Lesser-Key-Of-Solomon

INTRODUCTION
xv
Theurgia Goetia
Slightly less diabolical is the second book, Theurgia Goetia. This text has
close parallels with Book One of Trithemius' Steganographia.l 6 Although
the abundant spirit seals are not found in Trithemius, those few that can be
found match exactly. For example, these four seals are found in Steganographia
I, chapter xi, dealing with Usiel and his subordinates:
Compare these with the following seals found in the Lemegeton in
the section dealing with the eleventh spirit, Usiel, and his subordinates
Adan, Ansoel, Magni, and Abariel:
It should be noted that Trithemius' conjurations are actually his examples
of hidden writing ("steganography") and do not correspond with
the conjurations found in Theugia Goetia. Written in 1500, Steganographia
was not published until 1608. It was, however, widely circulated in manuscript
form. Where the majority of manuscripts agree, they also agree with
the Steganographia. This is highly significant, in that it allows us to gauge
the degree ofdegradation ofthe various Lemegeton manuscripts by the number
of times they deviate from the Steganographia.
Ars Paulina
The spirits in Part 1 of Ars Paulina coincide exactlywith those found in Book
2 ofTrithemius' Steganographia. Trithemius cites Raziel several times as an authority
for these angels.I? but I have been unable to match up any ofthe lists of
16 Johann Trithemius, Steganographia (Frankfurt, 1606; the edition I have used is
Darmbstadii, 1621).
17 e.g., T2.12 "Omnes autem huius horse principes, duces & comites (secundum
sententiam Razielis) formas assumunt ad placitum operantis." He also mentions
"secundum Salomonem & Razielem" (T2.14.).