Liber Officium Spirituum
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''Liber Officiorum Spirituum'' (English: ''The Book of the Office of Spirits'')A Book of the Office of Spirits; John Porter, Trans. Frederick Hockley, Ed. Colin D. Campbell; Teitan Press, 2011.''The Book of Oberon,'' eds. Daniel Harms and Joseph Peterson, Llewllyn Publications, 2015 was a goetic
grimoire A grimoire () (also known as a book of spells, magic book, or a spellbook) is a textbook of magic, typically including instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans and amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms, and divin ...
and a major source for
Johann Weyer Johannes Wier ( or '; 1515 – 24 February 1588) was a Dutch physician who was among the first to publish a thorough treatise against the trials and persecution of people accused of witchcraft. His most influential work is ('On th ...
's ''
Pseudomonarchia Daemonum The ''Pseudomonarchia Daemonum'' () first appears as an appendix to ''De praestigiis daemonum'' (1577) by Johann Weyer.Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (Liber officiorum spirituum); Johann Weyer, ed. Joseph Peterson; 2000. Available online aEsoteric Arc ...
'' and the ''Ars Goetia''. The original work (if it is a single work) has not been located, but some derived texts bearing the title have been found, some in the Sloane manuscripts, some in the
Folger Shakespeare Library The Folger Shakespeare Library is an independent research library on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., United States. It has the world's largest collection of the printed works of William Shakespeare, and is a primary repository for rare materia ...
. Each version bears many similarities to each other and to the ''Pseudomonarchia Daemonum'' and the ''Ars Goetia'', though they are far from identical.Porter, Hockley, Campbell, p.vii-xvii''The Book of Oberon,'' eds. Daniel Harms and Joseph Peterson, Llewllyn Publications, 2015, p.1-30


History

Johannes Trithemius Johannes Trithemius (; 1 February 1462 – 13 December 1516), born Johann Heidenberg, was a German Benedictine abbot and a polymath who was active in the German Renaissance as a Lexicography, lexicographer, chronicler, Cryptography, cryptograph ...
mentions two separate works (''Liber'' quoque ''Officiorum'', and ''De Officiis Spirituum''), indicating that the text may have branched off by his time. Weyer, in his ''Pseudomonarchia Daemonum'', lists his source as ''Liber officiorum spirituum.''Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis: ''The Lesser Key of Solomon, Detailing the Ceremonial Art of Commanding Spirits Both Good and Evil''; ed. Joseph H. Peterson; Weiser Books, Maine; 2001. p. xiii''Pseudomonarchia Daemonum'' (''Liber officiorum spirituum''); Johann Weyer, ed. Joseph Peterson; 2000. Available online a
Esoteric Archives
/ref>
Thomas Rudd Thomas Rudd (c.1583–1656) was an English military engineer and mathematician. Life The eldest son of Thomas Rudd of Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire, he was born in 1583 or 1584. He served during his earlier years as a military engineer in ...
titles his copy of the ''Ars Goetia'' as ''Liber Malorum Spirituum.''''The Goetia of Dr Rudd''; Thomas Rudd, Ed. Stephen Skinner & David Rankine; 2007, Golden Hoard Press. pp. 20, 34-37, 101 The most detailed version is a direct but poor translation from English to Latin. This version was either copied or translated by Englishman John Porter in 1583. This version was owned by artist
Richard Cosway Richard Cosway (5 November 1742 – 4 July 1821) was a leading English portrait painter of the Georgian and Regency era, noted for his miniatures. He was a contemporary of John Smart, George Engleheart, William Wood, and Richard Cross ...
. Upon his death in the 1820s, it passed hands to a bookshop owned by John Denley, bought by an occultist named George W. Graham on behalf of a
Magical organization A magical organization or magical order is an organization or secret society created for the practice of initiation into ceremonial or other forms of occult magic or to further the knowledge of magic among its members. Magical organizations ca ...
known as "the Society of the Mercurii." In the hands of the Mercurii, it came into the possession of Robert Cross Smith in 1822, who had John Palmer copy it. With Smith's death in 1832, the copy was passed on to Frederick Hockley. At some later date, Hockley acquired the first half of Porter's original manuscript, and attempted to compile both Porter's and Palmer's versions into a single version.
Sloane MS Sir Hans Sloane, 1st Baronet, (16 April 1660 – 11 January 1753), was an Irish physician, naturalist, and collector. He had a collection of 71,000 items which he bequeathed to the British nation, thus providing the foundation of the British ...
3824 (from the mid-seventeenth century) features a number of elements from the ''Book of the Office of Spirits''Porter, Hockley, Campbell, p. 59, 73 and is an early form of the ''Lemegeton''. MS 3853 is titled ''The Office of Spirits'', starts off nearly identical to more complete Porter version. Hockley's version, and some portions of the other known versions, were published in 2011 by Teitan Press as ''A Book of the Office of Spirits''. The manuscript Hockley copied from was translated and edited by Daniel Harms and Joseph Peterson in 2015 as ''The Book of Oberon''.


Contents

The manuscript in the Folger Shakespeare library is preceded by sundry materials lifted from '' Arbatel de magia veterum'' (amazingly only two years after its publication), the Enchiridion of
Pope Leo III Pope Leo III (; died 12 June 816) was bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 26 December 795 to his death on 12 June 816. Protected by Charlemagne from the supporters of his predecessor, Adrian I, Leo subsequently strengthened Charlem ...
, and
Sefer Raziel HaMalakh ''Sefer Raziel HaMalakh'' (, "the book of Raziel the angel") is a grimoire of Practical Kabbalah from the Middle Ages written primarily in Hebrew and Aramaic. ''Liber Razielis Archangeli'', its 13th-century Latin translation produced under Alf ...
, and followed with a version of the ''
Key of Solomon The ''Key of Solomon'' (; ), also known as the ''Greater Key of Solomon'', is a pseudepigraphical grimoire attributed to Solomon, King Solomon. It probably dates back to the 14th or 15th century Italian Renaissance. It presents a typical exampl ...
''. The section ''Officium de spirittibus'' begins describing "the three devils" (
Lucifer The most common meaning for Lucifer in English is as a name for the Devil in Christian theology. He appeared in the King James Version of the Bible in Isaiah and before that in the Vulgate (the late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bib ...
, Ba'el, and
Satan Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or ' ...
), and the four kings of the air (Orience over the east, Paymon the west, Egine the north, and
Amaymon In demonology, Amaymon (also Amaimon, or Amoymon) is a prince of Hell, and, according to some grimoires, the only one who has power over Asmodai. A curious characteristic of this spirit is alleged in almost all copies of the Ars Goetia in Englis ...
the south), and the means of calling them. It then lists an additional seventy-five demons, for a total of eighty-two. Many of the demons are comparable to those in the Lesser Key of Solomon. The next to last entry, " Oberyon," shifts the focus from demons to fairies. After the eighty-one demons, the book details Mycob (wife of Oberyon) and their seven daughters.Harms, Peterson, p.191-207 It then repeats the four kings of the air, listing twelve demons under each of them.Harms, Peterson, p.208-215 After this, it begins describing the spirits of the days of the week and the incenses and conjurations needed to summon them, lifting material from ''
The Sworn Book of Honorius ''The Sworn Book of Honorius'' (, also ''Liber sacer'', ''sacratus'' or ''consecratus'') is a medieval grimoire purportedly written by Honorius of Thebes. The Latin word ''juratus'', which is typically translated "sworn", is intended to mean " ...
'' and
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim (; ; 14 September 1486 – 18 February 1535) was a German Renaissance polymath, physician, legal scholar, soldier, knight, theologian, and occult writer. Agrippa's ''Three Books of Occult Philosophy'' pub ...
's ''
Three Books of Occult Philosophy ''Three Books of Occult Philosophy'' (''De Occulta Philosophia libri III'') is Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa's study of occult philosophy, acknowledged as a significant contribution to the Renaissance philosophical discussion concerning the powe ...
''. It follows with a list of Greek and Roman gods, a note about which spirits rule hell, and an entry to summon spirits "that make books and write books," before giving instructions on how to summon the angel over each day of the week, including instructions for magic circles, consecrations, use of holy water and exorcisms of fire. This portion uses elements of scripture, ''
Sarum Missal The Use of Sarum (or Use of Salisbury, also known as the Sarum Rite) is the liturgical use of the Latin rites developed at Salisbury Cathedral and used from the late eleventh century until the English Reformation. It is largely identical to t ...
'', the ''
Key of Solomon The ''Key of Solomon'' (; ), also known as the ''Greater Key of Solomon'', is a pseudepigraphical grimoire attributed to Solomon, King Solomon. It probably dates back to the 14th or 15th century Italian Renaissance. It presents a typical exampl ...
'', Arbatel, Honorius, Agrippa, Raziel, and what would become the
Tridentine Mass The Tridentine Mass, also known as the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite or ''usus antiquior'' (), Vetus Ordo or the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) or the Traditional Rite, is the liturgy in the Roman Missal of the Catholic Church codified in ...
. It also shares some prayers found in the ''
Munich Manual of Demonic Magic The ''Munich Manual of Demonic Magic'' or ''Liber incantationum, exorcismorum et fascinationum variarum'' (CLM 849 of the Bavarian State Library, Munich) is a fifteenth-century goetic grimoire manuscript. The text, composed in Latin, is largel ...
''. After this is a section on
necromancy Necromancy () is the practice of Magic (paranormal), magic involving communication with the Death, dead by Evocation, summoning their spirits as Ghost, apparitions or Vision (spirituality), visions for the purpose of divination; imparting the ...
, involving
magic circle A magic circle is a circle of space marked out by practitioners of some branches of ritual magic, which they generally believe will contain energy and form a sacred space, or will provide them a form of magical protection, or both. It may be mar ...
s and calling upon the aforementioned four kings, names of God, and different saints to constrain a called spirit. The instructions on necromancy are followed by a means of finding hidden treasure that is similar to the method used by
Edward Kelley Sir Edward Kelley or Kelly, also known as Edward Talbot (; 1 August 1555 – 1597/8), was an English Renaissance occultist and scryer. He is known for working with John Dee in his magical investigations. Besides the professed ability to se ...
, with spells to bind the spirit guarding the treasure. Following this is yet another means of summoning King Egin, and then similar instructions to summon a spirit named Baron, and a spell named "an experiment of Rome," and spells to find lost items, steal items, see spirits (involving the invocation of
King Arthur According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...
), and enchanting hazel rods. These spells are interrupted by a short treatise on the role of angels, demons, and magic in
theodicy In the philosophy of religion, a theodicy (; meaning 'vindication of God', from Ancient Greek θεός ''theos'', "god" and δίκη ''dikē'', "justice") is an argument that attempts to resolve the problem of evil that arises when all powe ...
, before continuing with more spells to see spirits, a collection of talismans, and a selection of names of God, planetary seals and spirits,
geomantic figures The 16 geomantic figures are primary symbols utilized in geomancy, an ancient divinatory practice. Each figure consists of four lines representing the classical elements and can be interpreted through various methods and questions. Originating f ...
, fumigations, and notes on the
Lunar mansion Often called lunar mansion, a lunar station or lunar house is a segment of the ecliptic through which the Moon passes in orbit of the Moon, its orbit around the Earth. The concept was used by several ancient cultures as part of their calendrical ...
s openly taken from Agrippa. Following this are more instructions on ritual magic, and more spells to acquire unspecified desired items, and identify thieves. The additional spirits in this section include: Bilgal, Annabath, Ascariell, Satan, Baron, Romulon, Mosacus, and Orobas. The instructions on summoning spirits continue with Oberyon and his followers: Storax, Carmelyon, Severion, Caberyon, Aozol, Restun, Ramalath, Zaseres, Castriel, Saziel, and Ydial. Hockley's manuscript starts with an initial list of eighty demons (with several duplicates),Porter, Hockley, Campbell, p.1-9Porter, Hockley, Campbell, p.10-19Porter, Hockley, Campbell, p.20-29 takes a small break to detail several fairies, and then lists four groups of twelve demons, most repeating spirits from the first eighty with various discrepancies.Porter, Hockley, Campbell, p.30-39 Sloane 3853 merely lists ten demons who also appear in Hockley's manuscript, and then names the demon kings of the north, south, east, and west (Leraje, Aim, Bune, and Paymon, respectively), generic spirits under them, and non-descript spirits to obtain love or treasure. Cherberus/Naberius appears with two other individual but sparsely detailed spirits (the first two over rhetoric and love, respectively, the last having no noted duties).Porter, Hockley, Campbell, p.70-77 Sloane 3824 lists different unsorted magical procedures, dropping names of spirits from the Book of Spirits in passing, rarely with explanation.


Demons shared by this and other grimoires

* Agaros, * Allogor or Algor (also in Sloane 3853) *
Amaymon In demonology, Amaymon (also Amaimon, or Amoymon) is a prince of Hell, and, according to some grimoires, the only one who has power over Asmodai. A curious characteristic of this spirit is alleged in almost all copies of the Ars Goetia in Englis ...
, *
Amon Amon may refer to: Mythology * Amun, an Ancient Egyptian deity, also known as Amon and Amon-Ra * Aamon, a Goetic demon People Mononym * Amon of Judah ( 664– 640 BC), king of Judah * Amon of Toul ( 375– 423 AD), second recorded Bishop of ...
, * Asmoday, *
Astaroth Astaroth (also Ashtaroth, Astarot and Astetoth), in demonology, is considered to be the Great Duke of Hell. He is described as a male figure, most likely named after the unrelated Near Eastern goddess Astarte. Background The name ''Ast ...
, * Baall, * Barbaryes, Barbates, or Barbares (separate duplicate entries within the first eighty demons), later Barbais *
Beelzebub Ba'al Zabub , Ba'al Zvuv or Beelzebub ( ; ''Baʿal-zəḇūḇ''), also spelled Beelzebul or Belzebuth, and occasionally known as the Lord of the Flies, is a name derived from a Philistine god, formerly worshipped in Ekron, and later adopted ...
, *
Belial Belial (; , ''Bəlīyyaʿal'') is a term occurring in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament which later became personified as the devilSee the reference to "Beliar" in ''The Ascension of Isaiah'', at EarlyChristianWritings.com', specifically at 1:8†...
l * Berith, * Byleth, or Bileth * Caleos, * Cherberus (in Sloane 3853), * Coolor (also Doolas, duplicate entry), * Corsone, or Fersone * Darbas or Carbas, later Barbas or Corbas *Egine, Egin, or Egyn * Forcase, also Partas * Gemon or Gemyem * Gloolas or Glolas (in Sloane 3853) * Goorax * Hanar, *
Lucifer The most common meaning for Lucifer in English is as a name for the Devil in Christian theology. He appeared in the King James Version of the Bible in Isaiah and before that in the Vulgate (the late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bib ...
, * Mallapar, or Mallapas *Orience or Oriens, * Oze * Paymon, * Ryall *
Satan Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or ' ...
, * Saygane or Laygayne, or Zagayne * Semper * Usagoo, Vsagoo, or (with a different description) Vsago


Fairies

Obeyryon or Oberyon, an assistant spirit named Bilgall, Mycob or Myeob, and their seven daughters are listed as fairies. Obeyryon is listed as a king, who teaches physics, mineral and plant lore, as well as making men invisible, revealing hidden treasures and how to acquire them, and revealing past, present, and future events. Bilgall appears as a fire-breathing human-headed ox, though his duties are not detailed. Myeob is described as a crowned green-clad queen. Like her husband, she makes people invisible and reveals secrets about rocks, metals, and plants; in addition to medicine and "the truth." The daughters, like their parents, teach physics and herbal knowledge, and give out rings of invisibility. Oberon and "Mycob" (a corruption of the already corrupt Myeob) also appear in several 16th and 17th century manuscripts, such as the 1580 Folger MS Vb 25 and a 1649 portion of Sloane MS 3824, reflecting a popular trend in English occultism at the time.Elias Ashmole, ed. David Rankine, ''The Book of Treasure Spirits'', Avalonia books, 2009; p. 2 and 109 (fn.88)


References

{{reflist


External links


Online copy of Folger MS V.b.26, starting at page 73, which contains a copy of the ''Office of Spirits''Book of magic, with instructions for invoking spirits, etc. (ca. 1577-1583)
transcription of Folger MS V.b.26 by Joseph H. Peterson and Dan Harms, a
Twilit Grotto
Goetic grimoires