Book of Eibon

A primordial manual of sorcery, written by the Hyperborean wizard Eibon.

History

The Book of Eibon is said to have come down through a series of translations from an original written in the lost language of Hyperborea. The successive versions include a Greek translation, and a later medieval French translation from the Greek. [CAS Ubbo (online text)]

In medieval Averoigne, Azédarac the Bishop of Ximes owned a copy written in the original Hyperborean script. It had dragon's-blood illuminations and drawings, and was bound in aboriginal, sub-human skin. Azédarac arrived in Averoigne and acquired the book sometime prior to 475 AD. The runic writings in Azédarac's copy were beyond the lore of all other wizards. Azédarac was still alive in Averoigne centuries later, by which point he had the book rebound in sheep-leather to look like a Christian missal. In 1175 AD, the book was stolen from Azédarac by the Christian Brother Ambrose. Through Azédarac's evil spell, Ambrose and the book were transported back in time to 475 AD, where he gave the book to Moriamis, the enchantress. [CAS Holiness (online text)] At that point, there seem to have been two instances of Azédarac's copy on earth; one owned by the Azédarac of 475 AD, and the other sent back to the past by the Azédarac of 1175 AD, and kept by Moriamis.

Contents

The contents include:

Dark and baleful myths, liturgies, rituals, and incantations. [CAS Ubbo (online text)]
Dire and incredible tales of fabled elder gods [RFS Warder]
The oldest incantations, and the secret, man-forgotten lore of Iog-Sotot (Yog-Sothoth) and Sodagui (Tsathoggua). [CAS Holiness (online text)]
Information about Ubbo-Sathla, whom it describes as the source and the final destiny of all earthly life. [CAS Ubbo (online text)]
A brief, casual reference to a cloudy crystal that was owned by the Hyperborean wizard Zon Mezzamalech. The wizard used the crystal to see visions of earth's past, even to the very beginning. But presently the wizard vanished and the crystal was lost. [CAS Ubbo (online text)]
Some primal symbols that vaguely resemble the hieroglyphs in the scroll of T'yog from ancient Mu [HPL Aeons (online text)].
A spell for turning people into stone statues. This was actually in a manuscript insert opposite page 679 of the van Kauran copy. [HPL Man (online text)].
Veiled and diverse references to the myth of Nyarlathotep [RB Faceless 41].

Modern Copies and Readers

The wizard Nicholas van Kauran (d. 1587) owned a copy that passed down to his grandson, William Van Kauran. The copy later passed to Bareut Picterse Van Kauran, later to Hendrik Van Kauran, and later to Hendrick's nephew, Daniel Morris [HPL Man (online text)].

Paul Tregardis compared the French version with the Necronomicon of Abdul Alhazred and found many correspondences of the blackest and most appalling significance. Tregardis also found much forbidden data that was unknown to Alhazred or omitted by him. [CAS Ubbo (online text)]

Walter Gilman studied a copy at the Miskatonic University Library, as part of his comparison of modern mathematics and physics with concepts from occult folklore [HPL WitchHouse (online text)].

Edward Pickman Derby studied the copy at Miskatonic University Library, though he did not tell his parents [HPL Doorstep (online text)].

Henricus Vanning had a copy of the Book of Eibon with crumbling covers protected by glass [RB Sebek].

Nathaniel Wingate Peaslee studied the book while he was possessed by a mind of the Great Race, and left marginal notes in a library copy of the book [HPL Time (online text)].

The horror author Edgar Gordon had dreams that coincided curiously with descriptions in books such as the Book of Eibon [RB Demon].

Rogers' Museum included figures of creatures described in the Book of Eibon [HPL Museum (online text)].

A mystic dreamer in New England spoke timidly to Robert Blake of The Book of Eibon [RB Shambler (online text)].

Strange was initiated by his father into the mysteries and arcana to be found among tomes such as the Book of Eibon [RB Tomb (online text)].

Tony Alwyn, a librarian at Miskatonic University, knew something of the weird knowledge hidden in the Book of Eibon [AWD Beyond2]. David, another librarian at Miskatonic, also knew something of the strange knowledge contained in the book [AWD Sandwin].

Prof. Upton Gardner asked Laird Dorgan to request a copy or photostat of the Book of Eibon from Miskatonic University [AWD Dweller].

The Gable Window narrator found a copy in the house of his late cousin, Wilbur Akeley [AWD Gable (online text)].

Marius Phillips found a copy that had been hidden by his late uncle, Sylvan Phillips [AWD Seal (online text)].

Claiborne Boyd found passages from the Book of Eibon among the papers of his late great-uncle Asaph Gilman [AWD Gorge].

Haddon found fragments of the Book of Eibon among the books of Amos Tuttle [AWD Hastur 2]. Paul Tuttle donated the copy to the Miskatonic University library [AWD Hastur].

Gordon Whitney read, with horrified fascination, the equivocal disclosures and incredible inferences in the Book of Eibon [RFS Warder].

A tiny man assured Doctor Wycherly that the Book of Eibon is too rare to be found in bookstores [HH Guardian].

The Abyss (online text) narrator had heard of the book [RAL Abyss (online text)].

Baldwyn and Rambeau searched for a copy for years, but without success [DWR Music (online text)].

Copies With French and Latinate Titles

The Book of Eibon is also known by a Latin title that is spelled variously as Liber Eibon, Liber Ivonie, Liber Ivonis, Liber Ivoris, Libor Ivonie, and Libor Ivonis, as well as by the French title of Livre d'Eibon.

Liber Eibon: Launcelot Canning had a copy in his mansion in Maryland [RB Poe (online text)].

Liber Ivonie: When John Conrad explored the house in the oaks near Old Dutchtown, N.Y., he found a copy of the Liber Ivonie [REH House (online text)].

Liber Ivonis:

Robert Blake found a copy of the Liber Ivonis in the abandoned church of the Starry Wisdom sect. Blake previously had access to a different copy, for he had already read the book. [HPL Haunter (online text)].

Dr. Ambrose Dexter had a copy of the Liber Ivonis [RB Steeple (online text)].

Ambrose Dewart found a copy of the Liber Ivonis in Billington House [AWD Lurker].

In the forger Alastair White's spurious catalog of esoteric books for sale, he offered a copy of the Liber Ivonis, supposedly published in Rome in 1662 [AWD Six].

Liber Ivoris: Amos Piper consulted a copy of the Liber Ivoris while possessed by a member of the Great Race [AWD Space].

Libor Ivonie: Laban Shrewsbury spoke to Andrew Phelan of various esoteric texts, including the Libor Ivonie [AWD Curwen].

Libor Ivonis: Winfield Phillips read from a copy or photostat of the Libor Ivonis in the possession of Dr. Seneca Lapham [AWD Lurker].

Livre d'Eibon: Alonzo Typer found a copy of a Norman-French Livre d'Eibon in the attic of the van der Heyl house. Typer later discovered a chant in a repellent language that he had never encountered, even in the blackest chapters of the Livre d'Eibon. [HPL Diary (online text)]

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