Grimoires: A History of Magic Books by Owen Davies (PDF)

Description

No books have been more feared than grimoires, and no books have been more valued and revered. In Grimoires: A History of Magic Books, Owen Davies illuminates the many fascinating forms these recondite books have taken and exactly what these books held. At their most benign, these repositories of forbidden knowledge revealed how to make powerful talismans and protective amulets, and provided charms and conjurations for healing illness, finding love, and warding off evil. But other books promised the power to control innocent victims, even to call up the devil. Davies traces the history of this remarkably resilient and adaptable genre, from the ancient Middle East to modern America, offering a new perspective on the fundamental developments of western civilization over the past two thousand years. Grimoires shows the influence magic and magical writing has had on the cultures of the world, richly demonstrating the role they have played in the spread of Christianity, the growth ofliteracy, and the influence of western traditions from colonial times to the present.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review “An amazing achievement, not just for its depth of research but its breadth, from Massachusetts to Martinique to Mauritius. It must become the classic work on the subject.”–Ronald Hutton, author of The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Pagan Witchcraft”Excellent and nuanced.”–History Today “A sweeping, fascinating history….Highly recommended.”–CHOICE”Among the many pleasures of reading Davies’ book is the simple, shiver-producing enjoyment of scanning the rich, ominous-sounding titles that he catalogs in the course of charting their historical development.”–Los Angeles Times”Davies…opens up sp many new and fascinating areas in the history of magic.”–Michael D. Baily, Iowa State University”Davies’ book is indeed a remarkable accumulation of exotic data…Owen Davies’ Grimoires is an extraordinary assortment of riches – it is highly recommended.”–Alternative Spirituality and Religion Review About the Author Owen Davies is Reader in Social History at the University of Hertfordshire. His previous books include The Haunted: A Social History of Ghosts; Murder, Magic, Madness: The Victorian Trials of Dove and the Wizard; and Cunning-folk: Popular Magic in English History.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐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.

⭐If your interested in the history of grimoire magick and occultists of the past this book is a must have. Very well written!

⭐Ronald Hutton says it all in his appraisal. This book is the Master work of All Things Grimoire.

⭐Great information on the history of magik . Recommended for anyone wanting to learn more about wiccan or paganism.

⭐Owen Davies does it again. He takes the myth surrounding historic magic and presents the historic facts instead. Any of his books are must haves for anyone who is serious about magic, and witchcraft.

⭐very good educational book for anyone who is serious in this subject. got it fast. love it.i reccomend it! its awesome

⭐Really interesting book if you’re interested in the history of people trying to do magic. It’s a bit dry in places but there’s a lot of fun material.

⭐Well written and informatative

⭐This is a great book it really reminds of some manly p hall books with writing style for quick future reference and the research standard is amazing this man has really went to town with is book it’s a wealth of knowledge for anyone Its amazing to see this is where all modern fantasy like lord of the rings/elder scrolls games came from and will open ur eyes to how much the powers that be know about these things it’s a rabbit hole for any one no matter what u already know about history or the occult It really becomes obvious the true history of the world and why certain secret societies exist

⭐Grimoires: A History of Magic Books’ by Prof Owen Davies is the best book available on the history of grimoires, written by a genuine University scholar. Most authors on the occult blend history with their own opinion and remove bits that dont fit their bias whether that is Gnosticism, Left hand path or the Golden Dawn. This book is historically accurate.

⭐Brilliant book, for those researching or interested in the topic of magic. It seriously opened my eyes, I had no idea that magic had such a realistic history. Honestly, a book that everybody should read and understand.

⭐Book was in perfect condition. Excellent seller and excellent price. Highly recommended.

⭐Not got to read yet but it looks really interesting.

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