Solomon and the Ars Notoria (Lynn Thorndike)

This chapter from the second volume of Lynn Thorndike's monumental History of Magic and Experimental Science, published in 1923, surveys the medieval literature of magic circulated under the name of Solomon, with particular attention to the Ars Notoria. Thorndike, a historian at Columbia University, was the first modern scholar to work systematically through the manuscript catalogues of European libraries to map the medieval literature of magic, astrology and alchemy, and he argued that magic and experimental science grew up together. In this chapter he describes the many Solomonic texts mentioned by medieval authors and found in manuscripts, including works on rings, images, pentacles and spirit names, and examines the Ars Notoria, the notory art that promised mastery of the liberal arts and theology through prayers and the contemplation of figures called notae. He discusses its attribution to Solomon and Apollonius, its condemnation by theologians such as Thomas Aquinas, and the evidence of its use, while also touching on the Sworn Book and related texts. The chapter remains a valuable entry point, but much of its detail has been superseded. Julien Véronèse's critical edition of the Ars Notoria (2007), Claire Fanger's studies of John of Morigny's revision of the notory art, and Frank Klaassen's work on the transmission of ritual magic now provide a far fuller picture of the manuscripts and their users.

What it contains

• Medieval references to books of Solomon
• Solomonic texts on rings, images and pentacles
• Origins and attribution of the Ars Notoria
• Prayers and notae for acquiring knowledge
• Theological condemnations, including Aquinas
• Related works such as the Sworn Book