Anthropophagy and Graphophagy in Medieval Scandinavia. Magic, Boundaries, and New Methodological Approaches to Food History

Food history and the history of magic share many common features, as both the preparation of food and the crafting of recipes endowed with so-called “magical” properties often involved similar ingredients, concepts, and contexts. However, the intersections between these two micro-fields have yet to be fully addressed. There are several reasons why the study of food is relevant to historians of magic, and why explorations of magical techniques and ideas may likewise benefit scholars of food history. This study explores questions of identity and boundaries, particularly those that blur the lines between what we refer to as “magic,” “religion,” and “science”. Through an analysis of a diverse array of sources – including sagas, runic inscriptions, chronicles, mythological texts, as well as law codes, leechbooks, and collections of charms – this article examines eating- and drinking-related practices involving peculiar substances, such as human flesh and written formulas, in medieval Scandinavia.