by Daniel Harms
1979 — During a visit to a Cairo bookseller, Professor Phileus Sadowsky of the University of Sofia discovers a page bearing Alhazred’s famous couplet in Arabic. Unfortunately, this page disappears on its way through Customs. (“Notes on a Fragment of the Necronomicon,” Hamblin.)
1988 — Death of noted fantasy/science fiction author Lin Carter. One of his unfinished works was a partial manuscript of the Necronomicon, including a number of cautionary tales and descriptions of magical rites. [25]
1994 — A copy of the Gothic Necronomicon is discovered beneath the former KGB headquarters and is stolen by a neo-Nazi group. (Delta Green, Detwiller, Glancy and Tynes.)
NOTES ON THE CHRONOLOGY
[1] Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness included the Necronomicon Ex Mortis, but threw out the more familiar timeline entirely. They also state that all copies of the book had vanished by 1300, a fact not borne out by the fiction.
[2] I have found no biography of Abdul Alhazred, or any of the commonly accepted variants on that name, in Ibn Khallikan’s biography. It is possible that Alhazred is still included under another name, or that later scribes expunged this particular entry from the work. Stanley suggests that he is included under the name “ar-Rahib,” but I have had no luck in finding this entry either. Alhazred’s date of death is given as 731 in Derleth’s “The Keeper of the Key.”
[3] For the more commonly accepted version of the Necronomicon’s origin, see the entry for 730. These two possibilities may be reconcilable, however, if Alkindi had access to Alhazred’s book and compiled material from it for use in his own work.
[4] This “Patriarch Michael” is probably Michael Cerularius, Patriarch of Constantinople from 1043 to 1058. Because of his actions against Rome, Patriarch Michael was largely responsible for the eventual break between the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches. After Michael made inflammatory remarks against the emperor in 1058, that man removed him from his post, and the former patriarch died shortly thereafter.
[5] The matter of Olaus Wormius is one of the most troubling affairs in Mythos scholarship, as the famous Danish physician of the same name lived almost four hundred years after the translation was supposedly made. Olaus Wormius the Elder, as we may call him, was born in Jutland, and went on to make many other Greek and Latin translations of ancient books. Some scholars remained unconvinced by this, however. Stanley states that this copy, titled De Nomine Necium, was actually made by students of the famous jurists in Bologna and later corrected by the 17th century Wormius. Others give its authorship an even later date. See especially the entries for 1487 and 1623.
Wormius indicates in his prefatory note to his translation that the Arabic edition of the Necronomicon no longer existed. Possibly the ecclesiastics destroyed only the copy which Wormius had seen, and the translator believed that this had been the last copy of that book in Arabic. Most of the rumors of the Arabic Necronomicon since have been unsubstantiated, however.
Stanley asserts that one version believed to have been translated in 1228, subtitled De Nomine Necorum, is probably a fake written in the nineteenth century and attributed to Wormius. No other authority has backed her opinion, however.
(“The Keeper of the Key”, Derleth; “History of the Necronomicon,” Lovecraft; Ex Libris Miskatonici, Stanley.)
[6] A year before his decision to censor the Necronomicon on the Index Expurgatorius, Pope Gregory IX had instituted the papal Inquisition to combat the rise of heresy within the church. Thus, it seems certain that he would have had the Necronomicon banned.
A mistake has been made by previous scholars, however. At this time, the Index Expurgatorius did not exist, so Pope Gregory could not have placed the Necronomicon on it. Other such lists did exist at this time, and it is likely the authorities included the Necronomicon in one of these.
[7] Stanley speculates that the date of the first printing was around 1490; the Miskatonic University Library copy was printed in Wurttemberg in 1500. Other scholars have said that the German printing occurred during the first half of the fifteenth century, but few non-religious books came off the presses during that time. See entry for 1472 for an alternate explanation. (Ex Libris Miskatonici, Stanley.)
[8] This may indeed be the edition commonly considered to be German, not only because both versions are said to have been printed at much the same time, but also since these two editions are considered to be muddled and confusing in comparison to the seventeenth century printing. (“Out of the Ages,” Carter.)
[9] This particular version of events is original to this source. For two different explanations, see the entries for 1228 and 1623.
[10] Lovecraft initially wrote that this edition appeared in the first half of the sixteenth century. He assigned the date 1567 to the Italian printing in a letter written in 1936. Since the letter did not appear until recently, later authors have given different dates. Herber states that this edition appeared in 1501, and was likely the work of Aldus Manutius, founder of the Aldine Press. According to Stanley, several editions were put out by printers in Mannheim, Germany, Italy, most likely in Urbino. (Keeper’s Compendium, Herber; “History of the Necronomicon,” Lovecraft; Ex Libris Miskatonici, Stanley.)
[11] Noted occult scholar Anton Zarnak asserted that the Necronomicon was actually the work of John Dee, who transcribed it from what he saw during his crystal-gazing sessions. When it was completed, he was shocked but feared to destroy it. Zarnak also claimed that Alhazred (or al-Hazrat) was a devout Muslim and that his Al Azif, a collection of demonological lore, influenced Dee’s Necronomicon slightly. Most Mythos scholars do not concur with him, but it bears mention if only because of Zarnak’s reputation. (“Soul of the Devil-Bought”, Price.)
[12] There are two versions of the legend regarding Dee’s discovery of the Necronomicon in Prague. One states that Dee found a copy of Alkindi’s Book of the Essence of the Soul in the library of King Rudolph II and made a copy of it. The Liber Logaeath, a manuscript kept at the British Museum, may possibly be this copy. The other account is that Edward Kelley, Dee’s roguish companion, purchased the book from the notorious Kabbalist Jacob Eliezer. Dee presumably kept the manuscript when he and Kelley parted ways in 1589, and translated the manuscript while he was warden of Christ’s College at Manchester. [It should be noted that Dee was actually in Prague at this time.] (The Necronomicon, Hay, ed.; “The Necronomicon FAQ,” Low.)
[13] No mention is made in Dee’s diaries of a trip to present-day Romania to see the noble’s copy of the Necronomicon. He lived in a castle in southern Bohemia at the time, however; would he have had time to make an unrecorded trip to the Baron’s home? Or did the Baron come to him?
Two dates for the alleged “publication” of the Dee manuscript should be noted here, but I have little reason to consider them correct. One holds that it was published in 1585 in the Dutch town of Haarlem, while another states that it was made in Antwerp in 1571. Most scholars would agree, however, that Dee did not begin his translation until 1586, and that this manuscript was never published in any form. (The Necronomicon, Hay, ed.; Ex Libris Miskatonici, Stanley.)
[14] It is likely that this is not truly a translation of the Necronomicon at all. Carter and Berglund have disclosed that the Sussex Manuscript was probably written by Fred L. Pelton, a longtime Lovecraft fan. For a brief while, August Derleth considered publishing this book, and mentioned it in his short story “The Gorge above Salanpunco,” but in the end rejected it.
[15] This same date comes from the letter mentioned under “1567”. Once again, many people have made up their own dates due to the letter’s unavailability. Bloch was very close at 1622, as was Stanley at 1624. (According to her timeline, this was a publication of a translation made by the historical Olaus Wormius (see 1228).) Duschnes included the Madrid printing of 1647 in his own work. (“The Shadow from the Steeple,” Bloch; “The History of the Necronomicon,” Lovecraft.)
[16] It is likely that one of the raiders kept Curwen’s copy of the Necronomicon, or possibly that a t
hief bore it away from the abandoned farm. In any event, this particular copy, distinguished by its cover bearing the false title, “Qanoon-e-Islam,” disappears for almost a century.
[17] One other edition of the Necronomicon mostly in an ancient form of German has been discovered. This one, however, was handwritten, and probably is not identical with the von Junzt edition. (“The Fairground Horror,” Lumley.)
[18] The span of five years that I have used here is merely speculative. It is noteworthy that the copy owned by Phillips was that taken from Joseph Curwen’s farm after the raid of 1771. It may have been passed down in the family by one of the raiders, or other circumstances may have been at work.
As to why Armitage became so interested in obtaining a copy of the Necronomicon, some speculate that it had something to do with a mysterious meteor which had fallen in 1882 near Arkham, the nature of which had disturbed Armitage enough to prompt further research in that direction. (“The Terror from the Depths,” Leiber.)
[19] The Voynich Manuscript is in fact a real document, which is preserved at Yale University. Though Lang’s research in the field has been discredited, the work remains undeciphered.
Especially of note for those who consider the Voynich Manuscript to be a commentary of the Necronomicon is that the encoded document may at one time have been owned by John Dee, as the page numeration (added long after the manuscript was written) appears to be in his handwriting.
[20] Like John Dee, Aleister Crowley was a real person who has been inserted into the Necronomicon story after his death. Crowley (1875–1947) was an English intellectual, poet, mountain climber, and drug user who arguably has had more influence on the contemporary occult scene than any other figure. No copy of the Necronomicon is noted among lists of his published works, however.
[21] Assuming that the book is real, how did H. P. Lovecraft learn of its existence? Mythos authors have suggested a few possibilities:
1) There was actually a copy of the Necronomicon in the library of Whipple Phillips, Lovecraft’s grandfather, which was later bought by Doctor Armitage of Miskatonic University. (“The Necronomicon,” Herber.)
2) It is a little-known “fact” that Lovecraft’s father, Winfield Lovecraft, was an Egyptian Freemason. He is believed to have had copies of a few magical works, among which was a partial copy of Alkindi’s Book of the Essence of the Soul, a volume which is possibly the inspiration for the Necronomicon (see 850). Lovecraft may have discovered this manuscript after his father’s death. (The Necronomicon, Hay, ed..)
3) Lovecraft may have found the book in a public or private library, such as the Widener Library at Harvard, though no such manuscript has ever been confirmed as existing there.
4) One final speculation is that Lovecraft’s mind received telepathic transmissions from a higher plane which “encouraged” him to write about the Necronomicon. A rumor that Lovecraft found the title for his Necronomicon in a dream might be seen as supporting this. (Chua, “The Necronomicon FAQ, Version 2.0”.)
[22] An inspection of the quoted pages in Evangelista’s book has turned up no such material.
[23] Unfortunately, this manuscript is probably a fake, as its middle consists of the same eight pages copied over and over. An examination by the Metropolitan Museum’s Rheinhold Carter has revealed that it is probably a nineteenth-century forgery. (“Foreword” to Al Azif, de Camp; The Necronomicon, Hay, ed..)
[24] Though the author/translator claims that this is the true work, the version given leaves out so many of the commonly accepted quotations that it is difficult to proclaim its veracity or fraudulence. Many of the same arguments could also be made against the Hay manuscript.
[25] Carter is believed to have copied these segments from an actual copy of the English translation in Dee’s own handwriting. He intended to complete the entire book, but a tremendous number of notes dealing with the volume’s rituals was stolen from him and he was forced to give it up. The completed portions of his rendering were reprinted after his death in the Candlemas 1990 issue of Crypt of Cthulhu. (“The Doom of Yakthoob,” Carter.)
APPENDIX B: LOCATIONS OF THE NECRONOMICON
(This is a list of places where the Necronomicon was or still may be found, or people who might have a copy. It should be noted that many of these copies vanished during World War II, and those that still own the book are quick to dismiss casual inquiries as to whether they have it.)
Algiers — During his imprisonment, Cervantes might have made a Spanish translation of the Necronomicon, presumably from a manuscript in the library of one of his captors (see 1576–9). (Ex Libris Miskatonici, Stanley.)
Alhazred, Abdul — Some have said that a copy of Alhazred’s Al Azif could be found in the tomb of its author, the location of which is unknown. If this is true, Professor Laban Shrewsbury bore it away from its hiding place on his expedition to Alhazred’s resting place. (“The Keeper of the Key”, Derleth.)
Baghdad — A private collector in this city may have a copy of the Arabic version. (“The Plague Jar”, Mackey.)
Berlin — Rumors has it that a copy rests in a collapsed Nazi bunker just past the Brandenburg Gate in East Berlin. The Nazis were also said to have a copy bound in the skin of concentration camp victims. It is unknown whether these are one and the same. (“The Necronomicon FAQ,” Low; “The Existing Copies: A Bibliobiography”, Owings.)
Bibliotheque Nationale — Holds the Olaus Wormius edition of 1622. (“The Dunwich Horror,” Lovecraft.)
Brichester University — Owned a copy of the Necronomicon until the Sixties, when it was burned. (The Darkest Part of the Woods, Campbell.)
British Museum — Holds one of the few 15th century Latin printings in existence, as well as Henrietta Montague’s English scholarly translation. Access to both volumes is severely limited, however. Though some thought at one time that a copy of the Al Azif existed among the uncatalogued documents, this rumor has been proven false. (Cthulhu by Gaslight, Barton; “The Necronomicon,” Herber; “The Dunwich Horror,” Lovecraft; “History of the Necronomicon,” Lovecraft; “Billy’s Oak,” Lumley; The Burrowers Beneath, Lumley.)
Cairo — Though Saladin is known to have brought a copy of the Al Azif here, it is unknown where it might be. The Egyptian Museum here is reputed to own a copy of the Al Azif, though one source holds that it is incomplete. The Al-Azhar University is believed to have a copy, but its spokesmen have denied it. (Cairo Guidebook, Anderson; “The Lurker at the Threshold,” Derleth and Lovecraft; “Cairo,” DiTillio and Willis; “The Plague Jar”, Mackey.)
Cassionsville — Louis Gold, a bookseller in this small Midwestern town, once owned a Greek copy of the Necronomicon. As Gold was an infamous hoaxer, the authenticity of this book has been called into question. (Peace, Wolfe.)
Cluny — A collection in this French monastery held three or more copies, but all of these have been lost. (Ex Libris Miskatonici, Stanley.)
Columbia University — The library at this school once held a copy, but it vanished. It is unknown if it was replaced, and if so, how reliable the new version might be. (Peace, Wolfe.)
Constantinople — Theodorus Philetas translated the Necronomicon into Greek from an Arabic manuscript at the Imperial Library here. The original volume is believed to have been destroyed. (Ex Libris Miskatonici, Stanley.)
Curwen, Joseph — This reputed sorcerer vanished following in a raid on his home in 1771. He owned a copy of the Latin Necronomicon bound in a cover bearing the title Qanoon-e-Islam. If this is true, this volume passed through the hands of the Phillips family of Providence, R.I., and now rests in the vaults of Miskatonic University. (“The Case of Charles Dexter Ward,” Lovecraft.)
Damascus, Syria — One might expect that a copy of Al Azif would be found in the city where the book was completed, but it is said that Saladin bore away this copy to Cairo. (Cairo Guidebook, Anderson.)
Dee, John — This scholar and mystic is rumored to have owned a 15th century Latin printing of the Necronomicon. Those who catalogue
d his library after his death, however, did not find it. (“Eyes for the Blind,” Hallett and Isinwyll.)
Dexter, Ambrose — A medical doctor and noted nuclear physicist from Providence, Dexter bore away the 17th century Latin printing of the Necronomicon from the Starry Wisdom Church before the city levelled that structure. (“The Shadow from the Steeple,” Bloch; “The Haunter of the Dark,” Lovecraft.)
Dreamlands — At least one copy of the book, written in glyphs, exists in this alternate dimension. (Mythos: Dreamlands expansion, Krank and Vogt.)