Lesser Key of Solomon

At a glance

History, context & interpretation

The text and its story

Five books, of which the Ars Goetia lists 72 spirits with their ranks, seals and powers. It became central to modern ceremonial magic.

Traditional attribution

Attributed to King Solomon.

Historical scholarship

Anonymous; Ars Goetia draws heavily on Johann Weyer's Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577).

Context and curiosity

Aleister Crowley edited Mathers's translation of the Goetia in 1904.

Chronology and transmission

This text belongs to Hermetic, Magical & Mysterious (Early modern Europe). The catalogue gives its approximate dating as mid-17th century CE and original language or script as English (manuscripts). The dated manuscript witnesses and traditional claims may not refer to the same historical event.

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Sources and further reading

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_Key_of_Solomon

Historical descriptions are educational summaries. Religious traditions, scholarly interpretations and unverified claims are distinguished where possible; imagery may be illustrative rather than an artifact photograph.