Fact: Cunning Men really existed.
This labor of love is based on years of personal interest in and research of (mainly European) historical folk magics. The term 'witch' has been applied carte blanche to practitioners of many distinct esoteric traditions. Cunning magic and Braucherei are the two, very real-world traditions that inspired aspects of this novella.
Cunning, and its practitioners the Cunning Folk, originate from Cornwall, in the south of England bordering Wales. Braucherei is the non-colonized name of Pennsylvanian Dutch folk magic. The last known practitioner of Cunning magic died in the 1800s, and Braucherei is still practiced, primarily in and around SE Pennsylvania (where I grew up and currently live).
One of the most interesting sources I used for research was an academic analysis on Cunning Folk and their Familiars, which cited real court documents and cases of actual Cunning Folk testifying about their Fae Familiars. I also researched a dissertation on blood magic, and I used local resources to research Braucherei and the history of Penn Dutch hex symbols. A lot of what you read ahead is not made up (the bits that are should be obvious, though, I hope). I also paid close attention to my portrayal of necromancy - it is based, as best as I am able, on the historical perceptions and practices of medieval Europe. Necromancy has a rich history across the world, from ancient Mesopotamia and forward, but when one looks closely, there are distinct differences in every culture and time period in which it was practiced, which are important to respect. To do otherwise, I believe, is to slide down the very slippery slope of racist and/or bigoted fantasy tropes.
You can do your own research into these (and many other folk magic traditions), but I wanted to make clear that the history in The Cunning Man focuses more on the hidden histories of magic than on the Old American West setting in which the story takes place.
In this historical fantasy, the fantasy is historical.
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The Cunning Man || ONC 2021
Romance🔸️ ONC 2021 Shortlist & Honorable Mention 🔸️ In 1884, an accusation of witchcraft sent Cade Pellar running to Wyoming. A decade later, he's accused again by his own mail-order bride. The problem for Cade is that the accusations are only false beca...
