There are a huge number of religions in the world, their denominations and sects, each of which preaches its own values. Most religions have their own god, gods, or beings worshiped by the adepts.
Everyone knows that there are only three world religions - Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. Each of them has its own sacred book, which contains all the knowledge about religion and its canons. For Christians it is the Bible, for Muslims it is the Quran, for Buddhists it is the Tripitaka.
In addition to the god that people worship, there is also an antipode - a creature with negative energy that makes people do things that are contrary to a particular faith. The most popular creature in this category is the Devil.
He has many names - the Devil, the Devil and others. There are many theories about its origin. The main theory is that the Devil is Lucifer, a fallen angel.
The story of Lucifer is familiar to many people who have something to do with Christianity. He was an angel and served God. Lucifer was handsome, smart and quick-witted, many angels revered him, turned to him for advice and listened.
At some point, the angel decided that he himself could rule God's creatures, since he was strong and smart. Starting a rebellion, Lucifer believed that he would take the place of God and become the supreme ruler of all creatures.
However, he underestimated the power of God, and therefore the revolution did not take place - the battle was lost. The angel had minions who believed him and were on his side - together with them he was expelled from Paradise. So, the fallen angel Lucifer began to rule the world of sinners -. And the same henchmen help him in this -
We got this information from the Bible, which is the holy book of Christians. Few people know, but there is another scripture called This is a huge manuscript of 624 pages, the creation of which took the skins of 160 donkeys.
Creation legend Devil's Bible says that it was written by a certain monk. The writing of the book dates back to the end of the 12th - beginning of the 13th centuries. The circumstances under which the manuscript was created are very obscure.
The monk committed some sin, in expiation of which he had to write a book in one night. It is not entirely clear to whom and why he had to do this, and what kind of sin was committed. However, the monk realized that he could not cope overnight, so he turned to the Devil for help, who helped create the manuscript.
Here, too, a very controversial point - why did the monk turn to, and not to God, because he was a minister of the church? Besides, he already had a sin, so why did he decide to aggravate his already precarious situation? Unfortunately, there are no answers to these questions. But there is a legend of the creation of the book, and we start from it.
A manuscript specialist at the National Library of the Czech Republic believes that this scripture was compiled by one monk over a long period of at least 10 years. Initially, the book consisted of 640 pages, but only 624 have survived in a readable form. It is also emphasized that the probable date of the book's creation is the beginning of the thirteenth century.
It has very understandable content. Of course, the instruction manual, scary images and other unpleasant things are associated with the title of the book, but that's not the case. More precisely, almost not so - there are still scary and strange images in the book. In general, 624 pages contain:
- New Testament;
- Old Testament;
- "Etymology" by Isidore of Seville;
- "Jewish War" by Josephus Flavius;
- stories for preachers;
- different forms of conspiracies;
- drawings
- and other.
Contrary to speculation, it was never banned, and some generations of monks even studied Holy Scripture on it. It is noteworthy that on page 290 a portrait of Satan is depicted.
It looks quite intimidating: a toothy mouth, horns, a growth on the head, clawed four-fingered hands and feet. His gaze is quite crazy, looking at him even throws a shiver. That's where our familiar description of the Devil came from - from his Bible.
And if in the usual Christian Bible it is indicated that Lucifer takes the form of a bright person, then, apparently, his real essence is depicted here. As already mentioned, only 624 pages out of 640 have survived to this day - 16 pages are hopelessly damaged.
Eight pages before the portrait of the Devil and eight after are filled with ink, so that it is no longer possible to restore and read them.
In fact, the scripture does not contain any sinister data, secrets or information that was previously unknown. It is a simple book, but incredibly valuable. And its value lies not in the fact that, supposedly, it was written with the participation of Satan.
The main value lies in the fact that the scripture has come down to our days in good condition. In addition, the dimensions of the book are impressive - a length of about 90 cm, a width of about 50 cm, and a weight of 75 kilograms.
It is not so easy to move such a tome even from its place, let alone carry it with you, like a collection of poems. Of course, the manuscript is of great value as an ancient book, the texts of which can be found today.
This tome was written by one monk, according to various sources, his name is either Herman or Sobislav. The writing lasted either one night alone with Satan, or for 10 years.
Writing was carried out in the monastery of the city of Podlajice, which is located about 100 km from the capital of the Czech Republic. After that, the book moved several times, and each time brought some kind of misfortune.
This was the opinion of the ministers of the churches in which the scripture was contained, but it is not known for certain whether this is true or a coincidence. So, for example, at the beginning of the 14th century, the scripture was kept in the city of Kutna Hora. At the same time, the plague came to the city, and as a result of the disease, almost the entire population died. Of course, all the bumps went to an innocent book, although who knows ...
Currently stored in Sweden, the city of Stockholm. The Scriptures are in the possession of the National Library of Sweden. The book came here after the end of the Thirteen Years' War, when it was brought as a trophy.
This happened in the 17th century, and since then no mystical coincidences and misfortunes brought by the book have been noticed.
Why the "Devil's Bible"
As we can see, the book does not carry any horror, except for the portrait of Satan. This is partly why it was called the Devil's Bible. Also, this name came from the legend of writing, in which the Devil himself allegedly participated.
Another version, according to which it follows that the book deserved its name, is the already described mass death of the inhabitants of the town of Kutna Hora.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to find out what is on the 8 pages in front of the portrait, which are filled with ink. It is also impossible to find out what was written on 8 stolen pages. Who knows, maybe it was they who carried the curse that killed people because of the plague at the beginning of the 14th century.
Currently, only representatives of the National Library of Sweden, where the scripture is kept, have the right to flip the pages. At the same time, their hands must be in gloves, and the pages should be turned over as carefully as possible.
Fortunately, there are several copies in the world Devil's Bible, which are given in a modern format - they contain the same texts and figures as the original.
This book has another name - Codex Gigas, under this name the manuscript is known to most scientists. It is believed that it appeared in one of the monasteries of the Czech Republic in the 13th century, it is a unique work created from animal skin, 90 cm high and weighing 75 kg. It contains the New and Old Testaments, along with recipes and magic spells, exorcism techniques, an unusual combination of texts that are not found anywhere else. This is one of the most amazing and inexplicable handwritten books. However, this is not just a huge book. She has a supernatural appeal and a way to inspire horror. Many famous historical figures desired to possess this book.
Even now, interest in Devil's Bible does not fade away. Although she is now in permanent storage in Sweden, in 2007 for the first time she went to her homeland - to the Czech Republic. Everyone who has seen this book has felt its unusual nature. The manuscript, in addition to text and illustrations, contains a terrifying portrait of the Devil himself, placed on the 290th page. There are 640 pages in the Devil's Bible. Not all pages are in good condition, some are lost forever. But those that remain are of undoubted interest to scientists. Until some time, no one knew who, when and why placed a huge portrait of Satan in it.
Devil?
There is a legend according to which in one of the monasteries in the Czech Republic in the Middle Ages, one of the monks belonging to the Benedictine Order committed a crime. In anticipation of punishment, divine inspiration descends on the monk. For the sake of atonement for guilt, he is ready to write a large treatise, unique in its content, which will contain the Old and New Testaments and all the knowledge of that time. gives him a chance. Inspired by this opportunity to make amends, the monk sets to work, but by midnight he realizes that it is impossible to create such a work overnight, and turns to Satan for help, who helps him complete the work he has begun. But this is a legend, and scientists, thanks to the study and various kinds of research, are trying to uncover all the secrets of this book and establish the identity of the creator of the Code. Or were several scribes working on this manuscript?
Assuming that " Codex Gigas"- the fruit of the unique work of one author, then the question arises: how long could it take to implement this project? As a result of the experiment, it was found that writing the 1st page of a text of this format takes 1 hour, and it will take 5 years to complete the entire work. Considering that the daily routine in the monastery does not allow constant work on a book, one author could spend up to 30 years writing a book of this size. And this is a very long period.
The study of the composition of the ink led to the following results: their composition is the same from the first to the last page, the ink was made from insect hives. The monotony of the composition is like a modern digital signature of those times, confirming the hand of one scribe.
Experts on the manuscript also tend to the theory of one author. They believe that even for that time, the Book looks old-fashioned and unprofessional. Professional scribes worked on such things in groups, and the technique of execution then was at a higher level. The author of this work can be attributed to a talented amateur rather than a professional.
A bit of history
Possessing a power incomprehensible to people, the Devil's Bible did not make its owners happy. The monastery where the Code was created suffered a financial collapse, and this greatest treatise was sold to a brethren of white monks. Soon, trouble came. overtook this place, sparing no one. Today, on the site of this monastery, there is a crypt-museum made of the remains of the bones of people who died then.
The Austrian emperor Rudolf ll and the only female monarch in the history of Europe, Christina (Sweden), also consistently owned the Devil's Bible, but failures and misfortunes occurred in their lives, and the Devil's Bible survived wars and fires again and again.
Scientists' verdict
After completing the research, scientists were able to discover a fact that changed the legend of the Devil's Bible. Centuries of misinterpretation was based on a single Latin word found in the Codex, which in Latin means "conclusion". For many centuries, people understood this as a terrible punishment, being walled up alive, but in fact it is closer to the word "recluse". This is exactly what the monk asked his brothers. The monk retired to his cell, choosing the path of withdrawal from the world.
For the monk himself, who wrote the Codex Gigas, this seems to have been a quest for insight and an opportunity to create a lifetime's work. This was a scribe inspired by blessing, not by occult passions. He portrayed horror and bliss at the same time. Good and evil are fighting in the pages of the Devil's Book. Satan is located next to the heavenly kingdom, symbolizing the path that each person must choose for himself.
The Devil's Bible, or as it is also called the Codex Gigas, is currently presented as the largest book in the world. The Devil's Bible can also be considered one of the most mysterious books written by man.
What is the Devil's Bible
The Devil's Bible is an illustrated handwritten collection of records, written approximately at the beginning of the 13th century. The book consists of 310 sheets with notes and pictures. The pages of the book are 89 centimeters high and 49 centimeters wide. The thickness of the book of 310 pages is about 25 centimeters, and the weight of this handwritten scripture is 75 kilograms. Why is it specified that there are exactly 310 pages? Because, initially there were 320 pages. 8 pages, unknown by whom and when, were cut out, and another 2, supposedly simply lost, by whom and when is also unknown. The pages of the book are parchment. Experts suggest that the book was written from the skin of donkeys. For the production of such a book, it would be necessary to destroy about 160 animals of this species. Codex Gigas was written in the Czech monastery of Podlajice, today it is part of the city of Chrast. Each page has 2 columns of 106 lines each. The letters on the pages of the Codex Gigas are 2.5 to 3 millimeters in size. Since the 17th century, the book has been kept in the National Library of Sweden in Stockholm, where anyone can see it. And in the museum of the city of Khrast there is a model of the Devil's Bible.
What does the Code Gigas or the Giant Code say?
The Giant Codex is a collection of works by Josephus Flavius, Isidore of Seville, Cosmas of Prague, as well as the full text of the Bible. The Codex Gigas begins with texts from the Old Testament, followed by Antiquities of the Jews and The Jewish War by Josephus. The works of Josephus Flavius are followed by the work of Isidore of Seville - "Etymology". The Etymology is followed by medical notes from different times, both theoretical and practical. The medical treatise is followed by lines from the New Testament, which ends with full-page drawings of the "City of Heaven" and the Devil. FYI, because of this image on page 290, the Giant Codex has been called the Devil's Bible. Satanic images are followed by entries related to the Exorcism and the "Czech Chronicle" by Cosmas of Prague. After the chronicle, there was the statute of St. Benedict and, in conclusion, the Martyrology Calendar and a list of the people of the monastery. The most interesting thing is that, according to experts, it was all written by one person. It would take him 20 to 30 years to write such a book.
The legend and history of the creation of Codex Gigas
The legend and history of the creation of Codex Gigas is very interesting and mysterious. As mentioned above, experts claim that the Codex Gigas was written by one person. This statement can be considered true, if only because the handwriting on all pages is the same. As mentioned above, the story apparently begins at the beginning of the 13th century, namely in 1204. Because the martyrology indicates Saint Procopius, who was very revered among the local population. The codex could not have begun before 1204, because on July 4, 1204, Procopius was inducted into the ranks of the Saints. The writing of the codex was completed no later than 1230, because the martyrology did not record the death of Premysl Otakar I, who died in December of that year. In total, we get no more than 26 years of writing the Devil's Bible. But here, besides this, there is still a lot of snag, because the creation of such a book required large funds for parchment (a herd of animals), ink and paints for drawings. In fact, there was no money for such expenses, but the Devil's Bible has a place to be. The legend behind the creation of the Giant Codex is even more mystical.
According to legend, the Codex Gigas was compiled by a monk in one night. The monk, for his misdeeds, was sentenced to death. The Benedict Order had the monk immured alive in the Tower. In order to atone for his guilt, the clergyman vowed to write the best Bible in one night. Realizing that this was impossible, he sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for help with the book.
Some consider the Devil's Bible the eighth wonder of the world. Others believe that the book is cursed and all the owners of the book, it brought only misfortune.
Conclusions and conclusion
Summing up, it should be noted that the existence of the book is a real fact, and anyone can see the Devil's Bible with their own eyes in the national library of Sweden. The history of the creation of the book, indeed, has many secrets, but the fact that it exists is a fact, one handwriting is a fact, an ancient book is a fact, sacred texts are written - a fact, pages with exorcism texts are cut out - a fact. The rest can be questioned from completely different angles, but every fiction is based on something.
The Devil's Bible (better known as the Codex Gigas, or "Giant Book") is an enormous tome weighing almost 75 kg. It is believed to have been written in Bohemia by the Benedictine monk Herman Inclus in the 13th century. A movie about this book was shown on the National Geographic channel. The complete Old and New Testaments, as well as a collection of secular works, can be said to be an encyclopedia of medieval knowledge. But she became widely known not only because of this. At all times, there have been many dark speculations and legends around the tome, including the fact that, allegedly, the hand of the devil himself guided its writing.
As already mentioned, the book got its name from the image of the devil on page 290 (photo above). It is believed that this is the only copy of the Bible that has an image of Satan. Although, the devil himself in the picture looks more like a cartoon character in an ermine diaper than the embodiment of evil. IMHO)).
And the legend associated with it attracts so much attention to the manuscript. Allegedly, it was written by a monk in one night.
Deal with the devil
This legend says that such a titanic work in such a fantastically short time became possible only because the monk made a deal with the devil. Moreover, it is implied that the book was written by the devil himself, which is why his portrait adorns it.
One thing I can say with certainty, even if the devil is the inspiration or direct creator of the book, it is strange that there is nothing in it that would present him in a good light, at least from what I could find in open sources.
National Geographic tried to combine the history and legend of this gigantic book with modern science and forensic technology in order to connect the book with the devil (his relation to the book). As a result, it was absolutely certain that the manuscript was written by one person, judging by the analysis of ink and handwriting.
It is very likely that the author of the Devil's Bible could be the same monk who devoted many, many years to this cause, perhaps as a penance. That is, the Devil's Bible was written by one person, but clearly not overnight.
Exorcism and Magic Spells in the Devil's Bible
Another fact that opposes the legend is the fact that the pages that follow the image of Satan (picture below) contain detailed instructions for exorcising demons or evil from people and objects. Demon possession was believed to be the cause of many diseases in the Middle Ages. The church has developed and successfully used special rituals to exorcise evil demons from the body of the afflicted.
According to the New Testament, Jesus gave his disciples the power to exorcise evil spirits, which is why scholars believe that medieval exorcists commanded demons to leave a person's body "in the name of Jesus Christ."
Agree, it would be strange to write about this to the Lord of Evil, the lord of demons and their immediate superior.
It is also interesting that the book contains two magic spells with detailed instructions on how to identify and catch the thief. In addition, the book includes "Etymologiae" by Isidore of Seville, who is considered the patron saint of the Internet, "Jewish Antiquities" in Latin, "Czech Chronicle" by Cosmas of Prague, as well as a collection of parables for a preacher called "Mirror of the Sinner", various conspiracies, a calendar with synodic and many other texts. And finally, interesting facts about the Devil's Bible:
The 310 sheets (620 pages) of the Devil's Bible are made from the skins of 160 animals, most likely donkeys. According to scientists, some pages of the book are missing, but no one knows who removed them, why and what happened to them.
The entire Devil's Bible is written calligraphically in Latin.
The book has a wooden case with metal decorations and is so heavy (about 75 kg) that it takes at least two adults to carry it.
The 624-page manuscript weighs 75 kilograms, its wooden covers measure 92 by 50 centimeters, and 160 donkey skins were used to make the book.
The Bible was created at the turn of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries by a certain monk who was allegedly assisted in writing by the devil (hence the name of the manuscript). According to legend, the monk, in order to atone for his sins, promised to write a book in one night. When the monk realized that this was impossible, he asked the devil for help.
“The manuscript, most likely, was written by a monk from a Benedictine monastery in the city of Podlajice, located 100 km from Prague, somewhere at the beginning of the 13th century,” says Zdeněk Uhlir, a specialist in medieval manuscripts of the National Library of the Czech Republic, quoted by RBC. According to the expert, the monk wrote the manuscript for 10-12 years. Initially, the text consisted of 640 pages; 624 pages have been preserved in good condition.
The book contains the Old and New Testaments, the texts of the "Etymology" of Isidore of Seville, the "Jewish War" of Josephus Flavius, the so-called "Mirror of the Sinner" (a collection of instructive and entertaining example stories for preachers), a list of the Cosmic Chronicle, various forms of conspiracies and a calendar with a synodic (indicating the days of saints).
On page 290 of the book, which contains texts sacred to all Christians, none other than the devil is depicted. It is also noteworthy that several pages before and after this "portrait" have a darker shade, and the style of writing differs from that of the rest of the texts.
According to legend, this work appeared in a Benedictine monastery in the Czech city of Podlajice as a result of a conspiracy of one of the novices with a fallen angel. The monk, who was guilty before the abbots, in order to avoid punishment, volunteered for the glory of the monastery not only to write the best Bible in just one night, but also to decorate it with drawings. Closer to midnight, realizing that he could not cope with his obligations, the novice turned to the evil one with a request for help.
In return, he promised to give his soul and depict the devil on one of the pages. What happened later with the zealous novice, the legend is silent. The Inquisition, already active in the first half of the 13th century, was aware of what had happened, but did not take any active steps. Not only was this work not destroyed, like many manuscripts that were much less provocative from the point of view of the medieval Roman Catholic Church, but it was carefully kept for several centuries in various monastic libraries.
In 1594 he "settled" in the collection of the Hungarian king Rudolf II. During the Thirty Years' War, which raged across Europe in the first half of the 17th century, the "Devil's Bible" was captured by the Swedes and taken to Stockholm as a war trophy. Since then, she has left Sweden only a few times for exhibitions in Berlin and New York.
If this story is a legend, then the demonic drawing is a fact. One and a half meter Satan is drawn on the 290th page of the notorious Code. A few pages before this drawing are covered in ink, and after the graffiti depicting Satan, the next 8 pages of text have been removed. Who did this is still shrouded in secrecy. The "Damn Bible", contrary to vague legends, has never been banned. Moreover, several generations of young monks studied Holy Scripture on it.
In those days, monasteries were the only storehouses of knowledge. There, ancient writings were studied, and what was to be passed on to future generations was written down. Codex Gigas, which in Latin means just a "giant book", is located in one of the monasteries of Czech Bohemia. Its dimensions are really amazing: height 89.5 cm, width 49 cm and thickness 22 cm. The mysterious writings are hidden in a wooden cover. Each letter is written with a pen and ink made from soot, applied in twilight light on a dried animal skin. This, above all, explains the value of a rare book.
