Witchcraft and Piers Gaveston

To many, medieval England was rife with tales of witchcraft and other workings of the devil. Surprisingly, there were very few instances of accusations being brought before the law in the 14th century. That does not mean malicious rumors of maleficence were not whispered, even involving the king himself.

Of course, one could not imagine slander of any type occurring at the court of Edward II that did not include the king's favorite, Piers Gaveston. In the Viita Edwardi Secundi, the author claims Gaveston ". . . was said to forget himself [with the king], and so Piers was regarded as a sorcerer."

The Annales Paulini alludes to rumor that ". . . the king loved a magical and maleficent man more than his spouse . . ." That man? Who other than Gaveston. 

The rumors of Gaveston being involved in witchcraft expanded in the centuries after his death to include the unsubstantiated claim his mother was burned at the stake, convicted of witchcraft.

Although the Earl of Cornwall had serious problems during his short life, being tried for witchcraft was not one of them. But it certainly didn't stop the tongues from wagging!