Brief Synopsis
The spell book was discovered by Henri Buthion - owner of the Villa at the time - and Graham Simmans, hidden behind the skirting board in the Villa Bethania in1993.
They had noticed a loose skirting
board on the second floor landing and looking behind it found
an old book, consisting of 78 pages written in Arabic handwriting.
It was sent to a friend of Graham's in Cairo and eventually examined by the Director of the Cairo Islamic
Museum in Egypt, who stated that book’s binding, string strung
through holes in the pages and tied off, was a very ancient tradition.
The handwriting was identified as medieval Arabic and it could be
as old as eight hundred years.
I believe when the director mentions 800 years, he might be referring to the age of the medieval words used and perhaps not the actual age of the book itself, but as we only have a copy we cannot know for sure. But if it is a modern copy, ancient techniques have been used to construct the book.
The director explained that it was
dispersed throughout with symbols of djinns and demons and that
the material was sensitive to the Muslim faith. Also included were
some black magic symbols. It is thought the book was a Tiwas, a
Talisman, probably originating from the time of the Crusades.
When Graham asked a friend to return it from Cairo, the
book had disappeared, purportedly lost while being posted back to him. According to Graham, he said "It seems in reality the book had been stolen by someone who did not
want it misused by non-muslims, the uninformed or even the unworthy."
Luckily, Graham had a
photographic replica made of the complete book before sending it to Cairo.
The book contains quotations from the Koran and prayers
together with some legends about how the talisman helped some
people with their problems. An Egyptian Professor, REV. Dr Albert Isteero, who was
shown the book, hesitatingly told its owners that the magic signs in
the book were instructions on how to conjure up the Prince of all
Demons, whose name should not be repeated aloud least they invoke the demon.
It seems whoever kept the book, might have done so to protect those who might unwittingly say the words and bring the demon forth. Or perhaps they do not
want the knowledge of this strong black magic to fall into the wrong hands.
This book of spells, or Tiwas,
is a special sort of prayer book that is kept nearby the person who
needs help or protection from something, evil spirits, demons, etc.
Maybe even Saunière’s church demon.
Perhaps the book, which is set out in a type of prayer form, had
to be chanted before it was hidden to ward off any evil spirits. As
it was found hidden in Saunière’s domain it must have been the
people living there who once believed they needed the protection.
Some of the ornamental drawings and the magic formulas,
just like the 'Saunière messages' and part of the Sot Pecheur, are
in red ink. Are all three connected in some way?
The director also mentions that some of the grammar is wrong, as if it was copied by someone who did not fully understand the language. If the book is medieval, then the pasted on image on page 9, must have been added later over some text, probably by Sauniere as you can just make out some text at the bottom. perhaps the hidden text is about the defeating of a demon or something.
The previous owner of the spell book said she believed the book had been hidden in the villa Bethania to keep the demon, Asmodeus, safely under control.
As it was found behind the skirting board in the villa Bethania, Berenger Sauniere must have been the one to hide the spell book and so is directly related to him and perhaps gives an insight to his personality at this time.
