At this time of year, words such as magic and alchemy may readily bring witches and wizards to mind, but practising these arts was a serious undertaking in the past. Between approximately 1350 and 1800, alchemy and magic were fairly common practices in Europe. They remain relevant today: medieval alchemy, for instance, is sometimes regarded as a precursor to modern chemistry. The two manuscripts discussed here both offer examples of practical applications of magic and alchemy.

Alchemy, Gold and the Philosopher’s Stone

The first manuscript (Anonymous, Collection of alchemical texts, 1600s) contains various texts on alchemy. Alchemical texts were regarded as guides to processes such as transmuting metals into gold or creating the famed philosopher’s stone. The texts in this collection, in both English and Latin, were copied by several scribes in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century. Although the identities of the scribes are unknown, the book does offer a clue to one possible contributor. On the reverse side of page 41 (f. 41v), the name ‘E. Dekyngstone’ appears in one of the manuscript’s most frequently occurring hands. This name also appears in other alchemical texts, including manuscripts in the British Library’s Sloane Collection.

Dekyngstone may therefore have been a former user and owner of the manuscript. The book certainly shows signs of diligent use: there are several charcoal sketches, while fingerprints, perhaps made with the same charcoal, appear frequently on other pages, as though the artist had leafed back through the manuscript while working on the designs.

The manuscript also contains several texts attributed to famous medieval scholars, such as the Compound of Alchemy (f. 170r–196v) by the English alchemist George Ripley (1415?–1490?), Perfectum Magisterium (f. 49r–57v) by Arnald of Villanova (1243–1311), Testamentum (f. 332r–335r) by Ramon Llull (1232/3–1315/6), and Speculum Alchemiae (fol. 11r–17v) by Roger Bacon (1214?–1294?). Alongside these attributed texts, there are several anonymous treatises, recipes and notes.

Another piece of writing is hidden in this collection: a fragment of The Anonymous Short English Metrical Chronicle. This is noteworthy for two reasons. First, this piece of English medieval history seems rather out of place among the alchemical texts. Second, Peter Grund, a linguist at Yale University, identifies it as a ‘previously undocumented fragment’. Grund suggests that the chronicle may have been included in the volume because of an alchemical interpretation of the fragment, which focuses primarily on Bladud, the legendary king said to have built the hot baths at Bath. Alchemical texts often advised dissolving substances in a bath to prepare them for transformation into the philosopher’s stone or gold.

Esotericism, Spells and Magic

The second manuscript has a more uniform appearance and explores another aspect of esotericism: magic. Vinculum sive Clavicula Salamonis [!] oder Sogenante Salamonische Schlange nebst darzu gehörigen Sigillen Ringen, und beygefügten verschiedenen Talismanen, or Clavicula Salamonis for short, is a German manuscript dealing with the practical use of various spells. The so-called ‘Key of Solomon’ is a grimoire, a book of spells, which was said to have been written by King Solomon but is thought to have originated in the fourteenth or fifteenth century. Grimoires such as this contain instructions, rituals and secrets in various combinations. The book features numerous illustrations of symbols that serve as a practical guide. Take care if you decide to follow the instructions at home: the contents are based on the medieval story that King Solomon knew how to control demons and compel them to obey his commands.

These magical texts were widely used in the eighteenth century and could be found in various settings across Europe, from monasteries and universities to private collections. Because they were recorded in writing, they represent a form of ‘learned’ magic: after all, their users had to be able to read. At the same time, they also addressed the ailments of ordinary people. Practical magic, then.