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Grimoires
The word "grimoire" itself stems from the Old French grammaire which initially referred to all books written in Latin. Over time, it specifically came to designate books of magic and sorcery. These texts served as repositories of occult knowledge, but vary widely in content and origin. Grimoires typically contain instructions on how to perform magical rites, communicate with supernatural entities, or harness natural forces for specific purposes.
Despite their mystique, and sometimes controversial nature, grimoires remain subjects of fascination for historians, anthropologists, and those intrigued by the intersections of magic, religion, and human culture. These texts often embody a blend of religious, folkloric, and mystical beliefs, reflecting the cultural and spiritual context in which they originated making them ideal subjects for studying cultural exchange and adaptation.
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13th Century |
Ars Notoria
The Notory Art of King Solomon is one of the earliest examples of what would come to be called a grimoire. The text claims to contain the methods King Solomon used to gain wisdom and knowledge. Through a series of prayers and rituals contained in the book the magician was supposed to be able to gain the wisdom and elegance of Solomon, and so Ars Notoria became very popular with scholars and clerics.
This work contains the only surviving remnants of Flores Aurei, or the Golden Flowers, a text attributed to the Greek philosopher Apollonius of Tyana (c. 50–100 CE). The missing material was supplemented by a Latin copy of Flores Aurei called the Ars Nova, or New Art. This patchwork became the text we known as Ars Notoria today.
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Flores aurei, 13th century
~ Yale University Library,
Mellon MS 1
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Flores aureos, 14th century
~ Bibliothèque nationale de France,
BnF Lat. 7152
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Liber de Arte Memorativa, 15th century
~ Bibliothèque nationale de France,
BnF Lat. 9336
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Liber de Arte Memorativa, 16th century
~ National Library of Isreal,
Israel Ms. Yah. Var. 34
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Ars notoria, 1657
English Trans.
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14th Century |
Compendium of Sacred Magic |
The Summa Sacre Magice is one of the earliest European grimoires. This massive repository of medieval magic was only discovered in the past few decades do no known reprints or derivations exist. It was written by a previously unknown magician named Berengario Ganellthe, and is dated to the beginning of the 14th century. It is a rare look into Medieval magic before the influence of the Renaissance.
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15th Century |
Munich Manual of Demonic Magic |
The Liber incantationum, exorcismorum et fascinationum variorum is a collection of works on demons and necromancy, and is one of the only surviving copies of the Munich Manual. It embodies the modern idea of a grimoire containing rituals to become invisible, make someone fall in love with you, find treasures, and gain occult knowledge. It also includes lists of demons and invocations to summon them. Mysteriously, it is missing the beginning of the book, making the initial ritual incomplete.
~ Bavarian State Library, BSB CLM 849
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Book of Forbidden Arts |
The full title of this text is Buch aller verpoten Kunst, Ungelaubens und der Zaubrey, which is often translated as “The Book of all Forbidden Arts, Superstitions, and Sorcery”. However, the word Ungelaubens has experienced linguistic variance over the centuries, and “The Book of all Forbidden Arts, Heresies and Sorcery” would be a more appropriate translation.
This book was written by Johannes Hartlieb and is not intended as a grimoire but as documentation of the practices of witches and sorcerers. It was meant to spur civil authorities into action at a time when the belief in witchcraft was often questioned by the educated. Despite the inherent biases in the text, it is interesting because it includes sections on what would be considered folk practice today. Interestingly, it also contains many concepts that would later become components in both ceremonial magic and hedge witchcraft, such as the first documentation of a flying ointment.
~ Bibliotheca Palatina, Cod. Pal. germ. 478
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Picatrix |
Picatrix is a Latin copy of the Arabic work Ghāyat al-Ḥakīm, or goal of the wise. It is a classical magical formulary with instructions for the creation of tools, reagents, and compounds; as well as a detailed manuscript of magic and philosophy.
~ Biblioteka Jagiellońska, Ms. 793
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Key of Solomon
The earliest examples Clavicula Salomonis date to the 15th century and would come to be the paradigm of the grimoire. It includes instructions for ritual tools, operations of spirits, and the various sigils associated with the practice. The Key is not a fixed single text but a collection of various texts put into a similar format, making some copies are near identical and others almost unrecognizable. This was likely due to supplementing missing sections during transcription, or mistakenly other texts as part of the original Key.
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Liber Clauicule Salomonis, 15th Century
~ Bibliothèque Nationale de France,
BnF Ita. 1524
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Liber Clauicule Salomonis, 16th Century
~ Vadianische Sammlung,
VadSlg Ms. 334
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Liber Clauicule Salomonis, 18th Century
~ Wellcome Collection,
Ms. 4655
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Liber Clauicule Salomonis, 18th Century
~ Wellcome Collection, MS.4659
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Liber Clauicule Salomonis, 18th Century
~ Wellcome Collection, MS.4666
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Liber Clauicule Salomonis, 18th Century
~ Wellcome Collection, MS.4669
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English Transulations: |
Liber Clauicule Salomonis, 19th Century
~ Lund University Library, Ms.196934
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Key of Solomon, 1834
~ Wellcome Collection, (2) BVA.CA
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Mass Print, 1889
~ Wellcome Collection, (2) BVA.CA
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16th Century |
Arbatel of Magic |
The Arbatel de Magia Veterum is a unique text for many reasons. Unlike most grimoires, it does not claim to be an ancient text nor does it seek legitimacy by pseudo-attribution to a prominent figure. All evidence indicates it was indeed published in Switzerland around 1575, the date location listed on the title page of the text.
It is also unique in that the magical practices described are positive, altruistic, and community orientated, traits that are exceedingly rare in grimoires. The Arbatel encourages the magician to engage with and watch over his community, rather than withdraw from it. It cautions him on the importance of leading a virtuous life, aligning with divine principles, and fostering a connection with celestial entities. But most interesting is that presents magic itself as a virtuous practice; promoting the idea that it should be used for the betterment of oneself and society, while emphasizing the pursuit of knowledge, wisdom, and the development of moral character.
~ Olomouc Research Library, 5.265
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Archidoxes of Magic of the Supreme Mysteries of Nature |
The Archidoxis magica is a pseudo-Paracelsian text that emphasizes amulets and talismans. Paracelsus reputation as a magician largely stems from the existence of this text. Ironically, its very inception in the late 1500s sparked skepticism, even in the eyes of its publisher, Johannes Huser. Nonetheless, he opted to append it to the end of a volume containing genuine works by Paracelsus.
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Book of Magic, with Instructions for
Invoking Spirits |
The title of this book is missing but the description of the manuscript is straight forward. This grimoire documents explicit instructions for summoning spirits, infernal and faerie. It includes one of the few surviving fragments of Liber Officiorum Spirituum.
~ Folger Shakespeare Library, MS V.B.26
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Treatise on Necromancy |
The Tractatus de Nigromantia was once one of the most sought after grimoires in medieval Europe. It is a necromancy workbook with a fixed template of correspondences in the beginning, followed by rituals and formulas that tended to change with each existing copy. This may be due to the needs and social environment of the practitioner at the time of transcription.
The copy below is from the Chetham Library in Manchester and is accredited to Roger Bacon. Other copies in the British Museum credit the work to Rupertum Furconem, Rupertus Lombardus, or Robert Lambard. It is possible that the three names may be pseudonyms or anagrams of the same individual. The inclusion of fairy rituals among demonology and invocations to the dead suggests a Celtic influence. Given that the text was also written in English, it is likely the writer lived farther north, closer to the Scottish border.
~ Chetham Library, MS Mun.A.4.98
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The Key of Angels |
The Claves Angelicae is a text written by John Dee that he ascribed to angelic inspiration. It includes verses in Enochian, the language he claimed he received from the angels, as well as English. He claimed that the Claves Angelicae would allow the practitioner to unlock the "Gates of Understanding" in the Liber Loagaeth magic squares.
This copy is in John Dee's own hand and includes the books Claves Angelicae, Liber Scientiæ, Auxilii, et Victoriæ Terrestris, De Heptarchia Mystica, as well a collection of invocations.
~ British Museum, Sloane 3191
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Books of the Mysteries |
This is all five books of the Liber Mysteriorum by John Dee. Together they form the basis of Enochian magic. The sixth book Liber Loagaeth is included below.
~ British Museum, Sloane 3677
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Book of Loagaeth |
The Liber Loagaeth is the sixth book of the Liber Mysteriorum, it includes texts and tables Dee did not translate but claimed would be made legible by studying the Claves Angelicae.
~ British Museum, Sloane 2599
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Three Books Of Occult Philosophy |
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa laid the foundations of western ceremonial tradition with his three books of occultic philosophy. Though classics now, they were ground breaking when written in the 1500s. These books socially elevated contemplation of folk belief and cloistered magical practices into a gentlemanly art. These texts may have driven the surge in occultic works seen in the 16th century, and would influence magical and folk practices for centuries to come.
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Fourth Book Of Occult Philosophy |
Though attributed to Agrippa, it is believed that this text is believed to have been written by another writer. At the conclusion of Agrippa’s third text he explains that he began writing the books when he was young, and seems to dissuade the reader from the practices. This Fourth book, on the other hand, focuses specifically on the summoning and commanding of spirits
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Grimorium Verum |
Though the the Grimorium Verum is usually dated to the 1500s on the front page, it is a copy of the 16th Century French work Clavicula Salomonis de secretis. Few complete copies of the Grimorium Verum still exist, and one of the last was rumored to have been stolen in the 1970s.
This is a near complete copy of Clavicula Salomonis de secretis. Though some sections overlap with the true Key of Solomon, the Clavicula Salomonis de secretis is considered a separate text.
~ Bavarian State Library, RPS 3352 II
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False Monarchy of Demons |
Pseudomonarchia Daemonum is a listing of 69 demons that predates, and likely influenced, the Ars Goetia. It is a text with an interesting history. It is the most complete copy of a lost text called Liber Officiorum Spirituum, the only other fragments existing in MS V.B.26 in the Folger Shakespeare Library.
It was included as an appendix in Johann Weyer’s De praestigiis daemonum, a unique text that argues against the persecution of witches due to the belief in magic being a form of mental illness. It was published in the 16th century, almost three centuries before Sigmund Freud was born. De praestigiis daemonum, is available in the Antiquities section of the scriptorium.
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Grand Albert
The earliest versions of La Grande Albert can be traced to a Latin version the late 1400s, but would not 16th century that it developed into the text we recognize today. This grimoire contains information on the properties of stones, herbs, and the constellations; as well as traditional charms and spells. It is falsely attributed to Albertus Magnus, and is often mistaken for Egyptian Secrets or the Grand Grimoire. By the 19th century it had become one of the most popular grimoires and was widely circulated in underground and by subversive printers of the Bibliothèque bleue market.
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Liber Secretozu Alberti, 15th century
~ National Library of Medicine,
9410441
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Secrets of Albertus Magnus, 17th century
~ English Copy
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Albertus Magnus de Secretis, 17th century
~ Countway Library of Medicine,
RG.91.A14.1669
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Secrets d'Albert Le Grande, 18th century
~ Wellcome Collection, MS.17226
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17th Century |
Longobardus |
The British Museum titles this collection of manuscripts simply ‘Tracts on Magic’. This collection is a rendition of Liber Officiorum Spirituum that is considered one of the earliest prototypes of the Lemegeton.
~ British Museum, Sloane MS 3824
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On the Invocation of Angels |
This text gives indexes of infernal and celestial hierarches, and rituals to enlist their air. Towards the end is included a section on the Conjuring the Planetary Intelligences, or the creation of the planetary talisman. It has become one of the cornerstones of Enochian practice.
~ British Museum, Sloane MS 3824
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Book of Magical Charms |
The Book of Magical Charms is an enigmatic text lacking a title. Nothing is known of its author or provenance, and unlike other grimoires, no other copies exist. It is written in early English with Latin interspersed throughout, suggesting it was intended as a functional reference book by a practitioner of lesser nobility or a strangely educated commoner. There are no known complete translations.
~ Newberry Library, MS 5017
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Natural Magic |
Magia Naturalis is an interesting work because it demonstrated the fuzzy lines between magic and science prior to Francis Bacon’s revolutionary methods. This texts includes bits of magic and folklore mixed among discussions on geology and metallurgy. Of particular interest is his discussion of natural magic vs the diabolical, where he clearly defines the predecessor of the natural sciences as a form of magic in itself.
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Geomancie of Maister Christopher |
This is a translation is from a French text that claimed to have developed a method of divination using numbers. This book is credited to a mysterious Christophe of Cattan. Though there are several known individuals with similar names at the time it was written none can be connected with this text.
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Steganographia |
When is a grimoire not a grimoire? When it is an in-depth discussion on cyphers written in cypher. Steganographia is still often presented as a magical text because on the surface it is about spirit communication over long distances, and was blacklisted on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum for almost three hundred years.
The title literally means to "write in code" and the surface material would prove to be ironic when a decryption key was published later on that demonstrated the magical texts in the first two sections were actually about cryptography. Later cryptographers were able to prove that the magical formulas in the third and final section were also cover texts, and contained more materials on cryptography.
It is included here because some practitioners considered it a genuine grimoire, and because the cover material influenced some later magical practices such as those by John Dee.
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Book of Abramelin
The Book of Abramelin is unique in that it is a story presented in the form of a journal, an instructional manual detailing a rather lengthy initiation ritual, and a workbook containing magical talismans. The initial segment of the text recounts the experience of receiving instructions from a Jewish Kabbalistic magician in Egypt around 1458. It is intriguing because, unlike many texts of its time, the author displays some knowledge of Jewish teachings. Simultaneously, certain parts of the book suggest a non-Jewish authorship, such as the utilization of translations from the Latin Vulgate instead of the Hebraic Book of Psalms.
The earliest versions of this text are in German and date back to the early 1600s. However, acquiring digital copies of these texts proves to be challenging. Presented below are examples from the 18th century. The first two are German copies of the manuscript. Together they offer more comprehensive content than the French version utilized for English translations, and include the completed talisman squares. The second example is a reprint of the 1725 Hammer text, which was the first mass printing of the Book of Abramelin.
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Book of Abramelin, c. 1700
~ Universitätsbibliothek Dresden,
Mscr.Dresd.N.111
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Book of Abramelin, c. 1750
~ Universitätsbibliothek Leipzig,
Cod.Mag.15
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Book of Abramelin, 1725 reprint
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Lesser Key of Solomon
Also known as the Lemegeton or Clavicula Salomonis Regis, the Lesser Key is a grimoire cobbled together from 16th century manuscripts. It is subdivided into five books:
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Ars Goetia |
This is the most famous of the five books of the Little Key and is often mistaken for the entire Key due to the many translations and ready availability. It contains 72 infernal spirits and their hierarchies. This text was derived almost entirely form Pseudomonarchia daemonum. The prevailing theory regarding the reordering of demons is that the writer of the Little Key was copying a manuscript with loose pages that were disordered. These texts and interesting as many of the demons have echoes of deities and spirits or prior cultures. Though literally demonized, this seems to be an attempt to syncretize known folklore from various peoples.
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Ars Theurgia-Goetia |
This section concerns which direction an invoked spirit would approach the magician from, and the spirits that govern those directions. It is taken directly from Steganographia with some additional material added.
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Ars Paulina |
It would surprise many modern Christians, but there is a very long history of folk tradition that considered Paul an almost Solomon-like figure due to his ability to communicate with the heavenly host. This section expands on that belief, covering the conjuration of angels, especially those associated with celestial bodies and specific times of the day. It is an amalgamation of parts from the Archidoxes of Magic, Heptameron, and Steganographia that is credited to Paul in its entirety.
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Ars Almadel |
This section is concerned with constructing the altar and other devices needed for communing with the spirits. It is believed to be copied from an 15th century middle eastern text.
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Ars Notoria |
This is a copy of the 13th century text by the same name, copies of which have been made available previously on that section of this page. Some copies of the Lemegeton leave the Ars Notoria out entirely or replace it with Ars Nova, the latter of which is included in Rowes above translation of the Ars Almadel. It is not known if this was a simple oversight, due to lost sections in copied transcripts, or due to a conflict of purposes between the Ars Notoria and the rest of the Lemegeton.
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Mass Print
~ de Laurance, 1916
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18th Century |
Compendium of Demonology and Magic |
Though often glossed over as the 'Compendium of Demonology and Magic,' the full title of this work is Compendium rarissimum totius Artis Magicae systematisatae per celeberrimos Artis hujus Magistros, which translates to 'A Rare Compendium of the Whole Art of Magic, Systematized by the Most Famous Masters of this Art.'
Like most grimoires of the period, this book contains the expected operations or rituals used to contact and control spirits. What sets it apart is its illustrations, which include sigils, depictions of the magician's practice, and full-color illustrations of various demons. Though a cover page is dated 1057, the text itself has been dated to the late 1700s.
~ Wellcome Collection, MS.1766
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The Grand Grimore |
The Grand Grimoire avec la grande clavicule de Salomonis is nefarious for two reasons. The first, and most obvious, is that it purports to contain the ritual for summoning Lucifer and the dark trinity. This makes it very popular with people purporting a penchant for the dark arts.
The lesser known reason for its sketchy nature is that it is the first mass produced grimoire. Though it claims to have been written in the 1500s the earliest copies can only be traced to the 18th century.
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Little Albert |
Petit Albert is one of the few texts with the directions for making the hand of glory. It should not be confused with Le Grande Albert though both were falsely attributed to Albertus Magnus. Both are composite manuscripts from earlier works, thought Petit Albert seems to have also sampled an as of yet unknown grimoire.
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19th Century |
Infernal Dictionary |
Though not a book of rituals, the Dictionnaire Infernal, also called the Demonographia, is one of the most important texts on demonology. It is most famous for its listing of demons and their hierarchies, however the text also includes entries on magic, folklore, and superstition.
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Long Lost Friend |
This is a translation of the German text Der Lange Verborgene Freund. It was written by the Pennsylvania Dutch folk healer John Hohman, but shows knowledge of earlier German magical texts and folk practices. It is a unique text that includes folk remedies, charms, and rituals; and was itself believed to be amulet against evil and misfortune.
A Long Lost Friend and Egyptian Secrets became the core texts of Braucherei, or the Pennsylvania Dutch powwow traditions. Unlike Egyptian Secrets, Long Lost Friend was viewed as a sacred book of prayers and is still held in high regard within Pennsylvania Dutch communities.
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Egyptian Secrets, or White and Black Art for Man and Beast |
This text is neither Egyptian nor written by Albertus Magnus, but was attributed to both in an attempt to provide authority to the work. This is ironic considering Egyptian Secrets content and cultural importance make it one of the most important grimoires in history.
Egyptian Secrets marks a return to grimoires of practical magic. Spells and talismans are nestled in between recipes, home remedies, and household how tos. It could be argued that there were little distinction between function, religion, and magic for the German immigrants who first brought these texts to the united states.
Egyptian Secrets and A Long Lost Friend became the core texts of Braucherei, and from there the backbone of a great many folk traditions in the United States. This copy incudes all three volumes of Egyptian Secrets and their indexes.
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The True Red Dragon |
Le véritable dragon rouge and Le dragon rouge are 19th century copies of the 18th century Grand Grimoire. Though both texts made from the same grimoire, they are different enough to be considered separate works. It is believed that the makes of these two texts may have used different copies of the Grand Grimoire. This would account for the strange differences in between the Red Dragon grimoires, and the inclusion of Secret de La Poule Noire in the Le véritable dragon rouge. This is a text that seems to be unique to this grimoire and is not the same text as the Black Pullet / Treasure of the Pyramids.
~ Wellcome Collection, 32572
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The Magnus |
The Magnus is composed of English translations of The Books of Occultic Philosophy and the Heptameron, supplemented by excerpts from various manuscripts. These were translated and compiled by Francis Barrett, an eccentric occultist who was known to run a magical school out of his London apartment.
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Book of Black Magic and of Pacts
"The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts" was Arther Edward Waite's endeavor to survey existing grimoires and amalgamate their theology into a unified practice. The text offers precise instructions for some of history's most intriguing rituals, talismans, and artifacts while attempting to align them with Waite's contemporary cultural norms and values.
Despite selling only a few hundred copies, the text was reprinted under the title "The Book of Ceremonial Magic". This new title gained much more popularity and is the name under which the text is sold in many modern bookstores. There are slight differences between the editions, so both are included below.
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Book of Black Magic and of Pacts
1898
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The Book of Ceremonial Magic
1910
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The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses
The earliest known copies of the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses date to the early 19th century, but there are arguments suggesting the book's existence in the 18th century in the form of folk manuscripts. This text is one of many attributed to historical or religious figures in an attempt to legitimize their contents or protect the writers. There are a few versions of the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses, but they all draw upon earlier manuscripts and so have very similar content.
The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses are the most famous of the German grimoires. It brought to Appalachia in the early 1800s by German immigrants to Pennsylvania and became part of the literary tradition in Braucherei, the folk practices of the Pennsylvania Dutch. Like many Braucherei magical texts, the Sixth and Seventh books were translated into English in the mid-1800s and later distributed by occult mail-order companies in Memphis, New York, and Chicago.
The sudden availability of the book, coupled with its association with a religious figure, increased its popularity among many distinct populations, quickly gaining prominence in Appalachian conjure and folk practices, African American hoodoo, African diaspora religions, and eventually in many parts of Africa itself. It is still used in many of these folk practices today. It should be noted that, despite of the newfound popularity with outside cultures, the text is sometimes frowned often upon by modern Brauchers who associate it with black magic due to its focus on summing spirits.
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1849 Printing(German)
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1888 Printing
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1910 Printing
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