Cornwall was once home to a large number of Cunning Folk. Most towns, villages and hamlets would at one time have had their own Wise-Woman, Cunning-Man, “White”-Witch, Conjuror or Pellar. These important people were consulted for their knowledge of cures, charms, substances and signs and for powers of foresight to help solve their clients' problems. Often they were just sought for advice.
Often they were required to lift the curses or undo the Maleficia, or, bad magic, of other Witches. Often this would involve the Cunner doing their own Maleficia against the “witch” in question. The Cunning Folk or “White” Witches would often place curses on their client's enemies and their own. In the minds of the populace when a curse was suspected it was thought to be the work of a “witch” and the one sought to remedy the problem was often called the “wise-woman” or “cunning man” etc. In reality though there was no such distinction. The cuning folk always had the ability to both cure or curse. They were both respected and feared in their communities. The Cunning folk knew this and were often ruthless in utilizing this to make their lives easier in what would have been very hard times. Cuning folk have even been paid to remove their own curses!
The well known “law of three-fold return” and “An it harm none” ethic are developments of modern Wiccan branches of Witchcraft and would have been totally alien to practitioners of Traditional Witchcraft & Cunning. If the Cunning Folk thought in their judgement someone deserved a magical kick up the backside they would not hesitate to administer it! Of course we live now in very different times and the Cunners of today do not need to be quite so ruthless to survive. Knowledge of curse magic or “Blasting” are still retained by the Cunning folk and Traditional Witches of today but Wisdom is the goal of the Old Craft and 'Owl Blasting' would only be used in circumstances where no other option is available and it is seen as wise to proceed in such a way.
Let us now take a brief look at some of Cornwall's better known Cunning Folk:
