If you like medieval-themed movies, books and series, you've certainly seen or imagined those huge hardcover books with dangerous spells written on old yellowed parchment. Did you know, though, that these books really existed? They are the grimoires!
We have prepared this article so that you understand exactly what a grimoire is and what its origin is. Meet some famous grimoires and even learn how to make your own. Check out!
What is a grimoire?
Grimoires are medieval collections of spells, incantations, potions, rituals, among other elements of magical or spiritual application.
These books, normally bound in hardcovers, contained, in addition to spells and spells, knowledge such as astrology, lists of angels and demons, and ways to contact them. Talismans and scrying were also frequent.
Despite this, there were grimoires that did not involve magic and that became known by the same name, such as books that compiled knowledge about herbs, cures, knowledge forbidden by the church, whatever it was, among many other types of information that was written to be recorded.
What does grimoire mean?
The word “grimoire” derives from the French term “grimoire”, which, in turn, is a modern version of the Old French “gramaire”, meaning “grammar”. This word has come to refer to spell books for a very specific and even random reason.
In the Middle Ages, Latin grammars and grimoires seized by Christians were stored in Church-run universities. Most people could not access these places. As they were forbidden and kept in the same place, grammars and grimoires ended up receiving the same name.
Despite the randomness, there are similarities. Grammars teach you how to combine letters and words to make sense in a language, while grimoires bring combinations of ingredients, rituals and symbols to practice magic.
famous grimoires
Many of the books that were produced in the Middle Ages ended up being lost before we could even know them or know of their existence, but some resisted or were recorded in other books, so we are aware of them. Check out some of them:
Book of Saint Cyprian
Often called the Black Cover Bible, the Book of Saint Cyprian is a set of grimoires that were written between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries. The author of these grimoires was supposed to be Saint Cyprian of Antioqua, who was a powerful sorcerer, according to legend, but gave up magic upon becoming a Christian.
The contents of the book include occult rituals and exorcism of demons, as well as popular spells and conjurations, which are what we now know as sympathies. The content ranges from powerful black magic to simple sympathies for everyday life.
Voynich manuscript
Known to many as one of humanity's greatest mysteries, the Voynich Manuscript, written around the year 1400, is a 240-page compilation of texts, illustrations and other elements that have never been unraveled.
Although many amateur and professional cryptographers have tried to decipher the contents of this mysterious book, none have succeeded in the task and its contents remain a mystery to this day.
Abramelin's Book
Also known as the Book of Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, this grimoire was written around 1600, supposedly by a well-known Egyptian magician named Abramelin (or Abramélin).
The main content of the book is a ritual that teaches its practitioners to invoke and unite their presence to the presence of their guardian angel, called the Holy Guardian Angel, which, according to the book, is the very voice of God contained and stored in each one of us. If the ritual is poorly performed, the practitioner is condemned to madness.
Galdrabok
Also known simply as the Icelandic Book of Magic, this Icelandic grimoire was written around 1600. This manuscript contains a collection of 47 symbols and is estimated to have been written by four people between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries.
The content features material written in Latin, Icelandic and runes, with invocations to Christian entities, Norse gods and demons, instructions for using magical items and Icelandic herbs and staves, which are symbols carved into objects for magical purposes.
How to make your own grimoire?
To make your own grimoire, all you need is a blank notebook and a pen! Of course, you can make everything more classic and characterized by making or buying a hardcover book with yellowed pages and even a pen with a nib.
Sympathies, rituals and other magical spiritual procedures that are part of your beliefs or that just make sense to you can be recorded—both in order to leave a mark on what works and to pass on to subsequent generations.
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If you don't have spiritual or magic beliefs, you can still make a grimoire, recording, for example, recipes and applications of essential oils, gastronomic recipes, knowledge about your family or your daily life... !
Grimoires, as you learned, were books that held secret, magical content; and the coolest thing is that you can continue this tradition by preparing your own grimoires to record all the content that makes sense to you!
