February 21, 2024
Daniel Schwemer on the MagEIA Project at the University of Würzburg
Roots of Magic Interview 1
We discuss the Deutsche Forshungsgemeinschaft project MagEIA: Magic between Entanglement, Interaction, and Analogy with Daniel Schwemer, one of its principal investigators. The project aims to create a centre for the humanistic study of ancient magical traditions across specialisation-boundaries. It also provides a programme of fellowships, whereby scholars with a particular specialism can come to Würzburg, set up shop, and do their research in the cross-disciplinary environment of the Centre, with all of the opportunities for cross-pollination which this brings.
Particular topics discussed include:
- A case-study of comparative work within the project,
- Reflections on the ways in which those who denigrate the study of magic are really denigrating the study of human culture,
- The projected ‘outputs’ of the project in the form of public engagement and scholarly work,
- A discussion of the Fellowship programme at the Centre, in which listeners with a killer research-project in ancient magic are encouraged to get involved,
- And a discussion of the current moment in the academic study of magic.
Download Daniel Schwemer on the MagEIA Project
Interview Bio:
Daniel Schwemer is an Assyriologist and Hittitologist with a special interest in magic; his three-volume Corpus of Mesopotamian Anti-Witchcraft Rituals. with Tzvi Abusch, has set the standard for the field and enabled scholarship tremendously. He is a Principal Investigator of the MagEIA project at Würzburg, leads the project The Corpus of Hittite Festival Rituals, and is chairman of the board of directors of one of the leading platforms for digital editions of cuneiform texts.
Works Cited in this Episode:
Tzvi Abusch and Daniel Schwemer, editors. Corpus of Mesopotamian Anti-Witchcraft Rituals: Volume One. Number 8/1 in Ancient Magic and Divination. Brill, Leiden, 2011.
