In the late Middle Ages, all of Europe was seized by the pursuit of magical secrets and mystical revelations. Magicians and alchemists sought to comprehend all the secrets of nature, to learn how to turn lead into gold and live forever.
A treasure trove of secret wisdom was grimoires - treatises on the supernatural, which often had a very mysterious origin. The authorship of the most famous and authoritative of them was attributed to a biblical character - the author of the famous parables, King Solomon.
People were always interested in magic and tried to do it. But it was precisely the late Middle Ages that became the time when Europe literally went crazy in pursuit of magical secrets and occult secrets. Alchemists and magicians lived at the courts of most European sovereigns.
And the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II in the second half of the 16th century turned Prague (the imperial capital of that time) into a real center of magic and alchemy.
The emperor himself was no stranger to the secret sciences, and besides, he gave a warm welcome to everyone who could speak fluently about the movement of heavenly bodies, the secret of transforming metals into each other, the creation of an artificial man (homunculus) or the elixir of immortality. At the same time, occult science did not act according to the same laws as modern science.
If now the latest achievements are valued most of all, then in medieval alchemy - the more ancient the knowledge of the alchemist, the higher was his authority and the more valuable his services. But medieval magicians, like modern scientists, drew their inspiration primarily from books.
Promotional video:
Books for the elite
There was a special type of book designed to comprehend forbidden secrets. Such treatises were called grimoires. They were very different. Some were a collection of recipes for magical potions. Some were entirely devoted to the problem of finding the notorious philosopher's stone, capable of solving at once all problems with wealth and health. Some of the grimoires are still not fully deciphered, and their exact meaning remains a mystery.
One of the most popular topics of the grimoires was the summoning of various supernatural beings. No matter how the Catholic Church fought against witchcraft and witchcraft, people for centuries massively believed that concluding a contract with a powerful demon is an excellent option in order to happily arrange their lives. True, this, of course, had to be done according to all the rules. These are the rules that were laid down in the grimoires. How to call a demon correctly, how to subjugate him to your will, how to build a conversation and how to achieve what you want.
Who wrote these mysterious books? Mostly, of course, the warlocks themselves. But very rarely they signed their real names - after all, playing with demonology could eventually get into serious trouble. Therefore, the authorship was attributed to higher authorities.
For example, Hermes Trismegistus - a fictional theologian who was believed to have exceptional wisdom and was involved in all mysteries. And sometimes they did it easier - they made biblical kings and prophets the authors of grimoires. For example, Moses or Solomon.
From "Big" to "Small"
For alchemists, King Solomon was not just a biblical character, the author of wise parables, the Book of Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs. Fans of the occult sciences were sure that he possessed powerful magic that allowed him to command demons. By the way, there are similar motives in Islam, where Solomon (Suleiman ibn Daud) is the ruler of countless hordes of jinn who carry out any of his orders. Therefore, it is not surprising that one of the most famous surviving grimoires is called "The Key of Solomon" and is almost entirely devoted to demonology.
Strictly speaking, The Key of Solomon is not a book, but a collection. It contains several treatises that are in no way related to each other and, quite possibly, even written by different authors. Medieval magicians, however, believed that they were all written by Solomon, just at different times. In addition, the "Big Key of Solomon" and "Small Key of Solomon" are distinguished.
The Big Key is an earlier grimoire, written approximately in the 14th-15th centuries. It is interesting because the author in every possible way emphasizes his commitment to the Christian church. All manipulations with the summoned spirits are carried out through calls to God and, as implied, with the help of Divine power. Before starting magical procedures, it is recommended to confess your sins, otherwise God may not come to the aid of the sinner.
The "Big Key of Solomon" was the inspiration for "Small", which is sometimes called "Lemegeton". This grimoire was partially written in the 16th century, but was fully formed by the middle of the 17th century. "Small" he is only in age. In size, on the contrary, it surpasses the "older brother".
The Small Key of Solomon consists of five parts, each of which is an independent treatise. Again, there is no certainty that they were all written in one hand. And even more so as King Solomon (whose existence historians fully admit) had at least some relation to the creation of at least one of them. But at the same time, the colossal work done by the creator (or creators) of the grimoire is impressive.
Demons, spirits and angels
The first book of the Small Key is called Goetia. It contains descriptions of 72 demons that were imprisoned by Solomon in a copper vessel. He threw the vessel to the bottom of the lake. There the Babylonians found him and, thinking that there was gold inside, they broke it. Demons volunteered and scattered throughout the world.
It was these otherworldly "guests" that medieval magicians tried to summon and subdue to their will. And Goetia was supposed to help them better understand who they are dealing with. The treatise contains rather detailed instructions on how to call and control daemons.
The second book, titled Theurgy Goetia, lists the spirits of the air. They did not languish in captivity with Solomon and do not belong to the forces of evil. “These spirits are by nature good and evil at the same time. One part of them is kind, the other part is evil. They are ruled by princes, each of whom lives in one of the four parts of the world,”writes the author of the grimoire.
The third book is called "Ars Paulina", and some researchers believe that this is directly related to the name of the Apostle Paul. Its content is even more surprising than that of the first two. This time, the magician is offered to learn how to command the angels. Angels, according to the author of the grimoire, command the day and night hours, as well as the signs of the zodiac.
Moreover, each of them has a host of spirits in subjection, which can also be summoned and subdued. This bizarre fusion of astrology and Christianity is illustrated with numerous images of seals with which you can call various angels. Including the guardian angel.
The title of the fourth book, The Small Key, has a clear connection with the Arab world: Ars Almadel. The Mysterious East has always been considered in Europe a real storehouse of occult knowledge. So, only a few grimoires did without references to the Saracens. Here we are also talking about angels living in "one of the four zodiacal worlds."
The fifth book, titled "Ars Notoria", differs markedly from all the others. It almost entirely consists of various appeals directly to God, who is asked to give strength and protection. “Oh, God Most High, our Father. You rule the world infinitely - confirm and fulfill my request, and improve my mind and memory, and also give strength to study sciences and improve memory, eloquence and perseverance in all ways of learning. Amen,”says the grimoire.
This part of the "Small Key of Solomon" is considered the most ancient. It looks like it was created in the 13th century. Most likely, this is the version of the text that the author of the "Big Key" relied on. Still, from the very beginning, magicians tried to act in the name of God, although bypassing the Church. The idea of subjugating demons, spirits and angels came later.
Specialists (both historians and those who call themselves "magicians" today) are still arguing about who and when wrote "The Key of Solomon" and whether there is anything in this grimoire other than fantasies of omnipotence. The first complete academic edition of Malyi Klyuch has been published quite recently. But how many mysteries does this ancient text still conceal?
Victor BANEV