…schwarzer Magie und Kunst und Wunderbuch
by Doctor Johann Faust, mid-18th century German Manuscript
Ms Cod. Bodmer 66
Paper · 24 pp. · 16.2 x 9.7 cm
At the beginning of the 17th century, a book of black magic was published, attributed to the mythical Faust and known by the title Höllenzwang. The library in Weimar owned a manuscript of this text, which Goethe was aware of. In 1949 Martin Bodmer was able to purchase a similar manuscript, as seen here. This document which is difficult to date, is written in cabalistic signs and, according to a German gloss, contains a series of magic spells for exorcists, which can be used in particular to call up the seven evil spirits. Its tile in english is, Doctor Faust’s Threefold Coercion of Hell.
