Belief in magic was, until relatively recent times, widespread in Britain; yet the impact of such belief on determinative political events has frequently been overlooked. In his wide-ranging new book, Francis Young explores the role of occult traditions in the history of the island of Great Britain: Merlin's realm. He argues that while the great magus and artificer invented by Geoffrey of Monmouth was a powerful model for a succession of actual royal magical advisers (including Roger Bacon and John Dee), monarchs nevertheless often lived in fear of hostile sorcery while at other times they even attempted magic themselves. Successive governments were simultaneously fascinated by astrology and alchemy, yet also deeply wary of the possibility of treasonous spellcraft. Whether deployed in warfare, rebellion or propaganda, occult traditions were of central importance to British history and, as the author reveals, these dark arts of magic and politics remain entangled to this day.
Young
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Introduction; 1. 'Britain indulges in magic': the origins of occult traditions in Britain; 2. The secrets of the king: occult and royal power in medieval Britain; 3. Arthurian dynasty: the Tudors and occult power; 4. House of the unicorn: Stuart monarchy and the contest for occult authority; 5. Politics and the decline of magic, 1649-1714; 6. Emanations of Albion: politics and the occult in modern Britain; Conclusion.
Young, Francis
Francis Young holds a PhD in History from the University of Cambridge and is the author of 14 books including Magic as a Political Crime in Medieval and Early Modern England (2017). He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and routinely broadcasts for BBC radio on history, religion and folklore.
