Friday 12 October 2018

The Darmstadt Magic Manuscript

I was made aware of this manuscript through the efforts of O.C. in an online group dedicated to grimoires. He came across it while researching alchemy and cryptography and was kind enough to share his finds in grimoires as well. So I have very little merit in this find besides my curiosity. 

It belongs to the Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Darmstadt and it can be consulted here, under the name Hs-1410.


Seven planetary angels of Messahalla (plus Caput Draco)

This manuscripts tops the Laurenzian Magic Manuscript and the Ghent Manuscript in my personal hierarchy of wonder. To say it is a treasure is truly an understatement. 

It consists of at least 19 different tracts, mostly on image and astral magic. 


The characters of seal of Jupiter 


The writing is consistent throughout, a very neatly spaced and clear 15-16th century semi-cursive book hand, black with some red inițials and red figures. 

The figures are executed cleanly, and none have any defacings, as some astral magic manuals do. 


Planetary Characters, 69v


The contents, according to the ULBD record, is as follows:  



1.Zahel Israelita sive Sahl ben Bischo (?): De Anulis septem Planetarium
2.Messahalla sive Māšā'allāh Ibn-Aṯarī (?): De Anulis septem Planetarium
3.Hermes: De Imaginibus Planetarium
4.Experimentum ad expellendos hostes
5.Liber lunae
6.Balenus sive Belenus : De XXIV horis dei
7.Thebit ben Corat sive Tabit ben Qorra: De imaginibus
8.Hermes: Liber lunae
9.Balenus sive Belenus: De XXIV horis diei (Variante)
10.Hermes: Liber (de solis imaginibus et horis)
11.Hermes: De Imaginibus Planetarum
12.Orationes Planetarium
13. Liber Zaelis Philosophi de Imaginibus (70r-74v)
14.Thebyth Bencorat de 7 Imaginibus 
15.Hermes: Liber (de solis imaginibus et horis) ; (Variante)
16.Balenus sive Belenus: De imaginibus septem planetarium
17.Magical Recipes
18.'Picatrix': Necromantia
19.Magical recipes

(tiles are missing from the libeary description, they will be added 
as I can study the manuscript)

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7 comments:

  1. Thank you for mentioning this great manuscript, Mihai! I translated a short invocation to Saturn, from a part of the ms that was transcribed by Vittoria Perrone Compagni. Details here:
    https://medium.com/viridisgreen/invocation-to-saturn-in-darmstadt-ms-hs-1410-ee2f91c5ff2d

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    1. I m just now moderating these comments, sorry!

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    2. Does anybody have the transcription of the Latin. It's just so hard to read and I want to make sure I recite it correctly.

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    3. Ok I actually found a copy of Liber Orationum Planetarum Septem transcribed in this other book off JSTOR. I have the latin. I was taught to read latin at this episcopalean grade school. I can actually sort of understand it and recite the incantations correctly, especially when compared to this translation. They're actually very simple orations.

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  2. I've copied the entire content of your website. Bye!

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    1. thank you. Hope you find it useful :D What would you like to do with it?

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