The Necronomicon

There are recurring questions about the authenticity of the Necronomicon. Too many people believe what they are told and take it as fact without investigation. The claim that the Necronomicon is a work of fiction "invented by Howard Phillips Lovecraft" does not survive even basic scrutiny.

The Historical Evidence

The Necronomicon is NOT a work of fiction, nor was it invented by H.P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft was born August 20th, 1890, and died March 15th, 1937. If he was born in 1890, how did he invent the 1586 Necronomicon? That copy was authored by Dr. John Dee, the same scholar who brought us the Enochian calls. And there are copies that precede even this one.

The preface to the 1586 copy, authored by Dr. Joseph Talbet, Ph.D., D. Litt., Harvard University, reveals the true history of this powerful grimoire:

"The Necronomicon is primarily known to the general public due to the writings of Howard Phillips Lovecraft. The word 'necronomicon' is the title of a Greek translation made around 950 A.D. by Theodoras Philetas from an original Arabic manuscript. A Latin version of the Greek translation was made by Olaus Wormius in 1228 A.D. The original Arabic title of the work was 'Kitab al Azif' which can be roughly translated as 'The Book of the Howlings of the Desert Jinn (or demons).' The name 'necronomicon', which the Latin version retains, means something like 'things pertaining to the customs, practices, or laws of the dead.' Nekros being Latin for 'dead' and nomos meaning the customs, practice, or law."

"The original writer was supposed to have been an Arab named Abdul al Azrad who supposedly died around 738 A.D. in Damascus. Death was due to being torn apart in the street by unseen entities. The name is probably a mistranslation since no self-respecting Arab would have such a name. The true name was probably Abd Al Azrad. In Arabic the name is more of a title meaning the 'slave of the devourer' or 'worshipper of the great devourer', supposedly alluding to the Great Old Ones."

"The John Dee translation of the Necronomicon reprinted in this work comes from the collection of the Widener Library at Harvard University. The book was part of the personal library of Harry Elkins Widener, American millionaire and founder of the Widener Library. Mr. Widener obtained this text in 1912 shortly before he boarded the Titanic. The binding of the book is original, but badly cracked and split. The text is complete, but many pages are separated and others are crumbling. Restoration efforts are presently underway, and the book has been digitally preserved as part of this effort."

The Documented Editions

Al Azif (Arabic), written by Abd al-Hazrad, c. 730 A.D. Original form is unknown but numerous manuscript versions circulated among medieval scholars. By the 12th century, this version was referred to as lost.

Necronomicon (Greek), translated by Theodoras Philetas, c. 950 A.D. Mass printing in Italy in the summer of 1501 led to a surge of religious suppression by the Church. The book was banned and included in the Index Expurgatorius by Pope Gregory IX. The last known copy of this version was burned in Salem in 1692.

Voynich Manuscript (Latin and Greek using Arabic script), translator unknown, c. 1020. Probably produced in Romania. Only three copies are known to have existed.

Necronomicon (Latin), by Olaus Wormius, c. 1228. First circulated in manuscript form, then printed in Mainz, Germany, around the end of the 15th century as a black-letter folio.

Necronomicon (English), translated by John Dee, c. 1586. An accurate but expurgated version of the Greek edition. Printed only in small numbers by private publishers. It is from this edition that the modern reprint comes.

Necronomicon (Latin), c. 1630. A poor-quality reprint of the 1228 Latin version. Published by an unknown publisher in Spain.

Al Azif — Ye Booke Of Ye Arabe (English), translator unknown, c. 1590. An incomplete and muddled text. Fewer than ten manuscripts were probably ever written.

Cultus Maleficarum (English), translated by Baron Fredric, c. 1597. A partial translation of the Latin text. Published in Sussex, England.

What the Necronomicon Actually Is

"Necronomicon" means the "Book of Dead Names." With the rise and dominance of Christianity, the names of the original Pagan Gods fell out of use. They became "dead names." This is the true meaning of the title. It is not a book about necromancy. It is a book of words of power that had not been spoken for centuries, and which, when correctly vibrated, carry immense spiritual force.

For anyone with even basic knowledge of the occult, it is obvious that this text is not fiction. There have been tragic consequences for those who experimented with this book incorrectly. The "Gods" referenced in the text are real beings, but as with all ancient occult writings, the text operates on multiple levels. There is the literal level, and there is the allegorical level. Those who read only literally miss the deeper teachings entirely.

The Allegorical Level: Chakras and Kundalini

The true purpose of the Necronomicon is to serve as a grimoire for opening the soul. "Leviathan" and "Cthulhu" are names for the Kundalini serpent, "who lies sleeping and dreaming" at the base of the spine. "Narayana," probably one of the most ancient names for Cthulhu, also appears in the Hindu Mahabharata, which is thousands of years old. The connection between Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Vedic traditions runs far deeper than most scholars acknowledge.

Many grimoires use code words. The only way to decode them is through divine guidance from the Gods or from a teacher who has already received this knowledge. Most of the 1586 Necronomicon has to do with opening the chakras and raising the Kundalini.

The "Mad Arab" raised his Kundalini, which opened his mind and soul and made him "mad." Too much psychic input too soon can overwhelm the capacity for sanity. The "burning" of the seals in the Necronomicon represents the burning open of the sealed chakras through Kundalini fire. The madness and experiences of Abd al-Hazrad are the result of prematurely opened chakras and an uncontrolled Kundalini ascent.

The symbols in the 1586 Necronomicon are real alchemical symbols, no different from the sigils of the Gods known in the Goetic tradition. Properly used, they have power.

Code Words and Allegories

In the ancient grimoires, "God/s" is the code word for "chakra/s." The "Elders" and the "Ancients" are allegories for the higher and lower energy centers. Once you know the code words, you will be able to see the meanings. It is a different way of reading.

The same principle applies to the Tarot. Thoth's teachings are not buried beneath the Sphinx waiting to be excavated. They are encoded in the Tarot, in the grimoires, in the sacred symbols that have survived the centuries of suppression. Those who have developed their spiritual faculties can read these deeper meanings directly. Those who remain on the surface take everything literally and miss the point.

Akhenaton's serpentine features, which historians attribute to disease, carry the alchemical message of the Hermaphroditus: the spiritual union of male and female chakra polarities that leads to the Magnum Opus. The serpent imagery that runs through every ancient tradition is not decorative. It is the Kundalini.

The Simon copy of the Necronomicon has been altered and its symbols corrupted. This does not mean the book is fiction. It means the book has been tampered with, as has happened to nearly every genuine spiritual text throughout history.

The Roots of the Tradition

Nearly all of the "occult" has its foundation in spiritual alchemy. The tales of the Gods are allegories. Spiritual knowledge was hidden over the centuries due to the systematic destruction carried out by Christianity and other suppressive forces.

The roots of Zevism have been preserved in the Far East. Many practices later came to Egypt, such as the mantra "AUM" which evolved into "Amon" and was then absorbed and reduced into "Amen." "Left Hand Path" originated with Tantra, meaning the way of doing, in contrast to the "Right Hand Path" of abstaining.

Simplified Summary

The Necronomicon is a real grimoire with documented copies dating back centuries before Lovecraft was born. The 1586 English translation by John Dee (housed at Harvard) is the most accessible version.

The text is not about summoning monsters. It is an allegorical manual for opening the chakras and raising the Kundalini, written in the coded language that all genuine grimoires use. "Gods" = chakras. "Cthulhu" = the sleeping Kundalini serpent. "Burning the seals" = opening the sealed chakras.

Do not experiment with this grimoire casually. The "Mad Arab" went mad because he opened too much too fast. Prepare properly. Open your chakras systematically. Build your bioelectricity gradually. Then, and only then, approach this text as a working tool.