Familiar
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In European folklore of the medieval and early modern periods, familiars were believed to be supernatural entities, interdimensional beings, or spiritual guardians that would protect or assist witches
A late-16th-century English illustration of a witch feeding her familiars
A story of "a priest who for the space of 40 years employed a familiar spirit", illustrated in Elizabeth I of England's copy of the Histoires Prodigieuses by Pierre Boaistuau
Prince Rupert and his "familiar" dog in a pamphlet titled "The Cruel Practices of Prince Rupert" (1643)
The Love Potion by Evelyn De Morgan, 1903: a witch with a black cat familiar at her feet
Cunning folk
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Cunning folk, also known as folk healers or wise folk, were practitioners of folk medicine, helpful folk magic and divination in Europe from the Middle Ages until the 20th century. Their practices wer
Familiar
…Canis familiaris) were believed to be supernatural entities, interdimensional beings, or spiritual guardians that would protect or assist witches and cunning folk in their practice of magic, divination, and spiritual insight. According to records of the time, those alleging to have had contact with familiar spirits…
A model of a 19th-century cunning woman in her house, at the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Boscastle, England
Diorama of a cunning woman in the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic
Witchcraft; a witch and a devil making a nail with which to Wellcome V0025812EBL