The Sworn Book of Honorius

The Sworn Book of Honorius, or Liber Juratus Honorii in Latin (also Liber Sacer/Sacratus/Consecratus, often confused with the Grimoire of Pope Honorius), is a medieval grimoire purportedly written by Honorius of Thebes. The Latin word "juratus", which is typically translated to "sworn", is intended to mean "oathbound". The book is one of the oldest existing medieval grimoires, as well as one of the most influential.

Historical references

Its date of composition is uncertain, but it is possibly mentioned as Liber Sacer in the 13th century, apparently asserting a high medieval date. The first certain historical record is the 1347 trial record of Olivier Pepin from Mende, France.[1] Johannes Hartlieb (1456) mentions it as one of the books used in necromancy. The oldest preserved manuscript dates to the 14th century, Sloane MS 3854 (fol 117-144). Sloane MS 313, dating to the late 14th or early 15th century, was once in the possession of John Dee.

Content

It is supposedly the product of a conference of magicians who decided to condense all of their knowledge into one volume. In 93 chapters, it covers a large variety of topics, from how to save one's soul from purgatory to the catching of thieves or finding of treasures. It has many instructions on how to conjure and command demons, to work other magical operations, and knowledge of what lies in Heaven among other highly sought information. Like many grimoires, it has lengthy dissertations for proper operation and seals to be used.

The book can be classified as a "Solomonic grimoire" due to its heavy use of angelic powers and seals like those found in The Key of Solomon, and its own claim to "lay out the works of Solomon".[2]

Editions
  • Joseph H Peterson, The Sworn Book of Honorius: Liber Iuratus Honorii, Ibis Press (2016), ISBN 978-0892542154.
  • Daniel Driscoll, The Sworn Book of Honourius the Magician, Heptangle Books, 1977.
  • Gösta Hedegård, Liber Iuratus Honorii: A Critical Edition of the Latin Version of the Sworn Book of Honorius, Studia Latina Stockholmiensia 48, Almqvist & Wiksell (2002), ISBN 978-91-22-01970-1.
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See also

References
  1. Jan Buhlman, "Notice of the Liber juratus in Early Fourteenth-century France", Societas Magica Newsletter, Fall 2005, Issue 14, p. 4
  2. Peterson, Joseph (2016). Sworn Book of Honorius. Lake Worth, FL: Ibis Press. p. 53. ISBN 9780892542154.
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