medicine Archives - Bone and Sickle

Born with a Veil

August 15, 2026 boneandsickle anomalies, Benandanti, birthing, cauls, curiosities, EPISODE, folk customs, folk magic, folklore, Friuli, history, legends, medicine, superstition, witch trials, witchcraft, witches

To be “born with a veil” (or caul) was once regarded as far more than an unusual circumstance of birth.[…]

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The Mesmerist

April 20, 2024 boneandsickle EPISODE, folklore, Franz Mesmer, Gothic, gothic literature, history, literature, magic, medicine, mesmerism, Svengali

Our understanding of hypnotism, once known as “mesmerism,” has radically evolved over the centuries. This episode looks at where it[…]

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Toad Magic

June 21, 2020 boneandsickle antiquity, Astor Place Riot, black magic, broadsheets, Canidia, criminals, cults, cunning folk, Devil, EPISODE, familiars, folk customs, folk medicine, folklore, frogs, history, James I, Macbeth, medicine, Middle Ages, mythology, necromancy, poison, Scotland, Shakespeare, superstition, toads, witchcraft, witches, zombies, Zugarramurdi

Toads have long been associated with magic, as witches’ familiars and as a source both of poison as folk healing.[…]

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