Popular Magic: Cunning-folk in English History

Owen Davies examines the role of cunning-folk in English history, presenting them as local practitioners consulted about everyday problems rather than as remote, scholarly magicians. Their reported services included finding lost objects, countering suspected spells, easing bad luck and influencing romantic relationships.

The book considers how these practitioners were regarded by church and state, and why some avoided prosecution while others faced accusations of witchcraft. It also discusses who became a cunning person, the books and written charms associated with their work, comparisons with European traditions and the survival of cunning-folk into the 20th century. The result is a social history of practical magic as it appeared in English communities.