The History of The Grimoire
A grimoire is a medieval book of spells and incantations, as well as information on charms, talismans, and amulets. In modern Wicca, the grimoire is called The Book of Shadows and was written in the early 20th century, but did you ever wonder where the roots of the grimoire come from? Where did it originate? What is its story?
The grimoire is more than a book of spells and charms, it’s a record of our earliest magical traditions. Grimoire magic as a concept extends back to our very early medieval past. It was a book that helped heal the sick and commune with helpful spirits for guidance.
The medieval grimoire
“Do you know any incantation for fevers and for any illness, which is called a blessing?”
The grimoire or “the book of spells” was a text used in the early middle ages for magical practices. It was like a recipe book to create everything from talismans, charms, amulets, and potions to summoning or invoking spiritual entities like angels.
Although medieval European written history is quite recent, the idea of having all magical knowledge in one place extends to our ancient past. The medieval grimoire can be thought of as originating from prehistory as a shaman since shamans once contained all the esoteric knowledge of the tribe.
The grimoire etymology comes from the Old French grammaire meaning grammar. So in this sense, the grimoire definition was more tied to scholarly pursuits. It evokes images of alchemists wanting to find the Philosopher’s stone, not haggard witches casting hexes.
From what we know of medieval times, we might suspect that a magic spell book would have been outlawed but this wasn’t the case. In the early medieval world, spells were likened to blessings used by the clergy. It was seen as important to have these charms and spells on hand since they could be used for miraculous healing. For this reason, the members of the medieval church were the ones who wrote the original grimoires. This kind of magic in the middle ages was seen as extending from God and so an extension of His holiness. Despite what we might think, medieval people were often having healing spells cast upon them.
We think of charms or amulets as being physical objects, and spells as being something spoken, but these definitions are looser in the early middle ages. A spell could be an amulet; the spell spoken aloud traveled with the person to protect them through their day. Likewise, a charm could be a written spell.
The Magical Amulets of the Grimoire
Another aspect of the grimoire was the amulets and talismans created and worn for protection. The grimoire spellbook could heal your wounds and restore your health, but it could also provide you with handy amulets to protect yourself, your family or your livestock.
It’s documented that these medieval charms could help cure your sick pig, protect the food of your cow, and protect your sheep flock when they’re out in the fields. Medieval charms were designed to invoke protection because of their divine connection.
The charms worked with the “natural forces” or elements of nature to protect, an idea that clearly carried over from paganism. These natural forces were seen as joined to God, Christ, or an archangel which would give these amulets and talismans their power.
What did these amulets look like? Well, sometimes an amulet could be a simple bunch of herbs worn around the neck or even the wearing of crystals. In parts of Europe, leaden amulets were found with inscriptions on them -- closer to what we perceive an amulet to be today. These amulets were worn close to the body and were found to invoke protection, good luck, power, or prosperity. Objects like shells, herbs, and gemstones were also found embedded into the leaden amulets, a tradition likely carried over from paganism. Animals were also thought to have special magical, curative powers, which is actually where the concept of the witch’s familiar comes from.
The Magical Spells of the Grimoire
The spells in the grimoire were written by monks or clergymen and used for healing. The spells were written on small pieces of paper that were then either placed on the ailing body part or carried with the person for a specific amount of time. Spells could also be spoken over potions in order to boost their healing properties.
Medieval people believed that by uttering the words of the spell, natural healing forces were called on to assist the individual. This is an old practice that comes from shamanism where the shaman would call upon nature spirits in order to heal the individual.
We all know about conjurings or exorcisms used to eradicate disease-ridden spirits from a person’s body but in the middle ages some monks tried to put spirits into a person’s body. These spells were known as narrative charms.
Narrative charms were spoken events of a saint’s life that mirrored the same struggles as the patient. The charm was said to then give the person healing energy, like a reverse exorcism.
Another type of medieval spell aimed to transfer disease from the human body to an animal body. In the middle ages, this was called transference. The healer would use the blood or organs of a healthy animal and slather it onto the sick individual. The life force of the healthy animal was thought to help the person regain their vitality. Another remedy was to transfer warts to an onion by rubbing the onion on the warts.
A real Spell for Fevers
This spell is said to invoke the healing powers of the divine and banish the fever that ails you. The original spell is a mix of Latin and Middle English, which means that it’s from the very early medieval period and probably still retains its ancient roots.
This spell was placed on the body of the ill and following the instructions, should restore health in a matter of days.
“Take three Hosts and write these words : on the first : l Helye Sabaot (50 of Lord of the Universe) And in the second : Adonay Alpha and one Messias. ( God Alpha and one Messiah). In the third : pastor agnus fons (shepherd lamb fountain). And give the sick man one Host to eat each day, right as the words be written. The first day the firste, the second day the second, the third day the third, and for each Host that he eats, let the sick man say three Pater Noster and three Ave Maria and Crede.”
It’s incredible how magic spells from the grimoire started out as healing remedies before women were persecuted amidst the hysteria of the early modern period. What’s undoubtable is these kinds of healing practices show our roots in our animistic past. They reveal a deep need to connect to nature as a way of healing and renewing ourselves, explaining why traditions like herbalism have persisted.
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