The Practice of Magic in Medieval Society



Overview

'Magic' was a wide-ranging concept that affected many aspects of medieval society. Individuals across the social spectrum engaged in magical activities, or activities which the authorities deemed to be magical even if the practitioner would argue otherwise. This course will consider the actual and perceived practices of magic in the medieval period and their consequences.

Throughout history, the concept of utilising supernatural powers to bring about marvellous effects, often termed magic, has had a place in society. In the medieval period, the idea of magic and the power it could provide was considered a danger to the established tenets and beliefs of Christianity and as a result, it was strategically condemned and marginalised by the Church. However, magic remained part of everyday life and its practice continued at all levels of society, and even within clerical circles, despite its position in direct contrast to the Church. Astrology, for example, had medical applications which the Church condoned, but other, more occult uses were strictly forbidden. Furthermore, magic did not have a fixed definition throughout the medieval period. Different individuals or institutions had different understandings of what constituted magic, and the range of beliefs and practices which could be categorised under this term also differed over time. There were also some practices that authorities were evidently concerned about, but were not necessarily undertaken in reality.

This course will outline the variety of magical practices which were being utilised across medieval society, the concerns of the authorities, and the changing and contradictory nature of the practice of magic in medieval society.

Programme details

Courses starts: 21 Jan 2025

Week 1: Introduction

  • What did “magic” mean?
  • The breadth of medieval magic
  • Sources of magic – demonic or natural?

Week 2: Divination

  • Different forms of divination
  • Divination v. prophecy
  • Divination across the social spectrum

Week 3: The common tradition and sorcery

  • Common uses of magic amongst the populace
  • Objects of magic
  • Harmful magic

Week 4: Learned magic

  • The twelfth-century renaissance
  • Alchemy
  • Astrology

Week 5: Necromancy

  • The changing concept of necromancy
  • Astral magic
  • Clerical necromancy

Week 6: Magic and medicine

  • Magical cures and remedies
  • Astrological medicine
  • Curing magic

Week 7: Magic at court

  • Political magic
  • Court magicians
  • Magic for entertainment

Week 8: Authoritative attitudes to magic

  • Magic and the Church
  • Magic and the state
  • The crime of magic 

Week 9: Magic and heresy

  • The Devil’s pact
  • Magic as a heretical weapon
  • The consolidation of magical belief

Week 10: Beyond medieval magic

  • The end of the medieval period
  • The Renaissance magus
  • The emergence of the witch trials

Certification

Credit Application Transfer Scheme (CATS) points 

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee for each course you enrol on. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. If you do not register when you enrol, you have up until the course start date to register and pay the £30 fee. 

See more information on CATS point

Coursework is an integral part of all online courses and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework, but only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education, you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee. 

 

Digital credentials

All students who pass their final assignment, whether registered for credit or not, will be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so. 

Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail. 

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £285.00
Take this course for CATS points £30.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Dr Vikki Burns-Price

Victoria Burns-Price has a PhD from the University of Reading in Medieval History. Her research interests lie in medieval magic, its practitioners, and the influence of formal theology on societal attitudes toward it.

Course aims

To explore the full range of beliefs and practices in relation to magic in medieval Western Europe, demonstrate the changing nature of “magic” as a defined concept, and explain the contradictions amongst attitudes in medieval society.

Course objectives:

  • We will investigate and understand the breadth of magical practices being undertaken across the social spectrum in the medieval period.
  • You will examine primary sources, both objects and texts, to demonstrate the beliefs and practices of the time.
  • You will come to understand how both the actual practices being used and the perception of magic changed significantly across the medieval period and the impact this had on later centuries.

Teaching methods

  • Guided reading of documents and texts.
  • Examination of historical objects.
  • Discussion sessions.
  • Set questions.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course you will have:

  • an understanding of the breadth of magical practices being utilised across medieval society;
  • an appreciation of the changing and contradictory nature of concepts such as magic, and the inability to provide a single, coherent definition for all individuals across the medieval period;
  • an ability to analyse and evaluate the practices and beliefs pertaining to magic in the medieval period, and to understand the importance of an individual’s social group and background in their attitudes towards them;
  • an ability to utilise primary source material to support arguments relating to the practice of magic in medieval society;
  • an understanding of the significant shift in attitudes toward magic from the beginning of the medieval period to its end.

Assessment methods

You will be set two pieces of work for the course.

The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work the required standard.

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

Application

We will close for enrolments 14 days prior to the start date to allow us to complete the course set up. We will email you at that time (14 days before the course begins) with further information and joining instructions. As always, students will want to check spam and junk folders during this period to ensure that these emails are received.

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment Form (Word) or Enrolment Form (Pdf)

Level and demands

The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support