Ars Notoria

The ''Ars Notoria'' (in English: Notory Art) is a 13th-century Latin grimoire originating in northern Italy. Retroactively classified as a magical textbook, it claims to grant practitioners enhanced mental faculties, communication with angels, and mastery of earthly and celestial knowledge through ritualistic practices. Combining orthodox religious motifs with esoteric elements, the text gained popularity among medieval scholars, clerics, and students for its promise of accelerated learning.

The work incorporates the only surviving fragment of the ''Flores Aurei'' (''Golden Flowers''), falsely attributed to the Hellenistic philosopher Apollonius of Tyana, and merges it with the ''Ars Nova'' (''New Art'')—a Latin adaptation of the ''Flores Aurei''—alongside additional material by anonymous scribes. The ''Ars Notoria'' inspired a broader tradition of ritual magic texts, including John of Morigny's ''Liber Florum Caelestis Doctrinae'' (''Book of Flowers of Heavenly Teaching''), the ''Opus Operum'' (''Work of Works''), and derivative works such as the ''Ars Brevis'' (''Short Art''), ''Ars Paulina'' (''Pauline Art''), and the Solomonic ''Ars Notoria, quam Creator Altissimus Salomoni revelavit'' (''The Notory Art, Which the Almighty Creator Revealed to Solomon''). This corpus persisted into the 17th century, blending mysticism, ritual, and medieval scholasticism.

Book title

The lowercase term "notory art" refers to the ritual magic practice or genre, while the capitalized ''Ars Notoria'' denotes the eponymous 13th-century grimoire. The text's title is unrelated to the civil-law term "notary." Central to its methodology are ''notae'' (Latin: ''nota'', plural ''notae''; "note" or "mark"; verb ''notare'', "to note/mark"), which the text claims to use as conduits for imparting universal knowledge.

Scholars debate the precise definition of ''notae''. Véronèse and Castle interpret them as esoteric knowledge conveyed through cryptic prayers and pictorial diagrams, whereas Skinner and Clark restrict the term to the diagrams alone. These prayers, written in a hybrid of Greek, Chaldean, and Hebrew, purportedly invoke angelic names. According to the text's mythic narrative, King Solomon formulated them "with the wonderful privilege of divine help," a process scholars suggest may parallel ''notarikon''—a Kabbalistic exegetical technique that extracts hidden meanings from letter combinations.

Composition

Mythical account

The ''Ars Notoria'' expands upon the biblical account of King Solomon receiving divine wisdom from God (1 Kings 3:3–15; 2 Chronicles 1:1–12), claiming his vast knowledge derived from the notory art. According to the text, Solomon received golden tablets "above the altar of the Temple" from the angel Pamphilius, who instructed him in the ritual methods, prayers, and symbolic figures (''notae'') central to the practice.

Following this revelation, Solomon allegedly authored the ''Liber Florum Caelestis Doctrinae'' (''Book of Flowers of Heavenly Teaching'') using a cryptic language blending Hebrew, Chaldean, and Greek, possibly employing the Kabbalistic technique of ''notarikon''. The Hellenistic philosopher Apollonius of Tyana later compiled his own derivative work, the ''Flores Aurei'' (''Golden Flowers''), appending commentaries and Latin "prologues"—summaries of Solomon's prayers. Apollonius claimed these prologues omitted full translations due to the prayers' complexity, stating the decoding process was "too long and cumbersome" for readers.

The prologues emphasize Christian orthodoxy, while Solomon's original prayers resemble ''voces magicae'' (magical incantations). The accompanying geometric figures, distinct from traditional sigils, remain ritually ambiguous. Scholars propose divergent interpretations:
* Julien Véronèse links them to Neoplatonic ''sunthemata'' (divine symbols) or mnemonic devices for inducing visions.
* Stephen Skinner and Daniel Clark similarly emphasize visionary potential.
* Frances Yates and Sophie Castle argue they functioned as memory aids (''ars memoriae'').

The text asserts each figure corresponds to specific academic disciplines or virtues.

Euclid of Thebes (father of Honorius, author of the ''Liber Iuratus Honorii'') and Mani (or Ptolemy, per alternate accounts) allegedly validated the notory art's efficacy. A second divine revelation to Solomon—the ''Ars Nova'' (''New Art'')—reportedly occurred in the Temple after he atoned for mocking the practice.

Manuscripts and age

The ''Ars Notoria'' survives in approximately 50 manuscripts dating from the 13th to the 18th century. Julien Véronèse categorizes these into three textual families:
* Version A: The earliest and shortest recension (13th–14th century).
* Version A2: An intermediary revision (13th–14th century).
* Version B: A later, expanded version with glosses (14th–16th century).

Post-16th-century copies largely reproduce or combine earlier versions, though these later composites remain understudied except for the 17th-century ''Ars Notoria, quam Creator Altissimus Salomoni revelavit'' (''The Notory Art, Which the Almighty Creator Revealed to Solomon''). Véronèse published a semi-critical Latin edition in 2007 based on key exemplars, followed by Matthias Castle's first complete English translation in 2023.

Véronèse dates the ''Ars Notoria'' to the late 12th or early 13th century in northern Italy, a conclusion supported by Castle. Scholars such as Stephen Skinner, Daniel Clark, and Castle further propose that the lost Greek original of Apollonius of Tyana's ''Flores Aurei'' (''Golden Flowers''), which the ''Ars Notoria'' adapts, may have originated in the Byzantine Empire.

Structure and content

The medieval ''Ars Notoria'' derives from the sole surviving fragment of the ''Flores Aurei'' (''Golden Flowers''), spuriously attributed to Apollonius of Tyana. The ''Flores Aurei'' comprises three chapters, with the third chapter containing redacted or supplemented material, including the ten prayers of the ''Ars Nova'' (''New Art'')—the earliest derivative text of the ''Golden Flowers''. Scholars note ambiguities in the third chapter's organization, suggesting later interpolations.

File:The first figure of grammar.jpg, link=, The first figure of grammar. Sacratissima ars notoria, 1360–1375. Latin 9336, f. 18, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris.
File:Oxford, Bodley 951, f. 19, 15th century.jpg, link=, First quarter of the 15th century. Bodley 951, f. 19. University of Oxford, Bodleian Library, Oxford, UK. On the left is the fifth figure of theology. On the right is the figure of chastity.

The ''Ars Notoria'' integrates medieval European ritual magic with Christian devotional practices. Its core elements include:
* Angel-mediated dreams: Practitioners seek tutelary angels for knowledge.
* Cryptic prayers: Formulated in hybrid Greek, Hebrew, and Chaldean.
* Astrological timing: Rituals aligned with celestial cycles.
* Christian asceticism: Fasting, prayer, and almsgiving.

This synthesis of esoteric theurgy and monastic piety reflects Hermetic influences alongside overt orthodoxy, creating a unique fusion of scholastic and mystical traditions.

Corpus of related writings

''Ars Nova (The New Art)''

The ''Ars Nova'' (''New Art''), the earliest derivative text of the ''Flores Aurei'' (''Golden Flowers''), comprises a ritual system of ten prayers. These prayers may function independently or complement the broader rituals of the ''Flores Aurei''. Unlike the original text, the ''Ars Nova'' imposes no temporal restrictions on its practice and requires fewer procedural complexities, rendering it appealing to practitioners seeking simplicity.

''Opus Operum (The Work of Works)''

The ''Opus Operum'' (''Work of Works''), a 13th-century magical treatise authored anonymously, shares the ''Ars Notoria'''s objective of enhancing mental faculties and acquiring scholastic knowledge rapidly. Like its predecessor, it employs cryptic prayers accompanied by Latin "prologues" but introduces a distinct three-month regimen of 32 prayers.

Extant manuscripts often pair the ''Opus Operum'' with Version A or A2 of the ''Ars Notoria''. Julien Véronèse published the first critical Latin edition in 2007, followed by Matthias Castle's inaugural English translation in 2023.

''Liber Florum Caelestis Doctrinae (Book of Flowers of Heavenly Teaching)''

The ''Liber Florum Caelestis Doctrinae'' (''Book of Flowers of Heavenly Teaching'') is a 14th-century magical treatise composed by the French Benedictine monk John of Morigny. Modeled on the ''Ars Notoria'', it promises practitioners mastery of the liberal arts and other disciplines through ritualized prayer. John claimed to have revised and expanded the text under the guidance of the Virgin Mary, seeking to distance it from accusations of necromantic or demonic associations linked to its ritual magic elements.

The first critical Latin edition and scholarly analysis of the ''Liber Florum Caelestis Doctrinae'' was published by Claire Fanger and Nicholas Watson in 2015. As of 2023, only excerpts of the text have been translated into English, appearing in specialized academic publications.

''Ars Brevis (The Short Art)''

The ''Ars Brevis'' (''Short Art''), originally titled ''Ars Notoria Brevis et Bona'' (''The Good and Short Notory Art''), is a mid-14th-century magical treatise. Its title was abbreviated by scholar Julien Véronèse for modern reference. This text should not be confused with Ramon Llull's ''Ars Brevis'' (1308), a philosophical work outlining a logical problem-solving system using geometric figures and symbolic alphabets.

Though anonymous, the text is possibly pseudepigraphically attributed to John of Morigny. It is divided into two books:
# The Blessed Book of John: Focuses on ritual experiments to acquire worldly knowledge, secrets, and enhanced mental faculties through angelic communication via dreams or visions. These rituals blend Catholic liturgy (e.g., votive masses, prayers) with notory art elements like cryptic prayers and symbolic diagrams.
# The Book of Divine Revelation: Compiles prayers adapted from the ''Ars Notoria''.

Véronèse published the first critical Latin edition in 2004. The inaugural English translation, based on a revised Latin text, appeared in Matthias Castle's 2023 edition.

''Ars Abbreviata (The Abbreviated Art)''

The ''Ars Abbreviata'' (''Abbreviated Art''), a 14th-century magical treatise attributed to Thomas of Toledo, outlines a one-month ritual comprising three prayers and nine symbolic figures. The prayers purportedly grant mastery of the liberal arts, medicine, theology, and jurisprudence, while the figures distill the notory art's core techniques into a condensed practice.

Julien Véronèse published the first critical Latin edition in 2004. The inaugural English translation, based on Véronèse's edition, appears in Matthias Castle's 2023 compilation.

''Ars Paulina (Pauline Art f Seven Figures''

The ''Ars Paulina'', a 15th-century Italian magical treatise, was retitled ''Pauline Art f Seven Figures' by scholar Matthias Castle to distinguish it from the unrelated 17th-century ''Ars Paulina'' found in the '' Lemegeton, the Lesser Key of Solomon'', which focuses on evoking celestial and angelic spirits.

The text claims inspiration from the New Testament account of Paul of Tarsus' divine vision of the "third heaven" (2 Corinthians 12:1–4). It positions itself as a continuation of this revelatory experience, framing its rituals as a means to achieve theological enlightenment.

The treatise outlines a three-month ritual program centered on seven symbolic figures, each tied to core doctrines of Christian theology. These figures purportedly grant practitioners fluency in interpreting Scripture and mastering theological concepts.

Julien Véronèse published the first critical Latin edition in 2004. The inaugural English translation, based on Véronèse's work, appears in Matthias Castle's 2023 compilation.

''Ars Notoria, quam Creator Altissimus Salomoni revelavit (The Notory Art, Which the Almighty Creator Revealed to Solomon)''

The ''Ars Notoria, quam Creator Altissimus Salomoni revelavit'' is a 17th-century Latin composite grimoire compiled anonymously and first published in Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim's ''Opera Omnia'' (c. 1620, vol. 2, pp. 603–660). This derivative text combines Version B of the ''Ars Notoria'', excerpts from the ''Ars Brevis'' (''Short Art''), and original blended material. However, the compilation is incomplete: it omits Version B's glosses, rearranges sections of the original ''Ars Notoria'', and excludes all symbolic figures (''notae'') central to the practice.

A Protestant scribe excised Catholic elements from the ''Ars Brevis'' portions, leaving only one surviving figure. The sole English translation, produced by Robert Turner in 1657, has been reprinted multiple times, including editions by Teitan Press (2015) and Golden Hoard (2019). Scholar Joseph H. Peterson has analyzed discrepancies between Agrippa's Latin compilation and Turner's translation in works published in 1986, 2009, and 2023.

Editions

* Castle, Matthias, trans. ''Ars Notoria: The Notory Art of Solomon: A Medieval Treatise on Angelic Magic and the Art of Memory''. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 2023. (Complete English translation of the ''Ars Notoria'' (Versions A and B), ''Opus Operum'' (Work of Works), ''Ars Brevis'' (Short Art), ''Ars Abbreviata'' (Abbreviated Art) attributed to Thomas of Toledo, and ''Ars Paulina'' f Seven Figures)
* Hockley, Frederick. ''Ars Notoria: The Notory Art of Solomon''. Teitan Press, 2015.
* John of Morigny. ''The Flowers of Heavenly Teaching''. Edited and translated by Claire Fanger and Nicholas Watson. Toronto: Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies, 2015. ISBN 978-0-88844-199-7. (Critical Latin edition with English commentary.)
* Skinner, Stephen. ''Ars Notoria: The Method – Version B: Mediaeval Angel Magic''. Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic 12. Singapore: Golden Hoard, 2021. (Includes selections from Robert Turner's 1657 English translation of ''Ars Notoria, quam Creator Altissimus Salomoni revelavit'' and translations from ''Ars Notoria'' Version B in Bibliothèque nationale de France MS Latin 9336.)
* Skinner, Stephen, and Daniel Clark. ''Ars Notoria: The Grimoire of Rapid Learning by Magic''. Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic 11. Singapore: Golden Hoard, 2019. (Reprint of Robert Turner's 1657 English translation of ''Ars Notoria, quam Creator Altissimus Salomoni revelavit''.)
* Véronèse, Julien. ''L’Ars notoria au Moyen Âge: Introduction et édition critique''. Micrologus Library 21. Florence: SISMEL–Edizioni del Galluzzo, 2007.
* Véronèse, Julien. ''L’Ars notoria au Moyen Âge et à l’époque moderne: Étude d’une tradition de magie théurgique (XIIe–XVIIe siècle)''. 2 vols. PhD dissertation, Université de Paris, 2004.

References

External links

Primary sources

''The Ars Notoria'' (Version A)

* New Haven, Yale University, Mellon 1, 13th century. https://collections.library.yale.edu/catalog/2037169
* London, British Library, Sloane 1712, f. 1-22v, 13th century. https://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/record.asp?MSID=1075&CollID=9&NStart=1712 Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Latin 7152, 13th century. https://archivesetmanuscrits.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cc66328f
* Apollonius Flores Aureos ad Eruditionem, Munich, Bayerische Staastsbibliothek, Clm 268, f. 1-16v, 14th century. The manuscript can be viewed here: https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/en/view/bsb00120698?page=1
* Vatican City, Biblioteca Apostolica, Latin 3185, f. 1-26v, 1340–1350. https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Vat.lat.3185
* Recueil d'astrolgie contains the Flores Aurei ad Eruditionem, which may be classed under Version A. The manuscript is kept at Carpenteras, Bibliothèque Municipale, 0341, f. 1-51, 15th century. A couple of images are displayed here: http://initiale.irht.cnrs.fr/en/decor/40281.

''The Ars Notoria'' (Version B)

* The Art of Memory (Art de la Mémoire), Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, NAL 1565, f. 1-20, 14th century. The manuscript might be classed as either Version A2 or Version B. The manuscript can be viewed here: https://archivesetmanuscrits.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cc69888z
* Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Latin 9336, f. 1-28v, 14th century. https://archivesetmanuscrits.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cc77378q
* The Book about the Art of Memory (Liber de Arte Memorativa), Jerusalem, National Library of Israel, Yah. Var. 34, dated to 1550–1600. This manuscript would be classed under Version B. https://www.nli.org.il/en/manuscripts/NNL_ALEPH990034835530205171/NLI#$FL5354451
* Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Latin 7153, 15th-16th century. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b52510827n.r=latin%207153?rk=21459%3B2
* Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Latin 7154, 15th-16th century. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b52510374g.r=latin%207154?rk=21459%3B2

''The Work of Works''

* London, British Library, Sloane 1712, f. 22vb-37, 13th century. https://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Sloane_MS_1712
* Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica, Latin 6842, f. 1-8r, 14th century. https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Vat.lat.6842
* Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Codices Latini Monacenses (Clm) 276, f. 26rb-39ra, 15th century. The Clm 276 manuscript also contains the Ars Notoria (Version A), titled Apollonii Flores Aurei, found on folios 1-26. On folios 39v-47 it has some of the Version B glosses where it is titled Dogma Artis Notoriae, sive Eruditio Praeceptores Eadem. On folios 48–68, there is the work of John of Morigny. Clm 276 can be found here: https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/en/view/bsb00069152?page=%2C1.
* Another manuscript copy of the Work of Works is found at Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 30010, 14th century, although the manuscript is mislabeled as the Ars Notoria. Clm 30010 can be found here: https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/en/view/bsb00137282?page=1

''The Short Art''

* The British Library's webpage for Sloane 513 which contains the Short Art is here: https://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/record.asp?MSID=797
* A new Latin edition of the Short Art is found here: New Latin Edition of the Ars Brevis, a Derivative of the Ars Notoria (matthiascastle.com)

''The Abbreviated Art'' according to Thomas of Toledo

* Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica, Palatine collection, Latin 957, f. 92v-94v. This Vatican manuscript can be found here: https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Pal.lat.957
* Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 28858, f. 1-12v, dated to the end of the 15th century, and it is found here: https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/en/view/bsb00137068?page=1

''The Pauline Art f Seven Figures'

* Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica, Latin 3180, f. 43v-47r, 15th century. https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Vat.lat.3180
* Halle, Universitats- und Landesbibliothek Sachsen-Anhalt, 14.B.36, f. 295r-297v, 16th century. https://www.opendata.uni-halle.de/handle/1981185920/33946
* Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Latin 7170A, f. 1-6v (renumbered), 16th century, fragment. The manuscript can be found here: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b10039066v.r=bnf%20latin%207170a?rk=21459%3B2

''The Notory Art, which the Almighty Creator Revealed to Solomon''

* https://books.google.com/books?id=BMKKd0efHfUC&q=603 (Latin Edition found in Agrippa's Collected Works) Ars Notoria: The Notory Art of Solomon : Robert Turner : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive (Robert Turner's English translation)

Grimoires
13th-century books
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