''The Sworn Book of Honorius'' ( la, Liber juratus Honorii, also ''Liber sacer'', ''sacratus'' or ''consecratus'') is a medieval

grimoire A grimoire ( ) (also known as a "book of spells" 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 divination, and ...

purportedly written by Honorius of Thebes. The Latin word "juratus", which is typically translated to "sworn", is intended to mean "oathbound". The book is one of the oldest existing medieval grimoires, as well as one of the most influential.

Historical references

Its date of composition is uncertain, but it is possibly mentioned as ''Liber Sacer'' in the 13th century, apparently asserting a date in the

High Middle Ages The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the period of European history that lasted from AD 1000 to 1300. The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and were followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended around AD 150 ...

. The first certain historical record is the 1347 trial record of Etienne Pepin from Mende, France.

Johannes Hartlieb Johannes Hartlieb (c. 1410Hartlieb's year of birth is unknown; his existence is first attested as the author of ''Kunst der Gedächtnüß'', written during 1430–32, and an estimate of his year of birth as either "c. 1400" or "c. 1410" can be ...

(1456) mentions it as one of the books used in

necromancy Necromancy () is the practice of magic or black magic involving communication with the dead by summoning their spirits as apparitions or visions, or by resurrection for the purpose of divination; imparting the means to foretell future even ...

. The oldest preserved manuscript dates to the 14th century, Sloane MS 3854 (fol 117-144). Sloane MS 313, dating to the late 14th or early 15th century, was once in the possession of John Dee. The first printed manuscript of this work did not appear until 1629.

Content

It is supposedly the product of a conference of magicians who decided to condense all of their knowledge into one volume. In 93 chapters, it covers a large variety of topics, from how to save one's soul from purgatory to the catching of thieves or finding of treasures. It has many instructions on how to conjure and command demons, to work other magical operations, and knowledge of what lies in Heaven among other highly sought information. Like many grimoires, it has lengthy dissertations for proper operation and seals to be used. The book can be classified as a "Solomonic grimoire" due to its heavy use of angelic powers and seals like those found in ''

The Key of Solomon The ''Key of Solomon'' ( la, Clavicula Salomonis; he, מפתח שלמה []) (Also known as "The Greater Key of Solomon") is a pseudepigraphical grimoire (also known as a book of spells) attributed to Solomon, King Solomon. It probably dates b ...

'', and its own claim to "lay out the works of Solomon".

Author

The purported author, Honorius of Thebes, is a possibly mythical character from the Middle Ages. Considerable mystery still exists about the identity of Honorius. Honorius of Thebes is also claimed to be the creator of the

Theban alphabet The Theban alphabet is a writing system, in particular a substitution cipher of the Latin alphabet, used by early modern occultists and popular in the Wicca movement. Publication history It was first published in Johannes Trithemius's ''Polygra ...

, in

Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim (; ; 14 September 1486 – 18 February 1535) was a German polymath, physician, legal scholar, soldier, theologian, and occult writer. Agrippa's '' Three Books of Occult Philosophy'' published in 1533 dre ...

's '' De Occulta Philosophia'' (1531) and Johannes Trithemius's ''Polygraphia'' (1518). According to the ''Sworn Book of Honorius'', he is supposed to be "the son of Euclid, master of the Thebians". The book, however, provides little elucidation as to who this might be; no sources to substantiate the claim are given. The reader might assume that Thebes in Greece is intended, but no better context can be inferred.''The Sworn Book of Honorius: Liber Iuratus Honorii'', tr. Joseph H. Peterson (Lake Worth, Florida: Ibis Press, 2016), 13.

Editions

* Joseph H Peterson, ''The Sworn Book of Honorius: Liber Iuratus Honorii'', Ibis Press (2016), . * Daniel Driscoll, ''The Sworn Book of Honourius the Magician'', Heptangle Books, 1977. * Gösta Hedegård, ''Liber Iuratus Honorii: A Critical Edition of the Latin Version of the Sworn Book of Honorius'', Studia Latina Stockholmiensia 48, Almqvist & Wiksell (2002), .

References

External links