Is magic real?
The Elizabethans certainly thought so. In a world lit by candlelight and shadowed by mystery, belief in witches, spells, and omens was as real as the rising sun. From the royal court to the village square, magic and superstition shaped everyday life—guiding decisions, inspiring fear, and influencing even the greatest minds of the age.
In 1561, a man named Hew Draper vanished from the Tower of London, leaving behind only a strange astrological carving on his cell wall. Was it magic? An escape? Or something darker? This is the mysterious story of Elizabethan England's lost sorcerer.
Dive into the facinating past of the Tower of London's Salt Tower and its most puzzling inmate. This video looks at the story of Hew Draper, the Bristol innkeeper who was accused of witchcraft and sorcery during Queen Elizabeth I's reign. We take a closer look at the detailed astrological sphere and planetary grid he etched into the wall of his prison cell—a silent message that still hasn't been solved. The video covers the history of Elizabethan occult practices, John Dee, astrological magic, the Witchcraft Act of 1563, and the influential figures Draper encountered, including Bess of Hardwick. Could this carving have served as a magical tool? A celestial chart? Or was it just a way for a condemned man to pass the time? did he become a victim of the Tudor justice system, or did he manage to escape his destiny through means we can't comprehend?