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To: Satanist-L@necronomi.com
From: tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com (nocTifer)
Subject: History of Satanism (was Church of Satan FAQ)
Date: Sun, 3 May 1998 18:09:40 -0700 (PDT)

49980502 aa2 Hail Satan!

Herbert Paulis  writes to: Satanist-L and Usenet:
# For all those who care to take interest, an official and  
# approved Church of Satan FAQ is now available under 
#  
# http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/hpaulis/CoS-FAQ.html 

because I know and respect Mr. Paulis and figure he won't mind,
I want to use this opportunity to begin a thorough examination
of what kind of reality may be behind the notions of 'historical
Satanism' and what credit may be given to pre-modern Satanism 
within published sources.

my initial proposition, based on a moderate exposure to Satanist
materials and many discussions with self-professed Satanists via
mail and in person, is that most modern Satanists are fairly 
ignorant of anything prior to Anton LaVey, with the possible 
exceptions of Dashwood and some tidbits about the Black Mass.  

aside from this they'll mention 'the Faustian spirit' or 
'the heroism of Milton's Satan' apparently without any 
comprehension of what either of these include.  the only other
mentions I've come across are regarding the Yezidis, and all of
these at best appear to correspond to what LaVey and others have 
called 'de facto' Satanism -- described or integrated as Satanism
after the fact, not described as such by its participants.  I 
am attempting to discover if there was EVER a self-described
Satanist prior to LaVey and have yet to run across more than
a few tidbits from potentially unreliable sources which I will
include here.
---------------------------------------------------------------

in this post I wish to review what is contained about
historical Satanism within some of LaVey's text I have in my 
Grimoire and within the 'FAQ' (a CoS REF) at the above URL, then 
I will place a series of entries I found in Baskin's _Dictionary 
of Satanism_ before you for your feedback on their reliability 
as vectors of research on the history of Satanism-per-se.  in a 

later post I'll review what I've found as regards "Literary 
Satanism" as a possible resource for the same.
 
===============================================================

from my Grimoire

LaVey
-----

the first historical mention re Satanism I can find in _The
Satanic Bible_ follows:

$ 	In the year 1666, some rather interesting events
$ 	occurred in France.  With the death of Francois
$ 	Mansart, the architect of the trapezoid, whose
$ 	geometrics were to become the prototype of the
$ 	haunted house, the Palace of Versailles was being
$ 	constructed, in accordance with his plans.  The
$ 	last of the glamorous priestesses of Satan,
$ 	Jeanne-Marie Bouvier (Madame Guyon) was to be
$ 	overshadowed by a shrewd opportunist and callous
$ 	business-woman named Catherine Deshayes, otherwise
$ 	known as La Voisin....
$ 	-----------------------------------------------
$ 	_The Satanic Bible_, by Anton LaVey, Avon 
$ 	   Books, 1969; 1970 reprint; pp. 101-2.
$ 	____________________________________________
 
he goes on to mention some things about the history of the
Black Mass, before returning to historical citation:
 
$ 	The Satanism-for-fun-and-games fad next appeared
$ 	in England in the middle 18th Century in the form
$ 	of Sir Francis Dashwood's Order of the Medmanham
$ 	Franciscans, popularly called The Hellfire Club.
$ 	------------------------------------------------
$ 	Ibid., p. 102.
$ 	______________

and

$ 	It was the 19th Century that brought a white-
$ 	washing to Satanism, in the feeble attempts of
$ 	"white" magicians trying to perform "black"
$ 	magic.  This was a very paradoxical period for
$ 	Satanism, with writers such as Baudelaire and
$ 	Huysmans who, despite their apparent obsession
$ 	with evil, seemed nice enough fellows.
$ 	----------------------------------------------
$ 	Ibid., p. 103.
$ 	______________

and

$ 	As far as Satanism was concerned, the closest
$ 	outward signs of this were the neo-Pagan rites
$ 	conducted by MacGregor Mathers' Hermetic Order
$ 	of the Golden Dawn, and Aleister Crowley's
$ 	later Order of the Silver Star (A.'. A.'. --
$ 	Argentinum Astrum [sic]) and Order of Oriental
$ 	Templars (O.T.O.), 
$ 
$ 	{AUTHOR'S NOTE: "Ordo Templi Orientis," Crowley's
$ 	take-off on the German sect of the same name,
$ 	originally founded in 1902, and practicing some
$ 	of the principles set forth in this volume.}
$ 
$ 	                    which paranoically denied
$ 	any association with Satanism, despite Crowley's
$ 	self-imposed image of the beast of revelation.
$ 	
$ 	...
$ 
$ 	Perennially concurrent with these societies
$ 	were the sex clubs using Satanism as a
$ 	rationale -- that persists today, for which
$ 	tabloid newspapers may give thanks.
$ 	---------------------------------------------
$ 	Ibid., pp. 103.
$ 	_____________________ 

and his statement categorically linking wordly power with
practising Satanists:

$ 	It would be an oversimplification to say that every
$ 	successful man and woman on earth is, without knowing
$ 	it, a practicing Satanist....  
$ 
$ 	Occasionally, through "leakages," one of the enigmatic
$ 	men or women of earth will be found to have "dabbled"
$ 	in the black arts.  These, of course, are brought to
$ 	light as the "mystery men" of history.  Names like
$ 	Rasputin, Zaharoff, Cagliostro, Rosenberg, and their
$ 	ilk are links -- clues, so to speak, of the true
$ 	legacy of Satan... a legacy which transcends ethnic,
$ 	racial and economic differences and temporal
$ 	ideologies, as well.  The Satanist has always ruled
$ 	the earth... and always will, by whatever name he is
$ 	called.
$ 	-----------------------------------------------------
$ 	Ibid., p. 104.
$ 	_______________

I am not aware that La Voisin or Dashwood identified as
"Satanists" in any way, nor that Baudelaire or Huysmans
did either.  I'm not even sure that what is said about
what happened concerning the Black Mass is accurate, or
that _La Bas_ should be considered a 'Satanic' text
(except in a kind of horror-story way, like the Malleus
Maleficarium or the various Dennis Wheatley novels that
nobody seems to be mentioning either).

Mathers and the Golden Dawn appear to be centrally
Protestant in their mysticism, and Crowley, while a
certain de facto Satanist, never identified himself
openly as such, even while doing everything but this.

it would not surprise me if sex clubs affiliated with
the Satanic mythos, but I have never heard of such things
myself and would like to know more about them. it is also
fairly plain that LaVey intends to drawn into the mantle
of 'Satanism' (de facto) all those who achieve anything
of significance within the material world, though few if
any have ever described themselves as Satanists.

---------------------------------------------------------

LaVey/Barton
-------------

he is more explicit and inclusive within _Church of Satan_
quotes by Barton:

$ 	"I'm tracing our movement back to its Satanic roots
$ 	in the philosophies and attitudes of Machiavelli,
$ 	Milton, Spencer, Rabelais, G.B. Shaw, Maugham,
$ 	Nietzsche, the genre of *film noir* movies,...
$ 	These are all Satanic, always have been, but just
$ 	might have been labeled that yet...."
$ 
$ 	...
$ 
$ 	"... there are those figures -- sometimes historical, 
$	sometimes contemporary -- who I would identify as 
$	*de facto* Satanists, even though they might not have 
$	called themselves that because of the times they lived
$ 	in.  But by their actions, their writings, their
$ 	attitudes, you can see that they were Satanists
$ 	through and through."
$ 	--------------------------------------------------
$ 	Ibid., pp. 50, 70.
$ 	__________________	

and

$ 	"...We embrace Christian myths of Satan and
$ 	Lucifer, along with Satanic renderings in Greek,
$ 	Roman, Islamic, Sumerian, Syrian, Phrygian,
$ 	Egyptian, Chinese, or Hindu mythologies, to name
$ 	but a few.  We are not limited to one deity, but
$ 	encompass all the expressions of the accuser or
$ 	the one who advocates free thought and rational
$ 	alternatives by whatever name he is called in a
$ 	particular time and land.  It so happens that we
$ 	are living in a culture that is predominantly
$ 	Christian, so we emphasize Satan...."
$ 	-------------------------------------------------
$ 	Ibid., p. 71.
$ 	______________

now I don't know Spencer (first name?), but my understanding
of Milton doesn't lend me admiration for his text or his 
portrayal of Satan (you can find my contrasting poetry on the 
TOKUS website and my review of his text in my later posting on 
'Literary Satanism').  to call Milton 'Satanic' is, therefore,
possibly saying something about LaVey's sources.  Shaw,
Rabelais and Machiavelli are all obvious and traditional
choices with which I would agree, though in none of those
mentioned is to be found a professed Satanist as I understand it.

that LaVey doesn't mention Clemens (Mark Twain) is very 
interesting given that he is the High Priest of an American
Satanism.  I know little if anything about Maugham aside from
that he appears to have written a novel loosely based on
Aleister Crowley.

LaVey's carefully chosen words in the final paragraph do not
necessitate that there were actually any individuals who really
*worshipped* the "renderings" from the cultures he describes,
and that there was condemnatory propaganda, as there is within
Christian religion about its bogey, appears to be common factor
in many dualist traditions influenced by the Zoroastrians.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
I would now like to review the text within the "CoS FAQ" that
addresses 'historical Satanism' in any measure.  here are
excerpts, along with my comments, that appear relevant:
 
[from http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/hpaulis/CoS-FAQ.html ]
 
$               Church of Satan Frequently Asked Questions

$ Authors who contributed to this document:
$ (in alphabetic order)
$
$ Blanche Barton
$ Peggy Nadramia
$ Matt G. Paradise
$ Herbert Paulis

$ 4.4. The Nine Satanic Sins
 
$    7. Forgetfulness of Past Orthodoxies -- Be aware that this is one
$       of the keys to brainwashing people into accepting something
$       "new" and "different," when in reality it's something that was
$       once widely accepted but is now presented in a new package. We
$       are expected to rave about the genius of the "creator" and
$       forget the original. This makes for a disposable society.

I thought this was valuable just for its possible hypocrisy. ;>


$ 4.6. To apply the name of Satan to this church, implies a connection
$      to the Bible. What is the stance of the CoS on these popular
$      tales and predictions? Who is Christ to the CoS?
 
$    We take the name Satan in concept only. Any other connection is
$    thrust upon us by anxious, ignorant, and/or misinformed people. The
$    archetype itself, by whatever name is appropriate, is far older
$    than Xtianity or Judaism, and it was these religions that, in order
$    to gain a foothold in the world, decided to destroy and bastardize
$    the "pagan gods." Satan has generally been the character who has
$    challenged sterile thought, encouraged indulgence, rebelled against
$    slavery, and truly represented human nature and all that the
$    mundane world offers. By extension, instead of worshipping Satan,
$    we emulate him.... 

note the difference here between "worshipping ourselves" and
"emulating him".  I can see that this may be rationalized in that
Satan worships Hirself, but the language is usually slanted in
a very different manner by CoSatanists ("no, we don't believe
in Satan, Satanism is about worshipping yourself!", etc.).

also note that it is "the archetype" which is being spoken of
here, not necessarily any god or entity which had worshippers.
Set(h) may qualify as a counter-example, but I am not up on my
Setian religious information (those who have knowledge of this
and would like to share it would be welcome; please cc me).
 

$ 6. Satanic Literature



$ 6.3.1 Non-Fiction
$    Carl Jung: _Man and His Symbols_
$    Friedrich Nitzsche: esp. _Beyond Good and Evil_, _The Anti-Christ_
$                        and _Twilight of the Gods_
$    _The Johnson, Smith and Company Catalogue: Surprising Novelties,
$     Puzzles, Tricks, Jokegoods. Useful Articles, etc._
$    Ambrose Bierce: _The Devil's Dictionary_
$    H.L. Mencken: esp. _The American Language_
$    Jerry Mander: _Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television_

consider the distinct lack of depth here.  Nietzsche (misspelled)
is listed, and Bierce could easily qualify, but no other prominent
literary work, especially associated with classic, pre-modern 
Satanism, is recommended.  it is important to ask why.

 
$ 6.3.2 Fiction
$    Charles Finney: _Circus of Dr. Lao_
$    Fyodor Dostoevsky: _Notes from Underground_
$    H.G. Wells: esp. _The Island of Dr. Moreau_
$    Jules Verne: _20,000 Leagues Under the Sea_
$    Oscar Wilde: _The Picture of Dorian Gray_
$    Jack London: esp. _The Sea-Wolf_, and books of lycanthropic
$                 transformation
$    Fred Saberhagen: _The Dracula Tape_
$    Macabre stories and poetry of _Weird tales_ and Arkham House
$    writers Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Frank Belknap, August Derleth,
$    et al.

the same, perhaps moreso here.  Huysmans and Baudelaire missing,
for example, and even G.B. Shaw, whose Satan is decidedly
admirable, goes without mention.  quite strange, especially when he
was mentioned in Barton's quote.  perhaps CoSatanists don't read
LaVey or Barton very carefully?  but Barton was one of the
contributors (/editors?) of this document! ;>


$ 7. Satanic Music and Videos


 
$ 7.2. Other Music of Satanic value
$ 
$    Look out for Franz List (Mephisto Waltz, Faust Symphony), Modest
$    Mussorgsky (Night on Bald Mountain), Richard Wagner, Richard
$    Strauss (Thus Spoke Zarathustra), Frederic Chopin, Igor
$    Stranvinsky, and many more.

it would appear that more of the musical Satanist references are
known, perhaps because they have been given obvious Satanic names 
or perhaps because LaVey liked to play music himself.

maybe this is why the literature (even Clemens!) isn't very well-
known to CoSatanists: 

	because LaVey was predominantly not a reader and 
	more of a prophet and showman, linking within the 
	arts to the musical more than the literary sphere.  

not knowing the man or having very close ties to the 
organization I can only speculate, but would enjoy comment 
in review.  

-------------------------------------------------------------------- 

the appendix to this document is a series of annotated selections
from Baskin's _Dictionary of Satanism_.  my follow-up post will
be a concatenation of two posts to Usenet that provide reviews 
of "Literary Satanism" and may have bearing on what, if any
historical Satanism may exist.  

I will continue with Literary Satanism within Baskin in my 
next post before moving on to text which Kyr and I posted.

blessed beast!
________________________________________________________________________
nocTifer: tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com  ---  http://www.abyss.com/tokus
TOKUS-COE Office: 408/2-666-SLUG --- Emergency Contraception:18005849911
 caution: I don't read all posts, filtering out those < a # of bytes.  
 I select text by key authors.  cc me if you'd like a response.
============================================================== appendix

APPENDIX -- Baskin (in rough temporal order)
--------------------------------------------

1200s
$ ARNOLD OF VILLANOVA -- Thirteenth-century occultist.  He is
$ credited with invoking Satanic powers to help him in his
$ medical practice.

'credited'.  possibly a slander.


$ EUCHITES -- An early Christian sect who believed that each
$ man had a congenital devil that could be expelled only by
$ constant prayer.  Its members repudiated the sacraments
$ and moral law.  They worshiped Lucifer as the oldest son of
$ the Creator and paid homage to matter.  They accepted
$ incest and sodomy, and openly derided virginity.  Their sect
$ spread from Mesopotamia into Thracia in the twelfth
$ century and into Behomia and Germany.  In conformity with
$ the decrees of the Council of Treves, the Euchites were
$ persecuted by the Dominicans after 1231.

certainly de facto Satanists if anything, since Christian.
even Mormons, as I understand it, understand "Lucifer" to be
the firstborn of 'the Creator'.  some Muslims too.


$ LUCIFERIANS -- Medieval sects of occultists who mutilated
$ Eucharistic wafers before an idol of Lucifer.  The practice
$ of witchcraft may have been initiated by a Luciferian sect in
$ Milan.  It was against this sect that Konrad of Marburg, the
$ first German inquisitor, moved zealously in the first part of
$ the thirteenth century.  He extorted confessions from them
$ 'proving' that they were out-and-out Satanists who
$ worshipped the Devil as creator and ruler of the world.

little information about them, possibly slanderous.


1300s 
$ SOULIS, WILLIAM -- Fourteenth-century Scottish noble,
$ professed Satanist, and reputed performer of human
$ sacrifices.  Known as the Black Lord of Hermitage, he was
$ also credited with having made a pact with the Devil.

here there may be promise if the 'profession' is more than a
tortured 'confession'.

 
1400s 
$ NIDER, JOHANNES (c. 1380-1438) -- Professor of theology
$ and author of the second book ever printed on witchcraft.
$ He wrote _Formicarius_ (The Anthill) in 1435.  The fifth
$ part of the book, a discussion on evil powers of witches,
$ was sometimes appended to the _Malleus Maleficarium_.

I find the connection between writings on ants and Satanism
to be quite interesting.  JDeboo writes on it, THWhite (though
not specifically a Satanist he is good analytical criticism
for the thoughtful reader) also makes comparisons between ants
and Communism, and apparently Nider's text may relate to them
also.  if anyone has read this text, please provide a review.
 

$ SABELLICUS, GEORGIUS -- Fifteenth-century necromancer.
$ He called himself a second Faustus.


1600s 
$ GAUFRIDI, LOUIS -- French wizard, executed in 1611.  He
$ was known as the Prince of Sorcerers.

possibly other sources of value.
 

$ SONS OF MIDNIGHT -- Members of an occult society in
$ London.  In the last decades of the seventeenth century
$ and on into the eighteenth, they engaged in sinister,
$ demoniac activities.

lots of 'occultists' in Baskin's work.  likely some of it
is slander but others may prove to be at least de facto material.


1700s
$ DASHWOOD, SIR FRANCIS -- A wealthy English profligate
$ who dabbled in Satanism and mysticism.  He transformed the
$ ancient ruins of the Cistercian abbey of Medmenham into
$ a lavish brothel, equipped with a library of rare pornographic
$ books and adorned with friezes and engravings depicting
$ lascivious scenes.  Setting himself up as Superior of the Friars 
$ of Medmenham, he officiated during the ritualistic celebration
$ of the Black Mass.  He died in 1781.

$ FRIARS OF MEDMENHAM -- An eighteenth-century coterie
$ led by Sir Francis Dashwood.  Their private cells, refectory,
$ and secluded gardens were established on the ruins of the
$ Cistercian abbey of Medmenham, in Bucks, England.

dismissed by LaVey as "Satanism-for-fun-and-games", these may be
the first solid cases of de facto (self-identified?  I've never
seen anything to this effect) Satanism.

 
$ GUIBOURG, ABBE -- Seventeenth-century French priest who
$ officiated at Black Masses.  He is supposed to have helped
$ Catherine La Voisin to persuade Madame de Montespan,
$ mistress of Louis XIV, to take part in obscene ceremonies.

again, Black Mass materials may be largely fabrications
or 'confessions'.


$ MARQUISE DE MARTEUIL -- Perverse, Satanic heroine of
$ Laclos' sensational novel, _Laisons Dangereuses_ (1782).

an excellent movie starring Glen Close.  I had no idea that
it was (is it?) based on a Satanic novel (is Close playing
the heroine?).

 
$ MOLLIES' CLUB -- A Satanic group that flourished in England
$ in the eighteenth century.

insufficient information, possible relevance.

 
$ SADE, MARQUIS DE -- The notorious eighteenth-century
$ atheist and nature-worshiper described in his works
$ Satanic orgies involving the use of consecrated hosts.

one of the great forgotten (de facto?) Satanists, de Sade
is seldom mentioned by CoSatanists or indeed the more
moderate in the occultist community.  only when one delves
into the depth of the Sado-masochists (to whom de Sade gave
his name, btw), do we find honor in his text.  Bataille
and some French writers (Huysmans mentions in passing) do
also provide respect.

 
$ TARTINI, GIUSEPPE -- Italian violinist (1692-1770) whose
$ "The Devil's Sonata" is supposed to have been dictated by
$ the Devil in a dream.

interesting that he isn't named in the CoS-FAQ.  perhaps
his works are not easy to come by or he is not well-known.
 

1800s 
$ HACKS, CHARLES -- Nineteenth-century German physician.
$ He is believed to have written, under the pseudonym of
$ Dr. Bataille, _Le Diable au XIX siecle_, a work incorporating
$ his views on Satanism and his personal occult experiences.

was George's name an honorific for this work?  has anyone
ever read this?  if so, please provide a review and cc me.


$ HUYSMANS, JORIS KARL (1848-1907) -- French novelist,
$ author of _La Bas_, a novel on Satanism.  'The Principle of
$ Evil and the Principle of Good,' he wrote, 'the God of light
$ and the God of Darkness, two streams contend for the soul.
$ ... It is quite evident that the God of light is in the eclipse,
$ that Evil reigns over the world, as master.
 
$ LA BAS -- A novel on Satanism by Huysmans (1891).  In it
$ Durtal, Huysmans' most characteristic hero, gains insights
$ into Satanism as he writes the life of Gilles de Rais.

decidely blood libel or at least a description of the Roman
Catholic travesty.  only tangentally of interest to Satanists
as it focusses on Gilles de Rais and has a certain indulgent
character.


$ MONTHERLANT, HENRI DE -- Contemporary French dramatist
$ and novelist, born in 1893.  Henri de Montherlant's egotistical
$ cynicism is typical of his times.  _Le Demon du bien_ is
$ impregnated with Satanism and affirms the superiority of
$ the Devil over God.

a review of this text would be valuable.


$ SOCIETY FOR THE REPARATION OF SOULS -- An occult sect
$ founded by Abbe Boullan and Adele Chevalier in 1859.  It
$ was centered around sex-magic.  On at least one occasion,
$ ritual murder was practiced.

$ THIBAULT, MME. -- High Priestess of the satanic sect who
$ founded Carmel Church in Lyon, France.
 
here (in Boullan and Chevalier, along with Vintras, below),
we find some interesting material, though strongly anti-(?)
Catholic in its definition.  Boullan apparently (Baskin)
claimed to be the reincarnation of John the Baptist and thus
continued the Work of Mercy  his integration of incubacy and
the reverence of Christ and the saints on the part of nuns 
is classic also, though from what I can tell he was very
serious about all this.  apparently Mme. Thibault was one of
his co-workers.  if there is a text describing all of Boullan's
doings as well as these others I'd appreciate a reference.
  
 
$ VIGNY, ALFRED DE -- French Romantic poet who sought
$ to rehabilitate Satan.  In 1824, according to his "Journal",
$ he planned to write a poem describing the redemption
$ of Satan.

barely of Satanic value, if accurate.


$ WORK OF MERCY -- A mysterious sect founded by Pierre
$ Vintras and led, after 1875, by Abbe Boullan.  Members
$ of the sect performed ceremonious Unions of Life, or
$ ritual copulations.  They believed that the sex act could be
$ humanity's pathway to God.

shades of Crowley.


unknown time period or contemporary (assistance in dating requested):
$ BENJEEs -- In the East Indies, devil worshippers.

I've never heard of sect group before.

 
$ CAINITES -- A heretical sect who glorified as heroes Cain, Esau,
$ and the Sodomites.  They paid homage to Korah, a Hebrew who
$ was destroyed after he led a rebellion against Moses, as to
$ Judas, whom they credited with freeing mankind from Jesus.

definitely of value for future research.

 
$ GNOSIS -- A periodical specializing in Satanism, published
$ by Aleister Crowley.

fascinating.  my Crowley-Cross-Index doesn't list it.  is it
possible Baskin is referring to the 'Equinox' here?

 
$ JOCANNA -- The name under which the Haitians are reported
$ to have worshiped a supreme evil being.

report from outside their community no doubt, though I have
understood that African diaspora occasionally revere the
wild spirit (Exu, for example).

 
$ NAASSIANS -- Devil-worshipers, also called Ophites.  The
$ name is derived from the Hebrew word *Nahas*, which
$ means 'serpent'.  A branch of the Gnostics, they attached
$ great importance to Satan as the tempter in the biblical
$ account of the temptation of Adam and Eve.  They respected
$ the knowledge of good and evil imparted by the serpent and
$ believed that God had withheld this vital knowledge from
$ man.  By teaching men to rebel against God, the serpent
$ acted as the emancipator of mankind.

Gnostics have often struck me as poor Satanists, but this
depends on their character.  Crowley identified as Gnostic,
and many of those after him have been driven to the Gnostic
(sometimes Gnostic-Haitain) current.  cf. MBertiaux, for
example, or KGrant.

 
$ PELADAN, JOSEPHIN -- Grand Master of Parisian Rosicrucians,
$ esthete, and avowed Satanist.

"avowed".  Rosicrucians??  they *are* French, however, so there
is possibility.

 
$ WILLIAMSON, CECIL -- A practicing sorcerer living in
$ Bocastle, England.  He is the proprietor of the Witches' House,
$ said to be Europe's most extensive museum of black magic.
$ He claims to have produced spirits by ritual magic.  He
$ describes their initial appearance as
$ 	a little globular moisture, like a frog blowing bubbles.
$ 	The globule keeps growing up to the size of a football.
$ 	... As it expands, it takes on a glasslike, luminously
$ 	blue appearance, and you see a human head forming
$ 	inside.
$ 	Eventually..., the head is full sized, and sometimes
$ 	you even get speech from it.  Often, the light becomes
$ 	too dazzling for the eyes; then, suddenly, the globe is
$ 	gone.

is this fellow or his Witches' House still extant?  I've not
heard about him unless he was the Satanist named 'Ramon' who
was portrayed in Frank Smyth's book _Modern Witchcraft_ (it
has a small chapter which may yield other historical bits at
a later date).  I find it interesting to compare Williamson's
account above with that of Spiritualists from about the turn
of the century and those of Satanists today.  needless to say,
I have trouble putting much faith in any of these 'materiali-
zations'.
 

$ YEZIDIS (YEZEEDEES) -- A sect comprising a number of Kurdish-
$ speaking tribes in Armenia and the Causasus who worship the
$ Devil, known as Melek Taus and represented as a peacock.
$ F. Nau collected and translated their sacred books into French
$ (_Recueil de textes et de documentes sur les Yezidis_, 1918).
$ Also known as Yezdi....

a valuable, if disappointing branch of 'Satanism'.  from what
I can tell these folx are in many ways conventional Muslims,
being more of the persuasion that Iblis is not the cosmic
bad-guy whom the conservative Muslims have inherited from
Christianity.  I haven't looked in great depth, but they do
not strike me as specifically Satanic material.

I remember hearing about the Yezidis first from LaVey, though
not in any detail.  in a cursory glance through _The Satanic
Bible_ I couldn't locate the term, and my recall is that
there was no mention of either the interesting parallels to
European Satan-associations (peacock, pride), or the obvious
differences between this and modern Satanism (Melek Taus,
some kind of conservatism appears evident despite their
reverence of Iblis/(?)Taus).


all from: 
$ -----------------------------------------------------------
$ _Dictionary of Satanism_, by Wade Baskin, 
$  Philosophical Library, 1972; various pp.
$ __________________________________________ 

EOF