Dark and Intriguing: The Challenges of Ashmolean’s Spellbound Exhibition

The exhibition “Spellbound: Magic, Ritual & Witchcraft” at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford examines the history of magic over eight centuries, and shows how our ancestors used magical thinking to cope with the unpredictable world around them. Nick Swarbrick reviews the exhibition and the subjects which it explores.

Marian of Sherwood

Douglas Fairbanks as Robin Hood giving Enid Bennett as Maid Marian (sic) a dagger; a screenshot from the 1922 United Artists film Robin Hood. United Artists, cinematographers Arthur Edeson & Charles Richardson - Dr. Macro, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=819577

Mention Maid Marian and Sherwood Forest in the same breath, and most people think of Robin Hood’s lady love. The forest outlaw and the noble lady are tied together so closely in modern folklore, popular literature, and movies, it’s hard to imagine one without the other.

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close