We recently made a 17th-century book of magical charms available on our Transcribing Faith website. And the prospect of someone using the book's freshly transcribed incantations to summon an evil spirit has provoked a mix of glee and trepidation on Twitter! The book's occultism pertains as much to curing everyday ailments (like toothaches) as to communing with spirits (or "spirrits," as the anonymous author would have it). But there's always the chance that one of the spells intended for dental care could misfire and conjure a demon, we suppose.
Below is a selection of our favorite tweets on the subject.
— ?Jordan Kurella ? (@jskurella) July 10, 2017
I should add that this is part of the premise of my novel and it does not end with the eldritch horrors and the humans hugging it out.
— Premee (@premeesaurus) July 10, 2017
Calling Mr. Robert Langdon..report to Chicago's Newberry Library ? ASAP https://twitter.com/atlasobscura/status/880684137484517376
— Hemisha (@Hemisha360) July 12, 2017
Never read it out loud!!
— Marty Herrick (@curiousKuro16) July 11, 2017
What's fascinating is the intermingling of pagan & Christian acknowledgment in the text. You read about that but to see it is wonderful.
— L.M. Harris (@Vayhi) July 12, 2017
I can make out "covfefe"
— Mike Farley (@chogbro) July 12, 2017