe you’re looking for love or escaping a husband. What do you do?

In medieval and early modern Europe, your first port of call might have been cunning folk: practitioners of “service magic.” Neither feared (like witches), nor venerated (like saints), they were essential to daily life. For people across ages, genders, and social ranks, practical magic was a cherished resource for navigating life’s many challenges.

In historian Tabitha Stanmore’s beguiling account, we meet lovelorn widows, dissolute nobles, selfless healers, and renegade monks. We listen in on Queen Elizabeth I’s astrology readings and track treasure hunters trying to unearth buried gold without upsetting the fairies that guard it. Much like us, premodern people lived in a bewildering world, buffeted by forces beyond their control. As Stanmore reveals, their faith in magic has much to teach about how to accommodate the irrational in our allegedly enlightened lives today.

Charming in every sense, Cunning Folk is at once an immersive reconstruction of a bygone era and a thought-provoking commentary on the beauty and bafflement of being human.©2024 Tabitha Stanmore (P)2024 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

An open history

I liked the lack of judgment or adaptation of modern points of view to these old ideas, well written and researched.

Excellent

Fascinating and entertaining history of the tension between folk magic and witchcraft in medieval and early modern Europe. Well narrated.

Magical

This is a love letter written to the magical and those interested in the history of magic. While only covering a brief view of medieval to modern era it gives a number of real life stories and examples of magical practitioners and their fascinating stories.

Double double toil and trouble

What a wickedly delicious ride! The rich history of magic, witches, and all the cunning folk come alive in this page-turner. The narration is pitch perfect. It’s just an all round interesting read!

Really Interesting

The author’s research and historical accounts on medieval magic make you feel like you’re witnessing history. Fascinating!