Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, an encouragement to black magic

Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, an encouragement to black magic

Pseudomonarchia Daemonum is the title of a 16th-century work that translates from Latin as “false monarchy of demons.”Although it is believed that the intention of its author John Vera was quite different, it became a manual for black magic. And in this capacity it functions to this day.

Jan Wier (or actually Johann Weyer) was born in the Netherlands in 1515 and died in Germany in 1588. He was a pupil of the eminent magician and philosopher Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa. By training, however, he was a physician and demonologist. Jan Wier was also a supporter of the Reformation initiated by Martin Luther and an opponent of witchcraft trials conducted by the Holy Office of the Inquisition. He gave expression to this in his books.

Witch-hunting

In the Middle Ages there was a belief in the omnipresence of Satan, who wants to destroy the divine order of the world and uses human beings to do it. Fear of him was widespread. Heresy and witchcraft were also widespread. The Holy Office of the Inquisition had already been established by then, but witchcraft trials took a turn for the worse in the Renaissance. Women, in particular, became their victims, which was due to the belief that the devil was a man and women were his mistresses. In 1487, a manual for witch-hunters titled Malleus Maleficarum (Hammer on Witches) was published by two German inquisitors, Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger. This sinister treatise focused largely on how to identify, torture and punish witches.

De praestigiis daemonum, or the objection of John Vier

In protest against the Malleus Maleficarum, Jan Wier’s book De praestigiis daemonum (On the Deceptive Tricks of Demons) was published in Basel in 1563. The founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, later described it as one of the ten most important books of all time. In its pages, for the first time in history, the term “mental illness” appeared in reference to women, who were accused of pacting with the devil. John Wier did not deny its existence. Instead, he believed that the behavior of the alleged witches was due to mental illness, not to their free will. He claimed that they do not distinguish between reality and fiction, which the devil takes advantage of. He took a different view of sorcerers. He said that magicians are of sound mind, and therefore consciously enter into conspiracies with the devil. John Wier stressed that the devil is more powerful than people, but he is not more powerful than God. He creates illusions and tricks the senses, which gives the impression that a person has supernatural abilities. And sorcerers, unlike witches, deliberately allow him to deceive himself, and moreover help him deceive other people. This is important for understanding the work Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, which appeared as a supplement to the indicated book in 1577.

An incentive to black magic?

Pseudomonarchia Daemonum describes sixty-nine members of the infernal monarchy, starting with Bael and ending with Stolas. It presents not only their names, but also their appearance and powers. Also included in the work are ways of summoning and subjugating them, to show how sorcerers do it. Pseudomonarchy Daemonum presents “evidence of the stupidity” of the magi. What is worth noting, John Wier does not go into the details of the rituals, which makes the book really useless. So it seems that his intention was not to persuade people to practice black magic. And yet the work has become an encouragement for it.