Chaldean Magic: Its Origin and Development

About this book

Seven evil spirits trouble the living; incantations call upon divine protectors to drive them away. Through newly deciphered inscriptions, François Lenormant encountered the demons and healing rites of ancient Mesopotamia almost as they returned from the dust.

Writing during the early study of Assyrian and Babylonian texts, Lenormant follows exorcisms, protective formulas and supernatural beings through a world long hidden from European scholarship. He compares these materials with other religions, sometimes reaching conclusions later research has overturned. The translated spells and spirit-names preserve the fears and protective rites of the people who first used them.