Theologians should leave to the poets the depiction of Hell, and not themselves seek to frighten minds with hideous paintings and appalling books" (p. Like many demonologists before him, de Plancy set out to create an accounting of demonic events and forces in his book, Dictionnaire Infernal.

By the end of 1830 he was an enthusiastic Roman Catholic, to the consternation of his former admirers. Le Breton depicts Eurynome as a caprine, saw-toothed creature on bended knee, grimacing at some unseen victim, “showing his great teeth like a starving wolf”. The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products.

As if le Breton’s rendition of the beast wasn’t terrifying enough, Collin de Plancy reminds us that this nightmare creature “knows the past and the future”. When de Plancy first published his guide to the world of demons in 1818, he had a reputation as an opponent of superstition and religion. Dictionnaire infernal: ou Répertoire universel des êtres, des personnages, 1863 PDF download available.

A specialist in early modern and early American literature, he holds a PhD in English from Lehigh University, and his most recent book is Printed in Utopia: The Renaissance's Radicalism (Zero Books, 2020). Later in life, de Plancy embraced Catholicism and revised his work to conform to the Church’s views. The information in this book is stuff that can be found online but is much better to have a physical copy of in your hands.Both kinds of book are partisans of a Platonist philosophy that sees a type of word magic as being able to enact transformations in real life. The text and images of the spirits, from the 1863 edition are presented here, in this Infernal Dictionary. English: The Dictionnaire Infernal (1818) is a 19th century reference book on demons and demonology. He collaborated with Jacques Paul Migne, a French priest, to complete a Dictionary of the Occult Sciences or Theological Encyclopaedia, which is described as an authentic Roman Catholic work. His face — described by Collin de Plancy as that of a “very ugly angel” — is rendered by le Breton as thin and effete, almost equine, with eyes dismissive and uncaring, a slight sneer of cold command.

The Dictionnaire Infernal compiled the names, ranks, attributes, and appearances of hundreds of demons, as well as their histories, legends, and influences on human affairs. de Plancy collaborated with Jacques Paul Migne, a French priest, to complete a Dictionary of the occult sciences or theological Encyclopaedia, which is described as an authentic Roman Catholic work. Altogether, Louis Breton executed 550 illustrations including a set of 72 depictions of demons, which were published by J.To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Grimoires exist”, he goes on, “because of the desire to create a physical record of magical knowledge, reflecting concerns regarding the uncontrollable and corruptible nature of . Since 1863, the illustrations from de Plancy’s book have also been used to accompany esoteric titles such as new printings of the Lesser Key of Solomon, plus any number of books on magic and demonology (thanks, Public Domain! In both cases, words have the power, if they’re properly organized, to change the world for better or for worse. This influence is most clearly seen in the sixth and final 1863 edition of the book, which is decorated with many engravings and seeks to affirm the existence of the demons.

Perhaps for Collin de Plancy, born almost two centuries later amidst the convulsions of revolution, the thin, reptilian demon with the aristocratic bearing still represented some of the dangers of the new learning, for Astaroth “willingly answers the questions he is asked about the most secret things, and . Etymology was like dissection, another Enlightenment innovation, and the dictionary a sort of dissection theater. Dictionnaire infernal: répertoire universel des êtres, des personnages, des livres, des faits et des choses qui tiennent aux esprits . Published in 1818-1863, the original Dictionnaire Infernal remains the ultimate source for images of the most famous demons of demonology!If there is any consolation to be found, it’s that controlling our demons is possible if we’re able to name them, whether they are of the supernatural or of the rationalist variety — and in either case, a dictionary is what we shall need. The Dictionnaire Infernal (English: Infernal Dictionary) is a book on demonology, describing demons organised in hierarchies. Many of the demonic descriptions in the Dictionnaire Infernal have their roots in earlier demonological texts, such as the 16th century Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, or the 17th century Lesser Key of Solomon. It also covered a wide range of topics related to the occult, such as magic, divination, grimoires, folklore, and superstitions. For example, among the more minor demons there is “Adramelech, great chancellor of the underworld, steward of the wardrobe of the sovereign of the demons, president of the high council of the devils”, who “showed himself in the form of a mule, and sometimes even that of a peacock”.