Dear Emma,
>Interesting post re the late 17th century French 'literate practitioner
>of folk magic'. I wonder if he was invoking the Devil as a shock
>cure, or whether he was doing so simply because he believed that
>the Devil, as a powerful master of the natural world, would be
>skilled at curing animals?
Looking at it some more, probably more the latter. There is a spell to
stop horses where the horse is identified with a demon and then
controlled as such, by calling upon the infernal powers that rule it. In
later times this spell was augmented with a sigil used to make familiars
obedient.
Curiously, in this case, Christian powers are not used to control the
infernal powers. In fact the practitioner is required to eschew any
Christian acts whilst the spell is prepared.
>The spell using obscenity also sounds fascinating. Not being well
>versed in literate magical practices, I am wondering whether this
>instance is unusual or whether obscenity and/or revulsion was
>more widely used in elite magic of the period - either to curse or
>cure.
This material is very much folk magic. It is just that the person whose
practice it records was, I presume, literate as he mentions contemporary
magical texts. Concerning obscenity, I have come across description of
men in Ireland who believed themselves afflicted being cured by a woman
who would expose herself (sorry I don't have a reference for that). In
Ireland, of course, Sheila-na-Gigs acquired apotropaic associations
whereas they were originally simply representations of sin.
> I was also wondering whether you have a source for these
>references!
The material is actually very available, having been appended to the
Grimoire of Pope Honorius in its first edition that bore the date 1670,
to subsequent editions of Honorius and other French grimoires. I will be
very soon be publishing a new translation of the Norman French of the
first edition (and the first translation of the Latin) together with a
commentary later this year. The commentary will note how the material
changed in subsequent publications.
There is one point that I have struggled to may sense of and would
welcome assistance (which will of, of course, be credited). A spell to
protect horses appears to invoke no Christian powers, but I have not
been able to identify all the beings that are being called upon. Any
pointers would be most welcome.
The main name is Crouay
His name is used to conjure:- Don, Satan, Leot, Valiot
They provide the practitioner with two servants:- Rou and Rouvayet who,
presumably, effect the protection
In a related spell, Heliot is also mentioned, who appears to be on the
same level as Valiot and Reveillot is also mentioned.
As previously mentioned the original language is Norman, or Old, French
With my best wishes
Ben
--
Ben Fernee
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