MCS226H1: The Materiality of Magic: Sorcery, Spells, Devotion, and Divination

24S

Magic is a wide field of study comprising spirituality, mysticism, paranormal events, the occult, and other unexplained phenomena. This course aims to (re-)materialize magic and to anchor it in the physical objects that have played an indispensable role in the practice and performance of ceremonies and rituals from Prehistory to the present day. Students will apply theoretical lenses to understand how objects – relics, icons, effigies, charms, amulets – are transformed through, and become instruments of, rituals that control, placate, or please the supernatural world. The course brings together a range of disciplines and perspectives to contextualize and to challenge our perception of the material manifestations of magic.

Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)