Long before witch trials, magic was the domain of ‘cunning folk’ who were part of the fabric of medieval and early modern life. Their charms, filters and spells - for personal advancement, aiding fertility, predicting the future, even exacting revenge - offered people solutions to their problems.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more from Dr. Tabitha Stanmore, whose research navigates the social and political lives of these lesser known magical practitioners.

All music from Epidemic Sounds

Presented by Professor Susannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

Related episodes:

The Brutal Basque Witch Hunt: https://podfollow.com/not-just-the-tudors/episode/f0c212ec364450ef05ff7b8e4df7053fa3911d20/view

The Witchfinder General: https://podfollow.com/not-just-the-tudors/episode/9c81545a7796bf29d5de9f0c9ff75c40169a9ed0/view

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Leonardo da Vinci was a man like no other. A restless visionary and polymath, his paintings are some of the best known of all works of art.

To talk about Leonardo, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Ken Burns, the multi-award winning American filmmaker who has transformed the documentary into an art form. His latest film, made with Sarah Burns and David McMahon, explores in wonderful granular detail the singular genius of Leonardo da Vinci.

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith. Edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

Related episodes:

Michelangelo >

Lorenzo de' Medici, the Magnificent >

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In the aftermath of the Civil War, a remote corner of Essex witnessed the most brutally devastating witch-hunt in English history. A dangerous maverick Matthew Hopkins, 'the Witchfinder General', hunted down vulnerable people across East Anglia, exploiting the anxiety and lawlessness of the times. Between 1645 and 1647, over 300 suspects were interrogated and tortured; a third of them were hanged.

As our special series on witchcraft continues, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more about Hopkins and his accomplice John Stearne from historian and author Malcolm Gaskill.

Presented by Professor Susannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, the audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

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