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Magic in History
Magic in the Cloister: Pious Motives, Illicit Interests, and Occult Approaches to the Medieval Universe
During the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries a group of monks with occult interests donated what became a remarkable collection of more than thirty magic texts to the library of the Benedictine abbey of St. Augustine's in Canterbury. The monks collected texts that provided positive justifications for the practice of magic and books in which works of magic were copied side by side with works of more licit genres. In Magic in the Cloister , Sophie Page uses this collection to explore the gradual shift toward more positive attitudes to magical texts and ideas in medieval Europe. She examines what attracted monks to magic texts, works, and how they combined magic with their intellectual interests and monastic life. By showing how it was possible for religious insiders to integrate magical studies with their orthodox worldview, Magic in the Cloister contributes to a broader understanding of the role of magical texts and ideas and their acceptance in the late Middle Ages.
248 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2013
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207 people want to read
About the author
Sophie Page
10 books12 followersDr Sophie Page joined UCL History as a permanent lecturer in 2002 after studying at the Warburg Institute, UCL and Cambridge.
Sophie works in the area of European medieval magic and astrology, especially in relation to orthodox religion, natural philosophy, medicine, and cosmology. She is also interested in the imagery of medieval magic, especially diagrams, and in the history of animals in the Middle Ages.
Sophie's most recent book, Magic in the Cloister: Pious Motives, Illicit Interests, and Occult Approaches to the Medieval Universe, was published in October 2013. In addition, she has published an edited collection, The Unorthodox Imagination in Late Medieval Britain, articles on learned magic, astrology, and the cultural history of animals, and two books with the British Library: Astrology in Medieval Manuscripts and Magic in Medieval Manuscripts. Sophie is currently working on a book on animals and demons in the Middle Ages and an article on diagrams in medieval magic texts.
Sophie works in the area of European medieval magic and astrology, especially in relation to orthodox religion, natural philosophy, medicine, and cosmology. She is also interested in the imagery of medieval magic, especially diagrams, and in the history of animals in the Middle Ages.
Sophie's most recent book, Magic in the Cloister: Pious Motives, Illicit Interests, and Occult Approaches to the Medieval Universe, was published in October 2013. In addition, she has published an edited collection, The Unorthodox Imagination in Late Medieval Britain, articles on learned magic, astrology, and the cultural history of animals, and two books with the British Library: Astrology in Medieval Manuscripts and Magic in Medieval Manuscripts. Sophie is currently working on a book on animals and demons in the Middle Ages and an article on diagrams in medieval magic texts.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 8, 2023
An interesting window into the licit nature of much of the magical knowledge that was kept on the shelves of a monastery in Canterbury. I look forward to seeing what else this series of books has in store.
December 4, 2014
In Canterbury, in the monastery of St Augustine, a group of sheltered wacky monks put together a library of magical knowledge that many would have considered illicit!
Prior to the scientific revolution, with its rigorous ideas of testing things, many of these monks felt that this branch of magic was part of a field called natural magic. And if it was simply part of the natural world, so be it. An example is the loadstone. Its magnetic effects are not seen, but they still exist. We know today that many things exist in the natural world that cannot be seen by human eyes. But the monks apparently went ahead and accepted a whole load of bizarre untested phenomena. Or at least read about them.
Some of these would have made Augustine himself turn over in his grave.
They included the creation of miraculous hybrid creatures using sperm, blood and animal parts! Trapping spirits in talismans (image magic), in order to make them work. And my favorite: the Ars Notoria. This was a way of study that involved working with images. these drawings consisted of words, numbers, magical names, as well as geometric figures and angels. By doing this the scholar will gain all kinds of knowledge through visions. With the help of the angels, the liberal arts will download into his brain just like they did with Adam at the beginning of time. And without having to deal with years of study, which is something we all could have used in college.
Needless to say this is an interesting book. It's a bit dry in places, like many of the Magic in History series published by The University of Penn. A book for scholars by the author, who would never bother to translate into English the numerous Latin titles she used for us poor sods who did not take Latin.
But recommended for those who are looking for something new in their thirst for the history of the occult.
Prior to the scientific revolution, with its rigorous ideas of testing things, many of these monks felt that this branch of magic was part of a field called natural magic. And if it was simply part of the natural world, so be it. An example is the loadstone. Its magnetic effects are not seen, but they still exist. We know today that many things exist in the natural world that cannot be seen by human eyes. But the monks apparently went ahead and accepted a whole load of bizarre untested phenomena. Or at least read about them.
Some of these would have made Augustine himself turn over in his grave.
They included the creation of miraculous hybrid creatures using sperm, blood and animal parts! Trapping spirits in talismans (image magic), in order to make them work. And my favorite: the Ars Notoria. This was a way of study that involved working with images. these drawings consisted of words, numbers, magical names, as well as geometric figures and angels. By doing this the scholar will gain all kinds of knowledge through visions. With the help of the angels, the liberal arts will download into his brain just like they did with Adam at the beginning of time. And without having to deal with years of study, which is something we all could have used in college.
Needless to say this is an interesting book. It's a bit dry in places, like many of the Magic in History series published by The University of Penn. A book for scholars by the author, who would never bother to translate into English the numerous Latin titles she used for us poor sods who did not take Latin.
But recommended for those who are looking for something new in their thirst for the history of the occult.
March 25, 2014
First up, this is a serious historical monograph by a lecturer in medieval history at UCL. It was *not* written by a romance novelist who uses Sophie Page as a pseudonym.
This is an important book, part of a new movement in medieval scolarship that is understanding how some kinds of magic became gradually more acceptable to Church authorities in the late Middle Ages. I didn't think it was particularly "speculative", as another reviewer has called it, at least no more speculative than most medieval history!
I think it's a very impressive book, very clear and easy to read, with a strong argument and a lot of detail about the different kinds of magic, and about particular recipes ("spells") and what they tried to do, all put into a historical, theological and philosophical context. It's not the first book you should read about medieval magic, but it's approachable for the intelligent amateur. And if you study this stuff at university level, you probably already know that you need to read this book.
This is an important book, part of a new movement in medieval scolarship that is understanding how some kinds of magic became gradually more acceptable to Church authorities in the late Middle Ages. I didn't think it was particularly "speculative", as another reviewer has called it, at least no more speculative than most medieval history!
I think it's a very impressive book, very clear and easy to read, with a strong argument and a lot of detail about the different kinds of magic, and about particular recipes ("spells") and what they tried to do, all put into a historical, theological and philosophical context. It's not the first book you should read about medieval magic, but it's approachable for the intelligent amateur. And if you study this stuff at university level, you probably already know that you need to read this book.
May 25, 2014
Note: I obtained this book to do research for a historic fantasy novel. My opinions should not necessarily be taken as an academic evaluation.
Despite the intriguing title, this work looks to be of relatively minor use for my research. Although the general format and coverage is similar to other studies of magical texts, the contents feel at once more superficial and more anecdotal. There is a great deal of focus on the physical texts and their relationships but their content is mostly discussed narrowly in terms of “case studies”. The author’s primary purpose is to examine the integration of magical interests with a monastic life, so it’s understandable that there is less of a focus on the practial aspects of magical practice.
Despite the intriguing title, this work looks to be of relatively minor use for my research. Although the general format and coverage is similar to other studies of magical texts, the contents feel at once more superficial and more anecdotal. There is a great deal of focus on the physical texts and their relationships but their content is mostly discussed narrowly in terms of “case studies”. The author’s primary purpose is to examine the integration of magical interests with a monastic life, so it’s understandable that there is less of a focus on the practial aspects of magical practice.
December 17, 2013
The book seemed speculative--describing in great deal works on magic and then speculating on how the monks saw them and justified their use. She is basically asking--why were they not subject to criticism by the church? It is a very short book--though listed as 248 pages, less than 1/2 is the main text.
October 23, 2015
Relates how Canerbury was a center of magic learning and the texts the monks used.
excellent.
excellent.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews