In 9th 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 Balds book a remedy has been found that cures the superbug MRSA where modern antibiotics have failed. Within a few months of this discovery, a whole new area of medical research called Ancientbiotics has been created to discover further applications for these remedies.
Yet, what will science make of the elves, hags, and nightwalkers which also stalk the pages of Bald's book and its companion piece Lacnunga, urging prescriptions of a very different, unsettling nature. Cures for the 'moon mad' and hysteria are interspersed with directives to drink sheeps dung and jump across dead mens graves.
Old English Medical Remedies explores the herbal efficacy of these ancient remedies whilst evaluating the supernatural, magical elements and suggests these provide a powerful psychological narrative revealing an approach to healthcare far more sophisticated than hitherto believed. All the while, the voices of the wise women who created and used these remedies are brought to life, after centuries of denomination by the Church.
