Cunning folk

Imagine it’s the year 1500 and you’ve lost your precious silver spoons – or perhaps your neighbour has stolen them. Or maybe your child has a fever. Or you’re facing trial. Or you’re looking for a lover. Or you’re hoping to escape a husband. At a time when nature’s inner workings were largely a mystery, people from every walk of life – kings, clergy and commonfolk – who faced problems or circumstances they were powerless to control sought the help of ‘cunning folk’. These wise women and men were often renowned for their skill at healing the sick or predicting the future, fortune-telling and divination, and for their knowledge of spells and potions. Occasionally and tragically, some were condemned as witches for using their powers for ill. In Stanmore’s richly peopled and highly entertaining history, we see how this practical or ‘service’ magic was used and why people put their faith in it.