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Health and belief in the early 20th century: Good-luck charms
This theme shows us that magic, religion, superstition and science have always existed together, and were only separated in Europe in the last few centuries. In today’s approach to medicine, state of mind and belief can have a significant influence on an individual’s physical health.
Watch our Visitor Experience Assistant Lewis talk about these small charms from our collections. Soldiers took with them to the battlefields of the First World War in the hope they’d give them protection from death and disease.
Use the information and activity sheets to explore the object’s history and health links more deeply. Both sheets are differentiated to three levels of ability for Year 9 History students.
