Gregory Absalom

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Gregory Absalom as a Young Man (detail)
Gregory Absalom (1507 - 1599) was a 16th century magician, court magician to King Henry VIII and to Queens Mary and Elizabeth. He had one daughter, Maria.

Absalom, it can be argued, was no magician at all, since none of his spells ever took effect; however, he may also be considered one of the most successful magicians ever, since he was born in poverty and died a very rich man. One of his most notable accomplishments was persuading the King of Denmark to pay a handful of diamonds in exchange for a spell that would, supposedly, turn the flesh of the King of Sweden into water. Of course, the spell never worked, but Absalom got his diamonds and with the money he got for them he built the Shadow House in Wiltshire, one of the most magical buildings in all of England[23]. The house passed in time into the possession of Absalom's daughter, who unlike her father seems to have been magically gifted to an extraordinary degree.

Absalom was also the author of a book, The Tree of Learning[51].