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The first Faustbuch ("Faust book", Historia von D. Johann Fausten) is a collection of tales about ancient practitioners of occult sciences. Among others, it features Merlin, Albertus Magnus, and Roger Bacon. The book was first published in 1587 by an anonymous author and attributes the narrated stories to Faust (Johann Georg Faust, died ca. 1540). The work was the basis for many literary works about Faust, including Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust Part One and Part Two. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Frontispiece of the Historia von D. Johann Fausten, published in 1587 by Johan Spies // Book Historia von D. Johann Fausten, a prose book on Dr. Faust written by an anonymous German author and published by Johann Spies (1540-1623), Frankfurt am Main 1587. ... Faust depicted in an etching by Rembrandt van Rijn (circa 1650) Faust or Faustus (the Latin for auspicious or lucky) is the protagonist of a popular German legend in which a mediæval scholar makes a pact with the Devil. ... Merlin Ambrosius (Welsh: Myrddin Emrys (Merlin the Wise); also known as Myrddin Wyllt (Merlin the Wild), Merlin Caledonensis (Scottish Merlin), Merlinus, and Merlyn) is the personage best known as the mighty wizard featured in Arthurian legends, starting with Geoffrey of Monmouths Historia Regum Britanniae. ... Albertus Magnus (b. ... For the Nova Scotia premier see Roger Bacon (politician). ... Dr. Johann Georg Faust (approx. ...  , IPA: , (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, dramatist, novelist, theorist, humanist, scientist, and painter. ... Faust Part 1 (original title: Faust - Der Tragödie erster Teil) is Johann Wolfgang von Goethes most famous work. ... This article needs cleanup. ...

The Faust Book seems to have been written during the latter half of the sixteenth century (1568-81) or shortly thereafter. It comes down to us in manuscript from a professional scribe in Nuremberg and also as a 1587 imprint from the prominent Frankfurt publishing house of Johann Spies.

The better known version is the Spies imprint of 1587. It came out in September, was reprinted again in the same year and very frequently thereafter, each time with additional tales about Faust, usually old, known folktales with the superimposition of Faust's name. In accord with the theological reputation and clientele of the Spies printing house, their 1587 imprint is also heavily larded with religious commentary. Such "admonitions to the Christian reader" played so well that by the end of the century they had grown to become the major part of the (printed) Faust Books. The general sloppiness and repetitiveness of all these additions, however, seems to have diminished the book's popularity in the long run. As people became less disposed to religious controversy it ceased to be such an attractive book.

The manuscript version was eventually edited by H. G. Haile for the Carl Winter Verlag, 1996. Haile also published a translation, The History of Dr. Johann Faustus (University of Illinois. 1965).

External links

• The Historical Faustus / Der geschichtliche Faustus, in English and German
• Excerpt page from the Wolfenbüttel Manuscript
• The Faust Book as translated from the Wolfenbüttel Manuscript, in English
• The Wolfenbüttel Manuscript, in German