Invoking Angels: Theurgic Ideas and Practices, Thirteenth to Sixteenth Centuries

400 Pages·2012·62.4 MB·English

by  Claire Fanger

INVOKAINNGGE LS
INVOKINAGN GELS
THEURGIC IDEAS anJP RACTICES,
THIRTEENTH to SIXTEENTHC ENTURIES
Edited by
CLAIRE FANGER
THE PENNSYLVANISAT ATEU NIVERSITPYR ESS
UNIVERSITY PAR.K. PENNSYLVANIA
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vii
INTRODUCTION: THEURGY, MAGIC,A ND MYSTICISM
ClaFiarneg er
I. Texotfts h Thei rteeanntEdh ar lFyo urteCeenntthu ries
MagiThce,ur gayn,S dp iitruailnti htMeye dieRviatlu al
oft hAer s notoria 37
JluiWerno n(eEsneg tlriasnhsb lyCa ltaiFioarnne g er)
2 UpliftSionugThl esL :i bdeeer s sesnpttiuiruai m
antdh Lei bRearz ielis 79
Sophie Page
3 TheL ibieurr Haotnuosar ntidh iCe h risRteicaenp tion
ofA ngMealg ic 131
KateMleysnl er
Honorainutdsh Sei goifGl o dTh:e L iber ini uratus
4
BerengGaarnieSolu l'msms aa cmraeg ice 151
JaRn.V eenstra
5 Covenaanntdth Dei vine RNeavmies:ti htLeii nbigeu rr atus
anJdo honfM origLniybfl'seou rrm 192
ClaFiarneg er
Vi CON TENTS
IIL.a tFeo urteThernotuhgS-hixt eenth-CTeenxttsu ry
6 AntodnaiM oo ntolDmeoo 'csc uelmtta insif esort is
Libienrt elliAgneA nnntoitaaCrtruiemtdE:i d ciatli on
withE ngliTsrha nslaantIdin torno duction 219
NicoWleaisl l(-icPnoa lrloatb woirtJhau tlWiiroeonnn ese)
7 BetwetehnMe a rcohfA ncoannaFd l oreJnecweiM:sa hg ic
anadC hrisTteixta n 294
Harvey]. Hames
8 LagnuagSee,c reancdy,t h eM ysteorfLi aewsTh: e urangyd
theC hrisKtaibabnalo afJh o hanRneuecshl in 312
ElliRo.Wt olfson
9 RituIanlv ocaatnEidao rnMl oyd eSrcni e:Thn ecS ekrying
ExperiomfeH nutmsp hrGeiyl bert 341
FraKnlk aassen
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
lhis book toomkor et haand e acdet op utto getehr. Duringt hatti mmeyc hil­
dreng rewu pa nlde hfto mea,nId a ccetepd ap ositaitRio cneU n ievritsya nd
movedf roOmn tatroTie xoas O.f t helsiefe -chaenvgeinnfingti ss,h inbgo otkh is
was inn ow ayt hlee aismpotr atnt. Io wem any dofeg bartttuisd e, firstott he
othere igchotn tribfuotpraot erinst,bl eyari ngw itmheal l thtiismd ee,l ivering
everythingI a skeda nfbdoe rl,i eivnthi enp grjeo catn;dt om yt woc areafnudl
perceprteisveeaa srschi sMtaarngtaMsrc,eC tat hrwyh,o d raftetdh bei bliogra­
phya,nd J essMicNcaall wyh,o h elped withfin icmkaybn yi otfspr oofreading
andc onsitesncyc heckiThnegw .o rokfb othhab se einn valuThaeb twloea .n on­
ymousr eadfeoPrres n Snta teP resasl ssigoni ficantyli nfortmhfieend als ahpeo f
theb ookan, dt hdei liegncea nkde eant tenotfSui zaonnn Weo lk,c opyedihtaosr ,
profounaffdelcyd tb eotthh ceo nsisotfie trnsec fye reannctdih qneug a loifit tys
proseF.o cro mmeonntm syp iceeso ft hbeo oaktv a riotuism aensid n v arious
stages,an df omro rsalu ppaottrh tre igmhotm enItw osu,l ldi kteot haJnoks eph
GoerinKga,r en KalneNdti tcehroW,alt assoM ny.f at eh,r DaviFdan ger, helped
me top olimsyht ransloaftti hoeeln eg ant FroefnJu cliehn V eroneasndew ith
mucehl bseesid es. My husband,P aulC oyne, sawo urch ildreno ff,p ackeudp
ouhro usaena,dr rangedf otrh meat erialt ransopfeo vrte rythinIog w no vethre
thirt een hundrebde tmwiuelsee;ns th af,to arn dpe rahpsm orthea na nything
elsef oargre eingt oc omwei tmhea nsdt aorultri voveesir nT exhaesi s,si nqe uo
non. ToJ iFma ubiIoo wne g ratiftuorrde aedin ga nrdes pondingt ot hsee ocnd
incarnatoift ohnie n trodauncd ttohi oinamn, dt oW. R.D ullfo rt heiinrc redi­
blgee nerionsfe eiditngym ea npdu ttair noogof v emry h eadduri ngt hfien al
monthAsl.lo ft hepseepoe lh avfeca ilittahtere edso luotifnuo nme rousp rbo­
lemasn;ry emaienrirnaogrr oesfc, o ursmey, own.
Id editchbaiotsote kmo y f atwhieltr,oh v e.
INTRODUCTION:
THEURGY, MAGIC, ANMDY STICISM
ClairFea nger
This isth be oobky w hich Gcoadnb es eefna cteof acient hilsi fThei.si st hbeo obky w hich
anyoneat al lc anb es aveadn du nhesitabteil negdflo yr inttho e ternlial.f .e. Th.i si st he
bookw hicwha st hem osptr ecitohuisng gi vebnyt heL ord-moprree citohuasan n ything
else excetphtes acrameThnitssi .st heb ookb yw hiccho rporaenadvl i sinbalteu craen
speak, converasnedb, e i nstrubcytt ehdaw th icihsi ncorpoarnedia nlvi sible.
-fromt hefi nalp aragroafpt hh Le ibieurra tHuosn orii
Nakeda st hemya yb ea,b strafcrtoecmdo nteaxntdp resenitnte hdee videinnt­
nocencoef t hewiirs fhu lfillmtehnetsc,el aimwsh,ic cho nclutdheef ourteenth­
centurSyw orno fHB oonooikru1 t se,st tiofyt hep ersistoeftn wcoef undamental
questiocnesn ttraotl h ivso lume:
L Howm ayt hed ivibneem anifienst th iwso rladn di nt hintghsa htu manb e­
ingcsa nk no?w
2. Howm ayh umanb eingusn,fift o dri rekcnto wledogfte h ed ivine, neverthe­
lesesn gawgiet dhi vine tihnoi rndgetsro b es aved?
Therea roe themro,r ec onventional respoqnuseesst iitonton h selt a hteesre
MiddleA gesb,u tt hivso lumiesa bousto meo ft hel escso nventioonneasThl.e
essaysc ollechteerldeo oakt a v arioefta yl ternvaiteiwvoseft her elatioonfs hip
humanb einwgist thh ed ivianser ,e cordientd e xtthsa t entgraagdei ttihoen­al
ologainedsl iturignui neuss uwaaly ss,o metiwmeeasv itnogg etshoeurr cferso m
moret haonn er eligainodns ometimferso ms ourcceosm monlrye gardaesd
magicSaolm.e o ft hestee xwtesr ceo ndemnbeydm edievaanlde arly modern
theologiaasbn esi nignt hes amec laasssd emonimca giDce.s pitthee sitra tus,
thena ndn owo,u tsitdheec anoonfm edievraell igainodud se votiworniatli ngs,
2 INVOKING ANGELS
thetseex otffsei rm porptaenrts peocntt ihvseet su odfyr eliignit ohMnei ddle
AgeIsn.g enera, tlheayt tteots htep l urality ofv isioofrne lsii ogusp ractniocte ,
onyli nth el atMeird dAlgee bsu ti nttohs eix teecnethn tThueryya .l sdoe mon­
stratthea t ptlhuriasilt yi ncludfeedr tcirloes s-cuelxtuchraangle. Theira bun­
dancienm anuscartitpettso at nsi ncreainsetriesntgi n a lternaftoirvmoesf
accetsos d tihiveen, a ndp erhaspa lstooap araallnexile tthyoa rdti anryl iturgies
ansda cramemnigthstn otb es ufficientt op rocsuarlev atioy,n t.h evFsaiern ia­ll
ousap proachest ot hdei vianle sbeoar u ponn aturalp hilossociepnhcey, a,n d
raitnoality,d emandmionrgne u anced aptpotr horea eclhaetiso nbsehtwiepesn
scienitficp ractiacnedds e votoinoensa.l
Untfiali rrelceyn tyl, thewsoer khasd r emained aunltomuohcsedtb yhi sto­
rianStsar.ti ngi nt hlea 1t9e8 0tsh,eb reeg atnob ea m arkinecdr eainss ec holar­
shiopn m edievalr itumaalg itce xatnsd r,e altedly, ont hber oadpreorb loemf
magiOcve.rth ep astt eyne artsh,ter i ckleo fn ewart iclbeoso,k ansd,e ditoifo ns
thetseexh tasis n creatsose od methtihnamgit g ahltm obsetc alals epda Itnem .y
199c8o llecCtoinorjniu nSgp irIic tosm,p latihnatethda e r eoaf teaxtnsmd a nu­
scriopfmts ed eivali ntellemcagtiucsa lt ihaldlt oloi ttcloe verbaegyeo wnhda t
wasa vailaibnLl yen Thno rndike's HistoofrM ya giacn d ExperimSecniteanlc e,
compleint1 e9d5 N8o.w2t haer elao ockomsp leteyld iffereInnft a.c itm,p ortant
newd iscovaerrceiom einsgs ot hiacnkdfa stt haitti so ftedni fficfuolprt u bli­
catoni tok eeupp -gettain negw d iscoivnetprory i bnetf oirtie so utdaitsae d
chalelngteh acatn bboet ehx hilaraatnindgfr sutratinfgo trh oisnev od.l v3e
Forth isb ooIkh ,a vse olicciotnetdr ibfurtoismoc nhso wlhaorsswe o rhka s
made signifiicannrto iandttso hs fi ormwiledre rnestsrer toiry. Taketonge tehr,
thee ssacyosl lehcetrseehd e ldi gohntc o nnectiboentsw etehnde o maionfs
reliagnidso cni enacsce o ntinausopuesoc fthsa bfiotwrrui st earnsod p erators
oft hetseex tthse;sy h ohwo wn ecessiatir syt oc onsimdeedri eavnalde arly
moderne pistemoalsao w ghyo lwiet,ih n thceo ntoefax lttlh kie ndosft extthsat
concern it.
Int hhei tosryo fi deatsh,"em aigcal" haosft enm ergeed asa l abfeolar ni dea
ora pprotahcahapt p raentyls houhladv bee ebnr okaewna fyr oemar lier- a
problofef mos siltihinzkiendg. 4 Y eitfm odern sciehnactsee ndteodd e finiet self
byo pposittoaim oagni c wtahaistn p rinciolpdelr,el eknsoswi nga,n lde spsr o­
gressaivtte h,se a mtei mteh per ocoefs"n sor mal scienhcaes"a lwaypsr ag­
maticadaalpteldyi tsteolt fh me odeosft hougehxtp,l anaantedix poernmi,e ntal
practoifct eh eti meS.oa lshaosn ormmala giocfc, o urIsnde iff.e erntw ayst he
cosmiincfu sioonfk nowlesdoguegb hytt h lei tuorftgh Ayer sn oto(rdiia scussed
byV eronetshees )p,i rictuoaslm oldoegyt aiinlA entdon iod aM ontlomo'sD e
occueltmt aisn if(edsitsicbusys W seiledl -Paanrtdoh step )i,r it-cdoinajruriiensg
ofH umphreyG ilber(td iscubsysKl eada ssaellns )h ohwo wm edievaanlde a ryl
INTRODUCTION 3
modern intewlrlietcmetirugsah lt asstohcaein agteelw iocr ladnsd t hweo rlodfs
human knowledgaeto nceex perimlelnsytc,ai entlilfiaycn,ad s piritually.
Anothears peocftt hep remodern episiltleummoilnoagbtyyet dh esees syas
is thep urposebfruilc oloafJg eew isChh,r istainadIn s,l amriict uealle metnhtast
appeari nt hesteet xs.W hilteh em utuailn flueonfcm eesd ievJaelw isChh,r is­
tian, andI slamwirci teornps h ilosoapnhdsy c ienhcaevle o nbge eans ubjeocft
exam inatifooinrn tellehcitsutaolrt ihaein nst,e racbteitownet ehne sgreo uposn
typologicaanlg,e loloagnidcl ailt,u rgliecvaehlla ssb eemnu chh ardteors tudy,
in partb ecauosfer estricitmipoonsseb dyd isciplbionuanrdya rbiuets ,m ore
significantlbye cautsheed atfao sru cihn teracdteipoennssd os tronognlt ye xts
thatar ee xaminheedr iend eptihn,s omec asfeostr h efi rstti mMea.n ye ssaiyns
this volumaer ceo ncerwnietdkh e yp oinotfts h iisn tercualntdui rnatle rreligious
conversaTtoipoinrc.as n gfer omth eL atiLni bRearz iaendlL iisbd eeer s sentia
spiriutmud,i sscsuebdyS ophiPaeg et,on ewfi ndinognst hper obabrleel ation­
ship betweCehnr istJieawni,s ahn,dM usliimn fluenocnet sh eL ibieurr atus
HonobyrJ ina Vie,en satnrdaK atelMyens letroa, n alyosfet sh ew ayJ ewiasnhd
Christiaind entiatrifeeo sr metdh rouagnhd a gainst aibdoeuetaa sc oht her's li­
turgical practaissc heosw,in n e ssabyyms y self, HHaarmveesay,n dE lliWootl f­
son.I ti so nlbyy o peniunpgt heh istoorfiy d eaassw, e lalst he varhiiosutso ries
of scienacneds piritutaolc iotnyt,e mplaotfti eoxnot fst hiksi ntdh awte c an
begin tof oramt ruhliys torpiiccatluo rfme e dievaanlde armloyd erlni fe.
IT.e xtasn dC ontexts
Oneg oaolf t hibso oki st ob rinfgo rwanredw r eseadracthfa o src holwahros
specializei nm edievmaaln uscroifpm tasg ibcu;t i ti sa lshoo petdh atth eb ook
mayp rovisdoem eu sefuiln formattoia o bnr oadaeurd ienocfre e aders inter­
ested in contiguaoruesao sfm edievsaolc icaull,t uarnadlr ,e lighiiousst oBrey­.
cause nota lplo tentrieaald ewrislb lef amilwiiatrth h tee xutnsd edri scusisni on
this volumweh,a tf olloiwsas b riceofn spectus,t og piavnreot vliycr ee adear s
thumbnails ketocfht hesree latiovbeslcyut reex tpsa,r ttloiy n dicsaotmee thing
ofth e wayt heh istorniacrraalt iavreo untdh emw ilblef urthcehra ngbeydt he
essaysi nt hibso ok.
The Arsn otoroiNrao tAorryt
The Arnsoo trwiaasa texats critboeS do lomocno ntainai lnegn gtsheyot f
prayerasn dr ituparlasc tifcoetrdh ep urpoosfeg aining knowflreodamgn eg els.
Iwta so neo ft hmeo scto mmona ndp opulwaorr kosfm edievaanlg emla gic, yet
4 INVOKING ANGELS
untrielc enitthla yd n otb eedne emewdo rthyo fa c ritiecdailt iAocnc.o rdtion g
JulieVne ronewsheo,h asp roductehdfie rscrtitic aeld itiooftn h tee xatn di st he
scholmaors ti ntimwaittehi thsi tosry,i tp robabelmyerg edi nt hel attew lefth
centuirnyn ortheIrtnal yp,r obabilnty h er egioofnB olog5n Gai.v etnh atth e
perioofde mergenocfte h Aer nso tocroirar espwiontdhts h rei soeft huen iversi­
tieisti, sp e rhapusn surpritshiatnthg es o ughtkn-foowrled geh eriesc urcruilar
knowledgteh:we o rkpe titionsa ngetlots r anskmniotw ledogfte h see velinbe ral
artpsh,il osopahnydt, h eoloigynt hoer deirnw hicthh ewye rseu pposteohd a ve
beelne arnbeydt h es tudenThte. operaotfot rh er ituiasal i deidnt hiqsu ebsyt
ane laborsaeottfe m editaefit giuvretsh,en oate(o nro tewsh)e,n caecc,o rdignt o
thete xt'so wne tymologiysd, e rivtehdew ordn ot roi 6a Th.e worda ppeatrobs e
relatteo"d n otaarnyd,s "c ridboess o metiminetesr hcangeth etw o spellings.'
The enormoaupsp eoaflt het exmta yb ej udgendo to nlbyy th e numbeorf
manuscriinpc tirsc ulat(itohnei rsae l smoo ret haonn ee arplryin teedd ition),8
buta lsboy t hen umbero ft heologwiacranli nigsss uaebdo uitt P.er hapsth e
mostfr equenrtleyp eatcaevde haatd t od ow itthh el ikelihtohoadtht e p rayers
usinwgo rdisn u nknown laguan gesm ighstu mmond emondse,s piatlaelss er­
tiotnost hec ontraYreyet.v etnh ougcho ndemnatoifto hnets e xwte rfer equent,
iti sa lscol e(aarwis l ble s eebne low int hec asoefJ ohn Moofr igntyh)aa ttl east
somep eopelnec ounteirftio ntrgh fier stti mhea dn os ensoefi ta sa c ondemned
ord angerousw orkb utr athaeprp rehenidtae,tdl eaasttfi rsats,a viabsleeot f
prayethrasts o ughtr easonable bbylee gniteifiamttesm eansTh.e prayetrhse m­
selv(easlt e atshto sthea td on otu seu nknown names-thaererm ea nyl engthy
prayeirnas m edleoyfL atiGnr,e eHke,b reCwh,a ldeaannd,A rabiucs)es tan­
darldi turgfiocramlul aaen da rei ndistingufirsohmoa tbhleCera tholipcr ayers
bys tyleo rc onteDnetp.cit oins ofa ngeolftse nd ecortahtpeea ges.
Somep arotf t hep opularoiftyt heA rsn ootriwaa st hupsr obabdluyet oi ts
self-represaessn atcarteindood;n o ubitt psr oliferwaatshi eolnp eadl ontgo,o ,
byt hep ragmantaitcu orfei tasd vertgiosaeld(s w hicmhi ghpto tentieaalsley
theex penosfue nivesrtusdiyrty,e ducintgi msep enotne ducatainodtn h oev er­
alclo sotfb ookansd exemplarBsy)t .h el atfeo urteceenntthu trhyet exetx isted
in severvaelr sioannsdc, o pifreosm thipse riodc anb ef oundde rivifnrgom
manyE uropelaonc atiThoen esa.r lioers" tA,v, e"r si(oanVs e ronelasbeels i ti n
hiesd itiiosna }nu, n glossed ritucaoln tainpirnagy enrost,a aen,ds omem ytho­
historciocnatle bxuttal, m ostn or ituianls trucat siloing;h tlyv erlsait(oetnrh e
"B"ve rsioinn)c9l utdheoesr iginal apnrdna yoetrasna dae d dasn e xtensiveg loss
containing rituailn strucatnidof nusrt hemryt hohistocrointcxeat.lTh e gloss
offercsl uteost hues ea ndr eceptoifto hnbe a silci turgy, asnosmweie mrpionrg­
tanqtu estiaobnosuh to wt her ituwaalss upposteobd e p erformaenddh owi t
INTRODUCTION 5
was understaonodd thought Parbiotouortt h.we o rokf V eornseet,h ree lation
between thve ariovuesr siooftn hsen otoarrywt a su nknowna,n dt heg lsosed
-rersion wase sselnltuyin aeradI.nh icsh aptientr h ivso lumVee,r onesea gives
descriptivea ndi nterreptiavcec ouonftt h gel osvseerds idoens,c ritbhioenp ge r­
ating instrucatsri eopnrse seinntt hegedl osisneP sa riBsi,b liotnhaetqiuoen ale
de Franclea,9t .3 3t6h,ez no omionugtt o t remaotr ber aodlys omoef t hoep era­
tive resemblabnectewset ehnAe rnso toNreiopal,a ttohneriugcy a,n dC hristian
sacram ents.
As wast hce ommofna toefm anym edieval ltihtneuo rtgaiareryswt ,a sf re­
quentlyt akeanp aarntd ciotmsp onernetpsu rpoistpesrd a;y evresr,bf aorlm ulae,
and structiudreiwanesgr ree usiendo thewro rkss,o mme oren earalnyds ome
mordei starnetllaytt oei dtTh .e wortkh aitsm osetx pcliitcloyn necttoie itd st h e
Booko tfh Fel owoeHfre sa veTnelaycb hyJi onhgonf M origny.
Johno Mfo rigny
Johnw asam onko ft hBee nedicotridneaertM oriyg,en ducaatteC dh artarneds
Orleanasn da ctiivnte h fier sqtu artoeftr h feou rteecnetnht uWrhya.ti skn own
abouth imc omes alemnotsitrf eorlmy h iosw nL ibfleorr um cdeolcetsrtiinse
(Boookft hFel owoefHr esa veTnelayc hwihnicgih)n,a, d dittiooc no ntaian ing
legthnyp rayteerx( tm odeloentd h Ae rnso toarnids aim,i larly tdope estiig­ned
tionan gelfsor t hte ransmiosfsc iuornr ickunloawrl edignec)l,u mdaensya uto­
biograpphaiscgsaeal1s .J0 o hnw'rsi tianrgeask eys ourocfei nofrmatiaobno ut
theA rnsto oiras,i nhceed escrihbioesws n a ndo theerxsp'e rioefni ctoesp er­
ationb eofrel earn(ivnigaa v isiionnd ucbeydt heA rnso toirtsieatlh fat)th e
prayeirnos u tlantdoinsghuh easdi nf actb eecno rrupbtyse udb tilnes erotfi on
demoniincv ocations.U
Byh iosw na ccouJnoth,dn i csovertehdAe rnso tioawhr enh ew asa s tudent
toop ootro a fforbdo kosH.e h ada cquiarw eodr ko fn ecromancya c forlo­m
leaguaen dc opiaesdm ucho fi ta s choeu lbdu,th ew asb esbeytd oubatbso ut
pursuiitnrsgi tsu.Aa lfterc onsulat Lionmgb arddo ctnoarm eJda cohbe,w as
directetdot hAe rnso t,of rriowmah icahc,c doirntgo t hdeo tcorh,em ighotb ­
tain altlh ek nowlehdgese o ugwhitt hoduatn gteorh isso uIzlG .u idebdyt he
doct,Jo orhfinr satp proacthheAed r nso toarsa is aac rteedxa tn da w holesome
alteratnitvoet hdee mnoicco njuratihoandbs e ehcneo ntemplating.
Ash eu setdh aer ht,el earnbeedt tTheer A.r nso toorpeinave ids toanas d ark
visionalrayn dscfialplewe idt nhi ghtmafrorimssha ndd emonmsa squerading
asm onkosr p ersoonfts h Ter iint.Jy ohwna se ventuhaelllpyte odf rehei mself
byC hriJsoth,tn h Eev angealnidse ts,pi eaclltyh Vei rgMianr .yW hen fihnea lly