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Magic and Divination at the Courts of Burgundy and France
Text and Context of Laurens Pignon's Contre les Devineurs (1411)
Series: - Brill's Studies in Intellectual History, Volume: 83
Author:
The magicians and astrologers who frequented the courts of Burgundy and France during the reign of Charles VI to render their dubious services to king and nobles, induced friar Laurens Pignon OP to write a treatise called Contre les devineurs (1411) which he dedicated to John the Fearless, duke of Burgundy. This book presents a critical edition of the treatise and tries to reconstruct its historical and intellectual context by examining the role of magic and astrology at court. By means of theological and philosophical arguments which he derives from Aquinas, Pignon demonstrates the dangers and deficiencies of divination. In three appendices editions of supplementary documents are supplied: a confession of a court-magician, two divinatory texts and a fictional prognostication on the house of Burgundy.
Jan R. Veenstra, Ph.D. (1997), studied English and Philosophy at the University of Groningen.
"This fine study represents a significant contribution to the understanding of thesocial and intellectual function of divination and astrology at the late-medieval court."
Hilary M. Carey, Speculum, 2001.
"Overall he has provided us with a marvellous discussion of the political and magical world of the Burgundian court and a careful edition of one of the manuscripts that arose within it, adding another piece to the puzzle of the rise of demonology and magical fears in the fifteenth century."
Gary K. Waite, Mediaevistik, 1999.
Hilary M. Carey, Speculum, 2001.
"Overall he has provided us with a marvellous discussion of the political and magical world of the Burgundian court and a careful edition of one of the manuscripts that arose within it, adding another piece to the puzzle of the rise of demonology and magical fears in the fifteenth century."
Gary K. Waite, Mediaevistik, 1999.
All those interested in intellectual history, and especially the history of medieval magic, astrology, divination, Burgundian court-culture and the Dominican order; in general medievalists, Romanists, theologians and philosophers.