Celtic Magic

A captivating introduction to Celtic magic, revealing its integration into daily life from antiquity to the Middle Ages, inviting readers to explore its mysteries through rituals and practical charms.

Druids and divination, curses and charms: the Celtic world was filled with magic and intrigue, but how did people practise magic and what did they use it for? Brigid Ehrmantraut takes us on a journey through the Celtic-speaking world to explore the different ways people interacted with magic. Some sought aid through deities and dedications, while others wanted to punish their enemies with spells and curse tablets.

By the start of the medieval period, we see magic collide with popular religion, saints overtake the old gods, and witches, shapeshifting and spirit battles make their way into medieval literature. Ehrmantraut introduces us to the gods and practices that shaped the lives of the Celtic people in antiquity. She brings to life forgotten gods like Cernunnos and Esus, immortalized on the Pillar of the Boatmen, and explores the sanctuary of Sequana, goddess of healing at the Seine’s source. But magic wasn’t always benevolent; curses (defixiones) like those etched on the Larzac tablet expose a darker side to magic practitioners. While Classical accounts of magic offer tantalizing glimpses into lurid rituals and wild druids, their accounts blurring fact and fiction.

Our voyage through the Celtic world sweeps into medieval Wales and Ireland, touching on Scotland and Brittany in the process. Protective prayers, such as St Patrick’s loricae, and miraculous tales from saints’ lives reveal the interplay of magic and religion. While the power of star signs and medicinal charms connect Celtic practices to broader medieval traditions. Finally, the book celebrates the legacy of Celtic magic, linking ancient magic to modern Celtic-inspired spirituality.

Throughout the book, the reader will find tips and tricks for practising their own magic, including creating curses, dedicating ex votos to the gods, and a medieval Welsh cure for a hangover.

About the Author

Brigid Ehrmantraut is an expert in Celtic languages and literature and is Associate Lecturer in Latin and in the History of the British Isles at the University of St Andrews. She studied Classics at Princeton University and received her PhD in Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic from the University of Cambridge. Prior to joining the School of History at St Andrews, she held a Research Fellowship at St John’s College, Cambridge. She is also the author of Classical Myth in Medieval Ireland (Boydell and Brewer, 2025).