Ten Magical Men and Women from History Quiz

Answer: Nicolas Flamel

Nicolas Flamel lived in Paris during the 14th and 15th centuries. His reputation as an alchemist is based on several works attributed to him which weren't published until the 17th century, primarily the "Livre des figures hiéroglyphiques", a book which describes his search for the philosopher's stone. Today, Flamel is probably best known for his appearances in J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" and the 2018 film "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" (in which the character is played by Brontis Jodorowsky).

Answer: Rabbi Judah Loew

Judah Loew ben Bezalel, also known as the Maharal of Prague, produced several important works of Jewish philosophy and mysticism during the 16th century. He famously became the subject of a legend stating that he created a Golem from clay and brought it to life to defend the Jews who lived in the Prague Ghetto from antisemitic attacks.

Answer: Jacquetta of Luxembourg

Jacquetta of Luxembourg lived through the turbulent period of English history known as the Wars of the Roses. She had fourteen children with her second husband, Sir Richard Woodville, and her eldest daughter, Elizabeth, married King Edward IV of England. Shortly after her husband was executed by the Earl of Warwick in 1469, Jacquetta was accused of witchcraft after one of Warwick's followers claimed she had created small lead figures for the purpose of sorcery.

She was later cleared of the charges against her.

Answer: John Dee

As well as astrology and mathematics, Dee was also an expert in alchemy, astronomy, divination, navigation and Hermetic philosophy! His personal library at his home in Mortlake was one of the largest in Europe. Later in life, assisted by the 'scryer' or crystal-gazer Edward Kelley, he turned his energies towards communicating with angels.

Answer: Comte de Saint-Germain

The Comte de Saint-Germain used several names and titles in an attempt to conceal his true origins, but later claimed that he was really the son of Francis II Rákóczi, the Prince of Transylvania. There are many legends surrounding Saint-Germain, in particular a claim that he had discovered the elixir of life and was hundreds of years old.

He has appeared in numerous works of fiction, including Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander".

Answer: Mother Shipton

Mother Shipton's Cave - supposedly Ursula Sontheil's birthplace in Knaresborough, Yorkshire - and the nearby Petrifying Well, which is said to turn objects into stone, became a tourist attraction in the 17th century. Several editions of her prophecies have been published over the years but the most famous, which appeared in print in 1862, was found to be a fake when its author Charles Hindley confessed to inventing the verses himself.

Answer: La Voisin

Catherine Monvoisin née Deshayes, better known as La Voisin, began fortune telling as a way of supporting her family after her husband found himself struggling financially. Her business later expanded to include abortions, the supply of poisons and aphrodisiacs, and the arranging of black masses.

She became head of a network of Parisian poisoners and was eventually burned at the stake on 22 February 1680.

Answer: Simon Forman

Simon Forman practised as a physician in London in the 1590s, having claimed to have cured himself of the plague in 1592. He went on to develop an interest in astrology and the occult and his reputation led to the Royal College of Physicians attempting to ban him from medical practice. Forman was posthumously accused of having provided Lady Frances Howard with the poison with which she murdered the poet Sir Thomas Overbury.

Answer: Deliverance Dane

Deliverance Dane, along with her sisters-in-law Abigail Faulkner and Elizabeth Johnson, was arrested on suspicion of witchcraft in 1692 but all three were lucky enough to escape execution. Deliverance's story is told in "The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane", a novel by Katherine Howe published in 2009.

Answer: Abe no Seimei

Abe no Seimei (921-1005 AD) was both a real person and a legendary figure from Japanese folklore. He was a practitioner of onmyōdō (a form of Japanese cosmology), working for the emperors and imperial court. His responsibilities included making calendars, performing exorcisms, providing protection against evil spirits and carrying out rites of geomancy and divination.