Practical magic: curses, spells & cunning fol...

For decades, the history of the Second World War has been told through predominately western eyes. That, writes historian Hans van de Ven, simply has to change. Hans's new book, Blood Dawn, sets out to reset the focus, exploring the conflict's story from an Asian perspective. In ...  Show more

As recent years attest, royal scandals have a habit of coming to light. But what if the mother of all royal scandals is still waiting to be revealed? Could it be that an heir to the British throne, Prince Albert Victor, lived a double life as a serial killer? Today on the History ...  Show more

Long before witch trials, magic was the domain of ‘cunning folk’ who were part of the fabric of medieval and early modern life. Their charms, filters and spells - for personal advancement, aiding fertility, predicting the future, even exacting revenge - offered people sol ...

In the Middle Ages, people made marks and concealed many objects in their buildings to protect themselves from harmful magic. Dead cats, horse skulls, hidden shoes, written charms and protection marks were all used widely as methods of repelling, diverting or trapping negative ...

The 16th century was a dangerous time to be talking about magic and hidden forces, so how did John Dee end up being invited into Elizabeth I's court?He was an astronomer, occultist and alchemist who dedicated his life to understanding how celestial activity influenced life on ear ...  Show more

What comes to your mind when you think of a witch? Broomsticks? Black cats? Warts?Early modern witchcraft expert, John Callow, is Betwixt the Sheets with Kate to explain the history behind the stereotypes we have today.They also chat about the Bideford Witches, the last three wom ...  Show more