Treasury of Witchcraft

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TREASURY OF \NITCHCRAFT

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HARRY E. VVEDECK LecLu rer in Classics, Brooklyn College, N. Y. Fcllcnv of th e ln ternaLiona l Institute of ArLs

and Letters.

Philosopbical LibROR3f

NeUJ Youk

Copyright©

MC}.fLXl

by Philosophical Library 15 East 40th Street, New York AlJ rights reserved

This edilion published by Bonanza Books, a division of Cro,vn Publishers, Inc., by arrangement \vith Philosopllical Library ijklmnop

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 60-15949 Printed in the United Scares of America

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter I GENERAL INTRODUCTION - BLACK AND WHITE MAGIC, EFF ECTS ON INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES \Vhat is 1'-fagic? Nero as a Magician Egyptian Memphis as Seat of Magic l\lagic has Divine Associations D eities Associated with r,.,1 agic: Origin of \ Vitchcraft Power of Symbolism General View of lvfagic f,.1iracl~ and \Vitchcraft l\1agic for Knowledge ~vt ediaeval Definition of Magician !-.1agit: uf Divine Origin

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Ambivalence of Magic Art Tl1e Essence of ~fagit: Powt•r of Sorcery Eyewitness to Image Magic Acade111ic i\1agic in Spain ActuaHty of \Vitchc raft Praise of \ fagic Definition of Sorcery Belief in Spirits Definition of \Vitchcraft H and of Glory The Power of Evil Ho,, to Acquire 11ag ic Power

Chapter II ~1AGIC TECHNIQUES, SPE LLS, CO NJURATIONS, JNCANT ATIONS, PERIAPTS, FORMULAS ~tagic Syrnholhm RoYnl Enchanter Incantation against Noxious Animals Egypti,u-1 lrl\·ocation Clrnlclcan Incantation 11abylonian invocation Bab)'lonian lnc:antalioo Incantation against f,.1a1Pfic Demon~ Inc:a11tatio11 against Disea:.e Conjuration against Seven Subterranl•,1n Dc-mons

I ncantation on Periapt Spell for Keeping the Apshait nway from the Dead An E gyptian t-.1un11ny Asks for !\1a~ical Formulae to Enable It to Carry out Its \Vishes Cctti11g Rid of Ulcers Conjuration against Disease Babylonian Exorci m Babylonian Incantation Talisman against Entrance of Demons into House Assrrian Spell

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He111edy against Headache Polyglot Invocation ~fagic T e.nn!> Egyptian Spell Love Knots lnvoc.1tion to Great Bear [nvocation of Spirits of D eam01h Activity nf fn c uh11s Power of Demon~ Limited

Satanic Pact The Devil ReYt"als Ilis \\'eakness The Devil for Sale Satan's Hosts A Fiend T empts a Saint Power of h1canl:'.ll ions Limited T 1 pes of Demons Names of Satan ~ccrornancy in ~feVith \vl1om it is, swifter Lhan greyhounds a11d quicker than light, the charm ,vhich created the forms of being from the 1nother, and ,vhich either crcateth the gods or rnaketh I.hem to be silent, and \Vhich giveth the heat of fu·e unto the gods. Behold, the charm is given unto 1ne, frorn ,vhcrever it is and fro1n him ,vith "vhom it is, s,vifter than

Coniuration against Disease The seven gods of the vast heavens, the seven gods of the great earth , the se,·cn gods of the igneous spheres, these are the seven gods, the seven malevolen t gods, the seven malevolent phantoms. Spirit of the heavens, conjure! Spfrit of the earth, conjure it! Akkadian m~gic tablet. The numbc?r scvco is signi.ficant io magic ritual.

Babylonian Exorcism t-.1ay the wicked demon depart. 1fay the

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demons seize one another. T he pro-

T reasury of W itchcraft T he messenger of ~1arduk am I , M y spell is the spell of E a, 1'1y incantation is the incantation of

pitious den1on, the propitious giant, may they penetrate his body. Spirit of the heavens, conjure it! Sp irit of the earth, conju re it! Tablet of Assurbanipal.

Nf arduk,

Babylonian Incantation H earken to my p rayer. Free 1ne from my bewi tchment. Loosen n1y sin. Let there be tun1ed aside ,vha tever evil may come to cut off my life. T ablet of Assurbanipal.

The cirde of Ea is in my hand, The tamarisk, the powerful ,veapon of Anu, In 111 y hand I hold, The date-spathe, migh ty in d ecision, I n 1ny hand I hold . This is an exorcism recitccl over sick people. f\1 arduk, E a, D amkina, Anu arc ancient Assyrian deities: Ea being the god of wisdom , !-.larduk the son of E a, and D amkiua the consort of ~farduk.

Talisman against Entrance of Demons into House

Remedy against Headache

Talisman, talis1n an, boundary tl1at cannot be taken a,vay, bou11dary that the gods cannot pass, ban·ier immovable, ,vh ich is opposed to malevolence! whether it be a ,,ricked U tuq , a ,vicked A1al, a ,vicked Gigim , a ,,ricked god, a wicked ~1askim, a phanto1n, a spectre, a vampire, an incubus, a succubus, a nightma re, may the barrier of the god E a stop hiin! Chaldean magic tablet.

Knot on the tight and arrange fl at in regular bands, on the left a ,voman's diaden1: divide it t\vice in seven little bands; gird the head of the invalid "v-ith it : g ird the seat of life ,vith it: gird h is h ands and his feet: seat him on his bed: pow· on him enchanted ,,·aters. Chald ean 1nagic forrnula.

Polyglot Invocation

demons. beinE; that sucks

UTUQ, A LAL, CIG IJ\1, l\l ASK L\1 :

ghost or

\ ' AMPIB E :

l.tu 1nan

blood. INCUBUS:

demon that cnpnlates with human

females.

succueus :

female demon that copulates with 11lmuin males. EA: Chaldean deity.

Assyrian Spell T he man of Ea am I, The man of D amkina am I,

[ call upon thee Ll1:tt d is arc lo lvcnnthropy, necromancy, nucl ll1e t·n,ting of spells on crop~. Pontus nnue11ll~ liacl a rl·putatio11 for witchcraft, a11tl for poisons, purtic11larly the poison plant acouitc.

Love Philtre Made from Human Heart "Wha.t, 0 ye gods, ,vho from the s1-.-y Rule earth and human destiny, \Vhat means this coil? And wherefore be These cruel 1ooks all b ent on me? Thee by Lhy children I conjure If at their birth Lucina pure Stood by; thee by this vain array Of purple, thee by Jove I pray, ~'ho vie,vs v.rith anger deeds so foul, Why thus on me like stepdame sco"vl, Or like some ,vi.Id beast, that doth glare Upon the hunter from its lair?" As thus the boy in ,vild c.Ustress Be,vail'd, of bulla sb-ipp'd and dress, So fair, that ruthless breasts of Thrace H ad melted to behold hfa face, Canidia. \\'ith disheveU'd hair And short crisp vipers coiling there, Beside a :fire of Colchos stands, Anc1 her attendant hag commands To feed the £lames ,vith fig-trees torn From dead men's sepulcbres forlorn, vVith dis1nal cypress, eggs rubb'd o'er \Vith filthy toads' envenom'd gore, With sceech-o,vl's p lumes, and herbs of bane, From far Iolchos fetch'd and Spain, And fleshless bones by belclam \\'itch Snatch'd from the ja,vs of famish'd bitch. And Sagana. the \vhile, ,vith go,vn Tucked to tJ1e knees, stalks' up and dow°' Sprinkling in roon1 anJ hall and stair Frer magjc hell-drops. ,..,ith her hnir Bristling on end, like furious boar, Or son1e sea-urchin wasb'd on shore; \Vhilst Veia, by remorse unstay'd, Groans ut her toil, as she will1 spade That Angs not digs a pit, ,vherein The boy imbedded to his chin,

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Treasury of Witchcraft With nothing seen save h ead a nd throat, Like those v.·ho in the ,vater Roat, Shall da inties see b efore hjm set, A maddening appe tite to \,Vhe t, Then sn a tch'd a,vay before his eyes, Till famish'd in desp air he dies; That ,vhen his glaziJ1g eyeb alls should H ave closed on the untasted food, Hjs sapless ma1TO\V and dry spleen May drug a philtre-clra 11g ht obscene. Nor "vere th ese all the hideous cr e,v, But Ariminian F olia. too, Who with unsa tia te lewdness s,vells, And drags by he r Thessalfrtn spells The moon and stars do,,\,'Tl f ron1 the sky, Ease-loving 1 ap les' vo,vs, ,vas by; And e very han1le t round about D eclares she ,vas, beyond a do ubt. Now forth the -fierce Ca nidia spra ng, And still she gnaw'd w ith ro tte n fang H er long sharp unpared thun1b-naiJ. What Then said she? Yea, what said she not? "O Night and Dian, who with tJue And friendly eyes my puq)ose vie·w, And guardian sile nce keep. whilst I ?\1y secret orgies safely ply, Assist me no·w, n o,v on my foes With all your ·wrath celes tia l c lose! \Vhilst, stretch'd in soothi11g sleep , urnicl T heir forests g1im the beasts lie hid, 1'1ay aJJ Suburra's n1ongrels bark At yon old wretc;h, "vho throug h the dark Doth to his lewd e ncounte rs c rawl. And on hun clra\v the jeers uf a ll! H e's with an ointme nt sn1car'd , that is My maste11)icce. But ,vhat is this? Why, ,vhy should poisons brew'd by me L ess potent than ~.feclea 's be, By which, for love be tra y'd, beguiled , On mig hty Creon's haug hty chiJc.1

She \vreaked her ve ngeance SIITC ancl sv.rift , And vnnish'd. ,-vhen the robe, he r !:,rift, L1 deadli.est ve11om steep'd a nd dyed, S"'e pt off i11 fla n1es Llie 11e,v-n1acle b ride? 'o herb the re is, nor root in spo t H o"vevc r wild, th a t I have n ot; Ye t e, -ery com,non harlo t's bed Seems , vith some rare N e pentlie sp read, F or the re he Iives in s,vinish dro, vse, Of me o blivious, and his vo,vsl H e is, aha! protected , veil By so1ne rnore skilful ,vitch's spell! But, Varus, l11ou , (d oo1n'cl soon to kno"v The rack of many a p a in a nd "voe!) By p otions never used befo re Shalt to 1n y feet be brought o nce 1nore. And ' tis 110 M arsian chium shall be The spe ll that b riJ,gs thee back to m e! A draught 11J brew m ore strong, more sw·e, T hy w::indering appe tite to cure; And soo ner 'neath the sea the sky Shall sink, and earth upon then, lie, Than thou not burn ,vith fi erce desire For me, like pitch in sooty fire!" On this the boy by genlle tones N o more essay'cl to n1ove the crones, But "vild ly fo1th with fre nzied tongue These curses Thyeslean flung. "Yo ur sorceries, a nd sp e lls, a nd channs To man m ay compnss d eadl y ha rms, Bu t heaven's great 1:nv of \Vrong and Righl

\iVill never bend before their might. l\1y curse sh all haunt you, and my hate No victim's b lood shall exp ia te. But "vhen at your behests 1 d ie, Like the Fury of the ighl ,vilJ I FnJm H a des corne, a phantom spriteSu ch is the l\Ianes' tl\vlul mig ht. \Ni.th crooked na ils yow· checks I'll tear

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Treasury of Witchcraft And, squatting on your boson1s, scare vVith hjdeous fears your sleep aw·ayl Then shall the mob, some future day, P elt you from sb·eet to street ,vith stones, Till falling clead, ye filthy crones, The dogs and wolves and carrion fov;I , That make the Esquiline their pro,vl, In banquet horrible and grim Shall tear your bodies lin1b from limb, Nor shall 1ny parents fail to see T hat sight-alas, surviving me!" H orace ( 65 B.c.-8 D.c.), Roman poet. Satires.

Nocturnal Witchery Unde r the wandering moon. barefooted and h air dishevelled, Canidia and Sagana, pale of f ace, gather bones and poisonous herbs iii tl1e cemetery: then start whooping a ,vitch-chant. \ Vitb their n ails they scratch the ground and tear a black lamb to pieces. T he blood is poured into a. pit, to conjure the spirits of the d ead. There is an image marorch\'. Tl,c Hook of Oc·at/1 i~ n \'Ol urne in which the Dl'dl. uch a hand, dried and ~tePppt in rnagic eeremonil1 par