Grimoire is a book that describes magical procedures and spells to summon spirits

At all times, the world of the unknown has been the object of curiosity and exploration. It is possible to penetrate into it only with the help of special attributes and rituals. Grimoire is a book of sorcerous recipes. It contains descriptions of magical procedures for invoking good spirits and demons. Such a powerful attribute was not available to everyone, but only to select people dedicated to magic. Today grimoires are historical manuscripts that have become the basis for the development of the science of demonology.

History

In the opinion of linguists, the word grimoire (grimoire-grimia) came from the French grammaire, which means "grammar." In interpretation, grammar is a complex book - a book of rules. This concept was later transformed into a "spellbook".

When the first grimoire was created, experts are not sure. However, the most ancient text, which reached the present days, refers to the beginning of the era (approximately I-II centuries). All ancient magical manuscripts are divided into several types. Some describe ceremonies of rituals to summon or expel demons, others - prayers and information about good and evil spirits, the third contains recipes of fortune telling.

Each original of such a book is a very valuable historical artifact and a museum exhibit.

Famous grimoires

Up to the present day more than a dozen grimoires have come down. The most famous and ancient are the "Testament of Solomon" and "The Key of Solomon." They are written in Greek and tell of many events that happened with the legendary Jewish king (for example, about receiving him a magic ring from the archangel Michael for power over the demons).

Between historians there are disagreements about the time of the creation of manuscripts. Some carry the texts to the XV-XVII centuries. Others, leaning against the vocabulary (the use of archaisms), date them in the 1st century. With regard to the "Testament of Solomon" there is a version of its creation in the IV century. In favor of this speaks the similarity of the grimoire with the Greek theological tracts of the time and the use of colloquial lexicon "koine", then prevalent.

"The key of Solomon" (spell grimoire) contains a description of 72 demons, tools for their calling and prayer-appeal to God.

Heptameron

This instance is unique in its content. Its name is associated with a description of the spells for each day of the week. Magical texts help summon certain angels and spirits to help in the search for or resolution of difficult situations. For such penetration into the world of the unknown, special circles are used that have great power. In addition, they serve as a kind of fortress for sorcerers from evil spirits. Such ceremonial technique resembles the famous plot of Gogol's "Viya". Perhaps the latter was adopted in some way.

For the first time this book of magic was found in Lyons (France) at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. The question of its authorship is still open. However, the documentary sources mention the name of the French scientist Peter de Abano. But the dates of his life and the creation of the grimoire diverge.

Books of Moses

To all the known "Pentateuch of Moses" in the middle of the XIX century it was supplemented with two grimoirs, officially named the Sixth and Seventh Books of the Biblical Prophet. The first volume contains the Great Secrets associated with White and Black magic. The date of its creation is not known. But there is a legend according to which the manuscripts were hidden from the father of Solomon David because of the valuable knowledge contained in them.

Also there is an unofficial version that since 330 the book of magic was in the hands of the first Christian emperor Constantine the Great, Pope Sylvester (for translation), the Emperor Charlemagne.

The seventh book is a guide to working with otherworldly forces (spirits of elements and planets). It also contains the formula of the witch Kabbalah with an explicit reference to the "Key of Solomon." A small place in the ancient manuscript is given to the description of the plates, which, according to historians, Moses used in the performance of magical rites.

The magic of Arbutel

The most mysterious for today is the Magic of Arbatel (grimoire). This is a peculiar code of the magician, supplemented by information on planetary magic. Neither the author, nor the exact volume, nor the date of the creation of the manuscript, scientists were able to establish accurately.

The first edition was committed in the Swiss city of Basel in 1575. The book was published in Latin and contained many references to the historical events of the Italian Middle Ages. This gave rise to scientists to assume that the author of the grimoire is an Italian.

The name of the manuscript is probably from the name of one of the angels or spirits. Since the ending "-el" (or "-el" Aramaic) is usually used in the names of higher powers. In the introductory chapter, an unknown author briefly lists the contents of nine volumes with a detailed description of the magical art of all peoples. However, only one book has been published so far.

According to the author, Arbatel is a black grimoire, designed to reveal secret knowledge about communication with otherworldly forces. However, according to experts, there are no dangerous constructions in it, and the manuscript is classified as transcendental magic.

A true grimoire

In 1880, the Italian edition of the "True Grimoire" was published. This is a collection of recipes and prayers for teaching magical art. It is known for sure that the manuscript was first discovered and translated from the Jewish language by the Dominican monk in the 15th century. Later the grimoire fell into the hands of Alibek the Egyptian and was published by him in Memphis (1517). Only two and a half centuries later the book of magic reached Italy, and then was reissued in France.

Legends

Around the grimoires, there were always a lot of legends. One of the most common and false is the rumor that only the master can read magical books. For extraneous pages they became crimson and burned their eyes.

There was also an opinion that grimoire is a living book that needs to be fed with blood. In order to call a demon, you just need to open the book on the right page and sprinkle it. Probably, all these speculations were the result of a human rumor and the reaction of the church to the word "magical". Grimoires, according to experts, are ordinary books with incantations or prayers, which are often associated with religion. And they are sponsored by prophets or clergymen.

Interesting Facts

• Russian science fiction writer Nick Perumov uses the word "grimoire" in his works in a different way. This, in the author's opinion, is not a magic book, but a cruel ritual or torture carried out by necromancers.
• Grimoires wrongly named a number of books describing occult traditions. Experts call them falsification, because the symbols they offer are mostly contradictory in nature.
• With the advent of Tarot cards, a notion such as "grimoire divination" appeared. It is a training guide on the rules of the layout and interpretation of combinations of cards.