Fernando Iwasaki Cauti, a prominent contemporary author, gifts us in one of his tales a visionary account of a cursed book. Picture a volume whose pages never show the same content twice. If you turn from page seven to eight and then decide to go back, what you previously read has shifted, plunging the reader into a whirlpool of doubt and obsession.
Necronomicon, Gospel of the Vampires, and Malleus Maleficarum: A Journey through Enigma
During my younger years, in the depths of occult literature, I embarked on an unyielding quest for esoteric books. One of the most beguiling was the Book of Toth, a legendary Egyptian manuscript estimated to be between 10,000 and 30,000 years old.
Legend narrates that Toth, a cunning scribe, defied the gods and upon defeating them, attained immortality. Hermes Trismegistus, the central figure of alchemy, supposedly based his teachings on the revelations of this ancient tome.
The alignment of alchemy’s four elements with the realms detailed in the Book of Toth suggests the “Corpus Hermeticum,” a collection of texts ascribed to Hermes, originates from this age-old manuscript. Additionally, it’s believed that the mysterious Arcana of the Tarot also traces their beginnings to the pages of Toth.
Necronomicon: A Book of Dark Prophecies
Born from the mind of author H.P. Lovecraft, the Necronomicon is depicted as a tome that drives mad those who dare peruse it. Allegedly penned by the “mad Arab poet” Abdul Al-Hazred in AD 730, the book conceals grim secrets and forbidden rituals.
Lovecraft’s credibility is such that he intertwines real historical figures, like Ibn Khallikan. Over time, the book was translated into various languages, with the Latin version, translated by Olaus Wormius in 1228, being the most renowned and, according to the fictional universe, the sole surviving copy.
Gospel of the Vampires: A Pre-Christian Tale
This text emerges as a shadowy and primal version of Genesis. Its parallels to Christian teachings are undeniable, engendering an atmosphere of mystery and allure.
Malleus Maleficarum: The Treatise Against Witchcraft
Published in 1487, the “Hammer of Witches” is a comprehensive guide on witch hunting and persecution, penned by Dominican inquisitors Heinrich Kramer and Jakob Sprenger. Backed by Pope Innocent VIII, the book spread fear and superstition across Europe.
Though touted as original, the “Malleus Maleficarum” largely compiles earlier texts. Its primary aim was to affirm the reality of witchcraft and elucidate how witches, under demonic sway, could commit endless evils.
The authors contend that these nefarious deeds took place “with Almighty God’s permission,” not as punishment, but as a testament to humanity’s faith, ensuring the Devil couldn’t achieve absolute dominance.
Despite my fervent searches, I could never uncover a copy of these enigmatic books. Yet, their legacy and enigma endure, beckoning us to probe the boundaries of the known and the unknown.
This article is crafted thanks to the invaluable contribution of Sandro Bossio for diariocorreo.pe.
