Executing Magic in the Modern Era: Criminal Bodies and the Gallows in Popular Medicine

by Owen Davies, Francesca Matteoni

This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 licenseThis book explores the magical and medical history of executions from the eighteenth to the early twentieth century by looking at the afterlife potency of criminal corpses, the healing activities of the executioner, and the magic of the gallows site. The use of corpses in medicine and magic has been recorded back into antiquity. The lacerated bodies of Roman gladiators were used as a source of curative blood, for instance. In early modern Europe, a great trade opened up in ancient Egyptian mummies and the fat of executed criminals, plundered as medicinal cure-alls. However, this is the first book to consider the demand for the blood of the executed, the desire for human fat, the resort to the hanged man’s hand, and the trade in hanging rope in the modern era. It ends by look at the spiritual afterlife of dead criminals.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Folklore

181 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 19, 2017

About the author

This is the disambiguation profile for authors publishing as Owen Davies.

For the historian see Owen Davies

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

A very interesting and accessibly written academic text on folklore surrounding the executed body--mostly in Europe, bit in US, 17th-20th centuries. Quite gross at points, obviously, but a really interesting read if this sort of thing floats your boat.

[Jordyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

honestly 3.5 rounded up.
Had to read this for a seminar class but it ended up being very interesting and easy to read!