kittredge discussed charms as adjuncts to witchcraft. keith thomas views them as a superstitious survival of "the old belief in the curative power of the medieval church." thomas forbes has poined to their use as a staple of folk medicine. however, if we wish to understand the genre, it is necessary to keep in mind that no one of these views accurately describes the uses of charms during the entire medieval period. similarly st augustine's statement that physicians condemn the use of amulets and charms, the anglo-saxon laws (quoted by grendon 1902) condemning charms as heathenish, and the assertions in the malleus maleficarum that charms are the special work of witches, do not give an accurate picture of actual belief and practices associated with charms during the late medieval period...in the fourteenth century, latin charms incorporated many popular hagiographical beliefs and biblical motifs, and that people often employed charms under the same conditions as they did medical recipes on the one hand and prayers on the other.

lea olsan, latin charms in british library, ms royal 12.b.xxv