Sworn Book of Honorius

As the title testifies, students were sworn to secrecy before being given access to this magic text, and only a few manuscripts survive. Nevertheless, it is considered one of the most influential magic texts. Bits of its teachings are alluded to in other texts, like the use of the magic whistle for summoning spirits. Another key element of its ritual, the elaborate “Seal of God,” has been found in texts and amulets throughout Europe.
Interest in the Sworn Book of Honorius has grown in recent years, being discussed at length in several recent books, yet no modern translations have been attempted. A critical edition of the Latin text by Gösta Hedegård (2002), has already become somewhat dated by new research.
Purporting to preserve the magic of Solomon in the face of intense persecution by religious authorities, this text includes one of the oldest, most detailed, and complete magic rituals. It is aggressively pro-magic, countering that the persecution and anti-magic hysteria were themselves inspired by demons seeking to suppress the divine art.