The Dictionary of Demons, page 20
Budarim: One of several demons who serve in the hierarchy of Caspiel, the infernal Emperor of the South. Budarim holds the title of duke, and he is reputed to be stubborn and churlish in nature. He commands a total of two thousand two hundred and sixty lesser spirits. Budarim appears in the Ars Theurgia. In Rudd’s Treatise on Angel Magic, this demon appears under the name Budarym. Here, he is a spirit invocated together with Larmol, a duke in the court of Emperor Caspiel. Both Larmol and Budarym appear in Rudd’s work in connection with the magickal table of Mercury. See also ARS THEURGIA, CASPIEL, LARMOL.
Budiel: A demon named in the Ars Theurgia from Henson’s translation of the complete Lemegeton. Budiel serves in the hierarchy of the east. His immediate superior is the infernal prince Camuel, who rules in the southeast. Budiel himself is a duke, and he commands ten ministering spirits of his own. He is a demon of the daylight hours, but he manifests during the hours of the night. See also ARS THEURGIA, CAMUEL.
Buer: The tenth demon named in the Goetia. According to Wierus’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, this demon holds the rank of president and oversees fifty legions of lesser spirits. He is reputed to give the best familiars—helper spirits often thought to take the form of small animals, such as cats or toads. Furthermore, he teaches a wide variety of disciplines, from moral and natural philosophy to logic. He also teaches the virtues of herbs and can heal disease. There is an omission in the text, where Buer is said to appear in a specific sign, but no sign is given. This omission is filled in with the Goetia of Dr. Rudd. Here, Buer is said to appear when the sun is in Sagittarius. He is constrained by the angel Aladiah. The Book of Incantations affirms his connection to Sagittarius. He also appears in Scot’s Discoverie of Witchcraft. See also BOOK OF INCANTATIONS, GOETIA, RUDD, SCOTT, WIERUS.
Buesaba: A demon who can appear as a man or woman, tall and gold-skinned, wearing robes of brilliant yellow. He is one of three helpers who serve the demon-king Barkan, ruler of the spirits of the Sun. Buesaba has power to grant noble titles, such as duke or earl, and he can further help people win the respect and support of their peers. He resolves conflicts and hostilities and also procures wealth. He is named in the Book of Oberon along with two other aides to King Barkan, Bybell and Mylalu. See also BARKAN, BOOK OF OBERON, BYBELL, MYLALU.
Bufiel: A demon of the night ruled by the wandering duke Buriel. Bufiel assumes the monstrous form of a massive serpent with a human head whenever he appears. He so despises the light that he will only appear during the hours of darkness. He holds sway over eight hundred and eighty lesser spirits. His name and his seal appear in the Ars Theurgia. According to this text, Bufiel and his compatriots are so malevolent that they are despised by all other spirits. See also ARS THEURGIA, BURIEL.
Bugan: A demon with vast alchemical powers, Bugan can transmute any metal or change water into wine or even oil. He holds the rank of king and has thirty-four legions of lesser spirits to minister to him. His name appears in the Livre des esperitz, where it is said he also makes people wise. See also LIVRE DES ESPERITZ.
Bulfas: A grand prince who sows discord and war. According to the sixteenth-century French grimoire Livre des esperitz, he must be strongly constrained if he is to do what is asked of him. Thirty-six legions are under him. See also LIVRE DES ESPERITZ.
Buk: According to the Mathers translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, Buk is one of a number of demons in service to the arch-fiends Asmodeus and Astaroth. According to this text, the name of this demon supposedly means “perplexity.” See also ASTAROTH, ASMODEUS, MATHERS.
Buldumêch: This demon is named as the eighteenth of thirty-six infernal spirits associated with the decans of the zodiac. He appears in the Testament of Solomon, where he is said to attack husbands and wives, dividing them with anger and causing their tempers to flare against one another. When Buldumêch is present in a home, he can be made to flee by invoking the names of three of the biblical Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In a later, more accurate translation of the source material, the beings with power over this demon are simply called the Eight Fathers. The demon’s name is different as well: Modebel. See also SOLOMON.
Bulls: This curiously named demon appears in the night-bound hierarchy of the infernal prince Dorochiel. Given the style of most angel names (fallen or otherwise), this demon may have originally been Buells. According to the Ars Theurgia, where his name appears, Bulls will only manifest at a specific hour in the first half of the night. Through Dorochiel, he owes fealty to the court of the west. Granted the rank of chief duke, he has forty lesser spirits under him. See also ARS THEURGIA, DOROCHIEL.
Bune: The twenty-sixth demon named in the Goetia, Bune is a great and strong duke said to rule a total of thirty infernal legions. In Wierus’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, Bune is said to appear as a dragon with three heads. The third head is that of a man. He has power over the dead and can make them change their place. He can also cause demons to congregate on the sepulchers of the dead. He is said to speak with a divine voice and can make those that summon him rich, eloquent, and wise. He has many of the same powers in Scot’s Discoverie of Witchcraft. In the Goetia of Dr. Rudd, the name of this demon is given as Bim. According to this text, he can be constrained by the angel Haajah. In the French Livre des esperitz, he holds the rank of duke and commands thirty-five legions. See also GOETIA, LIVRE DES ESPERITZ, RUDD, SCOTT, WIERUS.
Buniet: A demon associated with the direction of the south. Buniet’s name and seal appear in the Henson translation of the Ars Theurgia. According to this text, he is in service to the infernal king Asyriel, who rules in the southwest. Buniet holds the rank of chief duke and has forty lesser spirits under his command. He is tied to the hours of the day and will only manifest during this time. See also ARS THEURGIA, ASYRIEL.
Burasen: One of several demons whose names appear in the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. According to this text, Burasen is a servant of the infernal king Amaimon. Mathers suggests that the name is derived from Hebrew roots. The reading he offers is strange and complex: he takes this name to mean “destroyers by stifling, smoky breath.” In the 1725 Peter Hammer edition of the Abramelin material, the name of this demon is rendered Bumaham. It appears with the same spelling in the version kept at the Dresden library as well. See also AMAIMON, MATHERS.
Burfa: One of several night-demons who serve in the court of prince Usiel. He is associated with the west. Burfa’s name appears in the Ars Theurgia, where it is said that he rules over forty ministering spirits. He has the power to reveal or conceal treasure. He can also break enchantments. See also ARS THEURGIA, USIEL.
Buriel: A so-called “wandering duke” whose name and seal appear in the Ars Theurgia. According to this work, Buriel and his entire retinue are despised by all of the other spirits. They are unremittingly evil and they can only be called upon at night because they flee the light of day. Buriel is reputed to appear in a truly monstrous form: a human-headed serpent that speaks with a man’s rough voice. He is tied to no particular direction of the compass but instead wanders with his retinue wherever he will. Buriel also appears in Johannes Trithemius’s Steganographia. See also ARS THEURGIA, TRITHEMIUS.
Buriol: A demon ruled by the infernal king Amaimon. Buriol’s name appears in the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. According to the Mathers translation, the name of this demon means “the devouring fire of God.” The name is also spelled Bariol. See also AMAIMON, MATHERS.
Burisiel: One of twelve dukes serving the demon Demoriel, whose names and seals are specifically given in the seventeenth-century magickal text known as the Ars Theurgia. Through his affiliation with Demoriel, Burisiel is connected with the direction north. He is further connected with the fourth set of two planetary hours of the day. These are derived by dividing the day up into twelve equal portions of time, known as planetary hours. The exact length of these hours differs depending on the amount of daylight at any given time during the year. Burisiel is bound to appear only during his designated hours. As a demon of rank, he oversees a total of one thousand one hundred and forty ministering spirits. See also ARS THEURGIA, DEMORIEL.
Buriul: In the Mathers translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, Buriul is one of a number of demonic servitors said to operate under the direction of both Asmodeus and Astaroth. As such, he can be summoned and compelled with the names of his superiors. According to Mathers, the name of this demon can be taken to mean “in terror and trembling.” See also ASTAROTH, ASMODEUS, MATHERS.
Busiel: In the Ars Theurgia, Busiel’s name appears in conjunction with the infernal prince Dorochiel and thus the hierarchy of the west. Here, he serves in the capacity of chief duke, with four hundred lesser spirits beneath him. He is said to appear during the second half of the day, in the hours between noon and dusk. See also ARS THEURGIA, DOROCHIEL.
Busin: A demon with necromantic powers, Busin can magickally transport dead bodies. In addition, he can compel one of the many spirits under his command to animate a corpse. While possessed, the dead body will be able to speak and do everything a living person might, with the exception of consuming food. Busin’s name appears in the Elizabethan grimoire known as the Book of Oberon, where he is listed as one of twelve principal ministers under Amaimon, king of the south. That text describes his appearance as that of a fair woman who speaks with a hoarse voice. Compare to the Goetic demon Bune. See also AMAIMON, BOOK OF OBERON, BUNE.
Butarab: One of several demons said to serve the arch-fiend Magoth in the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. According to the Mathers translation, Butarab is also a servant of Kore. In other versions of the Abramelin material, this demon’s name is spelled variously as Butharuth and Butharath. See also KORE, MAGOTH, MATHERS.
Bybell: A demon who causes those nearby to break out in a sweat. Bybell is one of the helpers of King Barkan, who rules the spirits of the sun. He appears as a tall and thick-limbed being with gold-tinted skin. He can manifest as any gender and may also take the form of a lion or rooster. His office is to ameliorate people and break down hostilities. He can also cause or cure disease. He is named in the Book of Oberon along with Mylalu and Buesaba, additional helpers in King Barkan’s court. See also BARKAN, BOOK OF OBERON, BUESABA, MYLALU.
Byleth: A demon in the court of the Moon, Byleth is one of four helpers working with King Harkam. His name appears in the Book of Oberon, where he is said to have the power to give silver, to make horses swift, to reveal secrets, and to transport objects. If he takes human form, he can appear as either a king armed with arrows or a huntress. Rainstorms break out around him. See also ACUTEBA, BOOK OF OBERON, BYLETHOR, HARKAM, MYLU.
Bylethor: One of four spirits serving King Harkam as helpers. Bylethor is a spirit of the Moon and thus appears wearing green or silvery garments. His skin is the color of a dark cloud and he has tusks like a boar. He has powers of transportation and can magickally move objects from place to place. He can also increase the speed of horses. He knows all the secret and hidden things from the past, present, and future and can procure silver. A rainstorm breaks out wherever he manifests. He is named in the Book of Oberon, a grimoire from Elizabethan England. See also ACUTEBA, BOOK OF OBERON, BYLETH, HARKAM, MYLU.
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41. Jean-Yves Lacoste, Encyclopedia of Christian Theology, p. 66.
Caap: In the French Livre des esperitz, Caap is a great prince who appears in the shape of a knight. He gives true responses to all demanded of him. He brings gold and silver wherever one wishes. He governs twenty legions. His name may be a variation of the Goetic demon Gaap. See also LIVRE DES ESPERITZ, GAAP.
Cabariel: A mighty prince ruling in the west by north. Cabariel ranks fourth under the demon Amenadiel, Emperor of the West. Cabariel himself commands fifty chief dukes by day and another fifty during the hours of the night. He prefers to appear in remote and isolated locations, such as hidden groves or wooded islands. Possessing an airy nature that does not allow him to manifest clearly to the naked eye, Cabariel can best be seen in a stone crystal or scrying glass—at least according to the Ars Theurgia. Cabariel also appears in Trithemius’s Steganographia. See also AMENADIEL, ARS THEURGIA, TRITHEMIUS.
Cabarim: A duke in the hierarchy of the demon Demoriel. According to the Ars Theurgia, Demoriel is the infernal Emperor of the North, and thus Cabarim is also affiliated with the north. Cabarim is a duke with dominion over one thousand one hundred and forty lesser spirits of his own. He will only manifest during the second two planetary hours of the day. See also ARS THEURGIA, DEMORIEL.
Caberyon: A demon named in the Book of Oberon. He holds the rank of minister and is listed second among the four advisors to King Oberion. Oberion occupies an interesting place between fallen angel and faerie, as the Book of Oberon identifies him as both. There is a possibility that all of the demons in Oberion’s court fit in the same category, including Caberyon. See also BOOK OF OBERON, OBERION.
Cabiel: One of several demons who serve the infernal king Malgaras during hours of the day. In the Ars Theurgia, he is said to hold the rank of chief duke with thirty subordinate spirits to serve him. He is affiliated with the west. See also ARS THEURGIA, MALGARAS.
Cabron: A demon named in the Ars Theurgia. Cabron is said to serve the infernal prince Dorochiel. He himself holds the rank of chief duke and has a total of four hundred lesser spirits at his command. Tied to the hours of the day, he will only manifest between noon and dusk. His connection with Dorochiel places him in the hierarchy of the west. See also ARS THEURGIA, DOROCHIEL.
Cadriel: A chief duke in the hierarchy of Dorochiel, infernal prince of the west by the north. The Ars Theurgia describes Cadriel as a night-demon who serves his master in the hours between midnight and dawn. He allegedly oversees no fewer than four hundred subordinate spirits. See also ARS THEURGIA, DOROCHIEL.
Cagyne: One of twelve principal ministers to Paimon, king of the west, Cagyne is named in the Book of Oberon. That text gives the alternate name of Cogin. This demon appears in the form of a pale horse and has power over the dead. He is said to be able to bring any soul to speak before his summoner, provided that soul is not under the control of any heavenly or infernal power. This proviso suggests Cagyne’s power is over souls in Limbo, a between-state used historically by the Church as a repository for souls that belong neither to Heaven nor to Hell. See also BOOK OF OBERON, PAIMON.
Caim: One of the seventy-two demons associated with the Goetia, Caim was reputedly a member of the Order of Angels before his fall. According to Scot’s Discoverie of Witchcraft, he holds the title of president and has a total of thirty legions of spirits under his command. He is said to manifest first in the form of a thrush, but he can also assume a human form. When he takes the form of a man, he appears carrying a sharp sword in his hand. He is said to give his answers in burning ashes. Among his powers, he is said to make people able to understand the inhuman languages of birds, dogs, and cattle. He can even gift a mortal with the ability to comprehend the meaning in the sounds of rivers, oceans, and streams. He is best at answering questions concerning the future. In Wierus’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, his name is spelled Caym. According to Collin de Plancy, Martin Luther, the founder of the Protestant Reformation, claimed to have had an encounter with this demon. In the Goetia of Dr. Rudd, his name is spelled Camio. Here, he is said to bow to the power of the angel Nanael. See also DE PLANCY, GOETIA, RUDD, SCOTT, WIERUS.
Calach: A servant of the demon Ariton named in the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. In the Mathers translation of this work, his name is rendered Galak. Accordingly, Mathers relates the name to a Greek root meaning “milky.” See also ARITON, MATHERS.
Caleos: A mendacious demon, he must be carefully constrained or else he will mislead any who interact with him. When manifesting, he takes the form of a knight astride a crocodile. He wears two crowns upon his head. His principal office is to grant fame and esteem. He also has knowledge of treasure. His name appears in the Elizabethan grimoire known as the Book of Oberon, where he is described among twelve principal servants of Paimon, king of the west. See also BOOK OF OBERON, PAIMON.
Calim: A demon in the hierarchy of the east, Calim serves the infernal prince Camuel. According to the Ars Theurgia, Calim is a duke and he rules over a hundred ministering spirits. He is tied to the hours of the night but appears by day. See also ARS THEURGIA, CAMUEL.
Minions of the Devil
Throughout the Middle Ages, people in Europe believed that the Devil and his minions were a very real presence in the world. Not only did these demons seduce and torment humanity, but they also recruited certain mortals to their side, gifting them with unholy powers. The fear of witchcraft held the people of Europe in such an awful grip that they lashed out against their neighbors, torturing thousands of people to death on suspicion of practicing the black arts. These witch hunts were a dark period of European history that lasted roughly from the fourteenth through the seventeenth centuries. Called the Witchcraze by some scholars, such as Anne Llewellyn Barstow and Jeffrey Burton Russell, this terminology reflects the hysterical nature of the witchcraft fears of the time.
The vast majority of people accused of practicing witchcraft were marginalized individuals and second-class citizens. An alarming number of women were accused, and while they were not the only people tortured and killed for practicing witchcraft during this time, the popularized image of a witch was that of a woman—usually decrepit and old.
Central to the notion of European witchcraft during this time was the Witches’ Sabbat. This was a gathering—often described as an orgy—that took place in the woods. Witches were thought to fly there, either by leaving their bodies or by riding through the sky in sieves or on brooms. At the Sabbat, witches were said to dance naked in the woods, feasting on foul foods and sometimes sacrificing children. They were thought to plot against their neighbors at this wild gathering, dreaming up the harm they would do in the coming months. And of course, they met with the Devil—often in the form of a tall man with soot-black skin or in the form of a great black goat.
