In our last episode we were discussing an experiment used to
conjure a powerful spirit inherited from the Arabic tradition, Barqan,
present in one Italian manuscript under the names Barcan, Barcon and Baracon,
and one Hebrew manuscript also under the name of Barakon. In this
episode we will meet him and three of his ministers in a German manuscript, the
famous Munich Handbook, under the name of Bartham.
One of the most important texts published in the field of academic
study of magic is Richard Kieckhefer`s 1988 book Forbidden Rites: a
Necromancer`s Manual of the Fifteenth Century, which I have in a cheap,
ugly paperback reprint but that dealt a massive blow to my grimoire studies. In
it, as many of you know, professor Kieckhefer transliterated almost the entire
CLM 849 manuscript, and translated large portions of it.
Large portions of course,
but not all. One of the experiments that he described in one chapter but never
translated in full would be number 15: To obtain a flying throne. My endeavor here is not the Latin
transliteration, but the translation and commentary. And yet, without proffesor Kieckhefer s
edition, this translation would not have been possible.
The exact manuscript pages, as well as proffesor Kieckhefer`s text
is on my blog, as well as my translation and notes. However, a full PDF of
this, along with my commentary and graphics, will be available on Patreon for
my Subscribers.
Vade ad locum secretum et altum, tempore sereno et absque ventu,
et dic: Sancta
Maria, ora pro nobis, Secundum magnam misericordiam, cum Gloria Patri totum,
In manus tuas, domine, commendo spiritum et totum spiritum et corpus meum,
Domine deus, Pater omnipotens, [et] Iudica me Postea fac talem
circulum vt inferius designabitur, cum ollis, et [34v] pone in ollam septentrionis cinerem et
farinam, et in orient[al]em ignem cum sale, in occidentalem aquam et calcem.
Et sede in medio circuli et verte te versus septentrionem, et voca
regem nubium, nomine Bartha, vt mittat 3es de ducibus qui habent posse [super] nubibus et
ventris, scilicet Saltim, Balthim, Gehim, qui ducent te absque lesione et absque periculo tui corporis
et anime ad locum quem volueris. Et tunc apparebit tibi parua nubes, et de
tribus ollis exibunt tres alie olle, dicen[te]s, Ascende, ascende, ascende.
Tunc autem inperterrite ac et cum audacia parate sellam magistro, hec
dicas ter. Tunc videbis kathedram in medio nubis, et tu ascende illam, et
dic, Rex
Bartha, et duces Saltim, Baltim, [et]
Galtim, portate me placabiliter, sine timore et inpedimento et
periculo aliquo mei corporis et
anime, vsque ad talem locum, et suauiter me leuate et suauiter me deponite. O
tu rex Bartha, et o vos principes Saltim, Balthim, Galtyra,
vos potenter invoco vt cito et velociter me ducatis vsque ad
talem locum sine omni timore et periculo mei corporis et anime, et ad hoc vos invoco et coniuro potenter et exorziso per hec angelorum
nomina altissima qui in aere sunt potentes: Mastiesel
(Masciesel), Emedel, Emethel, Sangel, Eymeal, Venoel, Gerbon, Seutan, Ty-
[35r] robay, Teneyn, Teregey, Gerebon, Gamelorum,
Tubairum, Ficary, Gysay, Austeron, Boreal, Gemeloy, Garoen, Sypro, Ebely,
Aurora, Subseloy, Siego, Afonei, et Zephirim, Boreoth, Beolthoray, Aforax
(Afforax), Aquelyo, Eureal, Fauelyon. Per
hec nomina vos invoco et coniuro et exorcizo et constringo, vt sine mora
veniatis ad me existentem in hoc loco, et multum
me suauiter et benigne deferatis et ducatis ad talem locum, sine
omni timore, lesione, et periculo mei corporis et anime. Sic fiat, fiat,
amen. Vade securus et non
timeas, quia portabunt te quo volueris. Si forte socios habere volueris in
via et in opere, oportet quod sitis impares, tamen plus. Hec nomina dices,
scilicet Semegibetelye, Sabolaay,
Saroten, Saramey, Cerbelli, Tyaurax (Tyanrax). Et sic ire poteris in omnem partem et terram securus
quo volueris. Si quis tibi forte nocere voluerit vel attemptauerit: Si a
parte septentrionali senseris kathedram descendere, dic, O
Balthym, te invoco, coniuro, et constringo vt vindices me de isto qui
michi nocere temptatur, per hec septem nomina que in omnibus potestatem habent, scilicet
Flegely, Stygeloy (Scygeloy), Melyon, Babaia, Regale, Setgaboy, Guitipabey, et
statim veniet tempestas super eum et timeas. Si vero a parte occidentali
quis tibi nocere temptauerit, dic audacter: O
Saltim, coniuro et constringo te per ista semptem nomina, [35v] scilicet Sebegyol, Sebely,
Serbaton, Tymelyy, Gerotal, Tyboel, Galtym. Fiat vt sit pluuia et nubes super illum, in tantum
quod non possit videre nubem. Si vero ex parte
orientali quis temptare voluerit, dic, Veniatis,
Galtym [et] Baltym,
per ista nomina, scilicet Flegely, Stygeloy, Melyon, Barbaia,
Regale, Segaboy, Guitipabey, et cadant tonitrua super
illum et
nubes et tempestas, ita [quod] me temptare non audeat. Si forte in via
videris super te tempestates uel serpentes aut aues aut alia terribilia,
quibus forte posses terreri, dicas: O tu rex Bartham, ego te invoco et
coniuro et constringo, rex sapiens et fortis, per hec nomina, scilicet Alrogen, Segeuratetho, Spitalote, Frigonay, Gebelsey, vt hec terribilia facias protinus remoueri statim. Dictis hiis verbis,
sine mora recedent, et vltra non habebis contrarium. Hic circulus debet fieri ad istud opus, etc. Go
to a secret and high place, on calm weather without wind, and say: -Sancta Maria, ora pro
nobis[1] -Secundum magnam
misericordiam[2] with -Gloria Patri[3] entirely -In manus tuas,
domine, commendo spiritum et totum spiritum et corpus meum[4] -Domine deus, Pater omnipotens[5] [et] -Iudica me[6] Then
make that certain circle that is described below, with jars, and [34v] put in the northern jar ash and flour, and in the eastern
one fire with salt, in the western one water and lime. And place yourself in
the middle of the circle and turn towards North, and call upon the king of
the clouds, named Bartha, that will send three of the dukes that have
power over the clouds and the winds,
that is Saltim, Baltim[7], Gehim, that will
carry you without any harm and without any danger to your body or soul to the
place which you will desire. And then shall appear to you a small cloud and
from the three jars shall come out three other jars, saying: Climb up, climb
up, climb up! Then therefore arm yourself with daring, without fear in
the master`s chair and say this three times. Then you shall see a throne in the midst of
the cloud and you shall climb in it, and say: King Bartha, and dukes Saltim, Baltim and Galtim,
beare me appeasingly, without any fear and hinderance and danger to my body
and soul, to such-and-such place, and gently lift me and gently lower me. O
thou king Bartha, and o thou princes Saltim, Balthim, Galtyra, I more forecefully
invoke and call upon thee, and quicker take me to such-and-such place without
fight or danger to my body and soul, and at once I invoke thee and conjure
thee more strongly by the names of these most high angels that are powerful
in the air: Mastiesel (Masciesel), Emedel,
Emethel, Sangel, Eymeal, Venoel, Gerbon, Seutan, Tyrobay, Teneyn, Teregey,
Gerebon, Gamelorum, Tubairum, Ficary, Gysay, Austeron, Boreal, Gemeloy,
Garoen, Sypro, Ebely, Aurora, Subseloy, Siego, Afonei, et Zephirim, Boreoth,
Beolthoray, Aforax (Afforax), Aquelyo, Eureal, Fauelyon. By these names I
invoke and conjure and exorcise and constrain thee, that thou should come to
me in this place without delay, and carry me most gently and kindly and take
me to such-and-such place, without any fight, harm, or danger to my body and
soul. So shall it be, shall it be, Amen. Go
untroubled and be not afraid, for they shall carry you where you will want. If
by any chance you wish to have companions on the way and in the operation,
you must be odd in number, however more. Say these names, that are: Semegibetelye, Sabolaay, Saroten,
Saramey, Cerbelli, Tyaurax (Tyanrax). And
so you will be able to go to every part and land in safety, wherever you
want. If any force would want or attempt to harm you: If you will feel that
the throne descends from the part of the North, say: O Balthym,
I invoke, conjure and constrain thee that thou might avenge me of this that
has tried to harm me, by these seven names that have power in all things,
that be Flegely, Stygeloy (Scygeloy), Melyon,
Babaia, Regale, Setgaboy, Guitipabey, that at once shall
come upon them storms and let them fear. If ideed from the part
of the West might something try to harm you, say boldly: O Saltim, o
conjure and cinstrain thee by these seven names [35v] that be Sebegyol, Sebely, Serbaton,
Tymelyy, Gerotal,
Tyboel, Galtym, let there be rain and clouds upon them, such that they
will not be able to see the cloud. If
indeed from the part of the East something might tempt you, say: Come ye, Galtym and
Baltym, by these names, that be Flegely,
Stygeloy, Melyon, Barbaia, Regale,
Segaboy, Guitipabey, and let thunder fall upon them and clouds and storms, so
that they that tempt me might not hear anymore. If
indeed in your way you will see storms or serpents or birds or other terrible
things that you might fear, say: O thou king Bartham, I invoke and conjure and constrain
thee, wise and powerful king, by these names that be Alrogen, Segeuratetho, Spitalote, Frigonay, Gebelsey, that thou might remove at onve these frightful faces from before
me. Having
said these words, they will depart without delay and you shall have no
hinderance from then on. This
circle must be made in this working, etc.
[1] A verse from Ave Maria, perhaps meant to
indicate the whole prayer.
[2] Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam
misericordiam tuam, Psalm 50 (Vulgate)
[3] Unidentified by Kieckhever, Gloria Patri is
the Lesser Doxology.
[4] Luke 24:46
[5] Unidentified by Kieckhefer: Dómine Deus,
Rex caeléstis,
Deus Pater
omnípotens, patrt of tyhe
Greater Doxology
[6] Iudica me Psalm 42 (Vulgate)
[7] Kieckhefer reads Balthim followed by a
redundant Baltim, My Reading: Baltim followed by Balthym.
No comments:
Post a Comment