Dictionnaire Infernal

From the Weird Strange Archive

The Dictionnaire Infernal (English: Infernal Dictionary) is a foundational encyclopedic reference work on demonology, occultism, folklore, and superstition written by French author and occultist Jacques Auguste Simon Collin de Plancy (1793–1881). First published in Paris in 1818, the work underwent numerous revisions across several decades, evolving from an Enlightenment-style skeptical critique of superstition into an influential Catholic demonological catalogue.

Its definitive 1863 edition is particularly famous for introducing a suite of iconic illustrations by French marine painter and draughtsman Louis Le Breton, which permanently shaped modern visual depictions of demons and esoteric figures.

Publication History and Ideological Shift

First appearing in two volumes in 1818 under the full title Dictionnaire infernal, ou Recherches et anecdotes sur les démons, les esprits, les fantômes, les spectres, les revenants..., the encyclopedia aimed to compile comprehensive folklore concerning ghosts, magic, divination, sorcery, and demonic hierarchies.

Collin de Plancy revised and expanded the dictionary through six major editions:

  • 1818: First edition (two volumes).

  • 1825–1826: Second edition, significantly expanded with historic grimoire materials.

  • 1844: Third edition.

  • 1845: Fourth edition.

  • 1853: Fifth edition.

  • 1863: Sixth edition, published by Henri Plon, featuring the celebrated wood engravings by Louis Le Breton.

The text is notable for a dramatic philosophical transformation between editions. In the 1818 and 1825 editions, Collin de Plancy approached demonology with Enlightenment skepticism, arguing that demonic visions and occult panics were products of superstition, hysteria, or deliberate ecclesiastical deception. However, following a spiritual crisis in the late 1830s, Collin de Plancy converted to devout Roman Catholicism. He subsequent republished and extensively expurgated the dictionary, reconciling its entries with orthodox Catholic theology and re-framing demonology as an active spiritual reality and moral warning.

Scope and Structure

Structured as an alphabetical dictionary, the work encompasses several broad categories:

  • Demonic Hierarchies: Detailed dossiers on principal demons, spirits, and infernal nobility drawing from classical texts such as Johann Weyer’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum and the Lesser Key of Solomon.

  • Occult Practices and Divination: Historical analyses of witchcraft, necromancy, chiromancy, cartomancy, and regional folk rituals.

  • Case Studies and Trials: Summaries of famous possessions (such as the Loudun possessions), werewolf panics, vampire lore, and witch trials.

  • Folklore and Grimoires: Reviews and excerpts of historical magic books, including Le Grand Grimoire and the Grimorium Verum.

The 1863 Illustrations by Louis Le Breton

The 1863 sixth edition cemented the book's enduring legacy by commissioning painter and illustrator Louis Le Breton (1818–1866) to produce 69 wood engravings depicting the demons of the infernal court, engraved by M. Jarrault. Le Breton's illustrations combined medieval bestiary traditions, heraldry, and grotesque caricature:

  • Bael: Depicted as a creature with three heads (a toad, a man, and a cat) mounted on spider legs.

  • Behemoth: Rendered as an elephantine, pot-bellied demon walking on two hind legs.

  • Asmodeus: Portrayed riding a dragon while bearing three heads (a ram, a bull, and a man spitting fire).

  • Belphegor: Drawn seated on a latrine chair, reflecting his classical association with sloth and filth.

  • Astaroth: Shown as an angelic yet grotesque figure holding a serpent while riding an infernal beast.

Because these engravings were published in 1863, the original illustrations and composite texts reside in the global public domain.

Cultural Legacy

The 1863 engravings became the primary visual lexicon for Western occultism in the 19th and 20th centuries. Le Breton's engravings were later adopted by occultists such as S.L. MacGregor Mathers and Aleister Crowley to illustrate editions of The Goetia (1904). In modern pop culture, the imagery from the Dictionnaire Infernal remains widely adapted across heavy metal album art, fantasy literature, role-playing games (such as Dungeons & Dragons), and graphic design.

For a visual walkthrough of the text and its plates, see this historical overview of the Dictionnaire Infernal's diabolical dictionary, which examines the physical volume and the context behind Le Breton's engravings.