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A review by unisonlibrarian
Grimoires: A History of Magic Books by Owen Davies
4.0
Do you believe in magic? Angels, demons and the like? Most people don’t, and why should they? Historic superstition has been replaced by scientific knowledge, peer review and scepticism. Throughout human history though people have believed in these things, as much as we now believe in the theory of gravity and ever since someone first dreamt of magic there have been ways of committing such things to paper and its forebears; these manuscripts, texts, scrolls and books became known as Grimoires. Diabolic guidebooks for the curious and the desperate containing an understanding on some level of the occult.
Owen Davies is a Wiccan historian of witchcraft and the occult and this history of magic books is his latest book. He takes us from the pre-Christian period through to present day cultural homages to the occult; Buffy, Charmed and so on. We begin in the Biblical period with the story of Moses receiving the ten commandments and are instructed to recall that the books of the Jewish bible were selected from many writings, and those alternative gospels have not been wholly supressed; indeed they are the base of many magical traditions even today. The sixth and seventh books of Moses appear throughout modern human history as Grimoires and an eighth book of Moses was reported to have been discovered in the 4th century BCE. This book references other lost works that have never been found such as The Key of Moses, Archangelical Teachings, The Hidden Tenth Book and more.
The pre-modern period of the book was, for me, the most interesting element. Hearing how the Magi, a Persian tribe were thought by the Romans to be the first practitioners of magic through their Zoroastrian heritage and the theory that Zoroaster was really Ham, the son of Noah from whom all people of the middle east descended. Slowly from this birth the home of magic came to Egypt, despite several holidays overseas, Egypt was to be magic’s capital and still is to the present day.
There is a huge social history in magic which the author sadly glosses over somewhat and we see that people have always kept such texts and authorities have always feared them. Before witch burning became “a thing” in early modern Europe, book burning was incredibly popular and the sheer level of volumes cast into the flames shows how widespread knowledge of magic and the desire for that knowledge was.
The author takes us via Islamic magical practices in Moorish Spain, Toledo specifically through the European continent at the time of the printing press which democratised grimoire ownership and across the world to the Caribbean, Latin America and United States. More information on the Arabic world and the far east where magical traditions still thrive now would have been a welcome addition but it is clear to see where the author sees his specialties. Far better to have a good history of some areas than a poor history of them all. There are a plethora of texts mentioned, many of which I discover have been digitised, names of magicians in each period, many of whom were conmen as is to be expected and some terrific anecdotal stories of grimoire use and misuse.
I was thoroughly engaged throughout this book and there is an extensive list of references and bibliography for the reader who wishes to delve further in to this world beneath worlds. Owen Davies is a dispassionate commentator in an area which all too often can attract cranks and fools and he tells this history with nuance and distance that is to be respected.
Owen Davies is a Wiccan historian of witchcraft and the occult and this history of magic books is his latest book. He takes us from the pre-Christian period through to present day cultural homages to the occult; Buffy, Charmed and so on. We begin in the Biblical period with the story of Moses receiving the ten commandments and are instructed to recall that the books of the Jewish bible were selected from many writings, and those alternative gospels have not been wholly supressed; indeed they are the base of many magical traditions even today. The sixth and seventh books of Moses appear throughout modern human history as Grimoires and an eighth book of Moses was reported to have been discovered in the 4th century BCE. This book references other lost works that have never been found such as The Key of Moses, Archangelical Teachings, The Hidden Tenth Book and more.
The pre-modern period of the book was, for me, the most interesting element. Hearing how the Magi, a Persian tribe were thought by the Romans to be the first practitioners of magic through their Zoroastrian heritage and the theory that Zoroaster was really Ham, the son of Noah from whom all people of the middle east descended. Slowly from this birth the home of magic came to Egypt, despite several holidays overseas, Egypt was to be magic’s capital and still is to the present day.
There is a huge social history in magic which the author sadly glosses over somewhat and we see that people have always kept such texts and authorities have always feared them. Before witch burning became “a thing” in early modern Europe, book burning was incredibly popular and the sheer level of volumes cast into the flames shows how widespread knowledge of magic and the desire for that knowledge was.
The author takes us via Islamic magical practices in Moorish Spain, Toledo specifically through the European continent at the time of the printing press which democratised grimoire ownership and across the world to the Caribbean, Latin America and United States. More information on the Arabic world and the far east where magical traditions still thrive now would have been a welcome addition but it is clear to see where the author sees his specialties. Far better to have a good history of some areas than a poor history of them all. There are a plethora of texts mentioned, many of which I discover have been digitised, names of magicians in each period, many of whom were conmen as is to be expected and some terrific anecdotal stories of grimoire use and misuse.
I was thoroughly engaged throughout this book and there is an extensive list of references and bibliography for the reader who wishes to delve further in to this world beneath worlds. Owen Davies is a dispassionate commentator in an area which all too often can attract cranks and fools and he tells this history with nuance and distance that is to be respected.