Grand Grimoire
The Grand Grimoire is a black magic[1] grimoire. Different editions date the book to 1521, 1522 or 1421, but it was probably written in the early 19th century.[2][3] It was authored by someone named Antonio Venitiana del Rabina who supposedly gathered this information from original writings of King Solomon.[4] Also known as The Red Dragon, this book contains instructions purported to summon Lucifer or Lucifuge Rofocale, for the purpose of forming a Deal with the Devil. The book is called Le Veritable Dragon Rouge (The True Red Dragon) in Haiti, where it is revered among many practitioners of Voodoo.[citation needed] It is claimed they were placed under King Solomon's throne by the devil to tempt him.[citation needed]
The work is divided into two books.[2] The first book contains instructions for summoning a demon and for the construction of tools with which to force the demon to do ones bidding. The second book is further divided into two parts: the Sanctum Regnum and Secrets, de L'Art Magique du Grand Grimoire ("Secrets, of the magic art of the Grand Grimoire"). The Sactum Regnum contain instructions for making a pact with the demon, allowing one to command the spirit without the tools required in book one, but at greater risk. Secrets contains simpler spells and rituals one can employ after having performed the ritual in the first book. Some editions contain a short text between these two parts, Le Secret Magique, où le Grand Art de pouvoir parler aux Morts (The Magic Secret, or the Grand Art of being able to speaking with the dead), dealing with necromancy.
In popular culture
Fantasy author Lin Carter uses the word "karcist" as a synonym for "magician" or "sorcerer" in several of his works, citing the Grand Grimoire as a source. In "Thongor in the City of Magicians," Carter's "karcist" is a mage requested to serve as "controller" of a magic ritual enacted by a cabal of his colleagues.
In the video game Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, the Grand Grimoire is a magical book that survived the Flood on Noah's Ark, but whose value was forgotten. The book is later found by one of the game's main characters, Mewt Randell, in a used book shop. The book's power transports the game's protagonists to Ivalice, a fictional universe used as a setting for other Final Fantasy games as well.
In the 1989 motion picture Warlock, actor Julian Sands plays a warlock trying to find the three Grand Grimoires, which when combined purportedly contain the name of God. In the film the book has supernatural properties, and is therefore separated into three sets of pages to prevent its evil power from being abused.
In James H. Brennan's Sagas of the Demonspawn series, Lucifuge Rofocale is the name of the demon incarnated in the sword named Doom Bringer. According to the Grand Grimoire, Lucifuge Rofocale is the demon in charge of Hell's government.
Dutch metal band God Dethroned have an album called The Grand Grimoire (1997).
In its second season, the Fox TV series Sleepy Hollow presents the Grand Grimoire as once owned by occultist John Dee and coveted by an evil warlock named Solomon Kent. It fell into the possession of one of the series' antagonists, Henry Parrish, and helped lead to the fall of protagonist Katrina Crane.
In the 2012 video game, Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, a book called the Grand Grimoire contains all of the black magic within the town of Labyrinthia, and is used by Phoenix Wright to point out contradictions and illogical aspects in accusations of witchcraft.
See also
References
- ↑ A. E. Waite, The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts, from the Introduction to The Grand Grimoire.
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Further reading
- E. M. Butler, Ritual Magic, "The Solomonic Cycle", CUP Archive, 1979, ISBN 9780521295536
