Necronomicon by Abdul Alhazred – Library of Rickandria

The Necronomicon, a captivating enigma of arcane knowledge, has endured in the annals of intellectual history, despite its elusive nature and sporadic accessibility.

Howard Phillips Lovecraft – Library of Rickandria

This tome has long fascinated scholars and enthusiasts of esoteric wisdom, leaving an indelible mark on the intellectual landscape of humankind.

H.P. Lovecraft – Library of Rickandria

Tracing its origins back to the early 8th century, the Necronomicon was the ambitious creation of Arab scholar Abdul Alhazred, who sought to compile a comprehensive repository of esoteric wisdom.

Necronomicon – Wikipedia (fictional history)

Drawing from numerous oral and written sources, Alhazred’s work eventually culminated in the tome that would later become the Necronomicon.

Necronomicon – Wikipedia

Although the original title “Kitab al-Azif” is often attributed to Alhazred himself, recent scholarship suggests that it was more likely a later invention by Arab scholars who wished to honor his legacy, given that at no point in his work does Alhazred refer to it by name, only calling it “this work” or “this collection”.

The-Necronomicon-Azif-Al-1 Download

Over the centuries, the Necronomicon underwent several translations, facilitating its dissemination and influence across diverse cultural contexts.

In 950 CE, Byzantine scholar Theodorus Philetas translated the work from its original Arabic into Greek.

Theodorus Philetas | The H.P. Lovecraft Wiki | Fandom

This translation not only introduced the now-infamous name “Necronomicon” but also significantly impacted the alchemists and natural philosophers of Constantinople.

The newfound enthusiasm for the book also led to a series of unfortunate events; however, no details are known.

[The enthronement of Michael I Cerularius, from the Madrid Skylitzes – Michael I Cerularius or Keroularios (Greek: Μιχαὴλ Κηρουλάριος; c. 1000 – 21 January 1059 AD) was the patriarch of Constantinople from 1043 to 1059 AD. His disputes with Pope Leo IX over church practices in the 11th century played a role in the events that led to the Great Schism in 1054.]

These events prompted Michael I Cerularius, Patriarch of Constantinople, to ban the book in 1050 CE and order the destruction of all known copies, once again relegating the Necronomicon to the shadows.

Banned Books – Library of Rickandria

In 1228, Danish alchemist and scholar Olaus Wormius, not to be confused with his namesake from the 17th century, translated the Necronomicon into Latin, making it accessible to the intellectual elite of the Christian West, who were proficient in Latin but by and large did not speak Greek.

The Preface of Shadows: Olaus Wormius’ Latin Translation of the Necronomicon and the Interplay of Faith, Occult, and Language in the 13th Century – Miskatonic University

However, in 1232, Pope Gregory IX banned the work once more, imposing a strict prohibition on its circulation.

[Pope Gregory IX (Latin: Gregorius IX; born Ugolino di Conti; 1145 – 22 August 1241) was head of the Catholic Church and the ruler of the Papal States from 19 March 1227 until his death in 1241. He is known for issuing the Decretales and instituting the Papal Inquisition, in response to the failures of the episcopal inquisitions established during the time of Pope Lucius III, by means of the papal bull Ad abolendam, issued in 1184.]

The Necronomicon reemerged in the late 15th century when an anonymous German book printer discovered Wormius’ Latin translation.

The Preface of Shadows: Olaus Wormius’ Latin Translation of the Necronomicon and the Interplay of Faith, Occult, and Language in the 13th Century – Miskatonic University

He published the Necronomicon in print for the first time, despite the prohibitions surrounding the work.

This act made the knowledge within its pages available to a wider audience, marking the beginning of a renewed interest in the tome’s contents.

Miskatonic University is proud to announce a groundbreaking discovery that has captivated the world of arcane scholarship.

Miskatonic University – Miskatonic University

A rare print of the Black Letter Edition of the Necronomicon has been unearthed in Southern Germany, and its owners have graciously reached out to Miskatonic University, the foremost authority on Necronomicon Studies, to collaborate on its publication.