This interdisciplinary course, offered jointly by the Art Historical Institute (KGI) and the Center for Religious Studies (CERES), explores the meanings and practices of "magic" or "rituals of power" and forms of divination, attitudes toward such practices, their visual and literary depiction, and their regulation through law throughout Europe, the Islamicate world, the Horn of Africa and the Americas from the early Middle Ages to the eighteenth century. This course examines the intersections of gender, economic status, politics, religious affiliations, local culture and power in who practiced magic and how, how information about magic was transmitted and by whom and who, if anyone, was targeted for persecution. Spells, the material culture of magic, such as amulets and protective clothing, theoretical writings about magic, and court cases will all feature in this course.
Through a comparative examination of textual sources and visual materials, this course investigates the critical role of witchcraft imagery in shaping and reflecting societal beliefs from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment. Students will analyze pictorial representations of witches, magical practices, and supernatural beings –such as vampires and werewolves– in diverse media ranging from early woodcuts in demonological or philosophical treatises to eighteenth-century satirical engravings. These images not only mirrored societal anxieties about witchcraft, death, and the supernatural but also actively contributed to the public discourse on sorcery and magic, serving as visual commentaries on demonological debates and engaging audiences through both fear and fascination.
In addition to translated and visual primary sources, students will also read scholarly articles on the topics for each week. Course taught in English.
- Kursleiter/in: Alexandra Cuffel
- Kursleiter/in: Margarita Voulgaropoulou