Wicked Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Wicked Wiki
This article is about the Grimmerie from the novel series. You may be looking for the book of the same name from the musical, or the companion book titled "Wicked: The Grimmerie".

The Grimmerie, known on Earth as the Lesser Key of Solomon, is a magical spell book (or grimoire) of magnificent power which Elphaba finds in the attic of Kiamo Ko and was later given to her by Sarima. Elphaba can only read parts of it, as the book originates from the other world (Earth). The book also created Yackle to be a guardian to the book and a witness to the tragic life of Elphaba.

History[]

DannaElphaba

Elphaba and the Grimmerie.

In Wicked, it is strongly suggested that it is a grimoire from our world which a powerful sorcerer took to Oz sometime in the distant past.

The Wizard is in search of the Grimmerie, which had been hidden in Kiamo Ko and had entered into the ownership of the Tigelaar family. It was given to Elphaba Thropp by Sarima, who had no need for it as she couldn't read. It is further substantiated that the book comes from Earth rather than Oz in that those of pure Ozian ancestry can't read it whereas Elphaba-who is half-Ozian, half Earthling- can only read fragments.

The Wizard sought to bargain with Elphaba for the Grimmerie in exchange for Nor. This she did not allow, and it is revealed that, later, he asked Dorothy Gale to take the book if she could. Since it was too heavy, she was unable to do so.

In A Lion Among Men, it is revealed that Yackle is the guardian of the Grimmerie and was created from it. The Grimmerie had been secreted into the Clock of the Time Dragon, while a wayward page had been used by Emperor Shell to create dragons.

In Out of Oz, Glinda comes into posession of the Grimmerie when the Clock of the Time Dragon comes to Mockbeggar Hall. Glinda then--with the help of Elphaba's granddaughter Rain--uses the book to impede General Cherrystone's progress across Restwater Lake.

Eventually, as the battle progresses between Munchkinland and Loyal Oz, Mombey uses the book’s information on the training of Dragons to attack the Emerald City, successfully ending the war. After failing to bring Liir back from his Animal form, Mombey attempts to use the Grimmerie to "call the lost forward." In doing so, she reveals Ozma Tippetarius as well as Rain's green skin.

At the end of the novel, Rain takes the Grimmerie and--using the broom--flies out past the Thousand Year Grasslands and an expanse of desert to the ocean. She then continues to fly over the sea, vowing to drop the book into its depths.

Contents[]

  • Information on various supernatural creatures, including angels and an entire section on "Evil Particulars" (demons).
  • 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.
  • A spell "On the Administration of Dragons". This page plays an important part in the plot of Son of a Witch, where Shell Thropp presents this page to Trism bon Cavalish.
  • 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.
Advertisement