The Real Harry Potter: Magic and Witchcraft in Premodern Europe

Nov. 1, 2010 - PRLog -- You’ve read the books, you’ve seen the movies, and now you can discover the history behind the magic and witchcraft of the Harry Potter franchise. On December 2, 2010 at 7:30 pm, CofC history professor Dr. Jason Coy will be speaking at the Charleston County Public Library’s Main Branch in “The Real Harry Potter: Magic and Witchcraft in Premodern Europe.”

In this speech, Dr. Jason Coy will be exploring magic and witchcraft in Renaissance-era Europe and revealing the historical bases of the magical practices featured in the Harry Potter novels.

The speech will be part of the exhibit “Harry Potter’s World: Renaissance Science, Magic, and Medicine” that will be going on at the Charleston County Public Library from November 17, 2010 through January 7, 2011.

The Charleston County Public Library was one of only twelve libraries selected by The American Library Association (ALA) to host the exhibit which will be taking place just in time for the highly anticipated November 19 release of the movie “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.”

All showings of the exhibition and related programs, including Dr. Coy’s speech, will be free and open to all muggles.

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Using materials from the National Library of Medicine, the exhibition will explore the world of Harry Potter and its roots in Renaissance magic, science, and medicine. Featuring the work of several 15th- and 16th-century thinkers, the exhibit will examine important ethical topics such as the desire for knowledge, the effects of prejudice, and the responsibility that comes with power and explore the intersection between the Harry Potter novels and Renaissance lore, prac- tices, and thinkers.
For more on the exhibit, visit http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/harrypottersworld/

Dr. Jason Coy is an Associate Professor and the M.A. Program Director at the College of Charleston. He received his Ph. D. from the UCLA in 2001 and his major fields of interest are Renaissance and Reformation Europe, Early Modern Germany, and the history of European witchcraft and superstition.
For more on Dr. Jason Coy, visit http://history.cofc.edu/about/faculty-and-staff/coy-jason...