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Grimoires A History of Magic Books Owen Davies 9780199204519 Books

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Grimoires A History of Magic Books Owen Davies 9780199204519 Books

Grimoires: A History of Magic Books is one of those rare treats of extensive scholarship that is a pleasure to read. The book is a history of grimoires, books of magic, and their constant presence in western culture from the dawn of writing through the invention of the printing press and finally to the enormous stack of them you can find here on Amazon.
Of interest is that Owen Davies is not so much a true believer of magick (with a k) but a scholar who is fascinated with the often overlooked cultural history of it. Grimoires traces the concept of the book of magic, that vessel of occult knowledge that oftentimes just the ownership of it, nevermind the reading of it, is considered to bestow a certain secret keys of power to the possessor.
Of particular interest to me was the section on American contributions --in particular his section on rogue publisher L. W. DeLaurence and the pulp grimoires of hoodoo. Mr. Owens did some great research into DeLaurence's life and works and i would love it if he expanded that section into a full biography of the eccentric hypnotist who became the true proselytizer of the occult to American, Caribbean and African audiences. Without him the work of A. E. Waite, S. L. Mathers and even the Rider-Waite tarot deck would have remained little known British obscurities.
But there's much more than just latter day Americans as the book covers quite a bit of historical ground and all the classics like the Keys of Solomon, The 6th and 7th Books of Moses, the Petit Albert and numerous others. There's enough here for the hardcore occultists, the western culture scholars, the research geeks and the book lovers (by that meaning people who really love books).
Highly recommended reading. I am just now starting an earlier book of his on the cunning folk in historical England because if found Grimoires to be such a great read.


Tags : Grimoires: A History of Magic Books [Owen Davies] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. No books have been more feared than grimoires, and no books have been more valued and revered. In <em>Grimoires: A History of Magic Books</em>,Owen Davies,Grimoires: A History of Magic Books,Oxford University Press,0199204519,Europe,Europe - General,Folklore & Mythology,Occultism,Charms in literature;History.,Charms;Dictionaries;History.,Occultism;History.,BODY, MIND & SPIRIT Healing Energy (Qigong, Reiki, Polarity),BODY, MIND & SPIRIT Magick Studies,BODY, MIND & SPIRIT Occultism,BODY, MIND & SPIRIT Witchcraft (see also RELIGION Wicca),Books & Reading,Charms,Charms in literature,Dictionaries,EUROPE - HISTORY,European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland),FOLKLORE,General Adult,HISTORY Europe General,History,History - General History,HistoryWorld,History: World,InspirationalDevotional,Magick Studies,Myths & mythology,New Age,Non-Fiction,OCCULT SCIENCES,Occultism,Occultism;History.,SOCIAL SCIENCE Folklore & Mythology,UNIVERSITY PRESS,United States,World - General,World history,BODY, MIND & SPIRIT Healing Energy (Qigong, Reiki, Polarity),BODY, MIND & SPIRIT Magick Studies,BODY, MIND & SPIRIT Occultism,BODY, MIND & SPIRIT Witchcraft (see also RELIGION Wicca),Books & Reading,HISTORY Europe General,Magick Studies,SOCIAL SCIENCE Folklore & Mythology,World - General,History - General History,Charms,Charms in literature,Dictionaries,Folklore,Occult Sciences,History,History: World,European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland),Myths & mythology,World history

Grimoires A History of Magic Books Owen Davies 9780199204519 Books Reviews

A good read for those in the grimoire currents. I especially like the version because I could use the text to speech function although I've read it a couple of times, hearing it gives you a whole different perspective.
At time it chronology was difficult to follow. But worth it. Enjoyable and informative. Did the job I bought it for.
I waited (not hopefully) for this book my entire life. I never really thought it would be written. Davies did an admirable job of conveying the breadth and scope of the history of magical books, but it left me a bit cold. A scholarly work it is, but mostly dry. Those who, like me, have spent their whole lives collecting and studying classical grimoires will find this a cherished addition to their libraries.
A really good read for anyone interested in the history of magical books. Tends to focus on books that maintain a historical relevance (sometimes up to the present day) and misses some of the isolated grimoires that nonetheless are still relevant to the topic. Still, I give it five stars because I found it fascinating.
If you have any interest in ancient books on, and about, the occult--this is the one to have. Very well researched and informative.
If your interested in the history of grimoire magick and occultists of the past this book is a must have. Very well written!
Davies has written an entertaining survey of grimoires, surpassing in different ways Christopher McIntosh's earlier and shorter text on the subject The Devil's Bookshelf (1985), which is still a well-informed although limited introduction to the topic. The subtitle of Davies' book needs clarification. This is not a history of magic books in general, but a history of a specific type of magic book. As Davies states in his introduction, "grimoires are books of magic,... but not all books of magic are grimoires, for as we shall see, some magic texts were concerned with discovering and using the secrets of the natural world rather than being based on the conjuration of spirits, the power of words, or the ritual creation of magical objects". Although his history is limited primarily to "grimoires" as he understands them, he does touch on magic texts in general and looks at their relationship to the magical aspects of writing itself, including the ritual use of materials in book production and the eventual democratizing of literary magic through print and cheap productions, leaving only illiteracy as an obstacle.

Davies' approach is strictly that of a social historian writing a popular history, not a practitioner of magic. He is more concerned with the social influence of grimoires and any controversies surrounding them than their content (which is generally and lightly touched on) and effectiveness, and he considers the "lineage of magic" as "dubious" (page 11). At the top of his list in terms of "the greatest influence on the modern world of magic and religion" is The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses followed by "the most enduring, influential, and notorious Solomonic book," The Key of Solomon (pages 11 & 15). Other grimoires discussed include the Picatrix, the Sworn Book of Honorius, the Little Albert, the Grand Grimoire (and a version of it called the Red Dragon), the Book of St Cyprian, the Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy, Francis Barrett's The Magus, the Book of the Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin, and Gerald Gardner's Book of Shadows among others. However, some may be disappointed by the low degree of coverage of certain texts. The American book pirate L. W. de Laurence and his publishing influence, on the other hand, receives ample coverage. Some may also be surprised to find Simon's Necronomicon, which Davies calls "a well-constructed hoax", treated as "no less 'worthy'" as a piece of magical literature than other grimoires. Of this and other Necronomicons he states "Like other famous grimoires explored in this book, it is their falsity that makes them genuine" (page 268). These type of statements show that although false authorship and fictive elements are used in many grimoires, Davies lacks the discerning eye of a skilled practical magician and more careful scholar of magic.

Given the above caveats, Davies' text is still an enjoyable and informative read. It will certainly introduce some readers to grimoires they did not know existed and provide a historical context for them. For further context, Davies highly recommends Michael D. Bailey's Magic and Superstition in Europe A Concise History from Antiquity to the Present (2007) as "an ideal companion" (pages 286 and 291 [Note 4]). Like Davies' text, it too has its weaknesses, but each book is strengthened by the other if used together. In addition to being well bound with an attractive dust jacket, Davies' book also contains 27 illustrations, 17 plates on glossy pages, a six-page Epilogue, as well as chapter notes, an index, and a useful Further Reading section.
Grimoires A History of Magic Books is one of those rare treats of extensive scholarship that is a pleasure to read. The book is a history of grimoires, books of magic, and their constant presence in western culture from the dawn of writing through the invention of the printing press and finally to the enormous stack of them you can find here on .
Of interest is that Owen Davies is not so much a true believer of magick (with a k) but a scholar who is fascinated with the often overlooked cultural history of it. Grimoires traces the concept of the book of magic, that vessel of occult knowledge that oftentimes just the ownership of it, nevermind the reading of it, is considered to bestow a certain secret keys of power to the possessor.
Of particular interest to me was the section on American contributions --in particular his section on rogue publisher L. W. DeLaurence and the pulp grimoires of hoodoo. Mr. Owens did some great research into DeLaurence's life and works and i would love it if he expanded that section into a full biography of the eccentric hypnotist who became the true proselytizer of the occult to American, Caribbean and African audiences. Without him the work of A. E. Waite, S. L. Mathers and even the Rider-Waite tarot deck would have remained little known British obscurities.
But there's much more than just latter day Americans as the book covers quite a bit of historical ground and all the classics like the Keys of Solomon, The 6th and 7th Books of Moses, the Petit Albert and numerous others. There's enough here for the hardcore occultists, the western culture scholars, the research geeks and the book lovers (by that meaning people who really love books).
Highly recommended reading. I am just now starting an earlier book of his on the cunning folk in historical England because if found Grimoires to be such a great read.