18th century demonology book showing various demon figures, as well as magic and cabbalistic signs. The full Latin title of Compendium rarissimum totius Artis Magicae sistematisatae per celeberrimos Artis hujus Magistros, roughly translates to "A rare summary of the entire Magical Art by the most famous Masters of this Art". The bulk of the illustrations depict a varied bestiary of grotesque demonic creatures up to all sorts of appropriately demonic activities, such as chewing down on severed legs, spitting fire and snakes from genitalia, and parading around decapitated heads on sticks. In addition there are illustrations relating to necromancy, the act of communicating with the dead in order to gain information about, and possibly control, the future. Written in German and Latin, on white, brown and grey-green paper, the book has been dated to around 1775, although the unknown author tried to pass it off as an older relic, mentioning the year 1057 in the title page. Demonology is the systematic study of demons or beliefs about demons. It is the branch of theology relating to supernatural beings who are not gods. It deals both with benevolent beings that have no circle of worshippers or so limited a circle as to be below the rank of gods, and with malevolent beings of all kinds. Cabala may refer to one of several systems of mysticism.