Dark History of the Necronomicon

Dead Names: The Dark History of the Necronomicon by Simon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Published by Avon books and made available to the masses at a very low price, is the Necronimicon, easily one of the most controversial grimoires ever released. The controversy surrounding this grimoire is not about the demons or angels you conjure but rather authenticity. Is the the Necronomicon a real grimoire or was it a joke written over a bottle of wine?
Simon the author of the book and also the Necronimicon says the grimoire is legit . The Necronomicon was a grimoire that was prevalent throughout the works of HP Lovecraft. People thought it was Lovecraft's invention. Simon says otherwise.

Things started out in the 70's maybe even the late 60's if you go back far enough. The book opens up with  the suicide of Anthony Pratzky, A Slavonic Priest, with his own Slavic Church. He was a laborer. His son William ANdrew Pratzky was also a priest. Needless to say a lot was going on with these churches, politically and religiously. These churches were anto soviet and were a place for spies to meet up and spy on other. There were also wandering priest who may or may not have had proper credentials. Peter Levenda and Pratzky became priest. Levenda was into magic and Pratzky was gay and into the rituals. As priests they had their series of adventures. Their spiritual pursuits would lead them to Herman Slater of the Magick Childe in New York. Eventually there would be an issue of book theft by two priests and one of those books was a greek version of the "Necronomicon"

Once having received the book they had to go through all sorts of subterfuge to get the book translated and then finally published. THe book convers all the trials and tribulation of getting the book translated and published. According to Simon the Necornomicon is a grimoire that has passed through the ages and has chants and deities from Sumerian times. Once cannot call it true Sumerian because though the ages it has been watered down and changed. It is not Judeo Christian.

Most of the book is dedicated to explaining how the Necronomicon is in fact a middle eastern grimoire. THere are seven levels of enlightenment or spiritual journey. Inanna , Goddess of love and war, made several such journeys. Once to the underworld and next to the outer reaches of space to steal secrets from An. Azif was the noise the Jinn made in the desert. The author goes on to analyze the word Cthulhu, as an ancient middle eastern word which is mentioned in other Middle Eastern works, and even in the Koran. Kutulu means man from the Underworld or the one who deserted us. In the Middle East there was a city called Cutha. It is where, some say, that the Samaritan originated from. The head god of Cutha was Nergal, SUmerian God of the Underworld. Of course when they went to Samaria they changed their practices. THe word , Cthulhugan is mentioned in the Koran as well. To note that Muhammad's tribe the Quraysh had extensive ties to Mesopotamia and were heavily influenced by them.

What happened to the Sumerians once they were driven out of their land and conquered. THe author and various others would tell youn that the Yezidiee are descended from them as are the Toda people of India. THis is based on linguistic , god names and art motifs that bear similarity . 

I read this book rather quickly and found that I enjoyed reading the story behind one of the  most controversial books to be printed. The author has done some good research on the Middle East and I have learned things that I have not previously known before. THe last part of the book covers some opposing sides of the argument surrounding the NEcronomican and it validity and safety of usage. Enjoy

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