Description
Book Synopsis• 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.
Trade Review“In this splendid compendium, Claude Lecouteux brings together stories, folktales, lore, and legends associated with the Biblical King Solomon. King of ancient Israel, he founded castles and cities as well as a palace of glass and his most famous Temple in Jerusalem. Solomon’s legacy spread across the Middle East into Europe, Africa, and beyond. Reputed author of one thousand and five books of poems, psalms, and songs and three thousand parables, he also interacted with animals, whose languages he understood. Solomon was one of the great historical practitioners of magic. Solomon’s seal and ring gave him power over various kinds of spirits. All his possessions--his net, his throne, and his chalice among them--were infused with magical power. Claude Lecouteux’s masterly reconstruction of the wondrous world of King Solomon from ancient documents is by far the most comprehensive survey yet published of the many different aspects of this ancient and influential monarch.” * Nigel Pennick, author of The Ancestral Power of Amulets, Talismans, and Mascots and Elemental Magic *
“Lecouteux’s in-depth study and presentation of the legend and importance of the image of King Solomon in the magical mythology fills an important role in our understanding of the history of the practice of magic in both Europe and Asia. Solomon was ascribed some of the most important magical grimoires and symbols and signs bearing his name that may be found from Arabia all the way into the realm of the Far North in Iceland.” * Stephen E. Flowers, Ph.D., author of Icelandic Magic and Original Magic *
“This remarkable book, fully illustrated with archival images, shows Solomon--the mythical man, the mystical man, the personal and cultural man--at ease in a world he co-created with his Creator.” * Gerald Hausman, author of Rastafarian Children of Solomon: The Legacy of the Kebra Nagast and the Pa *
“Professor Lecoueux is a well-known historian of medieval cultural history. His new book on the legendary King Solomon represents a convincing proof of the author’s erudition. This excellent work presents a wealth of relevant information about Solomon’s supernormal wisdom, his relations to the world of spirits, his building of the Temple in Jerusalem, and much more. The author’s analysis of Solomon’s relations to shamanism is also very useful. This is a fundamental study of one of the most enigmatic figures in history.” * Ronald Grambo, former professor of folklore at the University of Oslo *
“The story of King Solomon is universal, found in different cultures and different sources. His close contact with God, his relations with djinns and exorcists as well as his love for women, made him a universal legend. In this book, the French scholar Claude Lecouteux presents the complete story of King Solomon for us to read.” * Ahmed Osman, author of The Egyptian Origins of King David and the Temple of Solomon *
"The author uses The Bible, the writings of Yosef ben Matityahu HaCohen (better known as Flavius Josephus), and the classic book
The Thousand and One Nights as primary sources to demonstrate the universality of Solomon the King and Solomon the Magician. No stone is left unturned. Solomon’s relationships with animals, with the djinns, and with his people are explored. The places he lived, the magical talismans he created and used, and more are all discussed. The text is fully illustrated, including images I’ve used myself in crafting protective talismans. The combination of history, legend, and religion makes
King Solomon the Magus an important work for anyone who interested in Arabian or Western magic." * The Magical Buffet *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
INTRODUCTION The Legend of King Solomon
PART ONE The King
ONE The Source Texts
TWO Solomon and the Animals
THREESolomon’s Constructions
FOURThe 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
THIRTEENThe Testament of Solomon
FOURTEEN Solomon’s
Hygromancy FIFTEEN The Keys of Solomon
SIXTEEN The Other Magic Books
SEVENTEEN The Archaeological Traces of Solomon
EIGHTEENThe Lapidaries of Solomon
NINETEEN The Account of Zosimos of Panopolis
TWENTY Solomon’s Successors
PART THREE Solomon in Folklore
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
