Everyday Magic

Photo illustration by Angelo Bautista. Original images by Patrick Hendry and Katherine Hanlon (CC0).

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Original Air Date: 
October 12, 2024

What would it be like to live in a world where magic is still alive? Not weird, not woo-woo, just ordinary. 400 years ago, consulting a magician in downtown London was as unremarkable as calling a plumber today. Even now, there are places where magic never died – like Iceland, where 54 percent of the population believes in elves, or thinks they might exist. 

Why do Icelanders believe in elves?

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Polls suggest that most Icelanders believe in elves and magical creatures. And that fascinates writer Nancy Marie Brown, who’s been to Iceland dozens of times. So she did her own investigation of elf stories and the nature of belief.

Deborah Harkness uncovers the real history of witches

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Deborah Harkness is the author of the bestselling novel “A Discovery of Witches” and also a professor of European history, so she knows all about the lore of witches and vampires. She tells Anne Strainchamps about the real history of magical belief.

Practical magic and the “cunning folk” of Tudor England

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Four hundred years ago, London was full of magicians, but they weren’t like the wizards of Harry Potter. These were practitioners of “service magic.” Historian Tabitha Stanmore uncovers this surprising story in her book “Cunning Folk.” 

Show Details 📻
Airdates
October 12, 2024
Guests: 

Nancy Marie Brown

Writer
amazon.com

Deborah Harkness

Writer
amazon.com
deborahharkness.com

Tabitha Stanmore

Historian and Writer
amazon.com
Categories: 
Culture
Politics and History
Religion and Philosophy
Full Transcript 📄

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Last modified: 
October 12, 2024