The world is buzzing with the release of the Wicked movies! But while the songs and spectacle are dazzling, there’s a much darker, richer story underneath—the one told in Gregory Maguire’s brilliant novels.
These books give us the full, complex backstory of Elphaba, the misunderstood young woman who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, and her complicated friendship with Glinda the Good. They dive deep into the world of Oz, exploring the lives of its famous inhabitants.
But at the heart of Elphaba’s magical journey is a massive, mysterious book of spells: the Grimmerie.
What is the Grimmerie in the Books?
In the Wicked novels, the Grimmerie is a giant, leather-bound book packed with forgotten, powerful magic. It contains spells on subjects like the "Administration of Dragons" and other formidable arts such as
- Methods of poisoning water and breeding a docile population.
- Diagrams of instruments of torture and weapons which Elphaba considers "too vile to use".
- A recipe entitled "Of apples with black skin and white flesh: to fill the stomach with greed unto Death".
- A recipe to overthrow a regime, which suggests spells for various methods of sabotage and assassination.
- Spells for 'unleashing the hidden energies of matter'.
- Spells to tamper with time.
- Spells to encourage flight in originally earth-bound animals.
- Various 'marginalia on how to keep awake', which Elphaba combines with home remedies to produce a powerful insomnia potion.
- 'A spell to reveal hidden inscription [...]Perhaps even the location of individuals in hiding'. The reverse side of the page on the "On the Administration of Dragons" contains the second half of this spell.
- A spell entitled "To Call Winter on Water," used by Glinda to trap war ships advancing on Munchkinland in ice, in the beginning of Out of Oz.
- a spell entitled “On Vagueness and Variety;” the page from the book with this spell was found on the Maracoorian island of Ithira Strand, an island previously abandoned due to a plague.
Here’s the biggest puzzle: No one native to Oz can read it.
The books explain that the Grimmerie didn't originate in Oz. It was brought there long ago by the Wizard Merlin and is actually a copy of a famous text from our world, Earth: The Lesser Key of Solomon.
This is the key to the mystery! Because it's an Earth text, Ozians can’t decipher it. However, Elphaba can. Why? The major revelation is that her father is the Wizard of Oz himself—a man who came to Oz from Earth. Her half-Earthling heritage is what allows her to read the book and unlock its unique, powerful magic.
The Real-World Connection
The Grimmerie’s supposed source, The Lesser Key of Solomon (also known as Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis), is a genuinely famous text in the history of magic and the occult.
Attributed to the Biblical King Solomon, this real-life book is most famous for its instructions on ceremonial magic and demonology. It provides detailed seals and instructions on how to properly summon, control, and bind 72 specific demons (known as the Ars Goetia) to force them to do the summoner's will.
It’s a far cry from the whimsical sorcery of Oz!
The Curious Mismatch Theory
Here’s where things get interesting. If the Grimmerie is just a copy of The Lesser Key of Solomon, why are its contents so different? Where are the demons? The Grimmerie is described as having chapters on dragons, not detailed instructions for summoning hellish entities.
This leads to a fascinating theory:
My belief is that when The Lesser Key of Solomon traveled from the distinct dimension of Earth to the magical Land of Oz, the journey fundamentally changed it. The book didn't just stay the same. It was magically transfigured. The unique rules and powerful magic of Oz rewrote its contents. The real-world text about binding demons morphed into the Ozian spellbook with instruction for powerful spells.
We see this idea of dimensional travel causing major transformations in other sci-fi and fantasy stories. Consider Evil-Lyn from He-Man, who was originally characterized in the series bible as a scientist, named Evelyn Powers, from Earth who, upon arriving on Eternia, became the formidable sorceress we know. Or, in the 1984 Supergirl movie, where the heroine's journey from inner-space to outer-space causes her to age and transform from an innocent pre-teen into a powerful young woman. The Grimmerie, too, was changed by its move, trading Earth’s demonology for Oz's mythos, and becoming a text that only a special Oz/Earth hybrid like Elphaba could truly master.
A Powerful Symbol
Ultimately, the Grimmerie is more than just a magical prop. It is a powerful symbol of Elphaba’s unique destiny and dual identity. Its mysterious, non-Ozian origins are the perfect explanation for the powerful, strange magic she possesses.
Whether it's a literal copy or a text magically rewritten by dimension-hopping, the Grimmerie remains one of the most intriguing and central artifacts in the Land of Oz—and a reminder that in magic, everything is connected!
Carolina Dean
Sorcerer-Not So Supreme
12th House Books
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