Full Description
• Explores the schools of Solomonic magic around the world and works such as The Greater and Lesser Keys of Solomon the King and The Hygromancy of Solomon
• Examines Solomon's magical possessions, including his famous ring that gave him command over animals, weather, demons, genies, and djinns, as well as his amulets, remedies, exorcisms, and charms
• Looks at the extensive presence of Solomon in folklore around the world, including in Armenia, Malaysia, Russia, Bulgaria, Morocco, India, and Egypt
Looking at the Solomonic magical tradition and Solomon's profound influence on esoteric traditions around the world, Claude Lecouteux reveals King Solomon not only as one of the great kings of prehistory but also as the ancient world's foremost magician and magus. Examining the primary sources on Solomon, such as the Bible, the Koran, and the writings of Flavius Josephus, the author explores Solomon's judgments, his explorations, his literary and scientific works (including an herbal), and his constructions beyond the eponymous temple, such as the copper city in Andalus built by the djinns and the baths of Sulayman. He also looks at Solomon's magical possessions, such as his famous ring and the Philosopher's Stone. The author examines the supernatural powers granted to Solomon by his ring, which he received from the angel Gabriel, including command over animals, weather, and demons, and explores in detail Solomon's power over genies and djinns.
Following the esoteric threads hidden within the primary sources on Solomon, Lecouteux reveals the work of Solomon the Magician, exploring his amulets, remedies, exorcisms, charms, and his influence on Arab and Western magic. Providing illustrations of sigils, talismans, and other magic symbols related to Solomon, the author examines the schools of Solomonic Folkloremagic and works such as The Greater and Lesser Keys of Solomon the King and The Hygromancy of Solomon. He then looks at the extensive presence of Solomon in folklore worldwide, including in Armenia, Israel, Malaysia, Eastern Europe, Russia, Morocco, India, Mongolia, and among the Abyssinians of Ethiopia and the Copts in Egypt. He also looks at Solomon's role within the Bulgarian tradition from which the Cathars derived.
Painting an in-depth portrait of Solomon the Magician-King, Lecouteux reveals how this legendary magus left a deep impression upon the occult, magical traditions, and philosophies of the ancient world that can still be felt to this day.
Contents
Acknowledgments
INTRODUCTION
The Legend of King Solomon
PART ONE
The King
ONE
The Source Texts
TWO
Solomon and the Animals
THREE
Solomon's Constructions
FOUR
The Judgments of Solomon
FIVE
Solomon's Possessions
SIX
Solomon's Literary and Scientific Works
SEVEN
Solomon's Explorations
EIGHT
Solomon and the Djinns
NINE
The Sins of Solomon
TEN
Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
ELEVEN
Solomon and Death
TWELVE
Solomon among the Sabaeans
PART TWO
The Magician
THIRTEEN
The Testament of Solomon
FOURTEEN
Solomon's Hygromancy
FIFTEEN
The Keys of Solomon
SIXTEEN
The Other Magic Books
SEVENTEEN
The Archaeological Traces of Solomon
EIGHTEEN
The Lapidaries of Solomon
NINETEEN
The Account of Zosimos of Panopolis
TWENTY
Solomon's Successors
PART THREE
Solomon in Folklore
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
