cunning folk
Rural magic practitioners
Cunning folk were practitioners of folk magic in early modern Britain—healers, diviners, and charm-makers consulted by villagers for practical problems.
They lifted curses, found lost objects, identified thieves, and prepared remedies.
Unlike witches, who were feared, cunning folk were sought out and paid for services.
The term is historical, belonging to a world before medicine and police separated these functions.
- practitionerOne who works regularly
- conjurersPractitioners of stage magic
- simplesSingle-ingredient herbal remedies
- herbal remediesPlant-based medicinal preparations
- wise womenKnowledgeable female elders
village healer · powwow · magician · charmers · love charms · faith healing · witchcraft · healer · shaman · divination · herbalism · white magic · black magic · folk magic · wizards · spell casting · oracle · seeing stones
- witchcraftwitch, spell, spellwork, witches, spells
- British Folklorefairy, fairies, pixie, pixies, brownie
- Danish folklorefolktales, trolls, elves, ghosts, giants
- folk healersfolk healer, healer, herbalist, herb doctor, wise woman
- folk magicspell, spells, hex, hexes, curse
- herbalismmint, herbal remedies, sage, medicinal herbs, lavender
cunning folkparish priest
Local church leader
clergy · priests · vicar · minister · ordained ministers
cunning folkwitches
Practitioners of dark magic
hexers · cursers · sorcerers · malefactors · blighters
cunning folkphysicians
Medical doctors collectively
doctors · surgeons · medical professionals · apothecaries · scientists