Witchcraft, Magic and Folklore Exhibitions in England

There are some really fascinating exhibitions about witchcraft, magic and folklore about to open in three different towns in England over the next few months. I reckon they should all be worth travelling to see. Here are the details:

Magic, Witches and Devils in the Early Modern World
This exhibition is on at The University of Manchester Library, in Manchester, from 21 January to 21 August 2016. Entry is free. The description on the library website says:

Ghosts, witches, sorcerers and demons: our fascination with the supernatural stretches back centuries. Experience how supernatural forces shaped the lives of everyone from kings and queens to clergymen and maidservants. 

Magic, Witches and Devils in the Early Modern World reveals how magic, diabolical witchcraft, and ghostly encounters inspired fear and curiosity on an unprecedented scale between the 15th and 18th centuries. The exhibition illuminates the roots of our obsession with supernatural power and explores a world where the Devil was understood as a real and present danger in daily life.

For details visit: www.library.manchester.ac.uk/rylands/whats-on/exhibitions/magic/  or chat about it on Twitter: #jrlmagic.

Folklore, Magic and Mysteries: Modern Witchcraft and Folk Culture in Britain
and Where Witchcraft Lives
The Doreen Valiente Foundation will exhibiting a display of artefacts, manuscripts and documents related to witchcraft, folklore and magic at Preston Manor, in Brighton, East Sussex. It is due to open in April. Entry is free with Preston Manor admission.

The foundation will also be putting on a second exhibition, entitled Where Witchcraft Lives. This will be on show later in the year in its own dedicated venue, also in Brighton.

You can find out more at the Doreen Valiente Foundation website: www.doreenvaliente.com/ and the Brighton Museums website: brightonmuseums.org.uk/prestonmanor/what-to-see/folklore-magic-and-mysteries-modern-witchcraft-and-folk-culture-in-britain/

Glitter and Grave Dust: Halloween Past and Present
The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, in Boscastle, Cornwall, is planning an exhibition exploring Halloween, its history, customs and developing culture. It will be open every day from 25 March.

You can find out more on the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic’s website: www.museumofwitchcraft.com/ and on its blog: museumofwitchcraft.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/happy-to-announce-our-next-exhibition.html

The picture at the top shows a depiction of a magic circle, in Pseudo-Roger Bacon, Tractatus de nigromatia (Book of Black Magic), England, late 1500s. Courtesy of Chetham’s Library. Byrom Collection. MUN Mun.A.4.98, part of the Magic, Witches and Devils in the Early Modern World exhibition.

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