The Encyclopedia Of Demons And Demonology

grimoires 101
rifices, and ways to deal with unruly demons, including
rites of EXORCISM.
Some grimoires are devoted to theurgy, or white
magic, while others concern goetia, or black magic. Some
include both. The attainment of treasure and love and the
ability to harm one’s enemies are prominent throughout
the grimoires. Some were printed in red ink and were said
to burn the eyes if gazed at too long.
The following are the grimoires of significance:
The Devil and a sorcerer exchange copies of a book of black
magic and the Gospels. (AUTHOR’S COLLECTION)
Key of Solomon The most important grimoire is the Key
of Solomon, also called the Greater Key of Solomon and the
Clavicle of Solomon. This text is the source for most other
grimoires. The book is attributed to the legendary King
Solomon, who asked God for wisdom and commanded an
army of demons (DJINN) to do his bidding and build great
works. In the first century C.E., the Jewish historian Josephus
mentioned a book of incantations for summoning
and thwarting demons that was attributed to the authorship
of Solomon. Josephus said that a Jew named Eleazar
used it to cure cases of POSSESSION. Josephus may have
been referring to the Key, but some historians believe it
was the Testament of Solomon (discussed later) or, more
likely, a different text altogether.
The Key is mentioned in literature throughout the
centuries, and over time it grew in size and content. So
many versions of this grimoire were written that the original
text is uncertain. A Greek version that dates to 1100–
1200 C.E. is part of the collection in the British Museum.
From the 14th century on, Solomonic magical works took
on increasing importance. Around 1350, Pope Innocent
VI ordered that a grimoire called The Book of Solomon be
burned; later, in 1559, the Inquisition condemned Solomon’s
grimoire again as dangerous. The Key of Solomon
was widely distributed in the 17th century. Hundreds of
copies of the Key, in differing versions, still exist. Supposedly,
the original manuscript was written in Hebrew, but
no such text is known.
Lemegeton Another grimoire attributed to Solomon is
the Lemegeton, or Lesser Key of Solomon. The origin and
meaning of Lemegeton are not known. The book also was
known as Liber Spirituum (see later discussion) and Liber
Officiorum. Claims were made that the Lemegeton was
originally written in Chaldean and Hebrew, but these are
doubtful. The earliest perfect examples of it are in French.
The material probably is derived in part from the Testament
of Solomon (discussed later) and also the apochryphal
book of Enoch. Part of the Lemegeton was published
in Latin by the demonologist JOHANN WEYER in 1563,
entitled Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (Pseudo- monarchy
of demons). REGINALD SCOT translated part of it into his
Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584).
The book is divided into four parts: Goetia, Theurgia,
the Pauline Art, and the Almadel. The Almadel was mentioned
in writing around 1500. Goetia is devoted to evil
spirits. Theurgia (or Theurgia-Goetia, as it is also called)
is devoted to both good and evil spirits and all aerial spirits.
The Pauline Art concerns the spirits who govern the
planets, the signs of the zodiac, and the hours of the day
and night. The Almadel concerns 20 chief spirits who
govern the four quarters and the 360 degrees of the zodiac.
Goetia is the part published by Weyer. Waite speculated
that Goetia is the original Lemegeton and the other
three parts were unknown to Weyer and were added at a
later time.
The Lemegeton lists 72 FALLEN ANGELS, their titles, seals,
duties, and powers, and the angels who can thwart them.
The number 72 may have been inspired by the Schemhamphorae,
72 angels who bear the Names of God, which
are given in Hebrew Scripture and are expressed at the end
of every verse. The verses are used in invocation and in
magic. The Schemhamphorae function as names of power.
The 72 demons in the Lemegeton possess teaching skills for
the sciences and art, as well as the ability to cause terrible
diseases and disasters. Few have any healing ability.
Testament of Solomon The Testament of Solomon is a
Greek text in the pseudepigrapha written between the
first and third centuries C.E. It tells the story of how King
Solomon built the Temple of Jerusalem by commanding
demons. The text is rich in demonology, angelology, and
lore about medicine, astrology, and magic. The author
probably was familiar with the Babylonian Talmud.
The text says that stellar bodies are demonic, wielding
destructive power over the affairs of humanity. The
36 decans, or 10-degree portions of the zodiac, are called
heavenly bodies and likewise are ruled by demons, who
cause mental and physical illnesses. There are seven
“world rulers,” who are equated with the vices of deception,
strife, fate, distress, error, power, and “the worst,”
each of whom is thwarted by a particular angel (with the
exception of “the worst”).
The testament provides a significant contribution to
the legends of Solomon’s magical powers and the magical