The Dictionary of Demons, page 22
Scribal Mission Impossible
Your mission: make an accurate copy of a text that has no punctuation, virtually no spaces between words, and letters that are not always standard. On top of this, try tackling this near-impossible task in low-light conditions while using inks and pigments that could very well kill you if ingested or handled improperly. Sound impossible? Year after year throughout the Middle Ages, this was exactly what European scribes did. Before the advent of the printing press, books were copied, illustrated, and bound by hand, and each individual volume became a singular work of art. But it was no easy task to copy these precious tomes accurately. Each time period and often each region had its own particular script, and although this was generally standardized, each scribe had his or her own particular hand, with the vagaries that always accompany hand-crafted work. Additionally, scribes would sometimes use shorthand, especially if they were running out of room on a line, and if you did not clearly understand their notations, you generally had to guess about their meaning when making a copy of that section for yourself. The sigla, or shorthand, of some manuscripts are so unique that certain historians can date a manuscript based on the nature of its abbreviations alone!*
On top of all of these factors, almost all of these manuscripts were written in Latin, at best a second language for most scribes. While all of the above circumstances are true for books that were formally produced during the Middle Ages, even more trying circumstances often surrounded the copying of grimoires. Forbidden books that had to be hidden and passed around on the sly, all of the early grimoires were copied by hand. As with the material contained in the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, at some point there was an original, but the copy that an individual magician found himself working from may have been several times removed from that original. This separation, as well as the manner in which the texts were reproduced, opened the grimoiric tradition to a host of errors—most of them simple issues of copying. A vast number of demon names, as well as talismans and sigils (a term taken from the word for scribal abbreviation), have almost certainly come down to the modern day rife with inaccuracies. In some cases, entire names of demons were inadvertently created when one scribe along the line of descent copied a letter incorrectly. Since the original versions of nearly all the grimoires have been lost to time, it’s important to keep in mind that some of those really garbled-sounding demon names may, in fact, be medieval typos.
* Stephen R. Reimer, Manuscript Studies: Medieval and Early Modern.
Carpiel: A demon from the Ars Theurgia said to serve the infernal king Barmiel. Through his association with Barmiel, Carpiel is connected with the south. He holds the rank of duke and rules over twenty ministering spirits. He is one of ten demonic dukes who serve Barmiel during the hours of the day. It is sometimes tempting to relate the names of demons to the words that they resemble, but there is no indication that Carpiel bears any resemblance to a fish. See also ARS THEURGIA, BARMIEL.
Carsiel: In the Ars Theurgia, Carsiel is named as one of a dozen chief dukes in service to the demon-prince Dorochiel. Associated with the hours of the day, Carsiel commands a total of forty ministering spirits. Through Dorochiel, he is affiliated with the hierarchy of the west. See also ARS THEURGIA, DOROCHIEL.
Cartael: A demon whose name and seal appear in the book known as the Ars Theurgia. Cartael is said to serve in the hierarchy of the north, and his immediate superior is the demon-king Baruchas. Cartael himself holds the rank of duke and commands thousands of lesser spirits. He will only appear during hours and minutes that fall in the fourteenth portion of the day, when the day has been divided into fifteen parts. See also ARS THEURGIA, BARUCHAS.
Casael: A demon whose name may be a variant of Carsiel. This spelling of the name appears in the Ars Theurgia in conjunction with the infernal prince Dorochiel. Casael is said to serve in the capacity of chief duke, with four hundred lesser spirits beneath him. He is tied to the hours of the second half of the day, manifesting between noon and dusk. His direction is west. See also ARS THEURGIA, CARSIEL, DOROCHIEL.
Casbriel: An evil demon of the night who so hates the light that he refuses to manifest during the hours of the day. Casbriel serves the demon Buriel, who is described in the Ars Theurgia as a “wandering duke,” which is to say that, among the spirits associated with the points of the compass, Buriel and his company change their location and move however they please. Casbriel is such a roguish and malevolent spirit that he and his compatriots are despised by all other spirits. Within his own hierarchy, he is popular enough that he commands eight hundred and eighty lesser spirits. When he manifests, Casbriel assumes a monstrous form. He appears as a massive serpent with a human head. See also ARS THEURGIA, BURIEL.
Casiet: One of several demons said to serve in the court of the west beneath the infernal king Malgaras. Casiet holds the rank of chief duke and commands thirty ministering spirits. According to the Ars Theurgia, he is tied to the hours of the day and will only manifest during these hours. The name of this demon may have been generated through scribal error, as it is one letter off from the more common name Casiel. See also ARS THEURGIA, CARSIEL, MALGARAS.
Cason: According to the fifteenth-century grimoire known as the Munich Handbook, this grand duke of Hell commands no fewer than forty-five legions of devils. When summoned, he appears as a courtly seneschal, and he grants the magician any dignities he may wish. The demon can discourse on matters concerning the past, present, or future, and he can bring favor to the magician from friend or foe alike. The name of this demon may be a variation on Curson, an alias given in Scot’s Discoverie of Witchcraft for the Goetic demon Purson. See also MUNICH HANDBOOK, PURSON, SCOT.
Caspiel: A great and chief emperor named in the Ars Theurgia. Caspiel is one of a number of demons associated with the points of the compass. His dominion is the south. He has a vast array of demons who serve under him, including two hundred great dukes and four hundred lesser dukes. The dukes who serve beneath him are described as stubborn and churlish. Caspiel has an airy nature. Consequently, if he manifests, it is often through images in a glass or in a specially prepared shew-stone. In Dr. Rudd’s Treatise on Angel Magic, Caspiel is also identified as the chief demon ruling over the south. He also appears in the Steganographia of Johannes Trithemius. See also ARS THEURGIA, TRITHEMIUS.
Castumi: A demon of invisibility, Castumi appears as part of an invisibility spell outlined in the Clavicula Salomonis. According to this text, Castumi serves Almiras, the demonic Master of Invisibility. Castumi can also be found associated with invisibility spells in Mathers’s translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. See also ALMIRAS, CLAVICULA SALOMONIS, MATHERS.
Caudes: A servant of the demon Batthan. Caudes appears in the Peterson translation of the Sworn Book of Honorius. Here, he is said to be connected with the sun. He has the power to bring power and riches to any mortal. He can also confer good health and the favor of friends. Caudes is governed by the angels Raphael, Cashael, Dardyhel, and Hanrathaphael. He is one of four demons in the hierarchy of the sun that are also said to be subject to the north wind. See also BATTHAN, SWORN BOOK.
Cavayr: A demon in the service of King Baruchas. As such, he is part of the court of the north. Cavayr holds the rank of duke and oversees thousands of lesser spirits. He is bound to appear during a very specific time frame. In the work known as the Ars Theurgia, the following formula is given to calculate when Cavayr may manifest during the day: divide the day into fifteen portions of time. Cavayr belongs to the fourth portion. See also ARS THEURGIA, BARUCHAS.
Cayros: One of a number of demons named in the Ars Theurgia as chief dukes who serve the infernal prince Dorochiel. Cayros is a night-demon, bound to serve his master in the hours between midnight and dawn. He is tied to the hierarchy of the west. As a demon of rank, he has four hundred ministering spirits to carry out his wishes. See also ARS THEURGIA, DOROCHIEL.
A scribe copying pages from a manuscript. From an illuminated booklet on the scribe’s art by Jackie Williams.
Cazul: According to the Ars Theurgia, Cazul is an evil-natured and deceptive demon associated with the night. He serves directly beneath the demon Cabariel, the ruling prince of the direction west by north. For those daring enough to summon him, Cazul typically appears only at night with an entourage of fifty lesser spirits to minister to his needs. See also ARS THEURGIA, CABARIEL.
Cerbere: A great marquis who gives perfect understanding in all sciences and makes people great in both honor and wealth. Nineteen legions serve him. He appears in the Livre des esperitz, a sixteenth-century French grimoire. His name is almost certainly derived from Cerebus, the three-headed hound who guarded the gates of Hades in Greek myth. Cerebus’s name, incidentally, translates to Spot. See also LIVRE DES ESPERITZ.
Chabri: One of ten chief dukes attributed to the court of the wandering prince Uriel. According to the Ars Theurgia, Chabri has six hundred and fifty companions and servants to attend him. He is reputed to have an evil nature and to be stubborn, disobedient, and false in all his dealings. When he manifests, he assumes the form of a monstrous serpent with a human head. See also ARS THEURGIA, URIEL.
Chamor: A demon named in the Ars Theurgia. Chamor is one of six chief dukes in the court of Menadiel, a wandering prince of the air. He has three hundred and ninety lesser spirits to serve him. In addition, he has a specific companion in the demon Baruch. Where Chamor will manifest only during the fifth hour of the day, Baruch always follows after him, appearing in the sixth planetary hour. His name is also spelled Clamor. See also ARS THEURGIA, BARUCH, MENADIEL.
Chamoriel: One of the twelve dukes who follow the demon Hydriel, a wandering prince of the air. Chamoriel commands a total of one thousand three hundred and twenty lesser spirits. He is named in the Ars Theurgia, a text that also contains the seal that summons and compels him. Although Chamoriel is a spirit of the air, he is nevertheless drawn to moist and watery locations, preferring to manifest in wetlands and swamps. When he appears, Chamoriel behaves in a polite and courteous manner which may seem at odds with his appearance: Chamoriel’s manifest form is that of a serpent with a human head. See also ARS THEURGIA, HYDRIEL.
Chamos: According to the demonic hierarchy of Charles Berbiguier, Chamos serves in Hell’s royal household. In Berbiguier’s early-nineteenth-century work, Les Farfadets, Chamos is listed as the Lord High Chamberlain and a Knight of the Fly. Occultist A. E. Waite presents Chamos in the same capacity in his treatment of the Grand Grimoire in his Book of Black Magic and Pacts. Chamos is almost certainly a variation of Chemosh, an ancient Moabite god named in the Bible. In the Bible, Chemosh is variously known as “the destroyer,” “the subduer,” and “the abomination of Moab.” As was the case with nearly all foreign gods, the early Israelites didn’t like Chemosh much, hence his transformation from god to demon. See also BERBIGUIER, GRAND GRIMOIRE, WAITE.
Chanael: A demon of the day ruled by the infernal king Raysiel. Chanael holds the title of chief duke and has an unspecified number of attendants who exist to carry out his commands. Chanael’s name appears in the Ars Theurgia. Through Raysiel, Chanael owes allegiance to the court of the north. See also ARS THEURGIA, RAYSIEL.
Chansi: One of thirty dukes said to serve the infernal king Barmiel. According to the Ars Theurgia, Barmiel is the first and chief spirit of the south. Through his allegiance to this demon, Chansi is also connected with the south. As a demon of rank, Chansi oversees twenty ministering spirits of his own. He serves his king during the hours of the day. See also ARS THEURGIA, BARMIEL.
Charas: A demon in service to Aseliel, a prince in the hierarchy of the east. According to the Ars Theurgia, Charas belongs to the hours of the day. He holds the rank of chief president and has thirty principal spirits and twenty ministering spirits under his command. See also ARS THEURGIA, ASELIEL.
Chariel: A duke of the demon Hydriel. Chariel has one thousand three hundred and twenty lesser spirits under his command. This demon is said to have a great love for damp and moist places, and he is most likely to manifest in places like swamps. He assumes the form of a massive serpent with a human head, and while this semblance can be frightening, the Ars Theurgia assures readers that Chariel is a good and courteous spirit. See also ARS THEURGIA, HYDRIEL.
Chariet: One of twelve main dukes who serves in the hierarchy of the demon Caspiel, Emperor of the South. Chariet is said to be a stubborn spirit with a churlish disposition. He holds dominion over two thousand two hundred and sixty lesser spirits. He can be summoned and compelled in the name of his emperor, or he can be controlled through the use of his name and his seal. The seal can be found in the Ars Theurgia, the second book of the Lesser Key of Solomon. See also ARS THEURGIA, CASPIEL.
Charnos: One of several demons said to serve the infernal prince Aseliel during the hours of the night. In the Ars Theurgia, Charnos is described as a chief president connected with the east through his allegiance to Aseliel. He is said to rule over thirty principal spirits, with another twenty ministering servants at his command. See also ARS THEURGIA, ASELIEL.
Charoblel: A demon known to manifest in a human form that is beautiful and pleasing to the eye. Charoblel serves the infernal prince Bidiel is one of his ten great dukes. He oversees a retinue of two thousand four hundred lesser spirits of his own. The name and seal of this demon appear in the Ars Theurgia. See also ARS THEURGIA, BIDIEL.
Charoel: An infernal duke attended by four hundred ministering spirits. Charoel appears in the hierarchy of the demon Macariel, described as a wandering prince in the Ars Theurgia. Charoel and his compatriots are free to appear in any hour of the day or night. He has command over diverse forms but often prefers to appear as a many-headed dragon. He also appears as one of twelve chief dukes said to serve the demon Soleviel, another wandering prince of the air. This version of Charoel only serves his demonic master every other year. One thousand eight hundred and forty ministering spirits exist to carry out his commands. See also ARS THEURGIA, MACARIEL, SOLEVIEL.
Charsiel: A demon named in the Ars Theurgia. Charsiel serves in the hierarchy of Menadiel, a so-called wandering prince of the air who moves from place to place with his massive retinue. Charsiel himself oversees a total of three hundred and ninety lesser spirits. He is also bound to the demon Curasin, who functions as his companion. Where Charsiel goes, Curasin follows after. Accordingly, Charsiel may only appear during the ninth hour of the day, and Curasin appears only in the tenth. See also ARS THEURGIA, CURASIN, MENADIEL.
Chasor: One of twelve infernal dukes said to serve the demon-king Maseriel during the hours of the day. Chasor is named in the Ars Theurgia, where he is said to rule over thirty lesser spirits of his own. Through his service to Maseriel, Chasor is connected with the south. See also ARS THEURGIA, MASERIEL.
Chatas: In the Liber de Angelis, Chatas is named as one of the demons in service to the infernal ruler Barchan. Chatas is summoned as part of the spell for crafting a Ring of the Sun. This potent astrological talisman requires the blood of a white bird during its construction. Once finished, it can be used to bind the tongues of enemies or to summon a great black horse to claim as one’s steed. Several of the spells connected with this talisman require animal sacrifice, and the magician is cautioned to wear this ring whenever he carries out these sacrifices. See also BARCHAN, LIBER DE ANGELIS.
Chaudas: A demon named in the Peterson translation of the Sworn Book of Honorius. Chaudas is a minister of Batthan, the king of the spirits of the sun. He is tied to the region of the east and has the ability to bring people riches and worldly power. In addition to this, he can make people healthy and well loved. His manifest form is large and bright with skin the color of the sun. The angels Raphael, Cashael, Dardyhel, and Hanrathaphael have power over him. See also BATTHAN, SWORN BOOK.
Chemosh: In 1 Kings, Solomon is said to have built a sanctuary to Chemosh on the Mount of Olives. This biblical monarch, hailed in his younger years for his faith and wisdom, is credited with later introducing the Israelites to the worship of this foreign god. Chemosh was a deity in the pantheon of the Moabites, a neighboring people with whom the early Israelites had contact. Chemosh’s name is often given as meaning “the destroyer” or “the subduer.” He was possibly a god of war. This notion is supported by the fact that Mesha, a hero of the Moabites, attributed his victories over the Israelites to the god Chemosh. De Plancy and Berbiguier render this name as Chamos. See also BERBIGUIER, CHAMOS, DE PLANCY.
Cherasa: Affiliated with the planetary sphere of Saturn. With a long, slender body, wickedly beaked mouth, and translucent black skin, this demon has a monstrous appearance. Like many demons, he can assume other shapes, including that of a pig, a horned owl, a dragon, or an old woman leaning on canes. His office is to inspire hatred and murder, tempt people with evil thoughts, and sow chaos and discord. He is associated with the color black and the metal lead. Named in the Book of Oberon, he is said to serve alongside four other similarly monstrous spirits in the court of King Maymon. See also ALBEWE, ALDEE, BOOK OF OBERON, ETHEYE, MALYKE, MAYMON.
Cheros: This demon is named as the minister of Almiras, Master of Invisibility. In Mathers’s translation of the Clavicula Salomonis, both Cheros and his superior Almiras are conjured up to lend their powers to an invisibility spell. This demon also appears in the Mathers translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage in association with an invisibility spell. See also ALMIRAS, CLAVICULA SALOMONIS, MATHERS.
Chomiell: A demon said only to manifest in the twelfth set of two planetary hours of the day. Chomiell’s name and seal appear in the Ars Theurgia. Here he is said to serve Demoriel, the infernal Emperor of the North. Through his service to Demoriel, Chomiell is also affiliated with the north. He is a mighty duke with dominion over one thousand one hundred and forty lesser spirits. This demon also appears in Rudd’s Treatise on Angel Magic with the spelling Chomiel. See also ARS THEURGIA, DEMORIEL.
