Episode 525: The Cunning Folk of Europe
The cunning folk of Europe were healers, diviners, charmers, and magical specialists who occupied a curious middle ground between medicine, religion, folklore, and witchcraft. Known by many regional names—including wise women and men, kloka healers in Scandinavia, saludadores in Spain, and figures such as the Italian benandanti—they were consulted for everything from illness and infertility to stolen property, love problems, bad luck, and suspected curses. Unlike feared witches, cunning folk were often believed to use supernatural knowledge for protection and healing, although the boundary…
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