On „Spells” in the So-called “Modlitewnik Władysława Warneńczyka” (King Władysław III of Poland’s Prayer Book) Cover Image

O "zaklęciach" w tzw. "Modlitewniku Władysława Warneńczyka"
On „Spells” in the So-called “Modlitewnik Władysława Warneńczyka” (King Władysław III of Poland’s Prayer Book)

Author(s): Maciej Włodarski
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, Theology and Religion
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego
Keywords: prayer book; crystallomancy; spells; magic crystal; angels; demons; God’s magical names

Summary/Abstract: The so-called King Władysław III of Poland’s Prayer Book from the 15th century, found in the Bodleian Library in Oxford, is probably the only preserved relic in European literature which is a combination of a prayer book and a book of magic used for crystallomancy i.e. divination by crystal gazing. The analysis of the prayer book in this paper is supposed to show how the spells included in the prayers function, thus introducing the magical nature of that book, the significance of magical objects, and define the way of combining magical elements with a religious attitude (“white magic”).

  • Issue Year: 28/2024
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 57-65
  • Page Count: 10
  • Language: Polish
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