Celtic Magic Texts

Sponsoring Organization(s)

Research Group on Manuscript Evidence; Societas Magica

Organizer Name

Phillip A. Bernhardt-House

Organizer Affiliation

Skagit Valley College-Whidbey Island

Presider Name

Mildred Budny

Presider Affiliation

Research Group on Manuscript Evidence

Paper Title 1

Christ and the Irish Gods: Traces of Polytheism in Medieval Irish Magical Texts

Presenter 1 Name

Phillip A. Bernhardt-House

Paper Title 2

"Three Nuts Which Decay, Three Sinews Which Weave": The Language of Magic in Medieval Ireland

Presenter 2 Name

Ilona Tuomi

Presenter 2 Affiliation

Univ. College Cork

Paper Title 3

Gendered Magic in Early Irish Texts

Presenter 3 Name

Bridgette Slavin

Presenter 3 Affiliation

Medaille College

Start Date

10-5-2018 3:30 PM

Session Location

Bernhard 204

Description

The medieval Insular Celtic cultures — particularly those of Ireland and Wales — have a variety of magical texts which survive, but often in literally marginal locations in manuscripts, or embedded within narratives and other literary contexts. While these are receiving increasing attention amongst the specialist audience of Insular Celticists, they are sadly unknown and relatively inaccessible to the wider academic attention of scholars of magic, as well as medieval academia generally. This session will feature the work of established and emerging scholars who work on these primary sources and the issues raised by them, including how each of these cultures defines "magic," specific issues in textual editing in the respective Insular Celtic languages, and particular themes and patterns observable in the content of these magical texts.

Mildred Budny