Here's a little known fact about the Tudor Monarchs and their counsellors.

They used magic and the occult and they feared magic and the occult.

For at this time of great religious change and great religious faith, belief in magic

was practically orthodox and certainly widespread.

Today's guest argues that belief in magic is inseparable from the political histories

of England and Scotland and this should come as no surprise that magic and politics

are so closely linked in history for both are concerned with the exercise of power.

My guest today is Dr Francis Young.

He took his doctorate at the University of Cambridge as a fellow of the Royal Historical

Society and teaches Oxford University's department for continuing education.

He's also the author and co-editor of some 18 books.

The most relevant for today are the book he published in 2022, Magic in Merlin's Realm,

a history of occult politics in Britain and his previous work, Magic as a political crime

in medieval and early modern England, a history of sorcery and treason.

Dr Young, thank you so much for making the time to join me.

I've been watching your career via Twitter for a long time so I'm particularly pleased

to have the chance to speak to you.

It's lovely to be speaking on this podcast.

We're going to be talking today about what has been termed political sorcery, so the

use and fear of magic by Tudor Monux and their counsellors.

Tell me to start with about the ways in which belief in magic and its role in politics

hasn't been taken that seriously by historians and why you think that is.

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