Dictionnaire infernal: ou Répertoire universel des êtres, des personnages, 1863 PDF download available.

Written by Jacques Auguste Simon Collin de Plancy, and illustrated by Louis Le Breton, this classic work was printed in 6 editions, with the final edition of 1863 containing the famous demon images. This book attempts to provide an account of all the knowledge concerning superstitions and demonology. The demonologist was a man stuck between logic and faith, the salon and the Hellfire club, who heard the screams of horrific monsters while writing with the sober pen of a naturalist. Their odd depictions of stilt-legged owl men, insect-legged frog-cat kings, and spiral-horned jesters transformed the Dictionnaire Infernal from an occult oddity that could easily have been forgotten to a frightening bestiary that is still referenced and shared today.

As with the many demonic chimeras that populate his dictionary, Collin de Plancy was a mélange of disparate parts. He combined realistic details with fantastical elements, creating some of the most original and vivid depictions of demons ever made. Etymology was like dissection, another Enlightenment innovation, and the dictionary a sort of dissection theater.

The preface authoritatively claimed that Collin de Plancy had “reconfigured his labors, recognizing that superstitious, foolish beliefs, occult sects and practices . The 1863 edition of the book featured hundreds of spot illustrations, over 60 of which were of specific demons. All together, across nearly six hundred pages, Collin de Plancy provided entries for sixty-five different demons, including favorites from the pages of Dante, Milton, and others, such as Asmodeus, Azazel, Bael, Behemoth, Belphégor, Belzebuth, Mammon, and Moloch.

De Plancy published dozens of titles in his lifetime, but he never surpassed the success (or infamy) of the Dictionnaire Infernal, which first appeared in 1818 and was followed by several updated editions.

For the rationalist lexicographer this means that mastery of rhetoric and syntax can affect our lives through the ability to explicate and convince; for the wizard this means that the magic of words can conjure alteration. It was written by Jacques Auguste Simon Collin de Plancy and first published in 1818[citation needed]. When de Plancy first published his guide to the world of demons in 1818, he had a reputation as an opponent of superstition and religion. Altogether, Louis Breton executed 550 illustrations including a set of 72 depictions of demons, which were published by J. Since 1863, the illustrations from de Plancy’s book have also been used to accompany esoteric titles such as new printings of the Lesser Key of Solomon, plus any number of books on magic and demonology (thanks, Public Domain!

It lists, describes, and provides illustrations of a variety of demons, including most of the Goetia, as well as demons pulled from other religions, such as Hinduism, and re-branded as Christian demons. His face — described by Collin de Plancy as that of a “very ugly angel” — is rendered by le Breton as thin and effete, almost equine, with eyes dismissive and uncaring, a slight sneer of cold command.