Codex Gigas: The Devil’s Bible
September 10, 2009 by natalina
Filed under History, Superstitions, The Unexplained
In the early 13th century, a book came into existence that mystifies the literary and theological worlds to this day. Not much is known about this manuscript called the Codex Gigas (Giant Book). Many legends and myths have grown around its origins. That this book has created so much speculation is not shocking. The very appearance and content of the Codex, also called The Devil’s Bible, are as mysterious as the quandary of its creation. It holds the distinction of having once been regarded as the 8th Wonder of the World.
The Codex Gigas is the largest Medieval Manuscript in the world. Bound within a leather covered wooden folder, ornamented with metal, the giant book is 92 cm (36.2in.) tall, 50 cm (19.7in.) wide and 22 cm (8.6in.) thick. It originally contained 320 pages, however 8 were removed by unknown hands for unknown reasons. Weighing in at an incredible 165 pounds, the vellum (calf or donkey skin) pages were created out of approximately 160 animals.
Image Courtesy of The Royal Library, National Library of Sweden (http://www.kb.se)
So, who wrote this Giant Book? It is believed to have originated from the Benedictine monastery of Podlažice in Bohemia in what is now the Czech Republic. Attributed to a Monk known as Herman the Recluse, the records in the codex end in the year 1229. Legend has it that good old Herman was a monk who broke his monastic vows. As punishment, he was sentenced to be sealed alive into the walls of the monastery. In an effort to circumvent said sentence, Herman vowed to create a book to glorify the monastery for all time. The book was to contain all vital human knowledge. He promised to complete this book in one night.
He set about his task, but as the witching hour approached, Herman became convinced that his goal was unattainable. Rather than praying to God for mercy as a good monk should, he made a plea to the fallen one himself….Satan. Of course being the agreeable fellow that he is, Satan completed the book, and Herman showed his gratitude by adding the now infamous illustration of the Devil himself. Of course, the Devil then possessed poor Herman, who was then forced to add a number of exorcism spells within the Codex in an attempt to exorcise himself.
The Devil says “Cheese!” on page 290 of the Codex Gigas
Of course legends are funny things. It seems that the legend about Herman making a pact with the devil is more likely a mistranslation of the word inclusus, which rather than meaning “walled up alive”, more literally means choosing to live a solitary life. However, as experts have analyzed the book, it does appear to have been written entirely by the same hand, and is not beyond belief that perhaps Herman was commissioned to write the Codex as a form of punishment. But it certainly took him more than one night. Scholars estimate that the book would have taken a minimum of 25-30 years to complete, including the time taken to rule the pages, write the text, and complete the illuminations and drawings.
Image Courtesy of NationalGeographic.com
Besides a desperate attempt at exorcising his own demon, what else did Herman put withing the wooden covers of this massive tome? Well, it contains the entire Latin Vulgate version of the Bible, except for the books of Acts and Revelation. It also contains mystical medical formulas for anything from treating fevers and epilepsy to resolving practical issues such as finding a thief. It contains spells and incantations, as well as many other strange and bizarre inscriptions. The above mentioned portrait of Satan is placed on a pace that directly faces an illustration of the Kingdom of Heaven.
This sounds fascinating! I love this kind of stuff. As soon as I get a chance I’ll watch the whole video.
Although I was raised in an amalgam of protestant Christian faiths, I’ve always had a fascination (sp?) with the fallen.
Sometime within the next year (or two), I intend to read both “Paradise Lost” and “The Divine Comedy.”
I’d also like to get ahold of the ancient texts that were left out of the Bible.
Check out the Devil’s Bible/Codex Gigas in fiction.
SCARS ON THE FACE OF GOD: THE DEVIL’S BIBLE, a novel by C. G. Bauer
amazon.com, fictionwise.com, drolleriepress.com, cgbauer.net
my name is adam ashley and i was pazested a few days ago and i was told by the demon inside me that i need to read the codex gigas so if you would send me everything you have translated to english to my email i would be more than greatfull my email adress is ashley.adam@ymail.com. i am begging you to send me whatever you have because i need to read it for my own safty my life does depend on it
ps if you want to send it by mail my adress is 7167 burning tree ct. mobile al. 36695
thank you and please hurry
The devil’s bible is real, and there is a hell.
All the volcanic ash that a volcano let’s out is the burn souls that the devil has placed people in the fire to burn.
The volcano when it becomes active and let’s out this ash is to discharge from hell after a amount of pressure has build up from all the doom soul’s burn, as indicated in one of Satan’s passage of his bible.
This bible is only but a non-complete copy of he original one, as the real bible is maid of human skin and inked in blood.
If this bible does not carry a passage that explains this, then it’s not complete.
Well…
Look it: http://www.wdl.org/pt/item/3042/pages.html#volume/1/page/1
The demon’s picture is in the page 577. This book is in Latin, but its a bible with the new and old testment.
First of all let us remain rational…we should as human try to derive facts from this reality (i’m christian by the way..) are these myths?(not the book, I know it’s real) Was the story about the challenge of the monk real? If so, did he really meet the devil ,a believer, what probility if so? Could he have lost his faith to such a point? a lot to think..huh?. Well I like thinking meta…Secondly, is it possible for a human to write a manuscrite of such volume in one single..2 possibilities arises or even 3 ..one could say..this is really the work of the devil..2nd flaws and lies were passed down in history..3rd a possibility it was something else ..a factor G(too complex to derive though)
Of courses bearing the evidence of theological aspects being described in the book reveals us the degree of the handcraft, the complexity of chaining lines goes on but the more it goes down the more consistent the structure of his words should be and the more obvious the weak spot become..I’m sure this book even if not decribe as so is both lie and truth..I’ll find out
This is just a question, not trying to offend, but, why can people take somethings as simple fact, virgin birth,ressurection etc…, but the speed a book was written is worth debate. Not saying this myth is true, I just wonder how someone can accept certain myths as fact, but question other myths equally strange or less?
have a great day people
I THINK WE ARE DICOVERING 2 MUCH ABOUT THE PAST..
MAYBE THATS WHAT IS GONNA KILL US..
Some people are retarted….Just because this book has a certain picture in it does NOT prove that the devil wrote the book, perhaps we should use some common sence in saying that these things were some of the “common knowledge’ of the day, that someone just wanted to write down the history of all the things they knew or believed. All of this other crap about it is stupid. I’m not saying that God and the devil don’t exist because I am a big believer in the Lord Almighty and that one day he will come for his followers, I’m saying that don’t you think that if it was something like that that God wouldn’t have let us find it? Why find this and not the ten commandments or the ark of the covenant??? I beleive we only find what God allows us too and that he will only revel these things in his time NOT ours and that people need to quit reading crap itno these things that there is no proof of.
This book is real i have seen it. However it is just that. A very old book with bible quotes, remedies and so on. The only devilish part is the pic of the “devil” which on the other page next to it is a heaven like structure. Showing heaven and hell.