The 6th and 7th Books of Moses The Historical and Sociological Vagaries of a Hans Sebald

Sebald, Hans 1988: The 6th and 7th Books of Moses. The Historical and Sociolog­ ical Vagaries of a Grimoire. - Ethnologia Europaea XVIII: 53-58.

A manual of magical , which first appeared in Germany nearly 200 years ago, has played an essential role in a tradition of belief among Franconian peasants. The use of the grimoire is still wide-spread in Germany today, though its publication was legally disputed in the 1950s. It has even reached the United States, where it is increasingly used in voodoo-like practices.

Prof Hans Sebald, Ph.D., Department of Sociology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-2101, USA.

Books of magic are an ancient phenomenon "If we examine a best-selling grimoire like and timeless testimony to the human desire to the Marvellous Secrets of Natural and Cabal­ exercise power over adversity and mortality. istic Magic of Little Albert, we can see that it Western civilization has been impregnated by has many aspects in common with 15th-cen­ various strands of magical traditions, includ­ tury witchcraft. Its first eleven recipes deal ing those that are rooted in the ancient cul­ with types of love magic worthy of the most tures of Babylon, Egypt, Persia, Syria, Israel, famous sorceress in Renaissance literature, La Greece and Rome. After the invention of print­ Celestina; the twelfth tells how to remedy the ing in Europe, a variety of started to charm to make men impotent, the aiguillette; spread across Western countries, claiming to and the next one even describes how to make contain ancient and secret formulas empower­ an aiguillette ... The Petit Albert is full of draw­ ing the user to command supernatural forces - ings of magic pentacles; of methods for many good ones as well as evil ones. During the 18th kinds of : of magical cures for vari­ and 19th centuries a number of such books ous illnesses; of ways to raise spirits; and even came forth with syncretisms or conglomera­ ofrecipes for making oneself invisible or resist­ tions - to some extent perhaps fabrications - of ing torture" (1976: 189). these magical traditions. Examples are La In this report I should like to focus on these Paule Noire, Le Dragon Rouge, and The Petit alleged Books of Moses, since I am familiar Albert, which started to circulate in France, with the peasant culture of the Franconian The Key of Solomon the King, which is nearly Jura mountains of central Germany (within international, The Book of Cyprianus, which the triangle of the cities of Nuremberg, Bam­ became well known in Scandinavia, and Das 6. berg, Bayreuth) where this grimoire figured and 7. Buch Mosis, which appeared in Ger­ heavily in a system of witchcraft belief that many and to which later were added the Das lasted into the 20th century. 8., 9. und 10. Buch Mosis. Apparently, written Virtually all scholars agree that this book (I portions of the texts of these putative books of am going to use the singular, since among the Moses have been found as far back as the 16th peasants it was understood as one book and century (Peuckert, 1957: 169-170). commonly referred to as the "6th Book of E. William Monter offered a summary of the Moses") was neither authored by the Biblical connection of these grimoires with earlier Moses nor represents a true continuation of witchcraft beliefs: the first five books of the Old Testament, also

53 understood as the Torah, and sometimes popu­ health, gain influential friends, become invis­ larly called the Books of Moses. But scholarly ible to others, escape miseries of all sorts, pronouncements have been falling on deaf achieve longevity, discover treasures, punish ears, for tens of thousands of true believers enemies, win quarrels, obtain secrets, and so have accepted the grimoire's claim as stated in forth. its foreword: divulging divine magic that For example, in the German grimoire we Moses presumably received on the Mountain. find a spell that promises to fulfill amorous This simply goes to show that the effectiveness desire: "If thou wishest a woman to follow thee, of an article of faith does not depend on the take thy blood and write her name upon a historical authenticity of the article, but on the newly laid egg and say toward her: Rampel" personal need of the believer. Faith in the (Gammache, 1967: 97). The Greek papyri "Book of Moses" and the way it was incorpo­ match this assistance to the lovelorn and sug­ rated in witchcraft practices exemplify this so­ gest: "Leave a little of the bread you eat; break ciological principle. it up and form it into seven bite-sized pieces. At this time historians are uncertain about And go where ... those who have died a violent the authorship of the grimoire and also reject death were slain. Say the spell to the pieces of the notion, alluded to in the foreword, that it is bread and throw them. And pick up some pol­ an offshoot of Kabbalah, the ancient mystic luted dirt from the place where you perform philosophy of the Jewish people. In fact, Jewish the ritual and throw it inside the house of the scholars and rabbis, whom I have shown copies woman whom you desire, go on home and go to of the grimoire, vehemently object to the idea sleep" (Betz, p. 64). These directions are fol­ that the voodoo-like grimoire has anything to lowed by a lengthy spell that is to be said ex­ do with genuine Kabbalah. They see the actly as written. Less friendly spells are deter­ manual of magic as a fraud and consider its mined to disturb and annoy neighbors by in­ ascription to Judaic heritage an insult. flicting insomnia. The papyri suggest: "[Take] Another rejection of sorts came from the a seashell and write: 'IPSAE IAOAI', let her Catholic Church in the 18th century, which [insert name], daughter of [insert name], lie declared the grimoire a tool for sorcery or awake because of me. That night she will lie witchcraft, the reading or using of it to be her­ awake" (Betz, p. 127.) The "Book of Moses" etical, and placed it on the Index librorum pro­ promises that a "certain dream" (more accu­ hibitorum. A Catholic's reading of a book on rately understood as a nightmare) can be im­ this list used to incur the condemnation of the posed on another person : an arcane text is to Church and could have meant, among other be written with a solution of myrrh on a "writ­ penalties, excommunication. (This danger no ing tablet." Then: "A cat black all over, and longer exists: the Index was inactivated and which has been killed" serves as a medium. discontinued in 1966.) The text is to be inserted into the mouth of the One more word about the speculations con­ dead cat" (Gammache, 1967: 102). Where cerning the background of the grimoire. Hans death is to be inflicted, the German grimoire Dieter Betz in his recent work, The Greek Ma­ suggests the following spell: "For destroying gical Papyri in Translation, Including the De­ one's enemy take a laden plate and some of his motic Spells (1986), disclosed a heritage of hair and clothes, and say the 'Sword ' magical spells whose tenor seems to perfectly over them and bury them in a deserted house harmonize with the spells found in the "Books and he will fall down" (Gammache, 1967: 99). of Moses," especially in their addenda of the The papyri match this destructive magic with "8th, 9th and 10th Books." Comparison of the spells to cause madness, hatred, rift between Greek papyri with the German grimoire shows spouses or friends, and other evils. similar preoccupations and suggests magical I must, however, stress that harmful spells methodologies that are not essentially differ­ are in the minority in both the Greek papyri ent from each other. In both media we find and the German grimoire. Out of approxi­ spells to secure love, gain riches, restore mately 570 spells listed in the papyri, only 40

54 or 7% are of aggressive nature. Comparable some supposedly evil. These spiritual entities proportionality can be observed in the German are believed to serve the person who performs grimoire. The vast majority of the spells are of the correct ritual and/or speaks the correct for­ protective nature, including folk-medical re­ mula. Presumably the effectiveness of the con­ medies and cures, culinary recipes, and juration does not depend on the performing to divinities. persons' belief in the magical power of the for­ But let me revert to the question of the two mula - the spirits would respond to the correct media's historical relatedness. The conjura­ word-by-word rendition in any case. This no­ tions in the papyri call upon deities and spirits tion of magic can be called "mechanical magic", that are very definitely figures of Greek and since the effectiveness of magic is innate in the especially - as Janet H. Johnson clarifies in formula. In other words, the formula is a tool her introduction to Betz's volume - Egyptian and works to produce a spell regardless of the religion. On the other side, the German gri­ attitudes or personal qualifications of the user. moire leans heavily in the direction of Hebrew The principle of "mechanical magic" has had religion. A simple way to recognize this is by a number of significant implications on com­ noting the names of the deities and other su­ munity life among the Franconian villagers pernatural beings in the two media: the papy­ who believed in the potency of the spells. Cer­ ri's spells abound with references to the Greek tain implications were still observable in and the Egyptian pantheons, whereas the gri­ mid-20th century. (1) In order to practice moire appeals to the supernatural population magic you needed the necessary tool - the gri­ of Hebrew religion. Among the very few over­ moire with the formulas and the descriptions of laps are found (with slightly different spell­ the rituals. (2) The practice of magic had a ings) references to Adonai, Moses, and Eloij. democratic character, i.e., anyone wishing to There emerges little else in the comparison do magic could do so, provided he or she had that would encourage hypothesizing descend­ the grimoire. (3) Inexplicable events, unex­ ancy - at least in a direct line - of the German pected disasters, accidents, or illnesses among grimoire from the sources of the Greek papyri. humans or farm animals were attributed to The heavily Hebrew-oriented tone of the gri­ spells cast by a hostile or revengeful individual moire may indeed point in the direction of the in the community. Charles Mackay in his 1841 Kabbalah . book, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and The similarities of the goals and aspirations the Madness of Crowds - the unsurpassed clas­ embedded in the spells of the two documents sic in the social psychology of the witchcraft probably reflect universal needs and problems mania, albeit largely overlooked by present­ of humanity. Hence it is universality of the day students of the genre - described these human condition and not literary descendancy vexing events as being perceived by the people that accounts for resemblance. as "wondrous appearances" (p. 464). (4) Since While the historical origin of the grimoire one could never be certain who had availed must be left open at this time, we may enter­ him- or herself of the grimoire and was a po­ tain ourselves by turning to some social-psy­ tential agent of a vengeance spell, the wisest chological observations. I would like to focus on course of behavior was to avoid offending or the concept of "mechanical magic". The gri­ harming anyone. The history of the almost moire's magical methodology - whether it per­ crimefree village life among the peasants of the tain to spoken spells, conjurational rituals, or Jura mountains may, at least in part, be ex­ written "seals" (some to be worn on one's per­ plained by this social philosophy, which func­ son) - insists on one notable rule: the power of tioned as a legal infrasystem and can be called magic lies in the administration of the formula "justice by magic". or ritual, i.e., in their correct execution. These It is interesting that this system of "justice instruments supposedly empower a person to by magic" is entirely based on the belief that summon, as well as dismiss, a vast assortment people actually performed sorcery, an assump­ of spirits - some of them supposedly good and tion that might not have been borne out empir-

55 ically in most of the villages of the Jura area . for persecution. This is why it was possible, as This means that the existence of the grimoire previously mentioned, that such disreputable in the community was merely surmised and individuals could actually revel in their evil was perceived as a threat. This is a striking reputation - and could do so with impunity . example of symbolic interaction, for no behav­ It would, however, be an incomplete scenario ioral implementation may have existed; none­ if one would want to explain these deviant theless the villagers behaved on the premise members of the community solely on the basis that the grimoire was in the hands of some of their seeking social power by accepting and individuals in the community who thereby pos­ acting out an evil role . There is a more perva ­ sessed the potential for witchcraft. sive and universal aspect that must be added . While the symbolic interaction theory prob­ The practice of sorcery or witchcraft had a pa­ ably applied to most of the villagers, I have tently pragmatic slant: it was seen as a means evidence of at least two villages in which cer­ to avoid disaster, misfortune and pain in this tain persons used the grimoire to cast spells world. Entering in agreement with with intention to harm neighbors . (See 1978 (which is the essence of witchcraft) or trying to and 1987 where I discuss details.) These excep­ command them (which is the essence of sor­ tional cases raise interesting questions, par­ cery) was seen as a more promising method for ticularly when considering the almost mono­ survival than submitting to the dictates of a lithic and dominating role the Catholic Church religious hierarchy, which sometimes was rec­ played in the area. How would a Catholic, en­ ognized as an oppressing and exploiting force . meshed in the tight social structure of a Catho­ We recognize the Faustian aspiration. Except lic peasant community , dare to violate Church that, unlike its literary prototype , it empha­ law and not only read the prohibited book, but sized the negative side of life, being more pre­ even use its formulas and cast spells? This was occupied with the avoidance of pain and misery witchcraft and ipso facto heresy! than the attainment of riches and glamor. In On the basis of inside information concern­ order to understand this orientation I must call ing a few persons who indeed practiced witch­ to mind that the living conditions of the Fran­ craft I found that these individuals were thor­ conian peasants during previous generations oughly estranged from neighbors and the com­ were subject to the abuses of political, military, munity at large and had arrived at and ecclesiastical powers, and to the hardships self-definitions that not merely accepted but of the natural elements. A description of the actively confirmed their reputations : they saw history of the incredible poverty and power­ themselves outside of the circle of Christian lessness of these peasants would deserve a believers and perceived themselves allied with fuller account than is possible to give here . demons , if not with Satan himself. Suffice it to say that the practice of magic The community had imposed a role on them, among these peasants cannot be adequately and the victims confirmed it with fervor, as if explained by dwelling exclusively on individual to spite the neighbors and revel in the fear traits, but must take into consideration the they so visibly could create. To put it another peasantry's misery and exploitation. Out of way: the social rejection ironically conferred this environment grew the temptation to seek power of intimidating and frightening the com­ a foothold on some Faustian island amidst a munity . Since I am reporting events which sea of deprivation and disaster. took place during the past two to three genera­ But let me add a few more remarks about tions, a time during which neither the Church the history of Das 6. and 7. Buch Mosis. While nor the civil authorities had the power to per­ the ancient origin of the grimoire is nebulous, secute or prosecute on the basis of witchcraft or its more recent history is relatively well the accusation thereof, the community was in known. The book appeared in printed form for fact powerlessly confronting the real or ima­ the first time in 1797 in Germany (Jacoby, gined practice of witchcraft. Hence, fear and 1931: 31-32). It almost immediately conquered acquiescence were the only feasible substitutes a vast number of believers and practitioners.

56 While my acquaintance with the book and its were left intact , and the question of the gri­ aficionados is limited to the peasants of Fran­ moire's non-Germanic origin was ignored. Af­ conia, I must remind that the grimoire spread ter the war a number of reprints came on the across almost all parts of Germany - in fact, its market, notably the 1950s edition of the Planet circulation in Germany and other parts of the publishing house in Braunschweig, northern world, as I will mention later, is presently on Germany. Within a few months it had sold the rise . 9000 copies and commenced to print putative Das 6. and 7. Buch Mosis and their addenda sequences of the grimoire, the "8th, 9th and are far from anachronistic on the European 10th Books of Moses." scene . They have been printed and reprinted a It was at this time that an unprecedented number of times in Germany. On account of legal opposition to the printing and marketing their age and uncertain authorship there is no of the book arose . The challenge was initiated copy right that would limit their printing and by Johann Kruse, a school teacher from marketing- at least in western Germany. (In­ Schleswig-Holstein, whose mother had been terestingly, reproduction and marketing of the _slandered as a witch in her native village. The grimoire are prohibited in Communist East slander and communal rejection suffered by Germany.) Each edition has come out , with the family on account of the reputation had I slight alterations in style and contents. Al- inflicted so much mental anguish on the young though the changes between one and the next Johann that later as an adult he made it his edition may have been slight, these changes allconsuming effort to fight superstitions of have added up to be quite significant over the this sort and turned into a self-made ethnol­ nearly 200 years of the book's existence. This ogist and founder and director of the Archives may explain, among other things, why Jewish for the Investigation of Contemporary Witch­ scholars, whom I showed the grimoire, right craft Superstition at Hanburg in the Federal away noticed the imprecise or faked Hebrew Republic of Germany. He combatted the characters used to represent certain "seals" spread of witchcraft with passion and made it and formulas. It is quite possible that erstwhile his personal vendetta to suppress the grimoire . correct characters may have been distorted in He saw the book as an instigator of illegal, if the prosess of copying, recopying, and reprint­ not outright murderous, behavior and referred ing the various editions; it must be remem­ to one of the book's "seals" (not found in sub­ bered that photographic techniques to repro­ sequent editions) that promised that he who duce books with a high degree of fidelity have would kill nine persons could expect a large not been developed until just recently. Hence fortune through magical means . Kruse was the question as to whether the undecipherable able to point to a case in the 1920s when a man Hebrew script in some parts of the grimoire is by the name of Angerstein proceeded with the pure fake or simply the result of deteriorating demonic instruction, and was arrested just be­ copying of several generations of editions must fore he could carry out his ninth killing. He be left open. was convicted on eight counts of murder and Changes in contents occurred mostly by add­ sentenced to die. On a less extreme tangent, ing formulas, recipes, and folk cures. The most Kruse held the book, and consequently the notably modified edition in this sense came out publisher, responsible for stimulating the ex­ in the 1930s by the publishing house Guten­ ploitation of superstition for profit, causing an­ berg in Dresden, emphasizing old German re­ tisocial behavior and encouraging the slander medies and even alluding to the scientific val­ of innocent persons as witches . He cited 56 idity of a number of them. This modification lawsuits that had involved the book since 1945 may be seen in the light of the larger national and police statistics that showed that in the effort at the time to revive ancient Germanic 1950s an estimated 10,000 Hexenbanner customs and folklore. It is strange , however, (witch-doctors or "healers" , the equivalent to that the obvious Semitic script (or imitation the old English "cunning man") had been ply­ thereoD in which many of the "seals" are cast ing their trade in West Germany.

57 Kruse sued the Planet publisher, trying to publications was the 1979 Karin Kramer edi­ achieve a "cease and desist" order against the tion in West Berlin.) Its temporal advance publishing of the grimoire. A 1956 court hear­ seems to be matched by a new surge in geo­ ing exhibited two opposing teams of experts . graphic spread: It has reached the shores of the On one side, Professor Will-Erich Peuckert, re­ New World and is selling briskly in the land of nowned ethnologist from the University of the Americans and can be bought for a few Giittingen, testified for the defendant; on the dollars in bookstores specializing in the occult. other side, Professor Prokop spoke for Kruse's In fact most of my descriptions in this report cause . The court found the publisher guilty of are based on an American edition , claiming to deceit and "harmful publication," prohibited be a direct translation from the German publication, and imposed a fine. However, the ("Translated from the German, Word for Word, appeals court disagreed, granted continued according to Old Writings," The Sixth and Sev­ publication, rescinded the fine, and Kruse lost enth Books of Moses, (title page)). It is note­ the case. The main credit for the ultimate out­ worthy that this manual of magic and sorcery come must probably be given to Professor is becoming particularly popular with black Peuckert, who employed his well known power Americans, who believe that the book reveals a ofrhetoric to impress the court with the princi­ type of ,magic akin to that of their African ple of free expression and, more specifically, ancestry. The irony of the grimoire, then, is the value of age-old remedies and folk customs . that it may contribute to the revival of voodoo­ In any case, Kruse and Peuckert emerged from like practices, if not outright witchcraft, in the the controversy to remain irreconcilable oppo­ United States. nents, if not personal enemies. The record shows that Peuckert never for­ References gave Kruse for "intrusion onto his territory" of folklore and ethnology - a territory he had Betz, Hans Dieter 1986: The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation, Including the Demotic Spells. Chi­ staked out through many years of research, cago, University of Chicago Press. lecturing, and functioning as court-appointed Gammache, Henry, ed. 1967: Mysteries of the Long expert in trials involving the practice and crim­ Lost 8th, 9th and 10th Books of Moses. Highland inal consequences of witchcraft. He found fault Falls. N.Y., Sheldon Publications. Jacoby, Adolf 1931: Die Zauberbiicher vom Mittelal­ with literally everything that Kruse had ad­ ter bis zur Neuzeit. In : Mitteilungen der schle­ vanced - his ideas, research procedure, termi­ sischen Gesellschaft fur Volkskunde 31/32, Bres­ nology, and even spelling (Peuckert, 1960: lau. 123-148). Although Peuckert may have had Kruse, Johann 1951: Hexen unter uns? Magie und some logical ground for criticizing Kruse's re­ Zauberglauben in unserer Zeit. Hamburg, Ham­ burgische Biicherei. search methods and theoretical assumptions, I Mackay , Charles 1841: Extraordinary Popular Delu­ find his criticism arrogant and unduly pedantic sions and the Madness of Crowds. 1974 Reprint by - as well as amusing, because Peuckert's own Noonday Press, New York. writing style is so convoluted and awkward in Monter, E. William 1976: Witchcraft in France and Switzerland. Ithaca, N.Y., Cornell University grammar that one can often only guess at Press. what he meant to say . More importantly, how­ Peuckert , Will-Erich 1960: Verborgenes Niedersach­ ever, Peuckert found Kruse ignorant of the sen. Gottingen, Schwartz & Co. larger context of magical literature, a genre Peuckert, Will-Erich 1957: Das 6. and 7. Buch Mosis. with an impressive tradition that reaches back In: Zeitschrift fur deutsche Philologie 76: 163-187. Sebald, Hans 1978: Witchcraft - The Heritage of a into ancient cultures and includes much more Heresy. New York, Elsevier . than mere "aggressive" spells, but also recipes Sebald, Hans 1987 : Hexen damals - und heute? and the tradition of magia naturalis. Frankfurt, Umschau. The grimoire of the "Books of Moses" is free Sechstes und siebentes Buch Mosis. 1979. Berlin, Ka­ rin Kramer. to continue its journey through the 20th cen­ Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses or Moses' Magical tury and most likely will triumphantly enter Art-Spirit. No date; no publisher identified; the 21st century. (One of the more recent re- printed in the United States .