English Verbal Charms

Some of the earliest English writings that now survive are records of verbal charms. They mark the beginning of a millennium-long semi-continuous record of traditional verbal charms, which runs until almost the present day. The current work aims to provide a description of the genre of charms and the practice of charming by drawing on the surviving data from the entire period. It also presents a discussion of charm-types found in England, mentioning wherever possible their European analogues.