Key of Solomon - Revision history

Occultwiki at 16:09, 4 October 2024

2024-10-04T16:09:54Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:09, 4 October 2024
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	Unlike later [[grimoire]]s such as the ''[[Pseudomonarchia Daemonum]]'' (16th century) or the ''Lemegeton'' (17th century), the ''Key of Solomon'' does not mention the signature of the [[Goetic demon\|72 spirits]] constrained by [[King Solomon]] in a bronze vessel. As in most medieval grimoires, all magical operations are ostensibly performed through the power of [[Yahweh\|God]], to whom all the invocations are addressed. Before any of these operations (termed "experiments") are performed, the operator must confess his sins and purge himself of evil, invoking the protection of God.		Unlike later [[grimoire]]s such as the ''[[Pseudomonarchia Daemonum]]'' (16th century) or the ''Lemegeton'' (17th century), the ''Key of Solomon'' does not mention the signature of the [[Goetic demon\|72 spirits]] constrained by [[King Solomon]] in a bronze vessel. As in most medieval grimoires, all magical operations are ostensibly performed through the power of [[Yahweh\|God]], to whom all the invocations are addressed. Before any of these operations (termed "experiments") are performed, the operator must confess his sins and purge himself of evil, invoking the protection of God.

	Elaborate preparations are necessary, and each of the numerous items used in the operator's "experiments" must be constructed of the appropriate materials obtained in the prescribed manner, at the appropriate [[astrology\|astrological]] time, marked with a specific set of magical symbols, and blessed with its own specific words. All substances needed for the magic drawings and ~~amulets~~ are detailed, as well as the means to purify and prepare them. Many of the symbols incorporate the ''Transitus Fluvii'' [[occult]] alphabet.		Elaborate preparations are necessary, and each of the numerous items used in the operator's "experiments" must be constructed of the appropriate materials obtained in the prescribed manner, at the appropriate [[astrology\|astrological]] time, marked with a specific set of magical symbols, and blessed with its own specific words. All substances needed for the magic drawings and [[amulet]]s are detailed, as well as the means to purify and prepare them. Many of the symbols incorporate the ''Transitus Fluvii'' [[occult]] alphabet.

	Book I contains conjurations, invocations and curses to summon and constrain spirits of the dead and [[demon]]s in order to compel them to do the operator's will through the use of a [[magic triangle]]. It also describes how to find stolen items, become invisible, gain favour and love, and so on.		Book I contains conjurations, invocations and curses to summon and constrain spirits of the dead and [[demon]]s in order to compel them to do the operator's will through the use of a [[magic triangle]]. It also describes how to find stolen items, become invisible, gain favour and love, and so on.

Occultwiki: /* Summary */

2024-03-05T17:21:30Z

Summary

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:21, 5 March 2024
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	==Summary==		==Summary==
			[[File:Magic-Triangle1.png\|350px\|thumb\|Magic Triangle from the ''Key of Solomon'']]
	The ''Key of Solomon'' is divided into two books. It describes the necessary drawings to prepare each "experiment" or, in more modern language, magical operations.		The ''Key of Solomon'' is divided into two books. It describes the necessary drawings to prepare each "experiment" or, in more modern language, magical operations.

Occultwiki: /* Summary */

2024-03-05T17:20:51Z

Summary

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:20, 5 March 2024
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	Elaborate preparations are necessary, and each of the numerous items used in the operator's "experiments" must be constructed of the appropriate materials obtained in the prescribed manner, at the appropriate [[astrology\|astrological]] time, marked with a specific set of magical symbols, and blessed with its own specific words. All substances needed for the magic drawings and amulets are detailed, as well as the means to purify and prepare them. Many of the symbols incorporate the ''Transitus Fluvii'' [[occult]] alphabet.		Elaborate preparations are necessary, and each of the numerous items used in the operator's "experiments" must be constructed of the appropriate materials obtained in the prescribed manner, at the appropriate [[astrology\|astrological]] time, marked with a specific set of magical symbols, and blessed with its own specific words. All substances needed for the magic drawings and amulets are detailed, as well as the means to purify and prepare them. Many of the symbols incorporate the ''Transitus Fluvii'' [[occult]] alphabet.

	Book I contains conjurations, invocations and curses to summon and constrain spirits of the dead and ~~demons~~ in order to compel them to do the operator's will. It also describes how to find stolen items, become invisible, gain favour and love, and so on.		Book I contains conjurations, invocations and curses to summon and constrain spirits of the dead and [[demon]]s in order to compel them to do the operator's will through the use of a [[magic triangle]]. It also describes how to find stolen items, become invisible, gain favour and love, and so on.

	Book II describes various purifications which the [[magician]] (called an "[[exorcist]]") should undergo, how they should clothe themselves, how the magical implements used in their operations should be constructed, and what animal sacrifices should be made to the spirits.		Book II describes various purifications which the [[magician]] (called an "[[exorcist]]") should undergo, how they should clothe themselves, how the magical implements used in their operations should be constructed, and what animal sacrifices should be made to the spirits.

Occultwiki at 23:53, 5 October 2023

2023-10-05T23:53:57Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:53, 5 October 2023
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	Book II describes various purifications which the [[magician]] (called an "[[exorcist]]") should undergo, how they should clothe themselves, how the magical implements used in their operations should be constructed, and what animal sacrifices should be made to the spirits.		Book II describes various purifications which the [[magician]] (called an "[[exorcist]]") should undergo, how they should clothe themselves, how the magical implements used in their operations should be constructed, and what animal sacrifices should be made to the spirits.

			==See also==
			* ''[[Lesser Key of Solomon]]''

	[[Category:Grimoires]]		[[Category:Grimoires]]
	[[Category:Books]]		[[Category:Books]]

Occultwiki: Created page with "Pentacle from the ''Key of Solomon'' The '''''Key of Solomon''''' (Latin: ''Clavicula Salomoni''s; Hebrew: מפתח שלמה [''Mafte..."

2022-02-24T08:50:19Z

Created page with "300px|thumb|Pentacle from the ''Key of Solomon'' The '''''Key of Solomon''''' (Latin: ''Clavicula Salomoni''s; Hebrew: מפתח שלמה [''Mafte..."

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[[File:Solomon Pentacle.gif|300px|thumb|Pentacle from the ''Key of Solomon'']]
The '''''Key of Solomon''''' (Latin: ''Clavicula Salomoni''s; Hebrew: מפתח שלמה [''Mafteah Shelomoh'']) is a pseudepigraphical [[grimoire]] (also known as a book of spells) attributed to [[King Solomon]]. It probably dates back to the 14th or 15th century Italian Renaissance. It presents a typical example of Renaissance magic.

It is possible that the ''Key of Solomon'' inspired later works, particularly the 17th-century grimoire also known as ''Clavicula Salomonis Regis'', ''The [[Lesser Key of Solomon]]'' or ''Lemegeton'', although there are many differences between the books.

==Textual history==
Many such grimoires attributed to King Solomon were written during the Renaissance, ultimately being influenced by earlier works of [[Judaism|Jewish]] [[Kabbalah|kabbalists]] and Arab [[magician]]s. These, in turn, incorporated aspects of the Greco-Roman magic of Late Antiquity.

Several versions of the ''Key of Solomon'' exist, in various translations, with minor to significant differences. The original type of text was probably a Latin or Italian text dating to the 14th or 15th century. Most surviving manuscripts date from the late 16th, 17th or 18th centuries. There is also an early Greek manuscript dating to the 15th century (Harleian MS. 5596) that is closely associated with the text. The Greek manuscript is referred to as ''The Magical Treatise of Solomon'', and was published by Armand Delatte in ''Anecdota Atheniensia''. Its contents are very similar to the ''Clavicula''.

An important Italian manuscript is Bodleian Library Michael MS 276. An early Latin text survives in printed form, dated to ca. 1600 (University of Wisconsin-Madison, Memorial Library, Special Collections). There are a number of later (17th century) Latin manuscripts. One of the oldest existing manuscripts (besides Harleian 5596) is a text in English translation, entitled ''The Clavicle of Solomon, revealed by Ptolomy the Grecian'' and dated to 1572 (Sloane 3847). There are a number of French manuscripts, all dated to the 18th century, with the exception of one dated to 1641 (P1641, ed. Dumas, 1980).

A Hebrew text survives in two versions, one kept at the British Library, on a parchment manuscript, separated in BL Oriental MSS 6360 and 14759. The BL manuscript was dated to the 16th century by its first editor Greenup (1912), but is now thought to be somewhat younger, dating to the 17th or 18th century. The discovery of a second Hebrew text in the library of Samuel H. Gollancz was published by his son Hermann Gollancz in 1903, who also published a facsimile edition in 1914. Gollancz' manuscript had been copied in Amsterdam, in Sephardic cursive script, and is less legible than the BL text. The Hebrew text is not considered the original. It is rather a late Jewish adaptation of a Latin or Italian ''Clavicula'' text. The BL manuscript is probably the archetype of the Hebrew translation, and Gollancz' manuscript a copy of the BL one.

An English edition based on the manuscripts of the British Library was published by [[S. L. MacGregor Mathers]] in 1889. L. W. de Laurence in 1914 published "''The Greater Key of Solomon''", directly based on Mathers' edition, to which he made alterations in an attempt to advertise his mail-order business (for example by inserting instructions like "after burning one-half teaspoonful of Temple Incense" along with ordering information for the incense).

==Summary==
The ''Key of Solomon'' is divided into two books. It describes the necessary drawings to prepare each "experiment" or, in more modern language, magical operations.

Unlike later [[grimoire]]s such as the ''[[Pseudomonarchia Daemonum]]'' (16th century) or the ''Lemegeton'' (17th century), the ''Key of Solomon'' does not mention the signature of the [[Goetic demon|72 spirits]] constrained by [[King Solomon]] in a bronze vessel. As in most medieval grimoires, all magical operations are ostensibly performed through the power of [[Yahweh|God]], to whom all the invocations are addressed. Before any of these operations (termed "experiments") are performed, the operator must confess his sins and purge himself of evil, invoking the protection of God.

Elaborate preparations are necessary, and each of the numerous items used in the operator's "experiments" must be constructed of the appropriate materials obtained in the prescribed manner, at the appropriate [[astrology|astrological]] time, marked with a specific set of magical symbols, and blessed with its own specific words. All substances needed for the magic drawings and amulets are detailed, as well as the means to purify and prepare them. Many of the symbols incorporate the ''Transitus Fluvii'' [[occult]] alphabet.

Book I contains conjurations, invocations and curses to summon and constrain spirits of the dead and demons in order to compel them to do the operator's will. It also describes how to find stolen items, become invisible, gain favour and love, and so on.

Book II describes various purifications which the [[magician]] (called an "[[exorcist]]") should undergo, how they should clothe themselves, how the magical implements used in their operations should be constructed, and what animal sacrifices should be made to the spirits.

[[Category:Grimoires]]
[[Category:Books]]