Stephen Wilson The Magical Universe Analysis

Stephen Wilson, The Magical Universe: Everyday Ritual and Magic in Pre-Modern Europe (London and New York: Hambledon and London, 2000) – Quintano Downes, Ursinus College

Throughout all forms of life during the early modern century it was a universal belief that there was a force in all things around us. Both animate and inanimate had a source of power, and had influences on the world around us. Although there might have other beings of power God ruled above all other powers from heaven, and on occasion he would intervene. Stephen Wilson’s The Magical Universe explores these forms of power and how they play a part in daily life. Wilson also writes about the rituals of life to prevent evil. Rituals were used in all form of life to prevent …show more content…
Members of the clergy were also believed to have control over the weather. Old liturgies included prayers and masses for rain. Protestant churches abolished such procedure, but they kept the prayers and fasting. This view of men having control over the weather, further enhanced the fears of witches and their ability to control these power. In Wolfgang Behringer explores this fear in his article Weather, Hunger and Fear: Origins of the European witch hunts in climate, society, and mentality, Behringer argues that the high point of witchcraft accusations in Germany was during a period of serious climate change. Behringer also states that when it came to charges of affecting the weather it was a frequently backed by the whole community. Livestock was a crucial part of live as well. Many people relied on their animals for a multitude of reasons, they were relied upon for food, clothing, manure, draught power, transport, and even warmth. Often times the animals stay within close proximity the families, or with in the same house, there form a connection to the animals and they were viewed as part of the family. Wilson writes about cows in Savoy, “cows were given the same …show more content…
The first is Human fertility. The fertility of the fields, the livestock, and humans went hand in hand. Conversely, sterility in women, drought, and crop failure all went together, and were justified by the same causes: which were neglect of rituals, or witchcraft and other hostile forces. There was a link especially between human fertility and the soil. Wilson states that in ancient times general and human fecundity was sometimes linked by copulation with the earth. Both rites of passage and calendar customs were concerned with reproduction. Although those focused on natural production were focused on women, and those of social production were for the men. This illuminated the gender norms of the time, where women tasked with homecare and taking care of children. While men were seen as the ones who took care of the family financially. Throughout history the view of roles of men and women in the process of production have stay relatively unchanged. Wilson reveals this when he talks about the view of men and women in folklore, “’…the greatest merit they see in a woman is that she would be fruitful and bring them many children.’” Women’s value was in part how many children they could bare, similarly men were encouraged to have as many children as he could. The difference becomes apparent when it comes to sterility women everywhere were seen as a misfortune, it was viewed