Klaassen, Frank, and Sharon Hubbs Wright. The Magic of Rogues: Necromancers in Early Tudor England. Magic in History Sourcebooks. Penn State Univ. Press, 2021. ISBN 978-0271-08929-4.
Reviewed by Austin Moser
In The Magic of Rogues, Frank Klaassen and Sharon Hubbs Wright provide a well-curated collection of documents that highlight different approaches and beliefs among commoners and authorities in Tudor England regarding magic and necromancy. This monograph is divided into five sections. The first section offers a general introduction to the structure of The Magic of Rogues, highlighting important terms to better prepare the reader for the analysis and context of the events detailed within. Of note, popular misconceptions regarding necromancy—such as the presumption that it focused on dead bodies—are dispelled, much to the shock of readers who might be engaging with information about this historical period for the first time. Finally, the introduction provides a brief guide on how to interpret Tudor England legal proceedings and a statement on editorial practices used in this text.
Following the introduction, the next four sections are grouped in pairs so that legal proceedings regarding necromantic acts are coupled with the texts provided guidance for rituals. This first paired section follows the story of William Neville and the magicians he hired. Klaassen and Wright provide a brief synopsis of the court proceedings against Neville followed by a detailed transcription of available documents. This legal case was held in a secular court, which strictly followed laws enacted by British Parliament. As such, evidentiary practices elicited a shockingly weak response in the context of the accusations held against Neville. As noted by Klaassen and Wright, the charges against Neville were tantamount to treason because they predicted the death of the King. Although these charges are often met with the death penalty, Neville and his magicians walked free.
Klaassen and Wright follow this case with excerpts from the most likely associated magic texts, including “Of Loue, of Kardes, Dies & Tables and Other Consaytes,” “De Sigillis Septem Planetarum,” and other untitled sources. These texts provided detailed descriptions of rituals, ceremonies, and prayers for magical outcomes. These magical pursuits are motivated by traditionally masculine pursuits, and the basis of these rituals are firmly rooted in the religious philosophies of the Church. The connection to institutionalized religion is most evident in the extensive invocation of God, major biblical figures, and prayer as part of these necromantic rituals.
The next coupled sections pair the legal proceedings of men accused of extracting treasure by magical means near Mixindale, the Mixindale Hoard, again with related magical texts. However, a key contrast from the first two sections is that these legal proceedings occur in an ecclesiastical court. By publishing both of these perspectives in The Magic of Rogues, Klaassen and Wright provide an interesting contrast between the power of religious and state authorities, and the different burdens of evidence required for a conviction. For example, the accused magic crime of treasure hunting is of much lower offense when compared to Neville’s charges of treason, but it resulted in harsher and tangible punishments for the accused. In contrast to Neville and his magicians walking free, the Mixindale Hoard was sentenced to public penance, a common charge for first-time offenders in the pursuit of necromancy.
While Neville’s case held treasonous accusations, the Mixindale case involved charges of heresy for treasure hunting. Due to inadequate and sloppy preparations of the participants in this ritual, knowledge of their hunt reached the Church quickly. While many factors played into the discovery of this ritual by ecclesiastical authorities, some notable reasons include miscommunications of meet-up points, excessive noise, and leaked communications. Even more interesting is how their rituals relied heavily on invocations of biblical figures and how counter claims of Christian doctrine are made by the ecclesiastical courts. Heresy charges are levied upon individuals touting beliefs contrary to the church.
Overall, The Magic of Rogues pushes for us to reconsider what necromancy was in Tudor England and how different judicial systems varied significantly in their applications of the law. Klaassen and Wright challenge many of the popular beliefs around these systems with historical evidence, while also providing a striking narrative of the Tudor environment. This book would be excellent for anyone who is interested in reading historical documents, learning about Tudor England, or reconsidering previously established ideas regarding magic.
Austin Moser is a fifth-year Chemistry Ph.D. candidate at Rice University. He is originally from San Diego, having completed his undergraduate education at San Diego State University in Biochemistry with additional training in the Rhetoric and Writing Studies department. In his free time, Austin enjoys reading, writing, playing the violin, and playing video games.
Cover image: From the Archive of the British Library, Shelfmark: Cup.406.k.4
This review was solicited by SEL Studies in English Literature 1500–1900. A review copy of The Magic of Rogues: Necromancers in Early Tudor England (2021) was provided by the publisher.