At the beginning of the 17th century, a book of black magic was
published, attributed to the mythical Faust and known by the title
Höllenzwang. The library in Weimar owned a manuscript of this
text, which Goethe was aware of. In 1949 Martin Bodmer was able to
purchase a similar manuscript. This document, which is difficult to
date, is written in cabalistic signs and, according to a German
gloss, contains a series of magic spells for exorcists, which can
be used in particular to call up the seven evil spirits.
Rights
e-codices - Virtual Manuscript Library of Switzerland
