Conjuring the Arab Magician

Intercultural Histories of Magic

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This Element reassesses narratives of intercultural transmission in medieval European magic, highlighting complex processes of compilation and attribution often obscured by broad labels. Following an Introduction that lays out the methodological framework, Section 1 ('The Wise Saracens') explores a medieval Christian magician's depiction of Islam and the figure of the Arab magician, illustrating how authors blended genuine intercultural exchanges with imaginative attributions. Section 2 ('The Seven Names') reconsiders a Latin magical text traditionally labeled 'Arabic magic,' demonstrating that its complex, multicultural components resist any simple claims of a lost Arabic original. Section 3 ('The Almandel Problem') presents another contested text, showing how philological evidence often complicates a linear model of transmission. Finally, this volume offers a complete edition and translation of The Book of Seven Names, discussed in Section 2.