and what is the Islamic view on what happened to this book?
:w:
he Lesser Key of Solomon
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Cover of the 1995 edition of the 1904
Goetia by
S.L.M. Mathers and
Aleister Crowley.
For other uses, see
Key of Solomon (disambiguation).
The
Lesser Key of Solomon or
Clavicula Salomonis (the
Clavis Salomonis, or
Key of Solomon is an earlier book on the subject), is an
anonymous 17th century
grimoire, and one of the most popular books of
demonology. It has also long been widely known as the
Lemegeton.
Contents
[
hide]
[edit] History
It appeared in the 17th century, but much was taken from texts of the 16th century, including the
Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, by
Johann Weyer, and late-
medieval grimoires. It is likely that books by
Jewish kabbalists and
Muslim mystics were also inspirations. Some of the material in the first section, concerning the summoning of demons, dates to the 14th century or earlier.
The book claims that it was originally written by
King Solomon, although this is certainly incorrect. The titles of nobility (such as the French
Marquis or Germanic
Earl) assigned to the demons were unknown in his time, as were the prayers to
Jesus and the
Christian Trinity included in the text.
The
Lesser Key of Solomon contains detailed descriptions of spirits and the conjurations needed to invoke and oblige them to do the will of the conjurer (referred to as the "
exorcist"). It details the protective signs and
rituals to be performed, the actions necessary to prevent the spirits from gaining control, the preparations prior to the invocations, and instructions on how to make the necessary instruments for the execution of these rituals.
The several original copies extant vary considerably in detail and in the spellings of the spirits' names. Contemporary editions are widely available in print and on the Internet.
The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon the King (Clavicula Salomonis Regis) is a 1904 translation of the text by
Samuel Mathers and
Aleister Crowley. It is essentially a manual that purports to give instructions for summoning 72 different spirits.
[edit] Books
The
Lesser Key of Solomon is divided into five parts.
[edit] Ars Goetia
Further information:
Goetia
The
circle and
triangle, used in the
evocation of the seventy-two spirits of the Goetia. The
magician would stand within the circle and the spirit was believed to appear within the triangle.
The first section, called
Ars Goetia, contains descriptions of the seventy-two
demons that Solomon is said to have
evoked and confined in a brass vessel sealed by
magic symbols, and that he obliged to work for him. It gives instructions on constructing a similar brass vessel, and using the proper magic formulae to safely call up those
demons.
It deals with the evocation of all classes of spirits, evil, indifferent and good; its opening Rites are those of Paimon, Orias, Astaroth and the whole cohort of Infernus. The second part, or
Theurgia Goëtia, deals with the spirits of the cardinal points and their inferiors. These are mixed natures, some good and some evil.
[1]
The
Ars Goetia assigns a rank and a title of nobility to each member of the infernal hierarchy, and gives the demons' 'signs they have to pay allegiance to', or
seals. The lists of entities in the
Ars Goetia correspond (to high but varying degree, often according to edition) with those in the
Steganographia of Trithemius, circa 1500, and
Johann Weyer's
Pseudomonarchia Daemonum an appendix appearing in later editions of his
De Praestigiis Daemonum, of 1563.
A revised
English edition of the
Ars Goetia was published in 1904 by magician
Aleister Crowley, as
The Book of the Goetia of Solomon the King. It serves as a key component of his popular and highly influential system of
magick.
[edit] The 72 Demons
Buer, the 10th spirit, who teaches "Moral and Natural Philosophy" (from a 1995 Mathers edition. Illustration by Louis Breton from
Dictionnaire Infernal).
The demons' names (given below) are taken from the
Ars Goetia, which differs in terms of number and ranking from the
Pseudomonarchia Daemonum of Weyer. As a result of multiple translations, there are multiple spellings for some of the names, which are given in the articles concerning them.
1. King
Bael
2. Duke
Agares
3. Prince
Vassago
4. Marquis
Samigina
5. President
Marbas
6. Duke
Valefor
7. Duke
Amon
8. Duke
Barbatos
9. King
Paimon
10. President
Buer
11. Duke
Gusion
12. Prince
Sitri
13. King
Beleth
14. Marquis
Leraje
15. Duke
Eligos
16. Duke
Zepar
17. Count/President
Botis
18. Duke
Bathin
19. Duke
Sallos
20. King
Purson
21. Count/President
Marax
22. Count/Prince
Ipos
23. Duke
Aim
24. Marquis
Naberius
25. Count/President
Glasya-Labolas
26. Duke
Buné
27. Marquis/Count
Ronové
28. Duke
Berith
29. Duke
Astaroth
30. Marquis
Forneus
31. President
Foras
32. King
Asmoday
33. Prince/President
Gäap
34. Count
Furfur
35. Marquis
Marchosias
36. Prince
Stolas
37. Marquis
Phenex
38. Count
Halphas
39. President
Malphas
40. Count
Räum
41. Duke
Focalor
42. Duke
Vepar
43. Marquis
Sabnock
44. Marquis
Shax
45. King/Count
Viné
46. Count
Bifrons
47. Duke
Vual
48. President
Häagenti
49. Duke
Crocell
50. Knight
Furcas
51. King
Balam
52. Duke
Alloces
53. President
Caim
54. Duke/Count
Murmur
55. Prince
Orobas
56. Duke
Gremory
57. President
Ose
58. President
Amy
59. Marquis
Orias
60. Duke
Vapula
61. King/President
Zagan
62. President
Valac
63. Marquis
Andras
64. Duke
Haures
65. Marquis
Andrealphus
66. Marquis
Cimeies
67. Duke
Amdusias
68. King
Belial
69. Marquis
Decarabia
70. Prince
Seere
71. Duke
Dantalion
72. Count
Andromalius
[edit] Ars Theurgia Goetia
The
Ars Theurgia Goetia ("the art of
goetic theurgy") is the second section of
The Lesser Key of Solomon. It explains the names, characteristics and seals of the 31 aerial
spirits (called chiefs, emperors, kings and princes) that
King Solomon invoked and confined, the protections against them, the names of their servant spirits, called dukes, the conjurations to invoke them, and their nature, that is both good and evil.
Their sole objective is to discover and show hidden things, the secrets of any person, and obtain, carry and do anything asked to them meanwhile they are contained in any of the
four elements (
Earth,
Fire,
Air and
Water). These spirits are given in a complex order in the book, and some of them have spelling variations according to the different editions.
[edit] Ars Paulina
The
Ars Paulina (The Art of Paul) is the third part of
The Lesser Key of Solomon. According to the legend, this art was discovered by the Apostle
Paul, but in the book is mentioned as
the Pauline Art of King Solomon. The Ars Paulina was already known since the Middle Ages. It is divided in two chapters in this book.
The first chapter refers on how to deal with the
angels of the several hours of the day (meaning day and night), to their seals, their nature, their servants (called Dukes), the relation of these angels with the seven planets known at that time, the proper
astrological aspects to invoke them, their names (in a couple of cases coinciding with two of the seventy-two demons mentioned in the
Ars Goetia, the
conjuration and the
invocation to call them, the Table [sic] of practice.
The second chapter concerns the angels that rule over the
zodiacal signs and each degree of every sign, their relation with the
four elements,
Fire,
Earth,
Water and
Air, their names, and their seals. These are called here the
angels of men, because all persons are born under a zodiacal sign, with the Sun at a specific degree of it.
[edit] Ars Almadel
The
Ars Almadel (The Art of the Almadel) is the fourth part of
The Lesser Key of Solomon. It tells how to make the
almadel, which is a wax tablet with protective symbols drawn on it. On it are placed four candles. This chapter has the instructions concerning the colours, materials and
rituals necessary for the construction of the almadel and the candles.
The Ars Almadel also tells about the
angels that are to be invoked, and explains that only reasonable and just things that are needed must be asked to them, and how the conjuration has to be made. It also mentions twelve princes ruling with them. The dates and
astrological aspects that have to be considered most convenient to invoke the angels are detailed but briefly.
The author asserts to have experimented with what is explained in this chapter.
[edit] Ars Notoria
The
Ars Notoria (The Notable Art) is the fifth and last part of
The Lesser Key of Solomon. It was a
grimoire known since the
Middle Ages. The book asserts that this art was revealed by the
Creator to
King Solomon by means of an
angel.
It contains a collection of
prayers (some of them divided in several parts) mixed with
kabbalistic and magical words in several languages (i.e. Hebrew, Greek, etc.), how the prayers must be said, and the relation that these
rituals have to the understanding of all
sciences. It mentions the aspects of the Moon in relation with the prayers. It also says that the prayers act as an
invocation to God's angels. According to the book, the correct spelling of the prayers gives the knowledge of the science related to each one and also a good memory, stability of mind, and eloquence. This chapter prevents on the
precepts that have to be observed to obtain a good result.
Finally, it tells how King Solomon received the
revelation from the angel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lesser_Key_of_Solomon