Faustian Cycle: The Black Raven. A manuscript

Upon researching the Faustian cycle of magical writings for a current project, I came to discover that there seem to be a plethora of manuscripts scanned and hosted online the likes of which I could not find a few years ago, in different locations. 

I will be taking upon myself the delicate task of finding them and bringing them to public attention.

Many of them find their published content in Scheible s Kloster, but we will dwell on that more when time permits. 

The following manuscripts are from the Darmstadt Digital Collections. The first one is called Der Schwarze Rabe, namely, the Black Raven, one of the most common names of the Faustian grimoires, albeit with a different content each time. 

Shelfmark: Hs-2543

Der schwarze Rabe / The Black Raven

Internal date: Passau, 1519- 30 July 

                                    15 April 1515

Pages: 34

Material: Paper, most likely. Black ink throughout. 

Binding: Quarter binding with blue paste-paper and brown marbled leather (?).

Digital Collectios Darmstadt - Manuscripts (Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Darmstadt)

Link: http://tudigit.ulb.tu-darmstadt.de/show/Hs-2543 

URN: urn:nbn:de:tuda-tudigit-50299  

Metadaten: METS

The seals are coded as follows: F(aust)S(chwarze)R(rabe).(page)1.(figure)1.=FSR.1.1  

FSR.1

The Black Raven. I ve yet to determine if this black raven with a ring in it s beak has any connection to the coat of arms of the Korwin/Corvin nobiliary line, from Poland to Transylvania. 

FSR.6.1-59

Typical cryptogram for a conjuration, seen throughout such texts of the Faustian Cycle, to be studied at a later date.

FSR.10.1-32

Cryptogram

FSR.15.1-15

Cryptogram

FSR.15.16-61

Cryptogram

FSR.15.62

Complex Seal

FSR.19

Circular Seal

FSR.20.1-31

Cryptogram

FSR.21

Cryptogram

FSR.22

Cryptogram

FSR.23

Diagramgram

FSR.24.1

Circular seal.

FSR.24.2

Circular seal

FSR.25

Small seal. 

FSR.30

Circular seal

FSR.31

Cryptogram

This last set seems to be a key for the cryptogram used, at least in part, detailing the symbols used to name the seven Olympic spirits of the Arbatel, with seven angelic overseers, presumably.

FSR.31.1. Aratron - Derdiel

FSR.31.2. Bethor - Miseriel

FSR.31.3. Phaleg - Seraphiel

FSR.31.4.Och - Asfariel

FSR.31.5. Hagith - Salomiel

FSR.31.6. Ophiel - Saleriel (?)

FSR.31.7. Pfuel (?) - Iachiel

Clavicula Salomonis de Secretis - a Polish treasure

Thanks to professor Rafal Prinke I have been directed to one online manuscript housed by the Polish National Library, called Clavicula Salomonis de Secretis. The manuscript s shelfmark is  RPS 3352 II and we know little of it except that it has been dated to 1600-1700. The contents are amazing:

We have a treatise of Pseudo-Solomon dealing with the infernal spirits, French variants of which have bee published by Skinner and Peterson separately, 

a section of pentacles and talismans with their uses, also published along the Veritable Clavicle by Skinner

and a load of other goodies, of which I can only mention a section of seals and characters loosely based on the Heptameron. 
 

Not only does it list a series of angelic seals of the Seven Archangels that is based upon the Heptameron with great and significant variations (a series I shall dwell upon in my next post), but also presents new and never before seen seals of the angels and princes of the air associated with the seven spheres.  In all likehood, this manuscript is either a firt-hand account of a practicioner that obtained these seals by experimentation with the system described, or a close copy of one. THe morphology of the seals is highly heterogenous and quite unlike previous examples of series of seals ( by comparison with the Lemegeton, the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses or Viginaire s angelic seals, for instance, which do share a similar look throughout ).

I promise a study of the seven seals as usual and perhaps, if time permits me, a list of contents.