The Encyclopedia Of Demons And Demonology

104 grimoires
Alberti Parvi Lucii Liber de Mirabilibus Naturae Arcanis
Attributed falsely to the authorship of St. Albertus
Magnus, this grimoire was published in Lyons, France,
with the kabbalistic date of 6516. It gives instructions for
making philters, interpreting dreams, discovering treasure,
making a hand of glory (a black magic charm), making
a ring that confers invisibility, and performing other
magical acts.
The following texts were written in the 18th and 19th
centuries and are often called grimoires:
The Book of Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin the Mage Authorship
is attributed to Abra-Melin (also spelled Abramelin),
a Jewish kabbalistic mage of Wurzburg, Germany, who
supposedly wrote the grimoire for his son in 1458. The
manuscript, written in French in the 18th century, claims
to be a translation of the original Hebrew manuscript. The
book was a major influence in the 19th-century occult
revival led by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.
ALEISTER CROWLEY borrowed from it for his own rituals
to master demons.
The book comprises three books, all derivative of
the Key of Solomon. According to lore, Abra-Melin said
he learned his magical knowledge from angels, who told
him how to conjure and tame demons into personal servants
and workers and how to raise storms. He said that
all things in the world were created by demons, who
worked under the direction of angels, and that each individual
had an angel and a demon as familiar spirits. The
basis for his system of magic, he said, may be found in
the Kabbalah.
The magical system is based on the power of numbers
and sacred names and involves the construction of numerous
magical squares for such purposes as invisibility,
flying, commanding spirits, necromancy, shape shifting,
and scores of other feats. Rituals for conjuring spirits,
creating magic squares, and making seals and sigils are
elaborate and must be followed exactly in accordance
with astrological observances.
True Black Magic Also called The Secrets of Secrets, this
black magic grimoire purportedly was written in the
1600s by a magician named Toscraec, who claimed that
it was based on a centuries-old manuscript written in
an unknown language. Toscraec said he was only able
to translate the manuscript with the help of an angel. It
probably was written in the 18th century.
True Black Magic is a goetic adaptation of the Key of
Solomon. In the book, claims are made that the manuscript
was found in the tomb of Solomon, and it was
translated from the Hebrew in 1750 by the magus Iroe-
Grego. It includes 45 talismans, their properties and uses,
and “all magical characters known unto this day.” The
grimoire quotes Solomon as saying that divine love must
precede the acquisition of magical wisdom.
The Black Pullet According to lore, this grimoire was
published in Egypt in 1740, but it was probably authored
in the late 18th century in Rome or in France. The Black
Pullet is one of the few grimoires that do not claim to be
manuscripts of antiquity. It does not link itself to Solomonic
magic but shows influences of the spurious Fourth
Book. It places particular emphasis on 20 magic talismans
and 20 corresponding magic rings, plus two talismans of
a magic circle and a magic rod or wand. It disavows all
connections to black magic. It has appeared in altered
versions as Treasure of the Old Man of the Pyramids and
Black Screech Owl. The 22 talismans have been linked to
the 22 trumps of the Tarot.
The Black Pullet tells a colorful story about itself
and its alleged origins. The original—and ambitious—
French title of the grimoire was The Black Pullet, or
the Hen with the Golden Eggs, comprising the Science of
Magic Talismans and Rings, the Art of Necromancy and of
the Kabbalah, for the Conjuration of Aerial and Infernal
Spirits, of Sylphs, Undines, and Gnomes, for the acquisition
of the Secret Sciences, for the Discovery of Treasures, for
obtaining power to command all beings, and to unmask all
Sciences and Bewitchments, The whole following the Doctrines
of Socrates, Pythagorus [sic], Zoroaster, Son of the
Grand Aromasis, and other philosophers whose works in
the MS. escaped the conflagration of the Library of Ptolemy,
Translated from the language of the Magi and that of the
Hieroglyphs by the Doctors Mizzaboula-Jabamia, Danhuzerus,
Nehmahmiah, Judahim, and Eliaeb, Rendered into
French by A.J.S.D.R.L.G.F.
The Black Pullet claims it is the narrative of an unnamed
man who was a member of Napoleon’s armed
forces sent to Egypt. With several companions, he went
to the pyramids outside Cairo, where they all stopped for
lunch. They were attacked by Arabs, and all but the author
were killed. He was left for dead. When he regained
consciousness, he assumed he would soon be dead because
he had been abandoned in the desert and delivered
a farewell to the setting Sun.
Suddenly, a stone rolled back in the Great Pyramid,
and a man walked out. The soldier could tell by his turban
that he was a Turk. As luck would have it, the soldier
knew the Turkish language and could communicate. The
Turk revived him with liquor and took him inside the
pyramid, which was revealed to be the magical home of
the mysterious man.
The soldier was astonished to find vast halls, endless
galleries, subterranean chambers, and piles of treasures,
all ministered by spirits. There were blazing lamps and
magic suppers. A genius, or FAMILIAR, named Odous was
the special attendant of the Turk. The soldier was also
shown The Black Pullet, a text that was like a version of
Aladdin and the magic lamp, but with an inner meaning
conferred by the demon ASTAROTH. The magical power
was created with talismans embroidered on silk and rings
made of bronzed steel.
The Turk said he was the only heir to this magic,
which was based on Egyptian hieroglyphs. He told the
soldier he was near death. He possessed a magic talisman
that enabled him to be fluent in 22 languages. The Turk