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Histories and Castles Presents
History As It Was Practised, Not As It Is Imagined
The Anglo-Saxon Nine Herbs Charm was sung into the wound, never eaten. Most books that print it get that wrong. This one goes back to the manuscript, and does the same for every charm inside it.
Every historical claim checked against primary sources and reviewed by an independent fact-checker before publication.
Buy Now on AmazonThe Problem
Most books that call themselves grimoires cannot tell you where their magic came from.
A charm copied from a fifteenth century manuscript sits next to a ritual invented in 1962, and both get presented as "ancient wisdom" in the same confident hush.
If you have ever finished one of these books wondering how much of it was real, you already know the problem.
What This Book Does Differently
Every charm and working inside The Grimoire carries a label, so you always know exactly what you are holding.
Historical
From the Manuscript
Transcribed or adapted from a named manuscript, with its date and holding library given.
Traditional
Centuries of Use
A long-attested folk custom with centuries of documented use, even without one surviving text behind it.
Modern Reconstruction
Presented Honestly
A genuine twentieth century invention of the Wiccan revival, presented honestly as recent rather than smuggled in as timeless.
Inside the Book
A look at the contents, the labelling system, and the scholarship within.
Common Questions
Is this book safe to use?
Yes, with care. The charms are historical record, not medical advice, and any charm involving a plant such as foxglove is clearly flagged and designed to avoid handling risk.
Do I need any experience with witchcraft or paganism to read this?
No. It is written for curious readers and practitioners alike.
Is this a practical spell book or a history book?
Both. Every entry is written as a usable working, but every entry also tells you honestly what it is and where it came from.
I already own a grimoire or two. Why is this one different?
Because it will tell you which parts of the one you already own are genuinely medieval and which were written in the 1960s. Most grimoires merge the two on purpose. This one keeps them apart on every page.
Would this work as a gift?
Yes. It suits anyone with a serious interest in folklore, not only someone already practising, since a large part of the book reads as history in its own right.
Know What You Are Holding
The only grimoire that labels every charm with its true origin.
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