In popular culture, when we hear about witches or sorcerers, we visualize them reading magic books (white or black), in a volume where magical rituals are compiled, spells and witchcraft practices in general. Those magic books have a name: grimoires.
Grimoires were very popular from 1600 to 1900. they were used mainly in the Middle Ages, and many of them have survived to this day. Do you want to know all the secrets that are hidden between its pages? Then don’t miss a thing in the next article… We’ll talk about these magic books.
What is a grimoire?
The grimoire name is assigned to a wide variety of texts that group spells, rituals, and names of demons, among others. They are magic books linked to black magic mainly.
The instructions for summoning the demons are detailed in these peculiar spellbooks, and are almost an instruction manual for the warlock or witch to obtain secret informationinaccessible to the rest of the mortals, on topics such as the invocation of spirits, or how to cast a spell at a given time.
The grimoire is a book that according to many has no human origin, and that its discovery is related, in one way or another, with the afterlife, with the world of the dead and specifically with the evil one. Others, however, were written by great sorcerers who wanted to record their findings; some of them, according to traditionwere the fruit of meetings of dozens of magicians gathered in an assembly. And it is that the instructions of the grimoire must be followed meticulously if you want to successfully achieve the objectives set.
Some followers and practitioners of black magic and witchcraft emphasize that the spells in your grimoire must be handwritten in red ink, preferably in blood. These spells must be connected to each other by black leather; Sometimes, there is talk of the use of human skin as a support for the spells of the grimoires.
Very often grimoires have been found with a key, and thus, those who do not possess it will not be able to freely access the secrets linked to sorcery and the invocation of the evil one. Some are written in a very special language, which can only be deciphered by experts; an encoding that, like the aforementioned key, will prevent people who do not come from using the magic books.
The Enochian, the language of the grimoires
True grimoires contain elaborate rituals with very detailed instructions. on how each operation should be performed. The source of most of the information contained in the various grimoires that may exist comes from ancient Greek and Egyptian magical writings, as well as Hebrew texts and Latin scrolls, used by ancient magicians.
Followers of black magic, however, often use a very ancient language called Enochian., and which is said to be the language of angels, a primitive language, very guttural, based on the vibratory properties of each word. Many magical formulas and spells are recited in Enochian.
However, it depends on the area; for example, in the Nordic and Germanic civilizations, there is another dialect, of Celtic origin, used for the writing of grimoires and whose writing is composed of runes, particular symbols.
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The grimoires: beyond black magic
These magic books are not always linked to demons: some grimoires are associated with relative knowledge of astrology, alchemy, talismanic science, among others.. Grimoires allowed the making of elaborate amulets or rites intended to ward off evil spirits and ward off bad luck.. They were a hope for those who were desperately looking for a partner through some love potion, and for those who were thirsty to turn any element into gold.
Now, all grimoires have been condemned by the Christian churches as works of witchcraft, and their authors and users were sometimes burned alive at the stake after being judged. As a curiosity, there were grimoires that were already printed in the fifteenth century, like the Bible.
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The grimoires and other famous magic books
We collect 7 of the most popular grimoires known:
grand grimoire
It is a black magic grimoire of which there are different editions dating from 1521, 1522 and 1421, but it was probably written at the beginning of the 19th century by Antonio Venitiana del Rabina. This carr would have compiled the information contained in the book from the original writings of King Solomon. It contains instructions intended to summon Lucifer and to make a pact with the devil. This book is also known as Red Dragon or Gospel of Satan.
Solomon’s Key
It is a grimoire attributed to King Solomon and its origin probably dates back to the Italian Renaissance. It presents a typical example of Renaissance magic. According to legend, King Solomon would have written it for his son Rehoboam before ordering him to hide it in his tomb at the time of his death. YoIncludes a variety of chants, spells, and curses to summon or restrain demons and spirits of the dead.
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picatrix
The Picatrix or «the goal of the sage» is the Western name used for a 400-page book on magic and astrology written in Arabic under the title Ghâyat al-Hakîm fi’l-sihr and dating from the mid-11th century. Synthesize ancient works on magic and astrology and is divided into six volumes.
Munich Manual of Demonic Magic
It is a grimoire written in Latin during the fifteenth century. It mainly revolves around demonology and necromancy. The manual contains the three main types of «magical arts» known at the time: illusionism, psychology, and divination. It contains passages describing the sacrifice of mythological creatures, and is heavily focused on black magic and descriptions of classical exorcisms.
The book of Abramelín the magician
The Book of Abramelin tells the story of an Egyptian magician named Abraham or Abra-Melin, and was very popular during the 19th and 20th centuries. It is a grimoire written in a narrative style, in which a standard hierarchy of demons and a series of spells are listed in the form of word squares.
Necromancy
This magic book is a 16th century Latin manuscript and is attributed to the famous English scientist Roger Bacon, although there are those who suggest that its true author was a certain Frater Robert Lombard. The text describes processes intended for invocations particularly of spectres, but also of other demons and infernal entities. It also gives the keys to the resurrection and control of the dead.
Grimoire of Pope Honorius
The Liber Juratus Honorii or the Grimoire of Pope Honorius is a work supposedly written by Honorius of Thebes. It is said to be the product of a conference of wizards whose purpose was to condense all their knowledge into a single volume. In its 93 chapters there are instructions on how to conjure and control demons, how to work on other magical operations or how to release a soul from purgatory.