Petit Albert

grimoireverified

Petit Albert is an 18th‑century French grimoire and compendium of 'natural and cabalistic magic' that circulated widely in rural France. Traditionally ascribed to an 'Albertus Parvus' or linked in popular tradition to Albertus Magnus, it is a heterogeneous anthology drawing on many (mostly anonymous) sources and became a notable popular magical handbook associated with folk occult practice.

History & Contents

Documented history: Petit Albert is a printed grimoire first published in France in the 18th century and widely circulated thereafter. Contemporary and modern bibliographic accounts characterize it as a composite anthology or compendium rather than a single‑authored treatise. The collection quotes and incorporates material attributed to later figures such as Cardano and Paracelsus alongside a large quantity of anonymous matter. Editions and reprints in French and translations into English have been produced in modern times by small presses and commercial reprinters. The work became a publishing success in popular culture, reaching small hamlets via itinerant peddlers and acquiring a prominent place in the corpus of popular European grimoires; it is commonly associated with the companion work Grand Albert. Legends and reputation: In popular imagination and folkloric accounts, Petit Albert acquired a notorious reputation and was associated with 'devil worshipers' and illicit occult practice. While the tradition links the title to an 'Albertus Parvus' and sometimes to Albertus Magnus, scholarly and bibliographic sources emphasize that this attribution is considerably uncertain and that the book is best understood as a heterogeneous compilation of magical secrets and recipes rather than the work of the medieval scholastic saint. Modern occult and collector communities continue to reproduce and comment on the text, producing illustrated reprints and translations.

Provenance

The text is known from printed editions first appearing in France in the 18th century. Modern reprints, translations, and commercial listings attested in the sources include editions and listings by Ouroboros Press (an edition described as containing woodcuts), Black Letter Press, Anathema Publishing (a translation/edition attributed to Paul Summers Young in commercial listings), and various commercial reprint vendors (e.g., Archan Publishing). The work is repeatedly described in bibliographic and popular occult literature and in online grimoire-collecting communities. Specific archival locations or the chain of custody for 18th‑century copies are not specified in the supplied sources.

Community Record

Sources
  1. [1]
    Petit Albert - Wikipedia. Wikipedia entry 'Petit Albert' summarizing authorship, 18th‑century origin, composite nature, rural circulation, and association with Grand Albert.wiki
  2. [2]
    Petit Albert - Wikidata. Wikidata entry identifying Petit Albert as an 18th‑century grimoire.wiki
  3. [3]
    Papers Falling from an Attic Window (Dan Harms) – 'Forthcoming: Petit Albert and Compendium Rarissimum…' and review. Blog posts and reviews noting Petit Albert as a grimoire first published in 1700s France and ranking it among infamous books in the grimoire corpus; discussion of modern editions and translations.other
  4. [4]
    Petit Albert (OUROBOROS PRESS) – PRS listing. Commercial listing describing 'The Marvelous Secrets of Natural & Cabalistic Magic' and noting features of a modern Ouroboros Press edition (e.g., woodcuts) and translator attributions in the listing.other
  5. [5]
    Le Petit Albert — Anathema Publishing listing. Commercial publisher listing for a translated/edited edition attributed in the listing to Paul Summers Young.other
  6. [6]
    Little Albert - Le Petit Albert — Archan Publishing. Commercial reprint product page for 'Little Albert - Le Petit Albert'.other
verified