In the 12th century, Bartholomew of Exeter, a bishop with a keen eye for rooting out sin, compiled a remarkable list of forbidden practices in his Penitentiale. From casting spells to invoking fairies, these activities reveal a medieval world where superstition, magic, and religion collided. While some of these acts may seem fantastical—or even absurd—by modern standards, they reflect the Church’s determination to control behaviour and stamp out remnants of pagan traditions. Whether or not these practices were still common in Bartholomew’s time, this list offers a rare glimpse into the fears and beliefs that shaped medieval England.
1. Anyone who tries to take someone else’s milk, honey, or other goods by using spells or witchcraft.
2. Anyone who, deceived by the Devil, believes and claims that they ride with countless others in the company of the one whom ignorant people call Herodias or Diana, and that they follow her commands.
3. Anyone who sets up a table with three knives for fairies, believing they will bring blessings to those born in the house.
4. Anyone who makes a vow to a tree, a body of water, or anything other than a church.
5. Anyone who dishonours New Year’s Day by practising magic to predict the future, following pagan customs, or begins their work on that day believing it will bring better success throughout the year.
6. Anyone who ties knots, casts spells, or makes charms to perform witchcraft and hides them in grass, trees, or crossroads to protect their livestock from disease.
7. Anyone who places their child on the roof or in an oven to heal them, or uses charms, symbols, or anything made for divination, instead of relying on godly prayers or legitimate medicine.
8. Anyone who, while collecting medicinal plants, recites charms or incantations that are not godly, such as the Lord’s Prayer or the Creed.
9. Anyone who uses spells or charms while working with wool, dyes, or other materials to ensure success, or forbids others from taking fire or anything else from their house, fearing it may harm their animals.
10. Anyone who performs witchcraft using a corpse, funeral items, or clothing of the dead, fearing the dead might take revenge, that another person might die in the same house, or to gain some personal benefit.
11. Anyone who practises witchcraft on St. John’s Day (June 24th) to predict the future.
12. Anyone who believes that good or bad fortune depends on the sound of a jackdaw or raven, or from meeting a priest or any other animal.
13. Anyone who places toys or other items in their barn or cellar for the so-called fairies or spirits to play with, believing it will bring greater abundance.
14. Anyone who, while visiting the sick, interprets good or bad omens from the movement of a stone on their journey or by any other sign.
15. Anyone who believes that a man or woman can be transformed into the shape of a wolf or any other animal.
16. Anyone who examines the footprints of Christians, believing they can use them to perform witchcraft by cutting out the turf they walked on.
17. Priests must investigate if there are any women who claim to be able to change people’s minds through sorcery, such as turning hatred into love or love into hatred, or to use witchcraft to steal others’ property. They must also address those who claim to ride at night on certain animals, accompanied by a host of demons disguised as women, and to be part of such a company. Any woman found guilty of these practices should be punished with birch twigs and expelled from the parish.
Throughout the Middle Ages, Church authorities made continuous efforts to eradicate superstitious and magical practices, condemning them as remnants of paganism or as dangerous heresies. Clergy issued sermons, penitential guides like Bartholomew of Exeter’s Penitentiale, and decrees from councils to warn against such activities and guide confessors in identifying and punishing offenders. However, their success was limited. Many of these practices were deeply ingrained in the daily lives and cultural traditions of rural communities, where people turned to charms, rituals, and folklore for protection, healing, or good fortune. The persistence of these beliefs often frustrated Church leaders, who struggled to replace them with orthodox Christian teachings, especially in isolated areas where clergy had little direct influence. This ongoing tension highlights the gap between the Church’s ideals and the lived realities of medieval society.
In the 12th century, Bartholomew of Exeter, a bishop with a keen eye for rooting out sin, compiled a remarkable list of forbidden practices in his Penitentiale. From casting spells to invoking fairies, these activities reveal a medieval world where superstition, magic, and religion collided. While some of these acts may seem fantastical—or even absurd—by modern standards, they reflect the Church’s determination to control behaviour and stamp out remnants of pagan traditions. Whether or not these practices were still common in Bartholomew’s time, this list offers a rare glimpse into the fears and beliefs that shaped medieval England.
1. Anyone who tries to take someone else’s milk, honey, or other goods by using spells or witchcraft.
2. Anyone who, deceived by the Devil, believes and claims that they ride with countless others in the company of the one whom ignorant people call Herodias or Diana, and that they follow her commands.
3. Anyone who sets up a table with three knives for fairies, believing they will bring blessings to those born in the house.
4. Anyone who makes a vow to a tree, a body of water, or anything other than a church.
5. Anyone who dishonours New Year’s Day by practising magic to predict the future, following pagan customs, or begins their work on that day believing it will bring better success throughout the year.
6. Anyone who ties knots, casts spells, or makes charms to perform witchcraft and hides them in grass, trees, or crossroads to protect their livestock from disease.
7. Anyone who places their child on the roof or in an oven to heal them, or uses charms, symbols, or anything made for divination, instead of relying on godly prayers or legitimate medicine.
8. Anyone who, while collecting medicinal plants, recites charms or incantations that are not godly, such as the Lord’s Prayer or the Creed.
9. Anyone who uses spells or charms while working with wool, dyes, or other materials to ensure success, or forbids others from taking fire or anything else from their house, fearing it may harm their animals.
10. Anyone who performs witchcraft using a corpse, funeral items, or clothing of the dead, fearing the dead might take revenge, that another person might die in the same house, or to gain some personal benefit.
11. Anyone who practises witchcraft on St. John’s Day (June 24th) to predict the future.
12. Anyone who believes that good or bad fortune depends on the sound of a jackdaw or raven, or from meeting a priest or any other animal.
13. Anyone who places toys or other items in their barn or cellar for the so-called fairies or spirits to play with, believing it will bring greater abundance.
14. Anyone who, while visiting the sick, interprets good or bad omens from the movement of a stone on their journey or by any other sign.
15. Anyone who believes that a man or woman can be transformed into the shape of a wolf or any other animal.
16. Anyone who examines the footprints of Christians, believing they can use them to perform witchcraft by cutting out the turf they walked on.
17. Priests must investigate if there are any women who claim to be able to change people’s minds through sorcery, such as turning hatred into love or love into hatred, or to use witchcraft to steal others’ property. They must also address those who claim to ride at night on certain animals, accompanied by a host of demons disguised as women, and to be part of such a company. Any woman found guilty of these practices should be punished with birch twigs and expelled from the parish.
Throughout the Middle Ages, Church authorities made continuous efforts to eradicate superstitious and magical practices, condemning them as remnants of paganism or as dangerous heresies. Clergy issued sermons, penitential guides like Bartholomew of Exeter’s Penitentiale, and decrees from councils to warn against such activities and guide confessors in identifying and punishing offenders. However, their success was limited. Many of these practices were deeply ingrained in the daily lives and cultural traditions of rural communities, where people turned to charms, rituals, and folklore for protection, healing, or good fortune. The persistence of these beliefs often frustrated Church leaders, who struggled to replace them with orthodox Christian teachings, especially in isolated areas where clergy had little direct influence. This ongoing tension highlights the gap between the Church’s ideals and the lived realities of medieval society.
This text was translated by G.G. Coulton in A Medieval Garner: Human Documents from the Four Centuries preceeding the Reformation (Constable and Co., 1910). The English has been modernized. Top Image: Photo by John K Thorne / Flickr
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