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medieval-magic-and-justice
The reliance on magical intervention by authorities in the 13th century to solve crimes and enforce social order.
1 chapter across 1 book
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (2004)Susanna Clarke
2. The example cited by Mr Honeyfoot was of a murder that had taken place in 1279 in the grim moor town of Alston. The body
The chapter recounts a medieval murder in the town of Alston, where magicians were summoned to animate a statue of the Virgin and Child to identify the killer. Despite the passage of time and the death of all who remembered the event, the statue continues to speak, perpetually denying the identity of any stranger as the murderer, which has given the town an eerie reputation. The chapter also describes the peculiar carvings of a lion and dragon beneath the statue, which behave strangely when suspects are presented.