Theban Script
The Theban Alphabet, also called Runes of Honorius or Witch’s Alphabet , emerged during the medieval period when Cabbalistic studies were prominent in the practices of European magicians and is often referred to as “Witch Writing,” “Witches’ Runes,” or the “Witches’ Alphabet. Although there are witch groups today that use this alphabet and claim it has a history with witchcraft, the language originally appeared in the 16th century in The Three Books of Occult Philosophy by Cornelius Agrippa. Agrippa states that an 13th century Italian magician attributes the alphabet to Honorius.
The alphabet seems to be just that, an alphabet with no associated language. It was used write out messages either in the magician’s own language, or more likely, Latin.
Many Pagans, Witches, and Wiccans use the Theban alphabet to encode their writings in their Books of Shadows or spell books. The Theban Script is also known as the “Witches’ Alphabet”. Many Witches use the alphabet in carving the letters on stone or wood to use as an amulet, or for candle spells.
The earliest known source for the Theban alphabet is as said above from Cornelius Agrippa’s “Three Books of Occult Philosophy” first published at Antwerp in 1531. Agrippa provided the Theban Script in Book III, Chapter 29 and wrote, “Of this kind of character therefore are those which Peter Apponus notes, as delivered by Honorius of Thebes”. This is almost certainly a reference to the author of the early 14th century “Liber Juratus, or the Sworne Booke of Honorius”.
However, it is believed that the Theban alphabet actually originated as a Latin cipher before the 11th-century. The origin of the letterforms is obscure, but all the evidence is consistent with an origin as an early alchemical cipher alphabet influenced by Avestan. Others say that the alphabet first appeared in the book entitled, “The Magus” by Honorius II (Pope from 1216 to 1227) Users of this magickal alphabet often include a stylized character at the end of a writing. This character is translated as the Greek Alpha and Omega.
The Theban alphabet, is today, and always has been employed primarily for talismanic inscriptions and magickal spells and works and the letters can be carved on stone or wood as an amulet, or on candles for candle spells.
