A Very Bad Example...

[klward]

"Concerning the execution of a book of devilry. On the sixth day or August, in the year 1463, at the command of my lords of the Chambre des comptes at Dijon, after consultation in this Chambre, a book made of paper and covered with leather that was coloured green was brought from the house and residence of the widow and heirs of Thomas of Dampmartin, during his life resident of Dijon. In this book were written many evil and false invocations of devils, divination, charms, and other things of the magical art, which give a very bad example and are against God and the holy Christian faith. In it were contained many descriptions of devils and other detestable figures and characters. At the end of the book were several chapters and articles on necromancy and chriomancy. This book had been seen by my lords of the Council and the Chambres des comptes. And after they had inspected it with great and serious deliberation... (lengthy list of the dignitaries present)... this book was cast into the fire and totally burned to cinders..."

A book execution. Apparently genuine.

I am currently reading Forbidden Rites  by Richard Kieckhefer. It consists of the transcription, translation and analysis of a manuscript currently in the Bavarian State Library, purported to be the spell book of a medieval necromancer. It contains some gems, such as the story above (quoted by Kieckhefer from the Annales de Bourgogne) and this, from a lengthy ritual to gain the love of any woman;

"I conjure you and exorcize you and command you, that as the deer yearns for a fountain of water , so you N; should desire my love. And as the raven desires the cadavers of dead men, so should you desire me."

And the following (from Kieckhefer's gloss);

"Oldradus da Ponte explained in the early fourteenth century that invoking demons to tempt women is mortally sinful but is not heresy, because temptation is proper to the nature of demons and their use for this service thus implies no false belief."

Ah, the Middle Ages. So much more than plague.

Comments

[murasaki-1966.livejournal.com]

See there were bloddy censors even in them days.

[kylaw.livejournal.com]

The really funny thing is Kieckhefer's extremely convincing case for the author of the spell book, and indeed, most other necromancers, being a bored priest.

[(Anonymous)]

I like the fact he wanted to be desired as a cadaver is desired by ravens. Presumably he wanted his lover to peck out his eyeballs.

Sounds like a priest to me!

Brett Caton.