véritable science des talismans, pour conjurer les esprits de toute nature, leur commander, en obtenir tout ce que l’on veut et déjouer au besoin leurs maléfices
Van Hulsten fr., (Simon Blocquel) ca. 1840 / 1850
Trésor du vieillard des Pyramides (Treasure of the Old Man of the Pyramids) is a grimoire which presents a series of talismans attributed to an “Old Man of the Pyramids.” Typically the grimoire is said to be of great antiquity, having been originally discovered in the “Great Mosque of Cairo” and to have gone through various hands in manuscript form before finally achieving publication.
This text is an actually a later variation of the La Poule Noire (The Black Pullet) with only slight changes. The Back Pullet was first published in 1820 under the imprint De Brasseur. The first edition of The Old Man of the Pyramids was printed ca. 1840 and then again a decade later to include illustrations of the talismans. These talismans were however different than those of The Black Pullet. Most likely The Old Man of the Pyramids is the work of French grimoire publisher, Simon Blocquel, in an attempt to capitalize on The Black Pullet. We see evidence of this in the artwork as some of it is unique to only Blocquel’s grimoires.
Both grimoires claim to possess the science of ancient magic. It contains information regarding the creation of certain magical properties, such as talismanic rings, amulets and the Black Pullet itself. The book also teaches the reader how to master the extraordinary powers from these magical properties and how to conjure the jinn! Perhaps the most interesting magical property claimed in the book is the power to produce the Black Pullet, otherwise known as the Hen that lays Golden Eggs. The grimoire claims that the person who understands and attains the power to instruct the Black Pullet will gain unlimited wealth. One of the magical teachings from ancient manuscripts that escaped the “burning of Ptolemy’s library”.
