Palgrave Historical Studies in Witchcraft and Magic

Ritual and Re-enchantment in Post-Medieval Structures

By: Ceri Houlbrook, Owen Davies

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Hardcover | 11 September 2021

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Hardcover
188 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
21.0 x 14.8 x 1.91

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This book redresses popular interpretations of concealed objects, enigmatically discovered within the fabric of post-medieval buildings. A wide variety of objects have been found up chimneybreasts, bricked up in walls, and concealed within recesses: old shoes, mummified cats, horse skulls, pierced hearts, to name only some. The most common approach to these finds is to apply a one-size-fits-all analysis and label them survivals and apotropaic (evil-averting) devices. This book reconsiders such interpretations, exploring the invention and reinvention of traditions regarding building magic. The title Building Magic therefore refers to more than practices that alter the fabric of buildings, but also to processes of building magic into our interpretations of the enigmatic material evidence and into our engagements with the buildings we inhabit and frequent.

Industry Reviews

"There is a lot to take away from this volume, which covers a broad selection of issues in a comparatively short space. Building Magic is a book that probably warrants repeated reading, and many of the topics it covers deserve further investigation in greater depth, either by the authors themselves or others following their example. ... An important work, Building Magic comes highly recommended." (Ethan Doyle White, Folklore, June 13, 2023)

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