Preface This volume is intended for those who find it pleasant, at times, to wander in the byways of topography and local literature. The development of Lancashire, especially in its relation to modern industrial life, has been told by more than one able historian, and all that is here attempted is to glean in the ample harvest fields. The bygone customs, forgotten worthies, outworn superstitions, historical episodes and travellers' tales here recorded, will, it is hoped, not be without interest. If some of the articles seem more modern than the title would strictly justify, it must be remembered that the changes in the condition of the County Palatine have been so rapid that many things have become obsolete in the life time of the existing generation.

This 19th-century collection compiles all the extant ballads with all known variants and features Child's commentaries. Includes Parts IX and X of the original set — ballads 266-305 — plus indexes, glossary.

This edited collection analyses the phenomenon of coin use for religious and ritual purposes in different cultures and across different periods of time. It proposes an engagement with the theory and interpretation of the ‘material turn’ with numismatic evidence, and an evidence-based series of discussions to offer a fuller, richer and fresh account of coin use in ritual contexts. No extensive publication has previously foregrounded coins in such a model, despite the fact that coins constitute an integrated part of the material culture of most societies today and of many in the past. Here, interdisciplinary discussions are organised around three themes: coin deposit and ritual practice, the coin as economic object and divine mediator, and the value and meaning of coin offering. Although focusing on the medieval period in Western Europe, the book includes instructive cases from the Roman period until today. The collection brings together well-established and emerging scholars from archaeology, art history, ethnology, history and numismatics, and great weight is given to material evidence which can complement and contradict the scarce written sources.

Love Spells celebrates the ancient art of love magic in a collection of authentic traditions used throughout the ages to invoke love, practice divination, and heal broken hearts. A carefully curated grimoire of traditional magic and ancient knowledge, Love Spells features many charms, folkloric rituals, and ceremonies that have been passed down through generations. Discover methods of invoking, strengthening, predicting, and repelling love that garner the magic of the moon, amulets, herbs, and plants. Touching on elements of dark magic and the occult, some of these spells serve purely as historical context, offering a deep understanding of love magic's powerful legacy. Breathing new life into magical traditions and bringing hidden knowledge to light, Love Spells is a testament to the rich history of love magic.

A systematic exploration of Thomas Hardy's imaginative assimilation of particular Victorian sciences, this study draws on and swells the widening current of scholarly attention now being paid to the cultural meanings compacted and released by the nascent 'sciences of man' in the nineteenth century. Andrew Radford here situates Hardy's fiction and poetry in a context of the new sciences of humankind that evolved during the Victorian age to accommodate an immense range of literal and figurative 'excavations' then taking place. Combining literary close readings with broad historical analyses, he explores Hardy's artistic response to geological, archaeological and anthropological findings. In particular, he analyzes Hardy's lifelong fascination with the doctrine of 'survivals,' a term coined by E.B. Tylor in Primitive Culture (1871) to denote customs, beliefs and practices persisting in isolation from their original cultural context. Radford reveals how Hardy's subtle reworking of Tylor's doctrine offers a valuable insight into the inter-penetration of science and literature during this period. An important aspect of Radford's research focuses on lesser known periodical literature that grew out of a British amateur antiquarian tradition of the nineteenth century. His readings of Hardy's literary notebooks disclose the degree to which Hardy's own considerable scientific knowledge was shaped by the middlebrow periodical press. Thus Thomas Hardy and the Survivals of Time raises questions not only about the reception of scientific ideas but also the creation of nonspecialist forms of scientific discourse. This book represents a genuinely new perspective for Hardy studies.

Learn how to cultivate a herbal apothecary, sow a glorious flowerbed, and grow fruits and vegetables using this magical guide of age-old knowledge and charms. There is that in the hum and business of a garden that makes for peace; the senses are softly stirred even as the heart finds wings.—Calthrop, 1910 An ideal gardening companion, Garden Magic will help you reconnect with the power of nature. With guidance on sowing, propagating, and harvesting, including everything from practical advice and growing tips to incantations and spells. Discover how to predict the weather, protect your plants and crops from pests, and explore the properties and powers of various herbs, trees, and flowers. Combining traditional green thumb practices with the ancient art of witchcraft, this collection of folkloric knowledge will help your garden flourish. Garden Magic is perfect for herbalists, gardening enthusiasts, and those looking to tune into the power of the natural world.