Enchanted: The History of Magic & Witchcraft

Corinne Wieben

Enchanted: The History of Magic & Witchcraft brings you the most fascinating stories from the history of all things magical. Produced and hosted by an award-winning historian, episodes of Enchanted feature atmospheric music, dramatic performances, in-depth historical analysis, and a deep connection to the people and events that shaped the past. New episode on the first Friday of every month.

  1. 3 juli

    This Wooden O

    Antitheatrical writers in early modern England compared the actor’s transformation into a character to a kind of illicit magic. In response, playwrights like William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, and Ben Jonson created a body of plays that treated the conjuror’s circle as a mirror of the theater. This episode brings you a story of magicians, witches, and the spectacles they conjured: the story of magic on the early modern English stage. Researched, written, and produced by Corinne Wieben with original music by Purple Planet. Episode sources Support the show EnchantedPodcast.net Bluesky/enchantedpodcast.net

  2. 5 juni

    The Seer

    How did a sixteenth-century criminal record give rise to one of Scotland’s most famous legends? Whether an enchanter, a prophet, or a hero who spoke truth to power, his story would be remembered and retold, transforming the real man into a mythic figure. This episode brings you the story of Highland second sight, the historical "Dark Kenneth" (Coinneach Odhar), and the legend of the Brahan Seer. Researched, written, and produced by Corinne Wieben with original music by Purple Planet. Episode sources Support the show EnchantedPodcast.net Bluesky/enchantedpodcast.net

  3. 1 maj

    The Happy Place

    Death wasn’t the end for ancient Egyptians; it was a gauntlet. The soul faced guardians, gods, the weighing of the heart against the feather of Ma’at, and the ever-present threat of Ammit waiting to devour the unworthy, with only magic to guide the soul to the Field of Reeds. This episode brings you the story of the afterlife, the Duat, and the most sophisticated collection of funerary spells the ancient world ever produced: the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Researched, written, and produced by Corinne Wieben with original music by Purple Planet. Episode sources Support the show EnchantedPodcast.net Bluesky/enchantedpodcast.net

  4. 3 apr.

    A Phantom

    In an early medieval Constantinople filled with pagan artifacts and dark histories, one man's writings would reveal a world in which sorcery, religion, and politics were inextricably intertwined. This episode brings you the story of a scholar, bishop, and savvy political survivor in an era of iconoclasm: the story of Ignatios the Deacon. Researched, written, and produced by Corinne Wieben with original music by Purple Planet. Episode sources Support the show EnchantedPodcast.net Bluesky/enchantedpodcast.net

  5. 6 mars

    A Vicious Seed

    In the sixteenth century, witch trials were a fact of life. Women were being hauled before courts across Europe. Confessions were extracted under torture. Executions followed. Into this world stepped Johann Weyer, who looked at all of it—the confessions, the trials, the executions—and said that these women are sick, not sinful. They are patients, not criminals. And the men putting them on trial ought to know better. This episode brings you a story of religious belief and scientific inquiry at the dawn of the modern era, the story of Johann Weyer. Researched, written, and produced by Corinne Wieben with original music by Purple Planet. Episode sources Support the show EnchantedPodcast.net Bluesky/enchantedpodcast.net

  6. 6 feb.

    Secrets and Marvels

    Albertus Magnus, the thirteenth-century polymath known as the Universal Doctor, had a problem. To some, he was the greatest natural philosopher of his age. To others, he was a dangerous sorcerer who built talking automatons, disguised himself as a midwife to learn forbidden secrets, and wrote books on summoning demons. Was Albertus Magnus a saint, or was he a sorcerer? The answer to this question would help define the very boundary between science and magic. In this episode, I bring you the story of Albertus Magnus and the Mirror of Astronomy. Researched, written, and produced by Corinne Wieben with original music by Purple Planet. Episode sources Support the show EnchantedPodcast.net Bluesky/enchantedpodcast.net

  7. 2 jan.

    The Grand Cophta

    In 1785, a scandal broke that would captivate all of Europe, destroy reputations, and help light the fuse of revolution. At its center stood three remarkable figures: an ambitious con artist who claimed royal blood, a desperate prince of the church, and a flamboyant mystic. This episode brings you the story of Count Alessandro di Cagliostro and the Affair of the Diamond Necklace. Researched, written, and produced by Corinne Wieben with original music by Purple Planet. Episode sources Support the show EnchantedPodcast.net Bluesky/enchantedpodcast.net

  8. 2025-12-05

    Winter It Is Coming On

    Picture masked figures appearing at your door on a dark winter's evening, their faces hidden behind soot and disguise, ready to perform ancient rituals of death and resurrection. This is mumming, a tradition stretching back centuries. From medieval Europe to its journey across the Atlantic to its dramatic transformation in modern Philadelphia, this episode brings you the story of Christmas mumming and how folk traditions are constantly remade. Researched, written, and produced by Corinne Wieben with original music by Purple Planet. Episode sources Support the show EnchantedPodcast.net Bluesky/enchantedpodcast.net

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Enchanted: The History of Magic & Witchcraft brings you the most fascinating stories from the history of all things magical. Produced and hosted by an award-winning historian, episodes of Enchanted feature atmospheric music, dramatic performances, in-depth historical analysis, and a deep connection to the people and events that shaped the past. New episode on the first Friday of every month.

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