Medieval Guide to Magic

Gone Medieval

History Hit

History

4.6 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 9 May 2025

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What did medieval minds truly believe about the cosmos, demons, and the hidden forces of the universe? Could ancient manuscripts still hold meaning, or danger, today?

Matt Lewis delves into the world of medieval enchantment with historian Anne Lawrence-Mathers, author of The Magic Books. They discover how magic shaped decisions in royal courts, crept into monasteries, and influenced the balance of power across Europe. From forbidden knowledge to practical instruction, magical texts weren’t just superstition—they were tools of science, strategy, and survival.

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Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. It was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, I'm Matt Lewis.
0:02.6	And I'm Dr. Eleanor Yonaga.
0:04.2	And we're just popping up here to tell you some insider info.
0:08.0	If you would like to listen to Gone Medieval ad-free and get early access and bonus episodes,
0:13.3	sign up to History Hit.
0:14.5	With the History Hit subscription, you can also watch hundreds of hours of original documentaries.
0:20.6	Such as my new series on everyone's favorite
0:22.8	conquerors, the Normans, or my recent exploration of the castles that made Britain. There's a new
0:29.9	release to enjoy every week. Sign up now by visiting historyhit.com forward slash subscribe, or find a link in the show notes for this episode.
0:49.9	It's been 80 years since World War II came to an end in Europe.
0:54.0	And Wondry is marking the anniversary with three brand new seasons of British Scandal, The Spy Who and Legacy.
1:01.4	In our podcast, British Scandal, we uncover the bizarre tale of William Joyce, dubbed Lord Hawhor,
1:07.8	the plummy voice traitor who became Hitler's favourite broadcaster.
1:11.7	His radio catchphrase, Germany Calling, reached millions of British listeners.
1:16.2	But behind the mic, Joyce's loyalties were anything but British.
1:20.7	In the latest season of The Spy Who, we open the file on Hardy Amies, the spy who dressed the queen.
1:28.4	Fashion designer Hardy Amies lives in two worlds, one of elegance where he dresses Hollywood icons
1:34.6	and royalty, and another in the shadows, where he orchestrates assassinations in Nazi-occupied
1:41.0	Belgium.
1:42.0	And in our podcast, Legacy, we're talking about Joseph Stalin, a murderous dictator who saved
1:48.3	the world from another murderous dictator.
1:50.8	The man who defeated Hitler, but also the man who oversaw the deaths of millions of his own people.
	...

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