The Devil’s Bible
The History, Origins and Legends of the Codex Gigas
Among the most extraordinary manuscripts surviving from the Middle Ages is a vast Latin book known as the Codex Gigas, meaning “Giant Book.”
It is more popularly called The Devil’s Bible because of its enormous size, its striking full-page image of the Devil, and the mysterious legend that a monk created it with Satan’s assistance. For centuries, the manuscript has inspired stories of demonic pacts, supernatural authorship and hidden knowledge.
Yet behind its sinister reputation lies a remarkable work of medieval Christian scholarship. The Codex Gigas contains the Bible alongside history, medicine, encyclopaedic knowledge, calendars, prayers and magical formulas. Its genuine history is fascinating enough without needing supernatural explanations, although the legends surrounding it have become an important part of its cultural identity.
The origins of the Devil’s Bible
The Codex Gigas was produced in the early thirteenth century, probably between approximately 1204 and 1230, in the medieval region of Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. Its earliest known association is with the Benedictine monastery of Podlažice, near the present-day town of Chrast.
The monastery was a religious foundation where monks devoted themselves to prayer, study, manuscript production and the preservation of knowledge. During the Middle Ages, monasteries were among the principal centres of literacy and bookmaking in Europe. A manuscript of this scale would have required an extraordinary commitment of time, materials and labour.
The exact identity of the scribe remains uncertain. Paleographical examination—the study of handwriting—suggests that the surviving text was written by a single principal hand. The consistency of the script throughout the manuscript is one of the features that helped inspire the legend that it was produced in an impossibly short period.
The National Library of Sweden estimates that the manuscript may have taken at least twenty years, and possibly thirty, to complete. It is therefore a monument to sustained medieval scholarship rather than evidence of a miraculous overnight creation.
The physical appearance of the manuscript
The Codex Gigas is extraordinary not only for its contents but also for its physical dimensions. It is generally described as the largest surviving illuminated medieval manuscript.
92 cm
Approximate height
50 cm
Approximate width
75 kg
Approximate weight
The book was made from parchment prepared from the skins of approximately 160 animals, traditionally identified as calves or donkeys. It is about 22 centimetres thick and originally contained around 320 leaves, although a number of pages were subsequently removed.
The manuscript’s pages are written in Latin, with decorative initials and illustrations. Despite its enormous size, much of the text is presented in a relatively consistent and restrained style. The famous image of the Devil, however, is dramatically different from the ordinary pages of the book, occupying almost an entire page and commanding immediate attention.
Discovery and the earliest known history
The word “discovery” can be misleading in the case of the Devil’s Bible. It was not found buried in a forgotten tomb or uncovered in a mysterious archaeological excavation. Its history is traced through medieval records, ownership notes and the movements of monastic and royal collections.
The earliest known owner was the Benedictine monastery of Podlažice. A note associated with the manuscript records that in 1295 it was pledged to the Cistercian monastery of Sedlec, apparently as security for a debt or financial arrangement.
Over the following centuries, the manuscript passed through several religious institutions. It was eventually associated with the monastery of Broumov, in Bohemia. In 1594, it came into the collection of Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor, who resided in Prague and was renowned for his interest in art, science, astrology and occult subjects.
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Rudolf’s court attracted scholars, artists, alchemists and collectors of unusual objects. The presence of the Codex Gigas in his collection helped establish its reputation as a remarkable and mysterious treasure.
The journey to Sweden
The next major chapter in the manuscript’s history occurred during the Thirty Years’ War, a devastating conflict that affected much of central Europe between 1618 and 1648.
In 1648, Swedish forces captured Prague during the final stages of the war. Among the objects taken as war booty was the Codex Gigas. It was transported to Sweden and eventually entered the royal collection in Stockholm.
The manuscript suffered another dramatic episode in 1697, when a fire broke out at Stockholm’s royal castle. According to historical accounts, someone rescued the enormous book by throwing it from a window. The fall damaged its binding and resulted in the loss of some pages, but the manuscript survived.
In 1878, it was transferred to the newly established National Library of Sweden, where it remains preserved today.
Its current location
The original Codex Gigas is preserved in the National Library of Sweden, also known as Kungliga biblioteket. It is held under appropriate conservation conditions and has been made available for public viewing and digital study.
The manuscript has occasionally travelled for exhibitions. In 2007, it returned to Prague for the first time in 359 years, attracting considerable public attention.
A digitised version also allows researchers and members of the public to examine its pages without handling the fragile original. The Library of Congress provides a digital collection of images of the manuscript, while the Swedish library maintains resources concerning its history and contents.
The legend of the monk and the Devil
The most famous story surrounding the Codex Gigas concerns a monk who supposedly made a pact with Satan.
According to the legend, the monk had committed a serious violation of his monastic vows. As punishment, he was sentenced to be walled up alive. Faced with the prospect of death, he offered to create an extraordinary book in a single night—one that would glorify his monastery and contain all the knowledge of the world.
The task was impossible for one person to accomplish in such a short time. As midnight approached, the monk realised that he could not complete the manuscript. In desperation, he prayed to Lucifer for assistance.
The Devil agreed to help him. In return, the monk supposedly surrendered his soul or entered into a pact with the forces of darkness. Satan completed the immense book, and the monk expressed his gratitude by including a full-page portrait of the Devil.
This story explains why the manuscript became known as the Devil’s Bible.
There are variations of the tale. In some versions, the monk is identified as Herman the Recluse, although the historical identification of the scribe with this figure remains uncertain. Other versions emphasise the monk’s desire to preserve the reputation of his monastery rather than focusing solely on his punishment.
The legend was already associated with the manuscript during the medieval period. However, there is no historical evidence that the book was created in one night or through supernatural assistance. The consistent handwriting and the extraordinary scale of the manuscript are better explained by years of disciplined work.
The mysterious image of the Devil
The most famous feature of the Codex Gigas is its full-page illustration of the Devil. The figure is shown with a large, dark body, horns, claws and a menacing expression. It is one of the most recognisable depictions of Satan in medieval manuscript art.
The image appears opposite a large representation of the Heavenly City, creating a striking contrast between the realm of divine salvation and the figure associated with evil and damnation.
This arrangement has encouraged different interpretations. Some readers understand the two images as a visual representation of the choice between salvation and sin. The Devil’s portrait may have been intended as a warning about the consequences of evil rather than as an object of veneration.
The image should also be understood within the artistic conventions of medieval Christianity. The familiar horned, monstrous appearance of Satan developed over centuries through biblical interpretation, folklore and Christian art. It does not represent a literal description of the Devil found throughout the Bible itself.
What is the Devil’s Bible believed to contain?
Although it is known for its demonic illustration, the Codex Gigas is primarily a Christian religious and scholarly compendium. It contains a complete Latin Bible, together with a variety of historical, medical, encyclopaedic and practical texts.
1. The Latin Bible
The manuscript contains the Old and New Testaments in Latin. Most of the biblical text follows the Vulgate tradition, although Acts and Revelation preserve an earlier Latin textual form.
2. The writings of Flavius Josephus
Two works by the first-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus are included: The Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews. These works record important accounts of Jewish history and the ancient world.
3. Isidore of Seville’s encyclopedia
The manuscript includes Etymologiae, an encyclopaedic work by Isidore of Seville. It gathered information about language, nature, history, religion, science and many other subjects known to medieval scholars.
4. Medical writings
It contains an early form of the medical collection known as Ars medicinae, or “The Art of Medicine,” as well as works associated with Constantine the African. These reflect medieval approaches to health, illness and medical learning.
5. The Chronicle of Bohemia
The Chronica Boemorum, written by Cosmas of Prague, provides a history of Bohemia. Its presence is especially important because it connects the manuscript to the region in which it was created.
6. Calendars, prayers and other texts
The book also includes a calendar, lists of saints and local religious figures, prayers, exorcism formulas, charms and short magical or ritual texts.
These materials show that the Codex Gigas was not simply a Bible with an image of Satan.
It was closer to a medieval reference library bound into one enormous volume.
Magic, exorcism and occult associations
The manuscript’s inclusion of magical formulas and exorcism material has contributed greatly to its mysterious reputation.
Some of the shorter texts contain prayers, adjurations and charms. In a medieval Christian setting, such material could be understood as protective or religious rather than necessarily Satanic. Exorcism formulas, for example, were intended to resist or expel evil forces.
The presence of these writings demonstrates that medieval religious culture could include a variety of practices involving sacred words, protective formulas, healing and the struggle against supernatural danger.
It is important, however, to distinguish between magic recorded in a manuscript and a manuscript created by magic. The Codex Gigas contains texts associated with magical or ritual practice, but there is no reliable evidence that it was a grimoire written by the Devil or that it contains secret instructions for summoning Satan.
The manuscript’s association with Rudolf II, whose court was interested in alchemy, astrology and esoteric subjects, has also encouraged later speculation. Yet its documented contents are overwhelmingly religious, historical and scholarly.
Myths of curses and supernatural power
Over the centuries, stories have developed around the idea that the Devil’s Bible is cursed or dangerous to possess. Some popular accounts suggest that those who own or handle the manuscript may suffer misfortune, illness or tragedy.
These stories are part of the folklore surrounding the book, but they are not established historical facts. The manuscript has passed through monasteries, imperial collections and national institutions for centuries, and there is no verified evidence that it causes supernatural harm.
Another recurring myth is that the book contains all the knowledge of the world. This idea is connected to the monk’s legendary promise to create a work that would preserve the glory of his monastery and encompass human knowledge.
In reality, the Codex Gigas is an exceptionally broad collection of medieval learning, but it is not an exhaustive record of all knowledge. Its contents reflect the intellectual and religious world of medieval Europe.
The Devil’s Bible in modern culture
The Codex Gigas continues to fascinate historians, artists, occult enthusiasts and writers of supernatural fiction. Its combination of religious devotion, monumental craftsmanship and a dramatic demonic image has made it particularly suitable for stories about forbidden knowledge and the relationship between sacred and profane forces.
Its reputation also reflects a wider fascination with medieval manuscripts. Books from this period were often treated as powerful objects because literacy was restricted to a relatively small portion of the population, and written words could carry religious, legal and magical significance.
For modern readers interested in witchcraft and occult history, the Codex Gigas offers an opportunity to explore how medieval Christianity understood evil, spiritual protection, ritual language and the boundaries between acceptable religious practice and forbidden magic.
It should not, however, be confused with a Satanic scripture or a book of Devil worship. Its principal purpose was religious and scholarly, and its association with Satan is primarily the result of its illustration and the legend of its creation.
Today, preserved in the National Library of Sweden in Stockholm, the Codex Gigas stands as a fascinating meeting point between history, religion, folklore, art and the enduring human fascination with the unknown.
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