Hoopoe?, Necromancy tool from the munich handbook Options

I was wondering if anyone could provide me with some information as to what a 'Hoopoe' happens to be. I've been reading the munich handbook and have become quite confused as to what this tool pertains too. I've thought it to be a sword, but in one application of creating the 'Illusory banquet' you hold the sword in one hand and the hoopoe in the other. The only other attribute could be is a staff, but I'm not completely sure about it. I've often considered it to be something alive but, talking about the hoopoe it seems to be an inanimate object.

I've included a brief excerpt from the book to give you a better understanding as to what I'm asking.

"At last, all will vanish from your eyes except those twelve (spirits), who, standing by you, will say, 'our spectacle [ludus] has pleased you, has it not?' You will reply cheerfully that it has. When you have responded, they will ask you for the hoopoe, which, strange to say, will at once become alarmed. You will say them, "I am willing to give you the hoopoe if you swear to come to me and enact this spectacle whenever I please'. You should have some book brought to them at once, and on it you should have them swear in the manner: 'All twelve of us swear on this sacred book...to come to you without delay whenever you invoke us, and to have tables laid, such as you have seen and even better.' And they will swear at once."

At which point you give these twelve spirits the 'hoopoe'. Beneath it also states a passage about the importance of the hoopoe.

"You should note that the hoopoe is possessed of great virtue for necromancers and invokers of demons [nigromanticis et demones invocantibus], on which account we use it much for our safekeeping. "

This hoopoe is used in other formulas and applications throughout the book. Often it invovles taking it into the circle and offering it to spirits who presumably return it to the necromancer. I'm not sure if the hoopoe is talked about in other necromantic works, but the author didn't actually tell the reader what it was. Any advice would be much helpful. Thank you.

I've done a search on Wikipedia to see if I couldn't find if it was posted on there. This is what I found...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoopoe

Doesn't quite fit with the some of the rituals. Though stated above in the passage, it says that "will at once become alarmed", which gives me an idea that it does have some conciousness.

This post has been edited by Angalor: May 20 2006, 10:52 PM

Greetings!
Perhaps the bird has different 'properties' that make it invaluable to the necromancer.... here are a few more links with some interesting blurbs...

http://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast243.htm

http://www.landowne.org/rc/ho.html

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art12743.asp

http://www.jhom.com/topics/birds/hoopoe.htm

Some interesting tales leading to some interesting conjecture... Good Luck! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Thank you very much bym! I found those links really interesting. Puts a whole new perspective on the ritual when you imagine this tool is actually a bird. Also on bellaonline she makes mention about how it is the bird associated with the dead...

"The legend in Islam shows that the hoopoe smells foul because it carries the dead on its head, which is why it is forbidden to kill one."

..This connection with the dead would make sense, especially if it is used in necromancy.