Sunday, February 26, 2023

New edition of Magnus Liber Sigillorum!

 

As most of my readers know, I published an English  translation of parts of my Hebrew treatise (Sefer Chotamot Rabba) of Jewish magic as Magnus Liber Sigillorum back in 2018. 

I am pleased to announce that a new, expanded second edition is now available!! (Actually available for several months now, but for various reasons I didn't have time to make a public announcement)

This edition now includes more sections translated, indexes of topics, angelic and divine names, corrections to the (very few) printing mistakes in the first edition, page numbering and as a bonus, my treatise on magical rings, Behold With This Ring!

Available in two editions: Regular hardcover and Clothbound hardcover with dust jacket

Clothbound hardcover with dust jacket

In addition to the above link for the clothbound hardcover with dust jacket, it is also available from Barnes and Noble HERE and on Amazon HERE







Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Vampires in Jewish Lore

 

Vampires in Jewish Lore



Ever hear of a Striga? Few have nowadays. The Striga [old French: Estrie] (שטריאה) is a European supernatural creature that is essentially a woman that has been cursed into a vampire-like monster. Similar to the vampire, the Striga drinks blood to live. Armed with magical powers, the Striga has the ability to shapes-shift into a cat. Additionally, shaking  her hair out loose will give her the ability to fly, and keeping it bound up will stop that ability. Once a Striga has attacked someone, it is necessary to eat from her bread and salt. Likewise, the Striga must eat bread and salt of her victim to thrive. One source reports that if a Striga is found in the grave with an open mouth, it is necessary to stuff it with rocks. In fact, archeologists report this practice in “deviant” graves, i.e. people suspected of being vampires or the like. (For an example, see: http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/zombie-skeletons-ireland-grave-110916.htm ) The first three sources are culled from Sefer Hasidim, a late 12th cent. text of Jewish ethics, laws and stories attributed to Rabbi Judah the Pious (Hasid). In some of the sources presented, the Striga is grouped with mares and werewolves who have similar characteristics.(Apparently, the werewolf mentioned is a male version of the Striga.)

 

Sefer Hasidim # 1465
There are women who are called Strigas (שטרייאס), mares (מרש) and werewolves (ורוולש) . They were created at twilight. They could perform a certain act and thereby change form. There was once a woman who was an Striga, and she was very sick. Two women were with her at night; one was sleeping and one was awake. And the sick woman stood up beside [the sleeping woman] and shook out her hair and tried to fly and tried to suck the blood of the sleeping woman. And the woman who was awake screamed and woke her friend and they grabbed the sick Striga, and after this she slept. And if she had been able to attack and kill the other woman, then the Striga  would have lived. But since she was not able to attack the other woman, the Striga  died, because one that issues from blood needs to drink the blood of living flesh. The same is true of the werewolf. And since the mare and the Striga need to shake out their hair before they fly, one must cause her to swear to come with her hair shaken out, so that she cannot go anywhere without his permission. And if one strikes an Striga or if one sees her, she cannot live, unless she eats of the bread and salt of the one who struck her. Similarly, if she attacks someone, he must eat from her bread and salt. Then the soul will return to the way it was before.

 

Sefer Hasidim # 1466
There was a woman who was suspected of being an Striga, and she would attack people. She appeared to a Jew as a cat and he hit her. The next day she asked him to give her some of his bread and salt, and he wanted to give it to her. An old man said to him “Be not overly righteous” (Ecc. 7:16). Where one has an obligation to others, one must not show excessive piety, for if she lives, she will harm people. Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, created her for you [as a test], just as he created Amalek for Saul and punished him for letting him live.

 

Sefer Hasidim # 1467
There was once a woman who was a Striga, but she allowed her victim to take from her bread and salt. In such case, one should have mercy on her.

 

Manuscript Oxford 1567, 41b
Know too that there was a witch, a Striga, who once was caught by a man. He said to her, Do not [try to] escape from my grasp, as you have caused numerous deaths in the world. What can I do to you so that after your death you will not consume [people’s flesh]? She said to him, If you find [a Striga] in the grave with her mouth open, there is no remedy, for her spirit will attack the living. And there is no remedy unless a spike is hammered into her mouth and into the earth. Then she will attack no more. And for this reason, one should fill her mouth with stones.

Sefer Ziyyoni (New 2005 Barzani pub. Edition, p.31-32) ספר ציוני
Rabbi Judah the Pious writes that from Japeth (יפת) issues the Mares –not those created at twilight, and the souls of the Strigas (שטיירש) …