𝟯 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: “𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰, 𝗥𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆” 𝗯𝘆 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺 𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗼 -
Covino's historical overview into the links between early concepts of rhetoric and magic against a growing empiricist movement reveal some deep fissures in our current ideologies.
books #bookreviews #bookworm #readreadread #3words #williamcovino #magicrhetoricandliteracy #rhetoric #history #powerofwords #historyofmagic
Who was the Headless God in Ancient Egypt & The Greek Magical Papyri? Dr Justin Sledge and Dr Kirsten D. Dzwiza discuss:
https://youtu.be/y4iIFDh1puk
#history #historyOfMagic #magic #HeadlessGod #AncientEgypt
Belated #introduction
Hi witches. I'm a longtime editor and community lead in/around tech, journalism, and culture orgs. If you knew me on the other place, it's probably from the COVID Tracking Project at The Atlantic.
I'm currently revising a novel, raising a kid, and writing an irregular #covid decision-making newsletter at https://calmcovid.substack.com. I'm a big fan of cats and shitposting, so I love this server.
Pointers to #HistoryOfMagic nerds always appreciated.
#Mosstodon, #LichenSubscribe, #EarlyMusic, #Neolithic, #Archaeology, #GobekliTepe, #TheLockedTomb
Pope Boniface IV (I think? possibly II) took great effort against "accommodating pagan culture" but Pope Gregory I urged missionaries to adapt and coexist with pagan customs whenever possible. St.Caesarius of Arles used his authority at the time to prevent the prosecution of witches, and Pope Boniface (???) claimed that believing in witches was un-Christian
Hitchcock, James _The History of the Catholic Church_
Even in these early years, the Christian Church took a dim view of magic. Arguably the burning of magical books is described as early as in the Bible, with St Paul's conversion of the Ephesians. Several other notable Christian figures conducted investigations into alleged collections of books of magic, typically burning any that they found or persuaded their owners to turn over. The Christian attitude against magic varied greatly in this time. #HistoryofMagic
The benefit to having many cultural and linguistic influences in a comparatively small section of land is that we still have written accounts of their traditions from multiple points of view to this day. We have Arabic descriptions of Scandinavian ritual, Latin translations of Moorish collections of learning, and so on. Cities then, as now, were particular centers of cosmopolitan exchanges of learning and information.
The first millennium in Western Europe saw a number of different traditions bringing grimoires and textual magic to the populace. The Moorish and Muslim traditions along the Iberian peninsula, the waning but still present Greek and Roman influence, the persistent Jewish influence, and the Scandinavian influence which persisted as a primary into the tenth and eleventh centuries (obviously many of these traditions persist today.)
Other books referenced include secret (Eighth, Tenth, Hidden, Sixth, Seventh) Books of Moses, providing ritual instructions.
Hermes Trismegistus is another significant figure in the Graeco-Egyptian tradition or traditions, combining elements of Thoth with the Greek god Hermes. There are varying reports on who Hermes Trismegistus actually was. (Davies, Owen primarily)
A large portion of the Key of Solomon, the Ars Goetia, the Pseudomonarchia Demonum, and so on, involves name magic. There are endless lists of names, spirits to call upon, hours at which to call upon them, symbols by which to call upon them, etc etc. Arguably, name magic being some of the oldest that exists in written form, this is the purest form of Grimoire.
Peterson, Joseph _The Lesser Key of Solomon_
Weyer, Johann _Pseudomonarchia Daemonium_
One influential work said to have been passed down etc from the referenced king is the Key of Solomon, or the Lesser Key of Solomon, and related works the Pseudomonarchia Demonum. The earliest version of the Key was written in Greek in the 15th century (Davies, Owen) and no persuasive evidence has been found that it ever existed in Hebrew or earlier. But the myth is powerful.
To start with, Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) have always had a tradition of magic, usually inscribed in books, often dating back to the age Before The Flood. Many of these are ascribed to Enoch and Noah, and much of the knowledge is said to have been given by angels.
The other (another?) major source of European magic tradition is the Graeco-Egyptian cultural exchange #HistoryofMagic
Davies, Owen _Grimoires: A History of Magic Books_
