Collin de Plancy
Encyclopedia
Jacques Albin Simon Collin de Plancy (1793 or 1794 –1881) was a French occultist, demonologist and writer; he published several works on occultism and demonology
. He was born in 1793 or 1794 in Plancy (presently Plancy-l'Abbaye
) and died in 1881 in Paris
. He was a free-thinker
influenced by Voltaire
. He worked as a printer and publisher in Plancy-l'Abbaye and Paris
.
Between 1830 and 1837, he resided in Brussels
, and then in the Netherlands, before he returned to France after having converted to the Catholic religion.
Collin de Plancy followed the tradition of many previous demonologists of cataloguing demons by name and title of nobility, as it happened with grimoire
s like Pseudomonarchia Daemonum
, and The Lesser Key of Solomon
among others. In 1818 his best known work, Dictionnaire Infernal
, was published. In 1863 were added some images that made it famous: imaginative drawings concerning the appearance of certain demons. In 1822 it was advertised as:
It is considered a major work documenting beings, characters, books, deeds, and causes which pertain to the manifestations and magic of trafficking with Hell; divinations, occult sciences, grimoires, marvels, errors, prejudices, traditions, folktales, the various superstitions, and generally all manner of marvellous, surprising, mysterious, and supernatural beliefs.
By the end of 1830 he ostensibly became an enthusiastic Catholic—to the confusion of his former admirers and detractors.
In 1846 you could purchase (for 16 francs for two volumes) the Dictionnaire Sciences Occultes et des Idées superstitieuses http://www.esoterika.org/index.php?telechargements which is another listing of demons.
Jacques Collin de Plancy was the father of Victor Emile Marie Joseph Collin de Plancy
(1853–1924) who for nearly a decade starting in 1884 served as French Minister to Korea
and whose collected art works and books became part of the core of the Korean collections of the French Bibliothèque Nationale
and the Musée Guimet
in Paris.
Demonology
Demonology is the systematic study of demons or beliefs about demons. It is the branch of theology relating to superhuman beings who are not gods. It deals both with benevolent beings that have no circle of worshippers or so limited a circle as to be below the rank of gods, and with malevolent...
. He was born in 1793 or 1794 in Plancy (presently Plancy-l'Abbaye
Plancy-l'Abbaye
Plancy-l'Abbaye is a commune in the Aube department in north-central France.-Population:-References:*...
) and died in 1881 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He was a free-thinker
Freethought
Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that opinions should be formed on the basis of science, logic, and reason, and should not be influenced by authority, tradition, or other dogmas...
influenced by Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
. He worked as a printer and publisher in Plancy-l'Abbaye and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Between 1830 and 1837, he resided in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, and then in the Netherlands, before he returned to France after having converted to the Catholic religion.
Collin de Plancy followed the tradition of many previous demonologists of cataloguing demons by name and title of nobility, as it happened with grimoire
Grimoire
A grimoire is a textbook of magic. Such books typically include instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans and amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms and divination and also how to summon or invoke supernatural entities such as angels, spirits, and demons...
s like Pseudomonarchia Daemonum
Pseudomonarchia Daemonum
Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, or Hierarchy of Demons first appears as an Appendix to Johann Weyer's De praestigiis daemonum . The title of the book translates roughly to "false monarchy of demons"....
, and The Lesser Key of Solomon
The Lesser Key of Solomon
The Lesser Key of Solomon or Clavicula Salomonis , is an anonymous 17th-century grimoire, and one of the most popular books of demonology...
among others. In 1818 his best known work, Dictionnaire Infernal
Dictionnaire Infernal
The Dictionnaire Infernal is a book on demonology, organised in hellish hierarchies. It was written by Jacques Auguste Simon Collin de Plancy and first published in 1818. There were several editions of the book, but perhaps the most famous is the edition of 1863, in which sixty-nine illustrations...
, was published. In 1863 were added some images that made it famous: imaginative drawings concerning the appearance of certain demons. In 1822 it was advertised as:
- "Anecdotes of the nineteenth new century or historiettes, recent anecdotes, features and words little known, singular adventures, various quotations, bringings together and curious parts, to be used for the history of customs and the spirit of the century when we live compared with the last centuries."
It is considered a major work documenting beings, characters, books, deeds, and causes which pertain to the manifestations and magic of trafficking with Hell; divinations, occult sciences, grimoires, marvels, errors, prejudices, traditions, folktales, the various superstitions, and generally all manner of marvellous, surprising, mysterious, and supernatural beliefs.
By the end of 1830 he ostensibly became an enthusiastic Catholic—to the confusion of his former admirers and detractors.
In 1846 you could purchase (for 16 francs for two volumes) the Dictionnaire Sciences Occultes et des Idées superstitieuses http://www.esoterika.org/index.php?telechargements which is another listing of demons.
Jacques Collin de Plancy was the father of Victor Emile Marie Joseph Collin de Plancy
Victor Emile Marie Joseph Collin de Plancy
Victor Emile Marie Joseph Collin de Plancy was a career French diplomat who served most of his working life in Korea and whose private collection of Far Eastern art and antiquities went on to form the core of the Korean collection at the Musée Guimet in Paris.Collin de Plancy was born on November...
(1853–1924) who for nearly a decade starting in 1884 served as French Minister to Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
and whose collected art works and books became part of the core of the Korean collections of the French Bibliothèque Nationale
Bibliothèque nationale de France
The is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
and the Musée Guimet
Guimet Museum
The Guimet Museum is a museum of Asian art located at 6, place d'Iéna in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France...
in Paris.
External links
- Dictionnaire infernal: ou Répertoire universel des êtres, des personnages, 1853 at Google Books, PDF download available
- Réalité de la magie et des apparitions: ou, Contre-poison du Dictionnaire, 1819 at Google Books, PDF download available
- Dictionnaire infernal, ou, Recherches et anecdotes, sur les démons, les, 1818 at Google Books, PDF download available
- Dictionnaire infernal, ou Recherches et anecdotes sur les démons, 1844 at Google Books, PDF download available
- Dictionnaire des sciences occultes: ou, Répertoire universel des êtres, des, 1848 at Google Books, PDF download available