Manuscripts to Materials
Sponsoring Organization(s)
Research Group on Manuscript Evidence; Societas Magica
Organizer Name
David Porreca
Organizer Affiliation
Univ. of Waterloo
Presider Name
Jason Roberts
Presider Affiliation
Univ. of Texas-Austin
Paper Title 1
Practical Magic: Making Magical Artifacts and Using Them
Presenter 1 Name
Frank Klaassen
Presenter 1 Affiliation
Univ. of Saskatchewan
Paper Title 2
Response
Presenter 2 Name
Claire Fanger
Presenter 2 Affiliation
Rice Univ.
Paper Title 3
Response
Presenter 3 Name
David Porreca
Paper Title 4
Response
Presenter 4 Name
Marla Segol
Presenter 4 Affiliation
Univ. at Buffalo
Start Date
12-5-2017 6:30 PM
Session Location
Bernhard 208
Description
To practice learned magic in the pre-modern world one could not simply go to a store or take a course. It was certainly far more complicated than slavishly following a set of techniques. A would-be practitioner had to acquire MSS, interpret them, then acquire the prescribed ingredients and build the necessary equipment based on the written instructions. Once this was accomplished and the processes completed, the results were at once highly evocative and ambiguous, requiring interpretation. Thus at two stages highly creative and imaginative processes had to be called upon. This session + exhibit (focused on hands-on re-creations of ancient and medieval divination techniques) will focus on the intersection between the creative and the learned in pre-modern magical practice.
David Porreca
Manuscripts to Materials
Bernhard 208
To practice learned magic in the pre-modern world one could not simply go to a store or take a course. It was certainly far more complicated than slavishly following a set of techniques. A would-be practitioner had to acquire MSS, interpret them, then acquire the prescribed ingredients and build the necessary equipment based on the written instructions. Once this was accomplished and the processes completed, the results were at once highly evocative and ambiguous, requiring interpretation. Thus at two stages highly creative and imaginative processes had to be called upon. This session + exhibit (focused on hands-on re-creations of ancient and medieval divination techniques) will focus on the intersection between the creative and the learned in pre-modern magical practice.
David Porreca