The Experiment of Barcan

 This is the textual base of the video found HERE.

In a previous entry on my blog I wrote about an Italian version of this work, University of St Andrews manuscript BF1608.S7, for whose scans I am greatly indebted to my friend Daniel Clark, which I presumed could be the origin of the Hebrew. More information about the textual history of this book is currently undergone by my friend Gal Sofer in a forthcoming book, so I could not pretend to match his expertise and will just have to wait to find out what his conclusions are, based one more than these two texts.  

I chose this short excerpt of the Clavicle to make a textual comparison with the Sefer Mafteach Shelomoh, edited by Herman Gollancz, from three reasons:

-To show the closeness of the two texts

-To provide valuable missing information missing from Gollancz and present in the Italian Version

-To show a step by step method of transcribing a manuscript

[165v]

Capitolo 20^o : Prova d`
Barcan.
 
Et si puoe fare in ogni luoco
o con compagni, o solo, et c`meglio solo.
Piglierai una spada lucerea rilucente
molto, et farai con questa spada un cercolo
et doverai preparare tutte le cose accio `non
necessiti a`uscire del cercolo, doppo che sarai
entrato, et essendo dentro il cercolo piglia
la spada, et caciala ivanti a` te nel mezo
del cercolo, et doverai havere carta d`cane
che non sia nato, et sangue d`opopa et
con questo sangue scriverai questi carateri
in due reghe una se l`altra
 
Reghia prima
Reghia Seconda
 
Et havendo parlar con questo spirito chiamato
Barcan la prima volta non necessitarai
piu d`fare cercolo, ne altre ceremonie, ma
                                                          solamente
 

[166r]
solamente doverai questa carta nella tua
mano destra  et dirai il salmi 51 3 volte
doppo dirai questo scongiuro.
Scongiuro a`te o` spirito chiamato Baracon
con la fidetia che tu hai con I tue compagni
et con la forza, et verita del dio vivense, 

et vero, et pietoso, et per quel angele che
deve dire con voce d` trompetta nel giorno
del giuditio, cercativi tutti li homini, et dove
morte, venite, venite a la giustitia et giuditio
davanti quel Dio creatore d`tutti, piu
ti scongiuro Baracon per li angeli d`sopra et
d`sotto, et per tutti li dominii delle potenze
celesti, che tu devi venire subito: piu ti
scongiuro o` Baracon per questi angeli santi
et loro leguaci, et loro caratteri, et segni per
il nome d`Raphael, et suo leguace Sole,
Gabriel il suo leguace luna, Samael il suo
leguace Marte, Michael il suo leguace Mercurio,
Zathiel il suo leguace Jupiter, Anael
                                                     et il

[166v]
etil suo leguace Venus, Captiel etil 
suo leguace Saturno, accio` tu debbi venire
et comparire presto davanti a`me in figura
humana, senza che tu mi possi fare
alcun danno ne nel mio corpo, ne nel
anima per la forza del gran dio vivo
et vero, et lui ti sogioghera` accio `che tu
venghi a`rispondermi. Item ti scongiuro
per dodici segni, aries, taurus, gemini, 

cancer, leo, virga, libra, scorpio, sagitarius,
capricornus, aquarius, pisces, et per la
forza del angelo Gabriele il  galiando
che diede et concesse la forza a Sansone
et quello che infere la scienza al re
Salomone figlio david: Item, scongiuro
Barcan per li nomi del Signori Santi N.N.
per il nome CoZo, quello deve chiamate
nella meza nocte, et a`la sua voce
si devono levare tutti li morti buoni et
cavici in un serar d`ochio, et per il nome                                                                Soter
 

[167r]
Soter ministro, per il quele il Creatore
Signore i dio fara` che tute le pietre del
Mondo, et tute le fabriche cadono, et che
uno verso l`altro gueregino, et alhora dirano
le creature humane alle montagne, venire
et cadere supra d`noi, et alle coline coprite
noi, isisili, et per il nome del signore ineffabile
che il quale il signore ldio con li suoi electi
doppo il giorno del giustitio scavara` il d`avolo,
et tutti li empii et cattivi saranno possi
nelle fiame de fuoco eterno, et i suoi eleti
si giovizano, et ralegrerano con la gloria
del dio vivente, et con la sua magnificenza
cola` si d`letterano, et riposerano in riposo, et
requie eterna; item ti scongiuro Barcon,
con spirito humile con tuoi compagni per
il signore benedetto, et glorioso nelle camere
de sui cieli, il temutto nel suo mondo, et
nel cielo de i cieli per quel adorata d`tutti
li formati per secula seculorum amen.
accio`
 

[167v]
Accio` tu devi comparire presto qui in
forma humana med`ocre, item ti scongiuro
Barcon per li angeli dela servitu santi
et per tutti li nomi del signore che tu venghi
presto, et causa alcuna non ti tenghi te
d`venire. Item ti scongiuro Barcon per
tutti li creati del signore superiori, et inferiori,
et per tutti li piu eccelenti formati da
lui, che tu debbia venire subito senza
fare alcun` danno, ne terrore, ne spavento,
ne nel mio corpo, ne nella mia anima,
ne ne I membri miei. Item ti scongiuro
per l`allegrezza infinita che d`ede il
signore a Michael, et Gabriel archangeli nel
eccelenza santa; alhora subito venira`
un spirito docto in figura humana, et
ascoltara` i tuoi command` et ti riferira` tutti
i tuoi voleri, et venira` in forma humana
tutte le volte che tu vorrai parlare con
lui, et tu li dimanderai quello vuoi, et ti
 
[167r]
ti rispondera` con humilta` et bonna volonta`

 

 

 Translation 

Chapter 20:

The experiment of Barcan

 

This may be done in any place, either with associates, or alone, better alone.

Take a sword, very sharp and shining, and make with this sword a circle,  and having all things prepared, so that you should not have to go out of the circle, after you have entered it, and being inside the circle, take the sword and plunge it in front of you in the center of  the circle, and you must have parchment of a dog unborn and the blood of a hoopoe, and with this blood you will write these characters in two lines one above the other.

 

First line:  Second line:

 

 And having talked with this spirit called Barcan for the first time,  you will have no  further need to make the circle, nor other ceremonies, but only need to take this parchment in your right hand and say Psalm 51 three times, after which say this conjuration:

'I adjure thee, o spirit called Baracon, with the trust that thou hast with your associates, and by the power and truth of the Living God, true and merciful, and by that angel who, on the Day of Judgment, shall with the sound of the trumpets say: "Look up, all ye men, even if dead, come, come unto the justice and judgment before God, Creator of All". Furthermore, I conjure thee Baracon, by the angels above and below, and by all the dominions of the celestial powers, that you should come at once. Furthermore I conjure thee, O Baracon, by these holy angels, their ministers, and their characters and signs, by the name Raphael and his minister the Sun; Gabriel and his minister the Moon; Samael and his minister Mars; Michael and his minister, Mercury; Zathiel and his minister Jupiter; Anael and his minister Venus; Captiel and his minister, Saturn, that thou must come and appear at once before me in human form, without being able to bring any harm neither to my body, nor my soul, by the power of the Great Living and True God, and He will subdue thee so that thou will come and respond to me. I next conjure thee by the twelve signs, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, and by the power of Gabriel the mighty, who gave and conceded strength onto Samson, and who inspired wisdom onto King Solomon son of David. I further conjure thee, Barcan, by the names of the Holy Lord N.N. and by the name CoZo, which must be called upon at midnight and to its voice all the dead, both good and bad, shall rise in the blink of an eye, and by the name Soter minister, by means of which the Lord Creator, shall cause all the stones of all the buildings of the world to fall, so that they shall be in war one against the other; then shall the human creatures "say unto the mountains, Come, fall upon us, and to the hills, cover us" isisili, and by the Ineffable Name of the Lord with which the Lord God after the Day of Judgment shall distroy the devil and all the godless and the wicked shall be put into the flames of an eternal fire; and his chosen ones shall be glad and rejoice with the glory of the Living God and whis his magnifficence, there they shall delight, and rest in repose and in eternal rest.

I further conjure thee, Barcon, with humble spirit, with thy associates, by the Eternal Lord, blessed and glorified in the chambers of His heavens, tremendous in His world and the heaven of heavens, served by all His creatures for ever and unto all ages, Amen.

 that thou appear at once in the form of an ordinary man. I further conjure thee Barcon by the holy ministering angels and by all the names of the Lord, that thou come at once, that no reason prevent thee from coming. I further conjure thee Barcon, by all the things created by the Lord on high or below and by all his most excelent creatures, that thou must come immediately without causing any damage, nor any terror, nor any fright, neither to my body nor to my soul nor to my members.

I further conjure thee infinite joyfulness which the Lord bestowed upon the archangels  Michael and the Gabriel in holy excellence.

Thereupon immediately there will come a learned spirit in human form and he will listen to your commands, and report to you all you desire, and he will come in human form at all times that you wish to speak to him,  and you may ask whatever you want, and he will answer with humility and good will.

Seal of Barakon from Gollancz edition:

For a complete commentary of this experiment, please access the link at the top of the article.