The False Hierarchy of Demons: Illustrated English Translation of Pseudomonarchia Daemonum

by Johann Weyer, Natalia Zasadzinska (Translator), Michael Coles (Editor)

Johann Weyer's "Pseudomonarchia Daemonum" is considered the great-granddaddy of demonic catalogues. Many later works, including Scot's "Discoverie of Witchcraft" and the Goetia, are considered derivatives of Weyer's classic. A limited quantity of this real leather-bound edition of "The False Hierarchy of Demons: Illustrated English Translation of Pseudomonarchia Daemonum" were produced.

This new definitive translation of Weyer's four hundred year old encyclopedic work of demonology includes digitally enhanced and enlarged versions of de Plancy's 19th century woodcuts from Dictionnaire Infernal, demonic seal reproductions and newly commissioned full-color illustrations from an international team of fantasy artists, each providing a unique modern vision of these infernal beings.

Each octavo volume is bound in red leather with a black leather spine and gold foil embossing. The English text is shown in black, side-by-side with the original Latin text in red. In addition, the book has a new index, bookmark and full-color endpapers. The book is delivered in a designer box.

The "Pseudomonarchia Daemonum" was originally published as an appendix to the hugely popular "De Prestigiis Daemonum." Since then, it has been used as the definitive reference and source for dozens of grimoires including The Lesser Key of Solomon and Dictionnaire Infernal.

Genres: Occult, Religion, Nonfiction, Spirituality, History, Alchemy, Magick

132 pages, Leather Bound

First published January 1, 1577

Reviews

[Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

(I have the imitation leather copy.) Like Touch Me Not: A Most Rare Compendium of the Whole Magical Art, this book is beautiful, intimidating and considered real. It has most of the spirits from A Book of the Offices of Spirits: The Occult Virtue of Plants and Some Rare Magical Charms & Spells listed (which this book is based on), includes images of the spirits from Colin de Plancy's The Infernal Dictionary: Devils, Gods, and Spirits of the Dictionnaire Infernal, sigils of the spirits (like the ones in The Lesser Key of Solomon: Detailing the Ceremonial Art of Commanding Spirits Both Good and Evil), and artwork of many of the spirits by contemporary fantasy artists. At the end of the text is a conjuration, with no pomp and circumstance that most other grimoires require. The only downside is that the publisher sells these on Amazon and Amazon doesn't always do the best job of taking care of books before they ship them. There are only minor dents, but it could look a lot nicer if handled by a different company. Most of the really nice books I've purchased recently have been from other companies that go out of their way to make sure the books arrive pristine.

[Gaze Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more of an artbook than an actual grimoire. And that was always the intention of the writer Johann Weyer, who never intended it to be used as a manual for conjuration anyway. In fact, Weyer believed that demons and demonic possession was more of a psychological problem. He intended this book to help others spot spiriitualist scams. Nevertheless, he made sure to deliberately omit key passages from his translation to render the book useless. The basis for his text was a manuscript called "Liber Officiorum Spiritum," which from the description and title seems to be a Solomonic Grimoire similar to "The Lemegeton." This particular edition of the book is quite pretty and a very tactile experience. Bound in leather (genuine in my edition), it is illustrated throughout by contemporary fantasy illustrators, and includes the seals of conjuration whenever possible, as well as the famous woodcut illustrations from Thomas De Clancy's "Dictionnaire Infernal." The pages are thick and glossy. This is an English translation, with the original Latin printed in red beside the translation. The English translation is sometimes clunky despite the translator explaining that they took liberties to make it read easier. Not an academic edition of the work at all, this is more of an object d'art. It looks handsome on my bookshelf, and it is admittedly a beautiful edition.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good research resource

This was a good research resource for the lore I want to weave into my worlbuilding. For some the Older English might be hard.

[5 pound poi · Rating 2 out of 5]

A rather handsomely bound conglomeration of Wikipedia-esque blurbs pertaining to a cursory introduction to demonology. To me, the seals & replicate renderings from "Infernal Dictionary" are the best part hands down, while the modern depictions are almost uniformly world-of-warcraftish. Take that as you may.

Worth a browse, but not a buy.

[Ronnie C · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice list of the hierarchy of demons and their station, not much else to it. A good, interesting read for those into the occult

[Lethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is an earlier, shorter, sigil-less version of the ars goetia [aka the lesser key of solomon] - the ars goetia seems to lift the list and descriptions of demons almost completely from this
pretty interesting origin, this was the appendix of a 1563 book by weyer that criticised the witch hunts and argued witchcraft wasnt real, with practicioners deemed mentally ill
the source given by weyer for the pseudomonarchia daemonum is a lost grimoire called liber officiorum spirituum[, seu liber dictus empto. salomonis, de principibus et regibus daemoniorum]
the english translation misses one of the demons (pruflas), which is also missing from the ars goetia (indicating the ars goetia was based on the 1583 english translation)
imo there is no reason to read this instead of the ars goetia, and if you already read the ars goetia there is no reason to read this either
i was unaware of this, shouldve skimmed its wiki entry before getting the book desu

[Bibek Magar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

[Julius John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ihaveno books available in read

[Danny Hartnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Images and words unable to be forgotten in the minds eye 😈

[Harry Palacio · Rating 5 out of 5]

a compendium of devils from kings to knights to lords and valkyries - also, how to summon them with properness ergo reverence

[Orgadena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Táp

The Exorsist.
Order, of Potestats.
Perfect.
Of Me.
Táp.

●

His Name.
~

[Isabella Kennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

very fun to read in a silly voice in ur head

[Pef]

o.O

[Julius John · Rating 1 out of 5]

I reading thebook