Are you in the market for some ancient writings on magic in multiple languages with arresting illustrations and helpful diagrams? I am a sucker for ancient mystery texts, though my interest is far from well researched. So, when the Public Domain Review did a write up on the grimoire of Saint Cyprian, also known as Clavis Inferni (“The Key of Hell”), by Cyprianus, I saved it as a note to myself and possible blog post with the intention of diving deeper into it and its history. That note has been sitting around so long, the time to share it with y’all is now.

Cyprian, was either an intensely evil man or an astoundingly beautiful one. Accounts of the man behind the story vary. However, the name Cyprian became a pseudonym for people who lived on the fringes of society and practiced dark magic (Cvltnation).  Cyprian was also linked to the Black School at Wittenberg, which was one of multiple schools in legend that were supposedly run by the Devil himself. Though the promise of secret knowledge was great, students entered the school with the knowledge that a percentage of them would be dragged to hell by the Devil before they could leave (Jason Colavito).

More images from the Clavis Inferni can be browsed at the Wellcome Collection‘s record of the book. And if you, like me, are drawn to old mystery texts, I would also suggest the Grimoire Encyclopedia. It collects links to online copies of ancient grimoires and captures metadata on the history, origins, and authors of the texts.