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| Author | Albertus Parvus Lucius[1] ("Lesser Albert") |
|---|---|
| Original title | Secrets merveilleux de la magie naturelle et cabalistique du petit Albert. |
| Language | French |
| Subject | Magic |
| Genre | Grimoire |
| Publisher | Héritiers de Beringos fratres |
Publication date | circa 1706[2][3] |
| Publication place | France |
Published in English | 2012 (as "The Spellbook of Marie Laveau") |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| OCLC | 164442497 |
| Preceded by | Grand Albert |
| Followed by | Grand Grimoire (the Red Dragon) |
Petit Albert (English: SmallAlbert) is an 18th-centurygrimoire of natural and cabalisticmagic.[4][5] It may have been inspired by the writings ofAlbertus Parvus Lucius (the Lesser Albert).[6][7] Brought down to the smallest hamlets in the saddlebags of peddlers,[3] it represents publishing success, despite its association with "devil worshipers"[8]—or rather because of it. It is associated with a second work, theGrand Albert. It is a composite, heterogeneous work, collecting texts written by various authors; most of these authors are anonymous but some are notable such asCardano andParacelsus. Due to its historical nature, Albertus Magnus' attribution to the text is considerably uncertain and since the text quotes from many later sources, it is anethnological document of the first order.
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TheLittle Albert is generally mentioned at the same time as theGrand Albert, another grimoire. TheLittle Albert, however, is neither a summary nor an abridged version of theGrand Albert; it is a separate text, as can be seen in a comparison of the two works byClaude Seignolle in a French work titled,Les Évangiles du Diable (in English: The Gospels of the Devil).[9]
The author of these two works is speculated to beAlbertus Magnus ("Albert the Great"), born around 1193, a theologian and professor atSorbonne University. ThePlace Maubert (etymologically "Master Albert Square") in Paris is named after him. The text ofSecrets merveilleux de la magie naturelle et cabalistique du Petit Albert published byChez les Heritiers Beringos in 1752 specifically credits authorship toAlberti Parvi Lucii.[10] In Tarl Warwick's 2016 English translation, the warning to the reader says: "Here is a new edition of the Wonderful Natural Secrets of theLittle Albert, known in Latin by the title 'Libellus Alberti Parvi Lucii of mirabilibus Arcanis naturae'"; the author was among those accused of witchery by the masses.[8]
The writings ofMaster Albert were known to not be printed in his day before his death in 1280 until the invention of theprinting press. The earliest known edition appeared in France in 1706 and was published by "Chez les Heritiers Beringos", a fictional company also described as being "at the sign ofAgrippa",[3][11] inLyon and represented a gap of more than 400 years between the estimated date of writing and printing—a range of time that opened up many possibilities for the evolution of the text. Publishing controversial and illegal grimoires under a fictional name was a common tactic in the 18th and 19th centuries[3] as grimoires became increasingly censored by the Catholic Church.[11]
The fact that theGrand and theLittle Albert are named afterAlbertus Magnus is a claim that should not be taken literally. The text contains references known to authors before the Master Albert, likeParacelsus, very largely quoted during his time. There are additional references to things that happened after the Master Albert's time. These works attempt to gain acceptance and validity by putting themselves under the name of Albert the Great. When thePetit Albert was initially printed, it was normal practice to give respected historical figures communal attribution. It shouldn't be contrasted with contemporary plagiarism or falsification. Instead, it was seen as a method to honor the authors of contentious subjects while simultaneously providing them with protection.[citation needed]
From 1850, theGrand and thePetit Albert were published under the following titles:
These three works were collected in a grand three-volume work, which was published in Paris in the 1860s and entitledLe Grande et Veritable Science Cabalistique.[1]
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Le Grand Albert andLe Petit Albert, were enormously popular in France throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. A mixture of esoteric science and superstition, they were tolerated by the Church, with whose teachings they sat uneasily. The books were prized by the ordinary people who tried to reconcile their belief in Christianity and magical practices.[citation needed]
Even "good" Christians tried to bless the book in secret by hiding it under the tablecloth of an altar.[11] The priests were aware of this practice and inspected the possible hiding places before mass and removed the "Albert" if they found one. Legends about theAlbert flourished. It was said that the devil tries to take back his books and that destroying anAlbert was too dangerous for an individual to accomplish safely. With the goals of safety and salvation in mind, the presence of anAlbert should be confided to a priest.[citation needed]
The attitude of the Church after theFrench Revolution contrasts with the fact that the book had a long editorial life. Successive editions were published in Lyon under theAncien Régime, before theAge of Enlightenment, when the Church had every latitude to ban it.[citation needed]
The book was indirectly censored from 1793 to 1815 when peddling literature was prohibited; evidently the Church was not involved in this decision.[citation needed]
The twoAlberts, sold by peddling[3] and inseparable from the Almanac (with astrological calendar, another great success of the popular edition)[11] made a fortune for their publishers since, according to Seignolle, it sold 400,000 a year in the BelgianArdennes alone.[9]
The intended reader was not a sorcerer, but rather a farmer and who was, in general, a devout Christian. The success of the books are all the more remarkable because they were of no particular use to the peasant. The formulas in the book were not very practical in their lifestyle. For example, even the cooking recipes (usually different compositions of spicy wine) required many expensive ingredients, often difficult to identify and hard to find in French villages.[citation needed]
Thus, the audience it catered to occupied the whole social spectrum. Thehand of glory from the book, for example, was an instrument appreciated by burglars. The soap recipes andeau de toilette which included many expensive ingredients from around the world were probably appreciated by the apothecaries of the ladies of the Court. Copies ofLe Petit Albert have been located among the 19th century French peasantry, like theHoodoo practitioners ofNew Orleans, and theObeah men of theFrench West Indies."[1]
ThePetit Albert later became ameme. In simple terms, "To say one had thePetit Albert was shorthand for saying one was deep in magic."[3]
Other parts of the book representalchemical orcabalist theories whose origin is attributed mainly toParacelsus. These also include talismans in accordance with cabalist methods, like making gold artificially or dissolving it. Other instructions include turning lead into gold, creating faux currency with tin, utilizingborax to melt gold and the process of creatingimitation pearls.[8]
Petit Albert in popular culture.
