Introduction: Éva Pócs – A Leading Scholar in Religious Anthropology

Éva Pócs is a renowned scholar in religious anthropology, folklore studies, and cultural history. Her work has significantly advanced academic understanding of European witchcraft, shamanism, and folk religion. As Professor Emeritus at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Pócs has authored numerous influential texts on supernatural beliefs, including Between the Living and the Dead and Communicating with the Spirits. Her research focuses on the intersections of magic, religion, and society, making her a leading authority in these fields. With The Magical and Sacred Medical World, she brings her expertise to bear on the sacred and magical dimensions of healing practices.

The Magical and Sacred Medical World

Published in 2019 by Cambridge Scholars Publishing, The Magical and Sacred Medical World is an interdisciplinary exploration of how magical and sacred beliefs have shaped medical practices across cultures and historical periods. The book is based on papers presented at a 2009 conference organized by Pécs University’s Department of Ethnography and Cultural Anthropology. It examines topics such as supernatural causes of illness, magical healing rituals, sacred figures associated with healing, and ancient medicinal traditions. The essays span a wide temporal range, from antiquity to modern times, offering insights into the cultural construction of health and disease.The book is divided into four thematic sections:

1. Magical and Supernatural Causes of Illnesses

This section explores supernatural explanations for diseases and their remedies:

• “Hag-riding”: Demons of Desire or Symptoms of Disease? by Janine Rivière examines nightmares (or “hag-riding”) in premodern England as both supernatural phenomena and medical conditions.
• Burnt without Fire by Svetlana Tsonkova discusses the illness demon nezhit in Bulgarian medieval texts.
• Worldview, Religion, and Disease in Magyarfalu by Laura Iancu analyzes disease concepts among Roman Catholics in Moldova.
• Magical Causes of Illnesses in Eighteenth-Century Ukraine by Kateryna Dysa investigates witchcraft-related illnesses.
• Georg Tallar and the 1753 Vampire Hunt by Ádám Mézes examines vampire-related medical investigations in Habsburg Banat.
• “She Condemned Me, so that I Die…” by József Gagyi explores communal explanations for diseases in Székler Land.

2. Physicians, Magicians, Healing Priests

This section focuses on healers’ roles across cultures:

• Divination by Spirits and Spirit Mediumship in the Middle Ages by Christa Agnes Tuczay discusses spirit communication for healing.
• Understanding Medical Knowledge in Early Modern Norway by Ane Ohrvik analyzes medical manuscripts.
• Talking to Vepsian Tedai by Madis Arukask explores the role of Vepsian healers.
• Magic and Counter-Magic among the Bru Shaman-Sorcerers by Gábor Vargyas examines shamanic practices in Vietnam.
• The Quran, Spirits, and Bioenergy in Uzbekistan by Krisztina Kehl-Bodrogi studies post-Soviet religious healing.
• Benedictions Serving Early Modern Benedictine Medicine by Dániel Bárth highlights Benedictine healing rituals.
• Exorcism in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra by Tünde Komáromi describes exorcism practices in Russia.

3. Punishing and Healing Saints

This section delves into sacred figures associated with healing:

• Mythical Beings Punishing Taboos on Spinning by Mirjam Mencej examines Slovenian belief figures enforcing taboos.
• Divine Healers in Romanian Manuscript Charms (17th–19th Centuries) by Emanuela Timotin explores saints’ roles in healing charms.
• Dream Healing: The Nocturnal World of Healing and Bewitchment by Éva Pócs discusses dream-based healing practices across Europe.
• Miraculous Healing at Sacred Places by Albena Georgieva analyzes narratives surrounding Bulgarian shrines.

4. Healing Methods and Medicaments

This section looks at ancient and modern healing methods:

• An Attempt to Identify Homer’s “Moly” as Mandrake by Nora Zergi identifies Homeric medicinal plants.
• Telesma and Stoicheion: Magical Statues in Byzantium by Anna Judit Tóth explores healing statues in antiquity.
• Pork as a Wonder Drug or Religious Taboo as Medicine by Ildikó Csepregi examines taboo-breaking medicinal practices.
• Soldiers of Christ on Earth: Psychotronics as Esoteric Healing by Judit Kis-Halas discusses contemporary esoteric healing methods.
• Integrating Ancient and Modern Healing Concepts in Tandem Hypnotherapy by József Pál Vas and Noémi Császár describes psychiatric treatments incorporating spiritual elements.

The book integrates perspectives from anthropology, folklore studies, cultural history, philology, medical anthropology, psychiatry, and religious studies. This broad scope provides a holistic view of magical and sacred medicine across time periods. On the other hand, the essays explore how supernatural beliefs shaped health practices across Europe while also including global perspectives (e.g., Vietnam, Uzbekistan).

The book is especially valuable for scholars studying European witchcraft. It highlights how healers were often accused of witchcraft due to their use of magical remedies or perceived connections to demonic forces. Topics like “hag-riding” (linked to sleep paralysis) illuminate how medical conditions were interpreted through supernatural frameworks during the witch craze. By examining non-Christian deities, spirits, and taboos (e.g., spinning taboos), the book sheds light on pre-Christian belief systems that persisted alongside Christian traditions.

Éva Pócs’s The Magical and Sacred Medical World is an essential resource for understanding how magical and sacred traditions have influenced medical practices throughout history. Its interdisciplinary approach makes it invaluable for scholars interested in European witchcraft, religious anthropology, folklore studies, or cultural history. By examining topics such as demonic causes of illness, dream healing, sacred shrines, and ancient medicinal practices, this collection broadens our understanding of how societies have historically navigated health challenges through supernatural frameworks.

For those studying pre-Christian belief systems or the cultural roots of witchcraft accusations during the European witch craze, this book offers unparalleled insights into the complex interplay between magic, religion, medicine, and society.

The book is highly relevant to scholars studying European witchcraft due to its focus on the overlap between magic, medicine, and witchcraft: It for instance examines how supernatural explanations for illness often led to accusations of witchcraft against healers. The dual role of healers as both curers (using magic) and potential harm-doers (linked to curses or demonic forces) is explored as well as historical contexts such as the European witch craze are addressed to highlight how women healers were marginalized or persecuted due to their association with folk medicine.