Forbidden Rites: A Necromancer's Manual of the Fifteenth Century by Richard Kieckhefer
Sutton Publishing 1998, ISBN: 0271017511

Reviewed by Julie White

Forbidden Rites is one of the Magic in History series that explores the role that magic and the occult played in European culture, including politics, religion and science. Its author is Professor of Religion at the Northwestern University, Illinois, where he is an acknowledged expert on the occult.
It must be stressed from the outset that this is an historical document for the reader who is interested in the history of the occult, and not a 'how to do' book. It belongs in a University library, and for the casual reader it does not make for a light read.

The focus of the book is a study of a Fifteenth century handbook of demonic magic. Today known as Necromancy. The document is kept in the Bavarian State Library in Munich and, it must be said, that it is very explicit and not for the faint hearted. As with many Mediaeval texts used by magicians it forms a mish mash of workings rather than a systematic treatise, and that includes a list of demons horribly extensive), rituals, astral magic, prayers (it has a lot of Christian overtones), ceremonies and conjurations. There are also many 'experiments' for obtaining love from the opposite sex. The spirits invoked are numerous, and certain passages describe in horrific (to me) detail of how to conjure demons. It is however interesting to note that many of these types of books were in fact owned and used by monks. In the case of this edition the full Latin text is printed in the back half of the book, with excellent translations, plus other writings to give the reader a sense of the cultural context.

As an academic work it probably has its place, but I must admit I found much of the contents quite sickening to the stomach, with passages describing doing some horrendous things. Yet there are other passages that made me smile (fleetingly, I might add), such as 'How to cause a fingernail to grow bright and appear large'. I gather for the use of divination. Another of what the manuscript calls an 'erotic experiment', Cupid is asked to remain on the genitals of a woman, and to torment a fire in her!!! I found the whole manuscript very abusive towards animals and women. The conjurations of twelve year old girls for the use of men is also in our twentieth century eyes also very sick, but it has to be put into context with the time of the document. Lucrizia Borga was only about that age when her family married her off to an old man, as a political move. I found the information on what essential oils to use, along with herbs most interesting, but nothing very surprising. I know this sounds dramatic but in the wrong hands this book could be quite dangerous. Whether we like to admit it or not there are some strange people out there who might try to use this book as a 'how to do' manual. I'm not saying they would conjure up demons, but the animal abuse is very explicit. One can only hope that the price would put such a person off. As to whether you would want it on your bookshelf, as Druids I doubt it, as it is far removed from any Druid or Pagan path. If you are a student of Mediaeval history then it is probably an important manuscript on the relationship between magic and religion in the fifteenth century. Celtic Connections