|
|
magicofrowhan New user 11 Posts |
Looking for books and other documentation of magic that predates the 14th,15th and 16th centuries I am a scadian and I'm attempting to enter the A&S for my local kingdom and having a hard time finding documentation that predates the 14th,15th and 16th centuries and goes to the late 16th century so any help would be greatful and if any one is going to pennsic this summer would love to sit down and have a chat and brain picking session
|
Payne Inner circle Seattle 4571 Posts |
Documentation for what?
There are Roman accounts of Cups and Ball workers. They called the Acetabularii because they used vinegar cups in their performances. Mickeal Scott (1190 - 1250 ce) was a well know astrologer and magician (who knew the play of magic frauds) He is mentioned in Dante's Inferno and Boccaccio's Decameron. But little is know about him. Other than that, information is spotty. Generally relegated to illustrations of players and minstrels in mediaeval manuscripts. But with scant description. The only book I know of that really deals in this era of magic is Fanch Guillemin's An Illustrated History of White Magic. But even the information in that volume for the time period you are looking for is scant. Are you trying to document a particular effect. Or just the performance of magic in general? Also what culture is your persona representing? I received my Laurel for my performances of magic in the SCA and entered a few A&S competitions. But that was over twenty years ago when standards were a little more lax.
"America's Foremost Satirical Magician" -- Jeff McBride.
|
magicofrowhan New user 11 Posts |
Quote:
On 2013-06-17 01:44, Payne wrote: I'm mostly looking to documment the performance of magic in general I have found a few books that I have recently purchased but the titles escape me at the moment and my scadian persona is still kind of in developement since I'm returning from a hiatus so to speak do to college, I'm kind of just going for the well traveled entertainer (even though ive never actually been outside of the USA) |
Pokie-Poke Special user Bensalem, PA 883 Posts |
I will be at pennsic. I'm teaching 2 classes, easiest way to find me. table hopping, and contact juggling.
www.pokie-poke.com
The Adventure cont... |
HenryleTregetour Regular user 184 Posts |
I've got some stuff that you are going to love!
My persona is 12th-13th centuries, and I have been doing research on medieval magic (in its various forms) for several years. Here is something to wet your appetite; it was written by John of Salisbury in 1159 and can be found on the internet (I am sorry I don't have the url). From FRIVOLITIES OF COURTIERS AND FOOTPRINTS OF PHILOSOPHERS Being a Translation of the First, Second, and Third Books and Selections from the Seventh and Eighth Books of the Policraticus of John of Salisbury JOSEPH B. PIKE 1972 OCTAGON BOOKS New York FOREWORD Copyright 1938 by the University of Minnesota Reprinted 1972 by special arrangement with The University of Minnesota Press (available on the internet) Chapter Eight. Actors, Mimics, and Jugglers [46] INDEED some still imitate Nero as far as they can (even if no one deigns to smirch himself with his foulness, although many curry favor with actors and mimics) and in displaying their vicious tendencies squander monstrous — shall we say, rather than marvelous — sums, in a sort of blind and despicable munificence. That age6 however, to make a concession for the time being, possessed more respectable actors than ours, if we may apply the word respectable to that which is regarded as unworthy of any gentleman. I do not, however, assert that the actor is dishonorable when he follows his profession, although it is undoubtedly dishonorable to be an actor. Indeed there were once actors who by the magic of gesture, of language, and of voice reproduced vividly for the audience both fact and fiction. These were the contemporaries of Plautus and Menander and such as were intimate with our favorite Terence. Subsequently comedy and tragedy disappeared, since frivolity held universal sway. The actors of the legitimate drama were consequently forced into retirement. One will, however, discover that the status [Notes] 5 Juvenal, Sat. vii. 90 (L. C. L., p. 144). 6 See Macrobius, Sat. III. xiv. Elsewhere John speaks thus of actors: Concerning actors and mimes, buffoons and harlots, panderers and other like human monsters which the prince ought rather to exterminate entirely than to foster, there needed to be no mention made in the law, which not only excludes all such abominations from the court of the prince but totally banishes them from among the people. Policraticus, IV, iv (Dickinson, p. 16). See also Book VIII, Chapter Twelve (pp. 369ff., below). [text continued] of the actor was for the most part that of the slave although his utility is emphasized by him who teaches the art of poetry, in the words, Our dramatists desire to be of help And to amuse; to give expression to The jocund and the just.7 But our own age, descending to romances and similar folly, prostitutes not only the ear and heart to vanity but also delights its idleness with the pleasures of eye and ear. It inflames its own wantonness, seeking everywhere incentives to vice. Does not the shiftless man divert his idleness and court slumber with the sweet tones of instruments and vocal melody, with gaiety inspired by musicians and with the pleasure he finds in the narrator of tales or, and this is more disgraceful still, in drunken revels? [47] Horace has given a prescription of better form: Let those who need sound sleep anoint themselves And swim across the Tiber thrice.8 The preacher, too, says, Sleep is sweet to a laboring man whether he eat little or much.9 Exercise does indeed beget and foster liking for repose, which is destroyed by long continued ease and the languor bred by it. An idle man is especially under the dominion of his desires since idleness is a foe of the soul and banishes from it all interest in virtue. The moralist proclaims: Dost see how sloth corrupts the idle frame; How waters motionless become defiled?10 What? you say; Listen! you will learn if you trust the same guide, as he also says, 'Tis questioned why Aegistus came to be Adulterer; the cause is clear to see, He had abundant ease.11 It is therefore the advice of a most learned man12 that the Enemy should find you occupied, that you may with success equal to your [Notes] 7 Horace, A. P. 333-34 (L. C. L., p. 478). 8 Horace, Sat. II. i. 7-8 (L. C. L., p. 126). 9 Eccles. v. 11. 10 Ovid, Pont. I. v. 5-6 (L. C. L., p. 290). 11 Ovid, Rem. Am. 161-62 (L. C. L., p. 188). 12 I.e., St. Jerome, who says "See to it that you engage in some work, that the devil always find you occupied." Ep. cxxv (Ad Rusticum). [text continued] judgment oppose the shield of your occupations to his manifold temptations. Says the moralist, That shameless siren idleness you must Avoid.13 But with us, actors give her new life. Tedium steals upon unoccupied minds and they are not able to endure their own company unless they are pampered by the solace of some pleasure. Therefore spectacles and the countless hosts of vanities by which they who cannot endure to be entirely idle are occupied, but to their greater harm. Better had it been for them to have idled away their time than to have busied themselves to their own ruin. Hence the procession of mimics, jumping or leaping priests, buffoons, Aemilian14 and other gladiators, wrestlers, sorcerers, jugglers, magicians, and a whole army [48] of jesters. They are in such vogue that even they whose exposures are so indecent that they make a cynic blush are not barred from distinguished houses. Then too, a surprising fact, they are not even turned out when with more hellish tumult they defile the air and more shamelessly disclose that which in shame they had concealed. Does he appear to be a man of wisdom who has eye or ear for such as these? Who would, however, not be glad to see and laugh when juggler is drenched with urine, his tricks disclosed, and when eyes that have been blinded with his magic find their power restored? It is pleasant and not in the least unbecoming for a man of honor to indulge occasionally in reasonable mirth, but it is disgraceful to lower personal dignity by excessive indulgence in it. From such spectacles also (especially if obscene) the eye of the honorable man should be turned lest the incontinence of his mind, as well, proclaim his lewdness. Pericles, his colleague, chiding Sophocles, the general, well said "It is fitting, Sophocles, that a general have not only continent hands but eyes."15 "Turn away my eyes that they may not behold vanity"16 said he to whom much was permitted because of his regal estate, for he knew, doubtless, that the groan uttered by another; "My eye hath wasted my soul,"17 is true. However, the wise man's mind detects what is helpful or fitting in cases as they occur, nor does he shun fables, stories, or spectacles in general, providing that [notes] 13 Horace, Sat. II. iii. 14-15 (L. C. L., p. 158). 14 So called perhaps because trained at the Aemilian school for gladiators men tioned by Horace, A. P. 32 (L. C. L., p. 452). 15 Cicero, De Off. i. 40 (L. C. L., p. 146). 16 Ps. cxviii. 37. 17 Lam. iii. 51. [text continued] they possess the requirements of virtue and honorable utility. You are not unaware that by the authority of the Christian Fathers the sacrament of holy communion is forbidden actors and mimics as long as they persist in their evil career. Hence you may infer in what a perilous position their supporters are if you but recall that perpe-[49] trator and confederate are to suffer like penalty. Why is it that people make gifts to actors, you ask. They court them for their worst qualities. Can he who courts wickedness be himself good? Although all who are wicked are indeed hateful, those who do less harm are easier to endure. Chapter Nine. Derivation of the Word "Praestigium" and the Originator of the Art LONG ago the Christian Fathers condemned those who practiced the more demoralizing forms of legerdemain, the art of magic, and astrology because they realized that all these arts, or rather artifices, derive from unholy commerce between men and demons. Very frequently their practitioners cite truth with the sole intent to deceive, and of these Our Lord warns the souls of his faithful; If they shall tell you and so it come to pass, believe them not.18 The word praestigium19 is said to have been invented by Mercury for the reason that he blinds20 the eyes. He was the most adept of magicians and could make invisible whatever he desired or, as it appears, change it into other forms. Indeed all manifestations of mathesis,21 if the penultimate syllable be pronounced long, may be referred to magic, and of this there are many different forms. Chapter Ten. Magicians and the Reputed Origin of the Name MAGICIANS do indeed exist and are so called because of the magni-[50] tude of their incantations;22 for they, by God's grace, cause [notes] 18 Deut. xiii. 1, 2; Matt. xxiv. 36. 19 "Illusion," "sleight-of-hand." 20 Latin praetringit. 21 John of Salisbury distinguished between ma'thesis (mathematics) and mathe'sis (astrology). 22 Isidore, Orig. VIII. ix. 9. Note that the etymology is derived from the fact that the first syllable of each word is the same. In general, classical and medieval derivations are as bizarre as this. [text] the elements to shudder, destroy the identity of things, often predict the future, cloud the minds of men, send dreams, and, so far as that goes, by the violence of their charms slay them — a fact known to Lucan for he says Men's minds polluted by no poisonous draft, By incantations perish.23 That you may not lightly esteem Lucan's testimony, you are aware that Jannes24 and Jambres, magicians of Pharaoh (for Egypt is the mother of such kinds of superstition and sorcery), not only withstood Moses but vied in signs and miracles with him, though afterward quite reluctantly they were forced to acknowledge that the hand of God was in the signs of Moses.25 My note: Jannes and Jambres, along with Simon Magus, were the prototypical sorcerers for medieval churchmen; they were considered frauds (jugglers) who used their magic tricks to deceive people. I have some other things I will add tomorrow; I don't have access to them now. They will be more "positive" references to medieval jongleurs. |
HenryleTregetour Regular user 184 Posts |
Here's another tidbit. It comes from Milbourne and Maurine Christopher, The Illustrated History of Magic, Updated Edition (2006). It is a quote from the thirteenth century Franciscan friar and experimental philosopher Roger Bacon:
"there are men who create illusions by the rapidity of the movements of their hands, or by the assumption of various voices, or by ingenious apparatus, or by performing in the dark, or by means of confederacy show to men many wonderful things which do not exist." (p.16) I have read other translations where the wording was not quite the same, and the difference was how "ingenious apparatus" was translated. Bacon was a protege of Albert the Great (Albertus Magnus), and Bacon in turn was the mentor of Thomas of Aquinas. As I said, Bacon was an "experiemental philosopher." By that, I mean he dabbled in what might be called "proto-science," known at the time as Natural Magick (as opposed to demonic magic). His favorite experiments were with lenses, which included an effect with convex lenses by which an image was produced in midair between the viewer and the mirror. I read recently (but don't remember where)that Bacon created an automoton (automotons, originating in the Middle East, were all the rage in Europe in the thirteenth century, and are still preserved in various medieval clocks--their popularity grew throughout later period, and Leonardo Da Vinci is believed to have created a lion automoton among other things). The automoton was later destroyed by Aquinas as a work of the devil. At any rate, experimental philosophy was highly frowned upon by the church, and Bacon spent several years imprisoned. In later years he had a reputation as a wizard, which wasn't good. |
HenryleTregetour Regular user 184 Posts |
Oh yeah, I meant add that there is additional information in Christopher about pre-fourteenth century magic (the paragraph before the Bacon quote), and there is a lot of information about non-English magicians in the following pages. It is a must read for anyone interested in the history of magic (although I found it a bit tedious later on as it became sort of a travelogue for various magicians).
|
HenryleTregetour Regular user 184 Posts |
Here is more documentation of pre-fourteenth century performance magicians, commonly called jongleurs (jugglers) or tregetours. This comes from John Southworth, The English Medieval Minstrel (1989). On pages 45-46 there are two twefth century passages, one from Robert Wace's "Roman de Brut" (an Arthurian tale) and the other a writing by Chretien de Troyes, that refer to jongleurs in the context of court entertainment.
Wace: the event is the coronoation of King Arthur; after listing various musicians, he writes, "There were also magicians, Perfomers and jugglers [magicians], Some tell tales and fables, others ask for dice and tables." de Troyes (pages 45-46): "There was not a minstrel in all the land who could offer any entertainment who did not flock to the court. Great was the joy in the hall: each performed his service: One leaps, one tumbles, one conjures, One tells tales, the other sings (etc.)" [I am not sure if this second account was from one of his fictional writings or was an account of an event that actually happened.] As one can tell, in the twelfth century performance magicians were closely associated with other kinds of performers. Indeed, it was common for a minstrel to be a kind-of jack of all trades--musicians typically played several instruments, and it was rare for a minstrel to be a specialist. He commonly also did acrobatic feats, juggling (the non-magic kind), acted, etc. Southworth argues that minstrels (meaning "little servant") were members of the royal and other great courts. This included the jongleurs--he presents several instances in which they are employed by a particular lord (especially the king). Southworth further argues against the notion of the unaffiliated traveling minstrel; while minstrels did travel, they travelled with the permission of their sponsor. I personally am skeptical of this part of Southworth's argument; I believe in addition to the minstrels with patrons there probably were unaffiliated travelling minstrels, who probably made their living in "urban" areas, especially at the time of fairs. Nevetheless, jongleurs were not just street performers. A select few of them received royal patronage, and were well paid (think the difference between our contemporary Ren Fair magician and the Vegas magicians). And as a "little servant" of a great noble, the jongleur would have had other duties; Southworth cites minstrels who also served in posts such as Master of the Hunt. In addition to the citations I have given, Southworth documents specific jongleurs through royal payrolls. I will let anyone interested dig these out. |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Periods & styles of Magic » » Books and other documentation (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.08 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |