8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if learning comes not from study alone, but from prayers, mysterious figures, and the promise of divine wisdom?
Ars Notoria is a medieval Latin handbook of prayers, ritual rules, and meditation figures. Traditionally credited to King Solomon, it sets out a path intended to bring memory, eloquence, and understanding through God and his angels. Its unknown author presents knowledge as a sacred gift, sought through spiritual preparation rather than study alone.
At its heart are the notae: circles, squares, and words that practitioners are told to gaze upon. Alongside them stand formal prayers and a demanding discipline of body and soul. The promised rewards reach from grammar and philosophy to theology, while the prescribed words and signs raise doubts among medieval theologians.
What you’ll discover
- Solomon and sacred learning Explore how the text places its promise of wisdom within the Solomonic tradition.
- Figures for contemplation Look closely at the notae, diagrams that give this pursuit of learning its distinctive shape.
- Prayers for understanding Encounter formal orations intended to petition angels for memory, eloquence, and a clearer mind.
- A demanding spiritual discipline Discover the preparation the text requires, far removed from any promise of an easy trick.
- Devotion under suspicion Consider why rites built around words and signs trouble medieval theologians and interest scholars.
Who will love it
For readers curious about medieval religion, memory training and the Solomonic tradition, and for students of the history of magic and learning.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Solomon is made the source of learning
- The notae are figures to gaze upon
- Prayers in strange words carry the power
- The practitioner must prepare body and soul
- Learning is promised as illumination, not study
- Churchmen doubted it and scholars study it
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 8 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear Ars Notoria in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Ars Notoria
by Attributed to King Solomon · 1225
Prayers and mysterious figures reveal a medieval pursuit of memory, eloquence and wisdom through angelic help.
25 languages
Excellent
- Read, large type too
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Solomon is made the source of learning
The Ars Notoria presents itself as a gift to King Solomon. The Bible says, in the First Book of Kings, that God gave Solomon an understanding heart and great wisdom. Later Jewish, Christian and Islamic writers built on that story, and many came to think Solomon had mastered every branch of knowledge. The Ars Notoria draws on this belief and says that the king received its art from an angel, as a way to pass wisdom on to others.
No scholar thinks Solomon wrote it. The Latin text appears in the Middle Ages, and the usual date given is the early thirteenth century. Some of its prayers may draw on older sources, and the question of how old is still debated. The name of the real compiler is lost.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Ars Notoria
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy just the printed book?
Yes. The paperback costs 5,95 USD on its own. Start free and you pay the cost of printing: 5,95 USD for this paperback, and any other book at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is the Ars Notoria about?
It is a medieval Latin handbook of prayers, ritual rules and meditation figures. Its stated aim is to gain memory, eloquence and understanding of the liberal arts and theology as a gift from God through angels.
Did King Solomon write the Ars Notoria?
No. The text claims Solomon received the art from an angel, but scholars see it as a medieval work, usually dated to the early thirteenth century, by an unknown compiler who used Solomon's name for authority.
What does Ars Notoria mean?
It means the Notary Art. A notary was a quick writer of notes, and notae can mean signs or shorthand marks. The name suggests swift learning and also points to the book's figures.
More like this
FreeOur mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
Popular in the lost books
See all
