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Storytime: Reading the Solomonic Hygromanteia, Part II

The kharaktēres and sphragides of Venus and Mercury (left column), Harleianus 5596 f. 24v. after Marathakis 2011, 157

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We begin to explore the text of the Hygromanteia, as it survives in the MS British Library Harleianus 5569. This is an instruction-manual for the fully-astralised practitioner of spirit-summoning and manipulation, with the additional point that that astrological considerations which must be mastered to perform the work are fully integrated with angelological and demonological considerations. We have prayers to the planets, magical ink made from a bat’s blood, and a number of other surprises.

We also have two discursus, one on the technical terms kharaktēr and sphragis, and one considering what the all-in nature of the magical practice outlined in this long recension of the Hygromanteia tells us about medieval magical culture more generally.

Works Cited in this Episode:

Primary:

Harleianus 5569 on the British Library website: https://searcharchives.bl.uk/catalog/040-001613254.

Pinakes on the manuscript: https://pinakes.irht.cnrs.fr/notices/cote/39555/.

That snake-kharaktēr from the Greek magical papyri: PGM III.187–262, with line 196 of text specifically calling the snake-image a kharaktēr.

Secondary:

Richard Gordon. Signa nova et inaudita: The Theory and Practice of Invented Signs (Charaktēres) in Graeco-Egyptian Magical Texts. MHNH, 11:15–44, 2011.

Richard Gordon. Charaktēres between Antiquity and Renaissance: Transmission and Reinvention. Micrologus’ Library, 60:253–300, 2014.

Ioannis Marathakis. The Magical Treatise of Solomon or Hygromanteia, also called the Apotelesmatikē Pragmateia, Epistle to Rehoboam, Solomōnikē. Number 8 in Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic Series. Golden Hoard Press, Singapore, 2011.

Chester Charlton McCown, editor. The Testament of Solomon: Edited from Manuscripts at Mount Athos, Bologna, Holkham Hall, Jerusalem, London, Milan, Paris and Vienna. J. C. Hinrichs, Leipzig, 1922.

A. Scott. Origen and the Life of the Stars: A History of an Idea. Clarendon, Oxford, 1991.

Pablo A. Torijano. Solomon the Esoteric King: From King to Magus, Development of a Tradition. Brill, Leiden, 2002.

Francis Yates. Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition. Routledge and Kegan Paul, London, 1964.

Recommended Reading: see the bibliography to Episode 127