Magic
The Sideshow Magician Who Inspired Ray Bradbury—Then Vanished
Experts have been unable to verify the existence of Mr. Electrico, whose 1932 electric chair act supposedly affirmed the young author's interest in writing
Metal Detectorist Finds Mysterious Roman Object Possibly Used for Magic
Patrick Schuermans discovered a fragment of a 1,600-year-old dodecahedron in Belgium
Spain’s Centuries-Long Witch Hunt Killed 700 Women
In recent years, local officials have broken the spell and apologized for what happened generations ago
The Veterinary Magic of the Middle Ages
Medieval healers treated animals' ailments with a mix of faith, tradition and science
Last Convicted Salem 'Witch' Is Finally Cleared
Elizabeth Johnson Jr. has been officially exonerated—thanks to a dogged band of middle schoolers
In Early Modern Russia, the Majority of Accused 'Witches' Were Men
Orthodox Russians deployed magic for practical purposes, like inflicting illness, harming business competitors and attracting lovers
The History Behind Robert Eggers' 'The Northman'
The revenge saga blends traditional accounts with the supernatural to convey the lived experience of the Viking age
The Ancient Origins of the Easter Bunny
A scholar traces the folk figure's history from the Neolithic era to today
Scotland Issues Formal Apology to Thousands Accused of Witchcraft
An estimated 2,500 Scots were executed as witches between the 16th and 18th centuries
Rarely Seen Paintings by J.R.R. Tolkien Portray a Lush 'Lord of the Rings' Landscape
The Tolkien Estate recently published a trove of rare, unpublished art by the famed fantasy author on its website
1,500-Year-Old 'Magic Bowls' Seized in Jerusalem Raid
Ancient Mesopotamians used the vessels, which were inscribed with incantations, to ward off demons, disease and other misfortune
Scotland Considers Pardon for Thousands of Accused 'Witches'
Advocates are calling on leaders to exonerate the thousands of women and men targeted in witch hunts during the 16th through 18th centuries
Ninety-Nine Fascinating Finds Revealed in 2021
The year's most exciting discoveries include a Viking "piggy bank," a lost Native American settlement and a secret passageway hidden behind a bookshelf
For Harry Houdini, Séances and Spiritualism Were Just an Illusion
The magician spent years campaigning against fraudulent psychics, even lobbying Congress to ban fortune-telling in D.C.
Reckoning With—and Reclaiming—the Salem Witch Trials
A new exhibition unites 17th-century artifacts with contemporary artists' responses to the mass hysteria event
3,500-Year-Old Babylonian Tablet May Contain Earliest Known Depiction of a Ghost
A curator at the British Museum details the spooky find in a new book
Obsidian 'Spirit Mirror' Used by Elizabeth I's Court Astrologer Has Aztec Origins
Tudor polymath John Dee used the artifact in his attempts to communicate with angels and apparitions
Rediscovered Medieval Manuscript Offers New Twist on Arthurian Legend
The 13th-century pages, found by chance at a British library, show a different side of Merlin, the magician who advised Camelot's king
This Eighth-Grade Class Wants to Clear the Name of an Accused Salem 'Witch'
Elizabeth Johnson Jr. was sentenced to death in 1693 but escaped execution after receiving a reprieve from Massachusetts' governor
Mysterious Iron Age Burial May Hold Remains of Elite Nonbinary Person
The Finnish grave's occupant likely had Klinefelter syndrome, meaning they were born with an extra copy of the X chromosome
