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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Magic in the Middle Ages by Universitat de Barcelona

4.6
stars
1,606 ratings

About the Course

Magical thought has always attracted human imagination. In this course we will introduce you to the Middle Ages through a wide conception of magic. Students will have an approach to medieval culture, beliefs and practices from the perspective of History and History of Science. Popular magic, as well as learned magic (alchemy, geomancy and necromancy) will be addressed. Moreover, we will also deal with how eastern practices and texts influenced western culture. In July 2016, the course will contain a brand-new module devoted to astrology. Magic in the Middle Ages offers a captivating overview of medieval society and promotes reflection about certain stereotypes associated with this period. At the end of the course, the students: a) will have overcome the usual prejudices about the Middle Ages, b) will be able to analyze historical documentation from the Middle Ages and recognize the most common patterns of juridical documents regarding witchcraft, and c) will be capable of distinguishing between popular magic and the magic of the learned people; will have a notion of which spiritual practices were allowed in medieval Europe and which ones were related to the devil, and will be aware of the link between a cultural product and the society that produced it. This course is taught in English, although subtitles in English, Catalan and Spanish will also be provided. COURSE SYLLABUS Week 1. Introduction to medieval magic (Pau Castell). Week 2. Magic & Heresy (Delfi I. Nieto-Isabel). Week 3. From Magic to Witchcraft (Pau Castell). Week 4. Magic in Islam (Godefroid de Callataÿ and Sébastien Moureau). Week 5. Astrology & Geomancy (Theo Loinaz, Delfi I. Nieto-Isabel, Godefroid de Callataÿ and Blanca Villuendas). © Gemma Pellissa Prades (coord.), Delfi I. Nieto-Isabel and Joana Palau Mumany Magic in the Middle Ages by Gemma Pellissa Prades (coord.), Delfi I. Nieto-Isabel and Joana Palau Mumany is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License....

Top reviews

A

Feb 17, 2022

Thank you for preparing such an informative course from an objective perspective and allowing us students to gain a new view of seeing thi s still controversial-topic. It was well informative and fun!

BW

Mar 23, 2018

Helpful and insightful. I try to learn as much about witchcraft and all religions as I can. The first set of videos were well lit and well read. I recommend this for anyone who wants to learn more.

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176 - 200 of 524 Reviews for Magic in the Middle Ages

By Deleted A

Oct 22, 2016

I love the instructors. They have so much information and teach in an enjoyable manner. I can't wait for the next course.

By Tivani Y

Apr 25, 2023

this is very complex but good course, i really like the explanation but the assignment was took so long time to complete

By Sandra M

Mar 11, 2023

Rich in key information about the Catholic Church and the Arab role in transmitting texts from the fallen Roman Empire

By Christian L

May 10, 2020

A very interesting topic. I feel I have learned a lot from the relatively small time investment I put into the course.

By hatim h

Dec 22, 2019

One of the most beautiful courses is the explanation is simple and easy, as the topics presented are very interesting

By Sarah H

Sep 12, 2019

An awesome, interesting course. I learned a lot, especially about what really happened with the Spanish Inquisition.

By Giuseppe C

Jul 29, 2020

E' un Corso che riesce a delineare esaustivamente tutti gli aspetti fondamentali della Magia nell'Europa medievale.

By Sofia E

Apr 26, 2020

Um curso bem estruturado, feito por profissionais excelentes... Fico feliz por ter escolhido ele, aprendi demais!!!

By Alyona S

May 12, 2021

Great course! Its was a big pleasure to discover this rare topic on Coursera and dig into this world of old magic.

By Sandra C

Apr 16, 2021

Very informative and exciting to learn about. The history component throughout many civilizations was impressive.

By Eren Y

Jul 7, 2020

It's a very well informative course and really gives you an opportunity to look at today in a different window.

By Leandro A d S

May 13, 2018

I loved it! Great course for someone that, like me, does not have a comprehensive understanding on the subject.

By Rena W

Jan 24, 2017

This was an interesting course, not what I expected at all. I would recommend this class to anyone interested.

By Andrii K

Aug 20, 2020

Very interisting course. I discovered a new knowledge about Middle Ages. Thanks authtors for this opportunity.

By Nathalie

Apr 11, 2020

Super Interesting and full of information. Allows you to do the work at your own pace. Would highly recommend.

By Ricardo R

Nov 24, 2016

I really liked it, an interesting subject with an easy way to learn.

I learned a lot and enjoyed the lessons.

By Emily M

Jun 26, 2017

Very well done course, very thought-provoking. I'd love to see follow ups with more in-depth information!

By Vladislav K

Jun 7, 2017

Excellent course! Very interesting and completely scientific, what is most important. Thanks for teachers!

By Nevey B

Feb 5, 2018

This is such a perfect course and exactly what I was looking for to add to my knowledge.

Thank you for it.

By Simone E G

Dec 12, 2017

Excellent course. The professors do help us question our rigid mentality often guided by religious views.

By Linda R

Sep 30, 2021

Excellent topics and videos. It was so much fun to see the beautiful buildings in Barcelona. Thank you!

By Helen R

Feb 19, 2018

Great course, very enjoyable. would be good to see more specialisation options available within courser.

By Myra B

Jan 31, 2017

very well presented course, I leaned a lot of information about magic witchcraft and the inquisition.

By Holden F

Jan 23, 2024

A fascinating course. The Islamic section is the only challenging part, The professors are fantastic.

By Marty D

Dec 8, 2020

This was an interesting course. Well presented and very helpful in understanding history in context.