The Discoverie of Witchcraft (Grimoire)

Read online Purchase Search libraries

Reginald Scot wrote The Discoverie of Witchcraft as a refutation of witchcraft and the inquisition. He argued that witchcraft and spirits were fictional, and caused by mental disturbances and hoaxes, rather than the supernatural. He was not, however, skeptical of all occultism, and respected the work of Agrippa, as well as astrology and magically oriented medicine.

Discoverie serves as a reference book of the superstitions of his times, and as the source of a number of later grimoires.

The spells in Discoverie have a morbid bent, often calling for remains of the dead, and items associated with death.

This grimoire describes the magic object Flying ointment

The grimoires Pseudomonarchia Daemonum Book of Treasure Spirits excerpts this grimoire.

The grimoire The Grimoire of Pope Honorius partially derived from this grimoire.

Timeline of related events

1500

1536

Publication of De praestigiis daemonum (excerpts this grimoire)

1584

Publication of The Discoverie of Witchcraft

1600

1655

Publication of the Book of Treasure Spirits (excerpts this grimoire)

1670

Publication of the Grimoire of Pope Honorious (partially derived from this grimoire)