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Die Geschichte der Zauberbücher: Ein illustriertes Kompendium der Grimories und Beschwörungen
Grimoires, Lehrbücher der Magie und des okkulten Wissens, haben seit jeher neben anderen magischen und religiösen Texten existiert, zum Teil aufgrund der Notwendigkeit, magische Phänomene zu dokumentieren, aber auch, um Magie durch Zaubersprüche und Rituale zu wirken. Um die Geschichte dieser Texte zu verstehen, muss man den Einfluss der großen Religionen, die Entwicklung der frühen Wissenschaft, den kulturellen Einfluss des Drucks, die Zunahme der Alphabetisierung, die sozialen Auswirkungen des Kolonialismus und die Ausbreitung esoterischer Kulturen über die Ozeane hinweg verstehen. Anhand von über 200 Farbabbildungen vom Altertum bis zur Gegenwart untersucht der renommierte Gelehrte Owen Davies die wenig erforschten künstlerischen Qualitäten von Grimoires und enthüllt eine einzigartige Welt gestalterischer und fantasievoller Darstellungen. Das Buch verfolgt einen globalen Ansatz und betrachtet unter anderem ägyptische und griechische Papyri, alte chinesische Bambusschriften, südamerikanische Holzschnitte und japanische Dämonenenzyklopädien. Dieses Buch wird Leser verzaubern, die sich für die Geschichte der Magie und Wissenschaft sowie für die Geschichte von Büchern und Manuskripten interessieren.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published October 10, 2023
About the author
Owen Davies
25 books107 followersOwen Davies is a reader in Social History at the University of Hertfordshire. His main field of research is on the history of modern and contemporary witchcraft and magic.
His interest in the history of witchcraft and magic developed out of a childhood interest in folklore and mythology, which was spawned in part from reading the books of Alan Garner. From around the age of sixteen, he also became interested in archaeology and began to get involved with field-walking and earthwork surveying. He then went on to study archaeology and history at Cardiff University and he spent many weeks over the next six years helping excavate Bronze Age and Neolithic sites in France and England, mostly in the area around Avebury. He developed a strong interest in archaeology in general, and the ritual monuments and practices of the Neolithic and Bronze Age.
From Cardiff, he went on to write a doctorate at Lancaster University, working on a thesis looking at the continuation and decline of popular belief in witchcraft and magic from the Witchcraft Act 1735 to the Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951 (1991-1994).
His interest in the history of witchcraft and magic developed out of a childhood interest in folklore and mythology, which was spawned in part from reading the books of Alan Garner. From around the age of sixteen, he also became interested in archaeology and began to get involved with field-walking and earthwork surveying. He then went on to study archaeology and history at Cardiff University and he spent many weeks over the next six years helping excavate Bronze Age and Neolithic sites in France and England, mostly in the area around Avebury. He developed a strong interest in archaeology in general, and the ritual monuments and practices of the Neolithic and Bronze Age.
From Cardiff, he went on to write a doctorate at Lancaster University, working on a thesis looking at the continuation and decline of popular belief in witchcraft and magic from the Witchcraft Act 1735 to the Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951 (1991-1994).
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 26, 2024
This enchanted me just like they said it would! A very comprehensive, visual history of magic, science, the book, and manuscripts.
I’ll definitely be reading more of Davies to reign in this season of the witch!
I’ll definitely be reading more of Davies to reign in this season of the witch!
August 11, 2026
Un libro ben fatto, a mio avviso, cosa rara per questa tipologia di pubblicazioni a stampo solitamente fortemente divulgativo, in cui ci sono poche notizie malscritte e un apporto iconografico poco attento e spesso di cattiva qualità grafica.
Qui al contrario c'è un percorso ben definito all'interno del testo, corredato da notizie precise e supportato da un'ampia bibliografia, con molte immagini ben dettagliate e descritte.
Decisamente piacevole.
Qui al contrario c'è un percorso ben definito all'interno del testo, corredato da notizie precise e supportato da un'ampia bibliografia, con molte immagini ben dettagliate e descritte.
Decisamente piacevole.
February 24, 2024
Beautifully produced and informative, with some sources and information I haven't seen elsewhere.
October 5, 2025
Ich habe mittlerweile recht hohe Ansprüche an Infobüchern und dieses konnte mich nur halb überzeugen.
Die Organisation des Materials erschließt sich für mich nicht völlig. Mir hätte es glaube ich besser gefallen, wenn die Informationen chronologisch oder geographisch geordnet wären, aber das Buch orientiert sich an „Material“, was sehr verworren ist, da ja z.B. Papyrus, Pergament und Papier immer wieder Überschneidungen in der Geschichte hatten und auch an verschiedenen Orten zu verschiedenen Zeiten verwandt worden ist.
Außerdem geht ein großer Teil des Textes mehr auf die Geschichte des Buches als auf die Geschichte des Zauberbuches ein. Ich verstehe natürlich, dass das Hand in Hand geht, aber als jemand, der schon sehr viel über die Geschichte von Manuskriptkultur und co weiß, hätte ich mir mehr über diverse „magische“ Strömungen gewünscht.
Kleine Nit-picks: in meiner deutschen Ausgabe bricht der Text auf Seite 116 einfach ab. Ausgerechnet in einem Abschnitt den ich gerade spannend fand!
Auf Seite 135 scheint dann auch ein halber Satz verschluckt worden zu sein.
Auf Seite 188 hat wohl jemand vergessen, den englischen Originaltext ganz zu löschen xD
Hätte man da ein bisschen besser Korrekturlesen können?
Auch dazu: manchmal wurde z.B. der Name Salomon Salomo geschrieben und ich wusste nie, ob es sich um einen Tippfehler handelte oder nicht. Da ein bisschen Einheitlichkeit bitte!
Die Organisation des Materials erschließt sich für mich nicht völlig. Mir hätte es glaube ich besser gefallen, wenn die Informationen chronologisch oder geographisch geordnet wären, aber das Buch orientiert sich an „Material“, was sehr verworren ist, da ja z.B. Papyrus, Pergament und Papier immer wieder Überschneidungen in der Geschichte hatten und auch an verschiedenen Orten zu verschiedenen Zeiten verwandt worden ist.
Außerdem geht ein großer Teil des Textes mehr auf die Geschichte des Buches als auf die Geschichte des Zauberbuches ein. Ich verstehe natürlich, dass das Hand in Hand geht, aber als jemand, der schon sehr viel über die Geschichte von Manuskriptkultur und co weiß, hätte ich mir mehr über diverse „magische“ Strömungen gewünscht.
Kleine Nit-picks: in meiner deutschen Ausgabe bricht der Text auf Seite 116 einfach ab. Ausgerechnet in einem Abschnitt den ich gerade spannend fand!
Auf Seite 135 scheint dann auch ein halber Satz verschluckt worden zu sein.
Auf Seite 188 hat wohl jemand vergessen, den englischen Originaltext ganz zu löschen xD
Hätte man da ein bisschen besser Korrekturlesen können?
Auch dazu: manchmal wurde z.B. der Name Salomon Salomo geschrieben und ich wusste nie, ob es sich um einen Tippfehler handelte oder nicht. Da ein bisschen Einheitlichkeit bitte!
October 10, 2025
Pros:
- well. It's a book about historical books of magic. I don't know what more you want me to say
- not only does this discuss the books themselves, but also how they were made! We love facts about historical papers!
- with such visual pieces, it's always best to see them rather than just be told about them, and this book does live up to the "illustrated" in the subtitle
- the breadth of the book is worth mentioning, they go right up to modern day
Cons:
- so much of the information is provided in the captions of the images, and they do reference each other so there is a bit of flipping back and forth that has to happen
- if you are someone who doesn't like rereading books, I have bad news for you. This is so much dense information it will definitely take at least two passes to really absorb it all
Overall:
MAGIC BOOKS MAGIC BOOKS I LOVE MAGIC BOOOOKS
4.5/5
- well. It's a book about historical books of magic. I don't know what more you want me to say
- not only does this discuss the books themselves, but also how they were made! We love facts about historical papers!
- with such visual pieces, it's always best to see them rather than just be told about them, and this book does live up to the "illustrated" in the subtitle
- the breadth of the book is worth mentioning, they go right up to modern day
Cons:
- so much of the information is provided in the captions of the images, and they do reference each other so there is a bit of flipping back and forth that has to happen
- if you are someone who doesn't like rereading books, I have bad news for you. This is so much dense information it will definitely take at least two passes to really absorb it all
Overall:
MAGIC BOOKS MAGIC BOOKS I LOVE MAGIC BOOOOKS
4.5/5
July 29, 2025
Really cool!!!
June 23, 2024
Absolutely stuffed with high quality, full cover images of grimoires, curses, spells, and magical texts throughout history. The writing is good, easy to follow, fairly in depth, and very interesting, but the images are definitely going to be the main draw for most reader. This feels like it would be a valuable reference text for authors and DMs working in historical and historically inspired settings.
December 22, 2024
Preferable to the Tarot book because Davies has a little more distance to the subject than Barbier has, probably because of his academic background. So it’s a sumptuous collection of images but with a slightly less dense and more thoughtful text to go along with it. A beautiful book
February 12, 2024
A beautiful book, lushly made, and a highly interesting one as well. Erudite and approachable.
July 1, 2024
The text in this is nothing to write home about but the formatting and photographs are excellent. It’s at the very least a gorgeous coffee table book with occasionally quite erudite writing.
August 21, 2026
“A magical book about magic books! . . . Davies' impeccable research, engaging prose, and profound insights make Art of the Grimoire a must-read.”
Fear no devils, witches, spells, or spirits. Owen Davies, historian and scholar, has pressed them into over 247 beautifully colored pages, meticulously curated into an array of texts and images drawn from diverse corners of the globe. Essentially, grimoires are textbooks of magic and occult knowledge passed down through the ages. Much like conventional literature, the emergence of the printing press industry also left its mark on grimoires, influencing their production and distribution. As a result, the texts evolved over centuries, and although it would be highly unusual to find a book written in dove’s blood, or to consider a bestseller for its claims on how to increase sex appeal by “keeping the eyes of a cat in a green silk bag touching the skin of the left breast,” grimoires as a form of literature remain incredibly intriguing today.
Art of the Grimoire is magical book about magic books conjuring an array of texts and images, each a testament to the nuanced interplay of ink and paper, as well as the distinctive artistic techniques that have evolved across varied regions. For the curious layperson, Davies takes deliberate pauses at significant historical junctures—spanning from the Renaissance through the Age of Enlightenment, the tumultuous Industrial Revolution, and into the dynamic Modern and Contemporary eras. By connecting these enigmatic books to broader historical trends, Davies reveals how grimoires have often been both emblematic of and influential in cultural shifts.
While shuffling a tarot deck, watching reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or reading the Harry Potter series, one might not contemplate the origins of the horror and fantasy genres that now permeate popular culture. It’s astonishing that grimoires have endured despite generations of religious opposition to occult knowledge and its associated elements. Equally surprising is how religion itself borrowed from certain aspects of magic. Making such connections, one might question the difference between a spell and a prayer. Those with such questions will undoubtedly appreciate Davies’ research.
How did “old magic” persist? How did we get from Byzantine bronze amulets and Solomonic charms to sigilengine.com, where you can type your intention into an online interface and spontaneously generate a magical symbol? In their various forms and functions, magicians, including holy men, healers, scholars, alchemists, and salesman, borrowed from each other and from any ethno-religious traditions that seemed relevant at the time. In the beginning, texts were copied by hand, meticulously hand bound, annotated, and adapted with new knowledge. Many of those texts included ritual instructions and practices that we now consider unhealthy, let alone illegal. However, we also can identify more acceptable intentions behind these rituals, including healing, love, protection, knowledge, and wealth. In some ways, the grimoires are not unlike the bestsellers we’d find in the self-help section today.
Art of the Grimoire details the varied cultural manifestations and influence of grimoire on our belief systems, from Christian mysticism to folk magic traditions. This comprehensive approach offers readers a profound understanding of the impact of grimoires on diverse societies. Davies' impeccable research, engaging prose, and profound insights make Art of the Grimoire a must-read for students, scholars, enthusiasts, and anyone intrigued by the magical and mysterious.
Fear no devils, witches, spells, or spirits. Owen Davies, historian and scholar, has pressed them into over 247 beautifully colored pages, meticulously curated into an array of texts and images drawn from diverse corners of the globe. Essentially, grimoires are textbooks of magic and occult knowledge passed down through the ages. Much like conventional literature, the emergence of the printing press industry also left its mark on grimoires, influencing their production and distribution. As a result, the texts evolved over centuries, and although it would be highly unusual to find a book written in dove’s blood, or to consider a bestseller for its claims on how to increase sex appeal by “keeping the eyes of a cat in a green silk bag touching the skin of the left breast,” grimoires as a form of literature remain incredibly intriguing today.
Art of the Grimoire is magical book about magic books conjuring an array of texts and images, each a testament to the nuanced interplay of ink and paper, as well as the distinctive artistic techniques that have evolved across varied regions. For the curious layperson, Davies takes deliberate pauses at significant historical junctures—spanning from the Renaissance through the Age of Enlightenment, the tumultuous Industrial Revolution, and into the dynamic Modern and Contemporary eras. By connecting these enigmatic books to broader historical trends, Davies reveals how grimoires have often been both emblematic of and influential in cultural shifts.
While shuffling a tarot deck, watching reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or reading the Harry Potter series, one might not contemplate the origins of the horror and fantasy genres that now permeate popular culture. It’s astonishing that grimoires have endured despite generations of religious opposition to occult knowledge and its associated elements. Equally surprising is how religion itself borrowed from certain aspects of magic. Making such connections, one might question the difference between a spell and a prayer. Those with such questions will undoubtedly appreciate Davies’ research.
How did “old magic” persist? How did we get from Byzantine bronze amulets and Solomonic charms to sigilengine.com, where you can type your intention into an online interface and spontaneously generate a magical symbol? In their various forms and functions, magicians, including holy men, healers, scholars, alchemists, and salesman, borrowed from each other and from any ethno-religious traditions that seemed relevant at the time. In the beginning, texts were copied by hand, meticulously hand bound, annotated, and adapted with new knowledge. Many of those texts included ritual instructions and practices that we now consider unhealthy, let alone illegal. However, we also can identify more acceptable intentions behind these rituals, including healing, love, protection, knowledge, and wealth. In some ways, the grimoires are not unlike the bestsellers we’d find in the self-help section today.
Art of the Grimoire details the varied cultural manifestations and influence of grimoire on our belief systems, from Christian mysticism to folk magic traditions. This comprehensive approach offers readers a profound understanding of the impact of grimoires on diverse societies. Davies' impeccable research, engaging prose, and profound insights make Art of the Grimoire a must-read for students, scholars, enthusiasts, and anyone intrigued by the magical and mysterious.
August 19, 2026
This is a nice collection of imagery from magical texts of various sorts, and a decent history of magical traditions from a European standpoint (it covers other cultures, but the framing is definitely a Euorcentric one). It reminds me a bit of Alchemy: An Illustrated History of Elixirs, Experiments, and the Birth of Modern Science in its overall structure: lots of very short explanatory chapters with some example illustrations/photos, followed by longer sections focusing on the images each with its accompanying explanation of varying length and thoroughness, and sometimes a 2-page intermediary chapter on a given topic, person, etc.
One weakness is that the text and the illustrations are not well connected. The text will often describe something interesting or unusual (such as types of books or writing methods that are relatively unfamiliar) but the accompanying illustrations will be largely unrelated. And the other way around, though each illustration has a short description and attribution (title, etc.) they don't always get as much examination as they may deserve.
Overall, a readable enough book with a plentiful supply of interesting and useful images, but nothing particularly noteworthy or remarkable.
One weakness is that the text and the illustrations are not well connected. The text will often describe something interesting or unusual (such as types of books or writing methods that are relatively unfamiliar) but the accompanying illustrations will be largely unrelated. And the other way around, though each illustration has a short description and attribution (title, etc.) they don't always get as much examination as they may deserve.
Overall, a readable enough book with a plentiful supply of interesting and useful images, but nothing particularly noteworthy or remarkable.
September 30, 2025
I loved the layout, the socio- cultural brief commentary and the historical facts about the materials used of the Book.
I felt that it went from ancient cultures to colonial cultures of grimoires, and although it doesn't say it out loud, the central section is all about fraudsters who published bad copies of grimoire practices.
I liked the mention of more modern approaches to magic, but I wish there was more depth in the last few sections.
I hoped to see a not solely western approach to the topic, perhaps mention of cultures where magic is still practiced for non commercial using, to balance everything off.
all in all is well written, the artefacts are really interesting, well described and depicted.
I felt that it went from ancient cultures to colonial cultures of grimoires, and although it doesn't say it out loud, the central section is all about fraudsters who published bad copies of grimoire practices.
I liked the mention of more modern approaches to magic, but I wish there was more depth in the last few sections.
I hoped to see a not solely western approach to the topic, perhaps mention of cultures where magic is still practiced for non commercial using, to balance everything off.
all in all is well written, the artefacts are really interesting, well described and depicted.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2026
A wonderful research companion piece when writing anything about witchcraft or the occult practices. This is a richly illustrated book spanning grimoires and spell books from all over the world and throughout history. If interested in the history and different spell books and magical practices, this is a must read
November 19, 2024
Stunning examination of the history of a certain category of esoteric writings. The book is especially gratifying with every page full of clear, full color, images of the referenced works. Add meticulous scholarship and it's an amazing read.
March 5, 2026
Amazing illustrations and collection of artifacts.
However missing a red line and overarching analysis how the grimoirs developed over time or within a certain culture. The chapter division by print medium did not align with my preference of reading.
However missing a red line and overarching analysis how the grimoirs developed over time or within a certain culture. The chapter division by print medium did not align with my preference of reading.
March 22, 2026
Davies’ “Art of the Grimoire” is fantastically deep history lesson that opened my eyes to just how impactful cross-culturalism (for the better and worse) has been for centuries. The photographic references had me intrigued the whole time!
August 25, 2026
An excellent overview and visual guide on the history of grimoires around the world, with particular attention to the evolution of paper and print technology alongside various magical traditions. Fantastic scholarship and a great list of further reading for those interested.
July 7, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
It was interesting enough
It was interesting enough
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews