Jean M. Roberts : The Book's Delight

I read this book a couple of years ago when I was writing my first Midsummer Women book. It's a fascinating look at Anglo-Saxon herbal charms and remedies, collected after the people converted to Christianity but before they had lost their connection to the old ways. Many of the charms contain references to Odin/Wodin and the old gods mixed with prayers to saints. Some of these 'cures' may seem silly to us today, but they made perfect sense to the people at the time, and some have proven to be effective. I highly recommend this book to those interested in ancient medicine.   The Blurb: How pagan women blended magic and medicine—and why their medieval recipes may help cure modern-day illnesses.   In ninth-century England, Bishop lfheah the Bald is dabbling with magic. By collecting folk remedies from pagan women, he risks his reputation. Yet posterity has been kind, as from the pages of Bald's book a remedy has been found that cures the superbug MRSA where modern antibio...