So, along with my “Shakespeare in Community” MOOC, I’ve also been taking a “Magic in the Middle Ages” MOOC. I expected the course to be, well, about magic. So far, this is not really the case. I imagine magic as faeries and nymphs and unicorns and all things whimsical and mysterious… Magic during the medieval period was not seen as such. It was full of mystery, sure, but it was feared by the new religion – Christianity, as it could undermine its authority. Thus, the parishioners of the faith were warned and scared into abandoning their charms and talismans, and most of all, to avoid those who practiced the “dark arts”. It was a progression, as at first, there was a difference denoted between good magic (to heal) and bad magic (to harm). However, this soon descended into all magic being regarded as the devil’s work. Witches and others associated with these magics were sought out by inquisitors, as well as local churches and the general public. This is a long and complicated history, and if you wish to pursue it further, I encourage you to take up a history or literature course of the time or to simply take the free MOOC at some point.

Nevertheless, I want to share my forum posts on here, as they do provide some insight into the period and my understanding of the topics. You may need background knowledge to appreciate the arguments presented, and if you like, you can watch the videos I’ll include as links to better give you a sense of what the heck I’m talking about. So far, I’ve written three forum posts for this course, and there shall be two to three more in the coming weeks. Enjoy!