Ars Notoria
The Grimoire of Rapid Learning by Magic, with the Golden Flowers of Apollonius of Tyana
Will be published approx. on 31. August 2019
Book
Hardback
425 pages
978-1-912212-03-3 (ISBN)
Description
The Ars Notoria is a mediaeval grimoire, or magician's manual, which was widely distributed and very popular in the 13th-16th century, but virtually unknown today. It is however still very relevant in the 21st century because it contains detailed techniques to enable the practitioner to absorb whole subjects very rapidly, and to understand very complex subjects on first reading, as well as remembering whatever has been read. Of all the grimoires attributed to the Solomonic tradition of magic, one of the oldest and most enigmatic is the Ars Notoria. Like the many magic manuscripts this work was pseudepigraphically attributed to several famous individuals ranging from Solomon (who reputedly received the book directly from God via the hand of the angel Pamphilius), through its supposed translation by the magician Apollonius of Tyana who called it Flores aurei, or the Golden flowers, to Euclid of Thebes. The Ars Notoria stands alone in its own category of angel grimoires, for while most other Solomonic grimoires are concerned with the evocation of spirits or demons, the Ars Notoria instead was concerned only with memory and the ability to understand and absorb whole subjects rapidly. It offered to grant almost instant proficiency in any of the seven Liberal Arts, making it a veritable students grimoire, a key to obtaining knowledge rapidly. Yet despite its popularity and enduring history the Ars Notoria has never been printed in its complete form. From its early published Latin appearance in Agrippa's Opera Omnia to the first and only English translation by Robert Turner in 1657, all published versions of this work have omitted the most vital component of its operation, the notae, a set of complex pictorial illustrations that are the heart of its system. That is however until now. The present edition contains all the notae which have always been left out of other printed editions, without which the system just does not work. For the first time ever the Ars Notoria is presented in its complete form. In this edition we present not just one but five complete sets of notae taken from various manuscripts, alongside a corrected edition of Turners English translation. We also present a complete facsimile of Yale University's Beinecke MS Mellon 1 in full colour, the earliest known manuscript of this work, with a complete copy of the 1620s printed Latin text. Detailed commentary is provided on its origins, content, possible authors, owners, methods of use, and practical considerations as well as comprehensive tables of the almost 100 notae variants. The progress of the Ars Notoria is traced from its Greek origins, via its flourishing 13th century monastic life to its supposed inclusion in the Lemegeton.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Illustrations
Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 255 mm
Width: 175 mm
Weight
1150 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-912212-03-3 (9781912212033)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Content
ContentsAcknowledgements 9List of Figures 101. BackgroundTrivium and Quadrivium11Main Schools of Magic13Ars Notoria and the Lemegeton14Origin of the Ars Notoria 16Greek Origins19Critics and Famous Owners20Possible Authors23John of Morigny and the Liber Visionum25Ars Notoria and the Liber Juratus27Distribution of the Manuscripts of the Ars Notoria28Printed Editions29Turners English Translation 29Versions of the text of Ars Notoria32Derivative Works33The Figure of Memory33Symbolism of the Ineffable 5th nota of Theology362. Magicians, Physicians, Scribes, Collectors, and a TranslatorApollonius of Tyana (c. 15 c. 100)37Euclid of Thebes42Hartmann Schedel (1440 1514)43Albert V, Duke of Bavaria (1528-1579)44Simon Forman (1552 1611)46George Wrighte (1697 1724)56Robert Turner (1626 c. 1666)58Sir Hans Sloane(1660 1724)613. The Main Manuscripts674. The Notae845. Compendium and Distribution of the Notae906. Method of Use and Practical Considerations112Ars Notoria7. Full Manuscript of the earliest Ars Notoria (1225)1218. English Translation of the Ars Notoria (reorganised)160 Prologue1641. Flores AureiSections 1-701652. Of the Liberal Arts or triviumSections 71-1091873. Ars NovaSections 110-1252004. Novem TerminiSections 126-1272065. Orations and NotaeSections 128-1472086. Supplementary Gloss & PrayersSections S148-S1762159. Complete sets of Notae from four key manuscripts231MS Sloane 1712c. 1250232MS CLM 276 c. 1350250MS BnF 9336 14th century273MS Yar. Var. 34 160029610. Latin text of the Ars Notoria in Agrippas Opera Omnia328Appendix 1 Table of Subjects386Appendix 2 List of the prayers in Ars Notoria387Appendix 3 List of borrowings by Liber Juratus from Ars Notoria393Appendix 4 Known works by Robert Turner 396Appendix 5 - Full Text of the Orations borrowed by Liber Juratus000Bibliography400Index413 List of Figures01: King Solomon receiving a book of Wisdom from the angel 402: Notae in the form of a column resting on an inverted head 2003: Byzantine column supported by an inverted head of Medusa 2004: Title page of Agrippa s De Occulta Philosophia, 15513205: The Figure of Memory as it appears in Agrippas Opera Omnia3606: The Figure of Memory in its complete form3707: A stone talisman invoking the power of seven archangels4108: Inscription commemorating Apollonius life and qualities4309: Woodcut of Erfurt in Hartmann Schedels Nuremberg Chronicle4510: Albert V, Duke of Bavaria4611: Bookplate of the Dukes of Bavaria in CLM 2764712: Simon Forman, astrologer and physician4913: The frontispiece of John Meltons Astrologaster, 16205114: Liber de Arte Memoratiua siue Notoria, Trinity College O.9.75415: Scandalous aristocrats: Francis Howard and her lovers5516: The armorial bookplate of George Wrighte5917: Gothurst (Gayhurst) House, late 16th century6018: Robert Turner as he appears in his book Botanologia, 16646319: Portrait of Sir Hans Sloane6420: Milk Chocolate: Sir Hans Sloane and Cadburys6621: Montagu House, sold to the British Museum in 17596822: A variant form of the Second nota of Rhetoric9023: Compendium of notae with their manuscript folio locations9424: Compendium of notae arranged by subject 9825: Thumbnails of the notae from key manuscripts10226: Commencement and fourth month notae inspection dates 124?27-62: MS Yale Mellon 1126-16163: Title page of Robert Turners Ars Notoria translation16464: The Figure of Memory (English)21365-81: MS BL Sloane 1712239-25582-108: MS BSB CLM 276258-279109-130: MS BnF Lat. 9336282-303131-160: MS NLI Yah. Var. 34296-327161: Figure of Memory (Latin)391162: List of the Subjects395163: List of Orations398164: Borrowings of prayers by Liber Juratus from Ars Notoria404165: List of books written and translated by Robert Turner408166: List of the main Ars Notoria Manuscripts415