The Key of Solomon

in English, written anonymously c. 1350, this edition published in 1876 in two volumes

A thorough and complex encyclopedia of ritual magic traditionally attributed to the biblical King Solomon. The book was probably written in the fourteenth or fifteenth centuries. It is a font of Western medieval ritual magic, and a comprehensive guide to ancient kabalistic practices. Volume one discusses magical theory and philosophy, and the various prohibitions imposed upon a practicing mage. Fasting, purification rituals, and even exact standards for clothing and bathing are described. True magic is the manipulation or cultivation of divine power through the use of names of power or summoned spirits. The God of the Old Testament is seen as the ultimate source of all supernatural power. The second volume contains a dizzying amount of spells, rituals, talismans, and conjurations. The University Library acquired a first edition copy as part of the Akeley Bequest. (Johnson, Sam, and Sandy Antunes. "Miskatonic University: A Handbook to the Pride of Arkham." Chaosium, Oct. 2005. )