Art of the Grimoire : an illustrated history of magic books and spells
Davies, Owen, 1969-2023
Book
Total copies: 1
"A copiously illustrated global history of magic books, from ancient papyri to pulp paperbacks. Grimoires, textbooks of magic and occult knowledge, have existed through the ages alongside other magic and religious texts in part because of the need to create a physical record of magical phenomena, but also to enact magic through spells and rituals. To understand the history of these texts is to understand the influence of the major religions, the development of early science, the cultural influence of print, the growth of literacy, the social impact of colonialism, and the expansion of esoteric cultures across the oceans. In more than two hundred colour illustrations from ancient times to the present, renowned scholar Owen Davies examines little-studied artistic qualities of grimoires, revealing a unique world of design and imagination. The book takes a global approach, considering Egyptian and Greek papyri, ancient Chinese bamboo scripts, South American pulp prints, and Japanese demon encyclopedias, among other examples. This book will enchant readers interested in the history of magic and science, as well as in book and manuscript history." -- Publisher's description.
Main title:
Author:
Davies, Owen, 1969-, author
Imprint:
New Haven : Yale University Press, [2023]©2023
Collation:
256 pages : illustrations (some colour) ; 25 cm
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 248-251) and index.
Contents:
Ancient MaterialsParchment, Paper, and the BookPrinting MagicManuscript Culture THrivesThe Power of Pulp PrintThe Contemporary Grimoire.
ISBN:
9780300272017 (hardback)
Dewey class:
133.43
LC class:
BF1558
Language:
English
Subject:
BRN:
754061