About this course: Magical thought has always attracted human imagination. In this course we will introduce you to the Middle Ages through a wide conception of magic. Students will have an approach to medieval culture, beliefs and practices from the perspective of History and History of Science. Popular magic, as well as learned magic (alchemy, geomancy and necromancy) will be addressed. Moreover, we will also deal with how eastern practices and texts influenced western culture. In July 2016, the course will contain a brand-new module devoted to astrology. Magic in the Middle Ages offers a captivating overview of medieval society and promotes reflection about certain stereotypes associated with this period. At the end of the course, the students: a) will have overcome the usual prejudices about the Middle Ages, b) will be able to analyze historical documentation from the Middle Ages and recognize the most common patterns of juridical documents regarding witchcraft, and c) will be capable of distinguishing between popular magic and the magic of the learned people; will have a notion of which spiritual practices were allowed in medieval Europe and which ones were related to the devil, and will be aware of the link between a cultural product and the society that produced it. This course is taught in English, although subtitles in English, Catalan and Spanish will also be provided. COURSE SYLLABUS Week 1. Introduction to medieval magic (Pau Castell). Week 2. Magic & Heresy (Delfi I. Nieto-Isabel). Week 3. From Magic to Witchcraft (Pau Castell). Week 4. Magic in Islam (Godefroid de Callataÿ and Sébastien Moureau). Week 5. Astrology & Geomancy (Theo Loinaz, Delfi I. Nieto-Isabel, Godefroid de Callataÿ and Blanca Villuendas). © Gemma Pellissa Prades (coord.), Delfi I. Nieto-Isabel and Joana Palau Mumany Magic in the Middle Ages by Gemma Pellissa Prades (coord.), Delfi I. Nieto-Isabel and Joana Palau Mumany is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Who is this class for: This course is aimed at those interested in magic and the Middle Ages, and also at anyone curious about how current cultures are indebted to the concepts and perceptions of magic developed during the medieval period.
Taught by: Godefroid de Callataÿ - University of Louvain, Professor
Oriental Institute (University of Louvain)
Taught by: Dr Pau Castell Granados, Research and Teaching Scholar at University of Barcelona
Taught by: Sébastien Moureau - University of Louvain, Chargé de recherches du F.R.S.-FNRS
Institut Orientaliste (CIOL)
Taught by: Dr Gemma Pellissa Prades, Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of the Classics, Harvard
Taught by: Delfi I. Nieto-Isabel, BSc, BA, MA
Dept. of Medieval History, Palaeography & Diplomatics, Institute for Research on Medieval Cultures, University of Barcelona
Taught by: Blanca Villuendas, PhD Candidate
Instituto de Lenguas y Culturas del Mediterráneo y Oriente Próximo, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
| Level | Beginner |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
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My ignorance or Magic, middle ages, early religions, is enormous. This course was a huge eye opener. In Stephen Kings novel, 11/22/63 he often writes about things turning on a dime. My brain was just spun like a top on the dime "Magic in the Middle Ages" and I will never be the same again, in a good enlightened way. Thanks to all involved with creating this course.
Great course, very impressive
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Very interesting course - I enjoyed it immensely. I also liked the assignments, but I would recommend improving the peer-review rubrics (which others have recommended as well). Also, please double-check video transcripts for their accuracy. Thank you for offering Magic in the Middle Ages!