THE
ARCANE
ARCHIVE

a cache of usenet and other text files pertaining
to occult, mystical, and spiritual subjects.


TOP | OCCULTISM | MAGIC | BOOKS | NECRONOMICON

Comments on the Necronomicon

(Excepted from _Babyloniana_ by Kalyn Tranquilson:)
---------
Subject: Comments on the Necronomicon

The Necronomicon (by "Simon") has little or nothing to do with authentic
Babylonian -- Akkadian or Sumerian -- ritual or magical practices.
However, some comments about the text "edited" by Simon might be in order.

First of all, it is clear that Simon had access to a wide variety of
mythological materials derived from the Cuneiform culture. I am not
convinced that this text had an earlier history before it's copyright
date, but even by the early years of this century several of the important
texts of the Mesopotamian corpus were becoming available. As evident from
his bibliographies and assorted references, Simon had access to some of
these works. But he also had a point to prove, and an agenda which
distorted the information he provides. His work suffers from a total lack
of acknowledgment of the difference between the Akkadian and Sumerian
terms and names. He also makes some extremely untenable historical
assertions, such as that the Surmerian language is "closely allied to that
of the Aryan race, having in fact many words identical to that of Sanskrit
(and it is said, to Chinese.)" [p.xviii]

A detailed analysis follows:

- The Introductory Materials (p.vii - lvi) -

This is the only section Simon claims as his own; it is a hodgepodge of
information of various qualities of accuracy. On the whole, his
Mesopotamian references suffer from a lack of responsible checking. Simon
appears to be a person who had a good idea (the Sumerian and Akkadian
material was essentially unknown outside of a very limited scholastic
community until very recently), but was unwilling to do the work to do it
right, and was afraid to take direct credit. An example of the naivet of
his work can be seen in the massive jumps from culture to culture. Yet at
the same time he provides some interesting, perhaps even useful,
information on Sumerian terms (see p.xlix). His most glaring problem is
his linguistic jumps. As one example among many, his equation of
Lovecraft's deity Cthulhu (derived from the Greek 'cthone') to the
Sumerians through the name of Ereskigal's city Kutha: thus, he says,
KUTHA-LU [sic] means "man of Kutha": the proper term in Sumerian would be
rendered LU-KUTHA. He also makes a connection between Kutha and Kutu, two
completely different cities and terms, and between Kutha, the ABSU (Enki's
realm), the NAR MARRATU (which is the marshy area at the junction between
the Persian Gulf and the three rivers) and the Greek 'abyss'. While there
is something that can be said about the ABSU and the Abyss -- both being
the dark preformative world which exists alongside the mundane world,
however, the Abyss is simply a void which is total and independent,
whereas the ABSU is a real realm located between the Earth and the
Netherworld. The Sumerians knew the difference. Kutha and NAR MARRATU are
concrete geographical entities -- although Kutha, being the city of
Ereskigal, might be said to have a gateway to the Netherworld. 

- Of the Zonei and their Attributes - (p.17-33)

This is an interesting mixture of original (Babylonian) material and who
knows what. The deities' association with specific numbers is real and are
a few of their descriptions. The seals are hilarious; at least, they bear
no resemblance to anything I've ever encountered.

- The Book of the Entrance and of the Walking - (p35-49)

This chapter is basically garbage, even though the attribution of the
seven earths, the seven levels and the seven heavens is a known feature of
Babylonian systems; I do not believe that Simon actually derived this from
any authentic source. Remember that the most famous ziggurat in
Mesopotamia was in Babylon (the Tower of Babel) which, it so happens, has
seven stories. It's obvious that from very early on the Mesopotamians had
a special reverence for the number seven. The early attribution of the
seven-pointed star as the "Star of Babylon" was an early adaptation of
this in Western Occult tradition. Simon could have easily picked up any of
several scholarly accounts of religion in Babylon for this source.

- The Incantations of the Gates - (p.51-61)

Some of these invocations sound "familiar" and could possibly be hymns
from various periods. I am still looking for the original materials,
because if they are actual they may be useful. However, the language of
his given translations is hardly accurate and the ABRACADABRA phrases at
the end of the invocations are garbage.

- The Conjurations of the Fire God - (p.63-65)

Again it sounds close except for the abracadabra bit.

- The Conjuration of the Watcher - (p.67-73)

Forget it! Pure fiction...

-The Maklu Text- (p.75-92) 

First of all, again ignore all of the abracadabra stuff; however, it is an
interesting piece in this book. There is in fact a lexical series called
the 'maqlu'; there are also several exorcism rites (the most common being
the 'uttukku lemnuti') and you will find that in the material provided in
this book there are one or two texts, incantations, etc. which appear to
be included in sections of Simon's 'maklu" text -- such as the Conjuration
Against the Seven Liers-in-Wait (p.79). But these are texts from separate
sources and Simon has lumped them together into one "text". In general I
do not trust Simon (obviously). I am following through and trying to find
all of the originals.

- The Book Of Calling - (p.93-120)

Mostly mumbo-jumbo, especially his "Invocation of the Gates" -- the order
is European, and late European at that! However, on page 111 he reproduces
a shortened version of a verifiable text (text KAR 61, edited by Biggs TCS
II (1967):70ff)

- The Book Of The Fifty Names - (p.121-150)

The names are derived from the end of the 'Enuma Elis', but the commentary
is not. Also be careful with the transcriptions of the names into English
lettering; I recommend if you want to know the Fifty Names of Marduk, see
Alexander Heidel's book _The Babylonian Genesis_.

- The Magan Text - (p.151-180)

Maggan is the Iranian coast of the Straits of Hormuz, and perhaps the land
of the Harrapan civilization; however, it has nothing to do with the
content of the text which is presented. This is a bad translation of the
beginning of the 'Enuma Elis' (see Heidel's book). Section IV (166-180)
"Of The Sleep Of Ishtar" is a rather amusing adaptation of the Descent of
Istar (or Inana) myth.

- The Urilla Text - (p.181-202)

Very interesting and imaginative, but...

- The Testimony Of The Mad Arab - (in two parts, p.3-16 & 203-218)

Who knows, but with Simon's batting average so far, it seems unreliable 
to me.

All of the above is not to say that Simon's _Necronomicon_, or it's
sequel, _The Necronomicon Spellbook_, is not interesting reading; nor is
it to say that it cannot be used as a magical grimoire, since anything can
be so used if you're capable of investing it with power. But it is the
product of an imaginative distortion of ancient materials by a modern
individual. It is not an authentic system or text of Babylonian, Sumerian
or Akkadian ritual or magical practices.

EOF

The Arcane Archive is copyright by the authors cited.
Send comments to the Arcane Archivist: tyaginator@arcane-archive.org.

Did you like what you read here? Find it useful?
Then please click on the Paypal Secure Server logo and make a small
donation to the site maintainer for the creation and upkeep of this site.

The ARCANE ARCHIVE is a large domain,
organized into a number of sub-directories,
each dealing with a different branch of
religion, mysticism, occultism, or esoteric knowledge.
Here are the major ARCANE ARCHIVE directories you can visit:
interdisciplinary: geometry, natural proportion, ratio, archaeoastronomy
mysticism: enlightenment, self-realization, trance, meditation, consciousness
occultism: divination, hermeticism, amulets, sigils, magick, witchcraft, spells
religion: buddhism, christianity, hinduism, islam, judaism, taoism, wicca, voodoo
societies and fraternal orders: freemasonry, golden dawn, rosicrucians, etc.

SEARCH THE ARCANE ARCHIVE

There are thousands of web pages at the ARCANE ARCHIVE. You can use ATOMZ.COM
to search for a single word (like witchcraft, hoodoo, pagan, or magic) or an
exact phrase (like Kwan Yin, golden ratio, or book of shadows):

Search For:
Match:  Any word All words Exact phrase

OTHER ESOTERIC AND OCCULT SITES OF INTEREST

Southern Spirits: 19th and 20th century accounts of hoodoo, including slave narratives & interviews
Hoodoo in Theory and Practice by cat yronwode: an introduction to African-American rootwork
Lucky W Amulet Archive by cat yronwode: an online museum of worldwide talismans and charms
Sacred Sex: essays and articles on tantra yoga, neo-tantra, karezza, sex magic, and sex worship
Sacred Landscape: essays and articles on archaeoastronomy, sacred architecture, and sacred geometry
Lucky Mojo Forum: practitioners answer queries on conjure; sponsored by the Lucky Mojo Curio Co.
Herb Magic: illustrated descriptions of magic herbs with free spells, recipes, and an ordering option
Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers: ethical diviners and hoodoo spell-casters
Freemasonry for Women by cat yronwode: a history of mixed-gender Freemasonic lodges
Missionary Independent Spiritual Church: spirit-led, inter-faith, the Smallest Church in the World
Satan Service Org: an archive presenting the theory, practice, and history of Satanism and Satanists
Gospel of Satan: the story of Jesus and the angels, from the perspective of the God of this World
Lucky Mojo Usenet FAQ Archive: FAQs and REFs for occult and magical usenet newsgroups
Candles and Curios: essays and articles on traditional African American conjure and folk magic
Aleister Crowley Text Archive: a multitude of texts by an early 20th century ceremonial occultist
Spiritual Spells: lessons in folk magic and spell casting from an eclectic Wiccan perspective
The Mystic Tea Room: divination by reading tea-leaves, with a museum of antique fortune telling cups
Yronwode Institution for the Preservation and Popularization of Indigenous Ethnomagicology
Yronwode Home: personal pages of catherine yronwode and nagasiva yronwode, magical archivists
Lucky Mojo Magic Spells Archives: love spells, money spells, luck spells, protection spells, etc.
      Free Love Spell Archive: love spells, attraction spells, sex magick, romance spells, and lust spells
      Free Money Spell Archive: money spells, prosperity spells, and wealth spells for job and business
      Free Protection Spell Archive: protection spells against witchcraft, jinxes, hexes, and the evil eye
      Free Gambling Luck Spell Archive: lucky gambling spells for the lottery, casinos, and races