Fingers, frogs and fairies: fortune telling in early modern Britain

from HistoryExtra Long Reads · host History Extra

Fortune telling was all the rage in the 16th and 17th centuries, and practitioners would stop at nothing to tap in to the supernatural. This Long Read written by Martha McGill tells a story of Highland seers, tarot cards and encounters with the spirit world. HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the February 2025 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Apr 6, 2025

Embed this episode

Attribution link and audio player

NOW PLAYING

Fingers, frogs and fairies: fortune telling in early modern Britain

0:00 19:01

1×

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Share this episode

Similar Episodes

No similar episodes found.

Similar Podcasts

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of HistoryExtra Long Reads?

This episode is 19 minutes long.

When was this HistoryExtra Long Reads episode published?

This episode was published on April 6, 2025.

Can I download this HistoryExtra Long Reads episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.

URL copied to clipboard!