The Grand Grimoire is a black magicgrimoire. Different editions date the book to 1521, 1522 or 1421, but it was probably written in the early 19th century. Owen Davies suggests 1702 is when the first edition may have created and a Bibliothèque bleue version of the text may have been published in 1750. The "introductory chapter" was authored by someone named Antonio Venitiana del Rabina who supposedly gathered this information from original writings of King Solomon. Much of material in this grimoire derives from the Key of Solomon and the Lesser Key of Solomon. Also known as Le Dragon Rouge or The Red Dragon, this book contains instructions purported to summon Lucifer or Lucifuge Rofocale, for the purpose of forming a Deal with the Devil. The 19th century French occultistÉliphas Lévi believed the contemporary edition of Le Dragon Rouge to be counterfeit of the true, older Grand Grimoire. The work is divided into two books. The first book contains instructions for summoning a demon and for the construction of tools with which to force the demon to do one's bidding. The second book is further divided into two parts: the Sanctum Regnum and Secrets, de L'Art Magique du Grand Grimoire. The Sanctum Regnum contain instructions for making a pact with the demon, allowing one to command the spirit without the tools required in book one, but at greater risk. Secrets contains simpler spells and rituals one can employ after having performed the ritual in the first book. Some editions contain a short text between these two parts, Le Secret Magique, où le Grand Art de pouvoir parler aux Morts, dealing with necromancy. The book describes several demons as well as the rituals to summon them in order to make a pact with them. It also details several spells for winning the lottery, talking to spirits, being loved by a girl, making oneself invisible, etc.
The Demons
This book mentions three higher demons. These demons are similarly prioritized in Grimorium Verum. Although, in Tarl Warwick's English translation of the work, the "demons" are referenced by the more generic term of "spirits."
author Lin Carter uses the word "karcist" as a synonym for "magician" or "sorcerer" in several of his works, citing the Grand Grimoire as a source. In Thongor in the City of Magicians, Carter's "karcist" is a mage requested to serve as "controller" of a magic ritual enacted by a cabal of his colleagues. In the video game Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, the Grand Grimoire is a magical book that survived the Flood on Noah's Ark, but whose value was forgotten. The book is later found by one of the game's main characters, Mewt Randell, in a used book shop. The book's power transports the game's protagonists to Ivalice, a fictional universe used as a setting for other Final Fantasy games as well. In the 1989 motion picture Warlock, actor Julian Sands plays a warlock trying to find the three Grand Grimoires, which when combined purportedly contain the name of God. In the film the book has supernatural properties, and is therefore separated into three sets of pages to prevent its evil power from being abused. In James H. Brennan's Sagas of the Demonspawn series, Lucifuge Rofocale is the name of the demon incarnated in the sword named Doom Bringer. According to the Grand Grimoire, Lucifuge Rofocale is the demon in charge of Hell's government. Dutch metal band God Dethroned have an album called The Grand Grimoire. In its second season, the FoxTV seriesSleepy Hollow presents the Grand Grimoire as once owned by occultist John Dee and coveted by an evil warlock named Solomon Kent. It fell into the possession of one of the series' antagonists, Henry Parrish, and helped lead to the fall of protagonist Katrina Crane. In the 2012 video game , a book called the Grand Grimoire contains all of the black magic within the town of Labyrinthia, and is used by Phoenix Wright to point out contradictions and illogical aspects in accusations of witchcraft.
