Libellus Auguriorum: astrological tables

Abstract

The manuscript Oct. Lat. 761 in the National Széchényi Library is a collection of prognostications. These are based on the occurence of 42 ’unexpected events’ – such as sonittus parietum or tinnitus aurium, and the Moon’s position in the zodiac. For any event and zodiacal sign belonged a prediction, for example the death of an important person, or the birth of a baby. This kind of prognostication goes back to at least the 12th century, to a Tabula prenostica Salomonis. The immediate source of the manuscript, however, is the book of the German alchemist Heinrich Khunrath, printed in Prague in 1592: Zebelis regis et sapientis arabum vetustissimi, de interpraetatione quorundam accidentium… Khunrath was known in Hungary during the 17–18th centuries. There is another manuscript in the National Széchényi Library (Oct. Lat. 983) which also follows Khunrath’s book, but it differs in small details. We can find Khunrath’s works in contemporary book-lists, too, and there is one instance, when someone was accused of having false ideas because of reading Khunrath. One can find other tabular prognostications in Hungary. One such is printed in certain calendars (cisio), their origin is in Regiomontanus’ popular calendar (Temporal). Similar, though made apparently with more care, tabular prognostication is found in the calendars of the Jesuit University of Nagyszombat. They give the date for taking medicines or for making scarificatio or sectio venae, in the tradition of medical astrology.