The Western Magical Tradition - Ronald Hutton

Video Description

00:00 // Introduction and Definition of Magic 01:37 // Learned Systems: Texts, Training, and Tools 03:33 // The Challenges of Tracing Magic’s History 04:33 // Magic in Ancient Egypt: Cosmology and Practice 08:17 // Mesopotamian Views on Magic and Witchcraft 10:42 // Ancient Hebrew and Biblical Attitudes 11:50 // Greek and Roman Distinctions Between Religion and Magic 18:01 // Roman Egypt and the Rise of Syncretic Magic 23:33 // Key Elements of Egyptian Magic Transmitted to the West 27:01 // Egyptian Influence Across the Roman Empire 30:03 // Survival of Egyptian Techniques in Later Magic 33:41 // The Eight Pillars of Western Ritual Magic 38:42 // Magic as European Counterculture 41:00 // Three Abrahamic Contributions to Magical Tradition 50:53 // The Enduring Legacy of the Western Magical System 52:00 // Q&A: Stage Magic, Potions, and Magical Objects 58:17 // Magic vs. Medicine in the Ancient World 01:01:07 // Folk vs. Learned Magic in Celtic and Slavic Traditions 01:02:03 // Feminism and the Image of the Witch 01:03:32 // Clerical Underground and Magical Transmission 01:04:30 // Witches vs. Magicians in Christian Theology 01:05:45 // Final Question: Do You Believe in Magic? This lecture makes a survey of learned ceremonial magic in Europe throughout history and demonstrates that both of the customary claims made for it by practitioners since the Middle Ages are actually correct: that there is a continuous tradition of it and that it is ultimately derived from ancient Egypt. In doing so, it also shows what is distinctive about Western magic. This lecture was recorded by Ronald Hutton on 24th April 2024 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London Ronald is Gresham Professor of Divinity. He is also Professor of History at the University of Bristol. The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/western-magic Gresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham's mission, please consider making a donation: https://gresham.ac.uk/support/ Website: https://gresham.ac.uk Twitter: https://twitter.com/greshamcollege Facebook: https://facebook.com/greshamcollege Instagram: https://instagram.com/greshamcollege