The Dictionary of Demons, page 40
Ligilos: One of the demons said to serve the infernal king Ariton, Ligilos is named in the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, but he appears only in the copies of this work that are kept in the German libraries at Wolfenbüttel and Dresden. See also ARITON, MATHERS.
Lilith: A demon with a long and colorful history who is currently depicted as the night-demon par excellence. Lilith can be traced back to the mythology of the Babylonians and Sumerians, where she appears most recognizably as the Ardat Lili, a maiden ghost that preys upon men in their sleep. Supposedly, this being died without first tasting the pleasures of sex, and henceforth she yearns for what she could not have. Her amorous embraces were considered fatal, however, and so this night-dwelling being was greatly feared. Although the Ardat Lili was often thought to haunt the night, Lilith’s connection to night was most likely established by the similarity of her name with that of the Hebrew word for “night,” laileh or layla. Lilith’s name did not originate in Hebrew, however, and so this connection is somewhat misleading. Her name is more properly derived from the Sumerian word lil, meaning “storm.” In this respect, she fits in neatly with traditional Sumerian demonology, where many demons were associated with destructive forces such as storms, earthquakes, and disease.
In her earliest days, Lilith was not a singular being. Rather, the lilin or lilitu were a class of demons believed to haunt the deserts and wastelands. Perhaps because of this, Lilith is often associated with owls and other wild beasts. In Isaiah 34:14 (King James Version), the name Lilith is translated directly as “screech owl.” Her connection with birds may trace back to one of her first appearances in written language. One of the first known references to Lilith in literature appears in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Here, she appears as a demon who inhabits the Huluppa-Tree along with a dragon and something called the Zu-bird. When the Sumerian hero Gilgamesh slays the dragon that has curled up around the foot of the tree, Lilith is said to tear her house down and flee into the wilderness. This ancient passage may very well have established many of Lilith’s traditional associations, from birds to dragons to her abode in the wild spaces of the world.
This figure from a Sumerian bas-relief is frequently identified as Lilith. In one Jewish myth, after uttering the Shemhamphorash, Lilith grew wings and flew from Eden. Courtesy of Dover Publications.
In later years, Lilith became central to Jewish demonology. In the Talmudic Erebim (18b), it is said that while Adam was under the curse (before the birth of Seth), he sired demons—both shedim and lilin. Lilin is a plural form of Lilith. There is a similar passage in the Nidda (16b).52 This was during the time immediately following the death of Abel and the banishment of Cain. For one hundred and thirty years, Adam would not lie with his wife, Eve. Lilith came to him instead and bore all manner of demons by his seed. Later rabbinical sources identified her as the first wife of Adam, cast from the Garden because she would not submit completely to his rule. Here, again, she fled into the wilderness, where many traditions say she became the mother of demons after coupling with fallen angels like Lucifer and Samael. Jewish folklore, in works like the Haggadah and the Chronicles of Jerahmeel, often presents her as the consort of these fallen angels.
Certainly, Lilith was a being greatly feared by Jews, as numerous protective amulets have survived designed to keep her evils at bay. She was said to have a particular fondness for attacking infants and mothers in childbirth, and the profusion of Lilith talismans intended to protect these two classes of people certainly attest to this belief. Like her predecessor, the Ardat Lili, Lilith was also thought to attack men, seducing them and luring them to their deaths. Although the development of the Christian traditions of Lilith remains hazy, she is eventually depicted as the consort of Lucifer or Satan. Although she does not appear by name in the Testament of Solomon, it is worth noting that several of the female demons described demonstrate very Lilith-like qualities. Given the profusion of names attributed to this being, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that each of these are simply variations of Lilith appearing under different names.
Like many of the demons with roots in Jewish folklore, Lilith still managed to make her way into the predominantly Christian grimoiric tradition of medieval and Renaissance Europe. The Munich Handbook is representative of these works. In this fifteenth-century German book, Lilith features in a spell for enchanting a mirror. Appropriately enough, this item is called the “Mirror of Lilith.” Her name in this work is rendered variously Lylet and Bylet, a detail that may demonstrate an association between Lilith and the demon Bileth, named throughout the grimoiric material. See also BILETH, LUCIFER, MUNICH HANDBOOK, SAMAEL, SATAN.
Lirion: A servant of the four demonic princes of the cardinal directions, Lirion can be summoned and compelled in the name of his superiors: Oriens, Paimon, Ariton, and Amaimon. Lirion’s name appears in an extensive list of demons recorded in Mathers’s translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. Mathers suggests that the demon’s name comes from a Greek word meaning “lily.” See also AMAIMON, ARITON, MATHERS, ORIENS, PAIMON.
Lirochi: Possibly derived from a Hebrew term meaning “in tenderness,” the name of this demon appears in Mathers’s translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. Here, Lirochi appears among the demonic servitors of the arch-fiend Beelzebub. The version of the Abramelin material kept at the Wolfenbüttel library in Germany records this name as Liroki. See also BEELZEBUB, MATHERS.
Livre des esperitz: Catalogued as Cambridge, Trinity College, ms. O.8.29, fos 179–182vo, this is the oldest known treatise of demonic magick to survive in the French language. Dated to the end of the fifteenth or beginning of the sixteenth century, it is slightly older than the influential Pseudomonarchia Daemonum. The two texts clearly share the same root source, as they have numerous names in common. There is enough divergence to demonstrate that one is not merely a translation of the other. Of the two, the Livre des esperitz appears to be more complete, particularly in its opening, where Satan, Lucifer, and Beelzebub are directly named as the prime rulers of all the infernal spirits. As such, the French text provides greater insight into the uppermost hierarchies, details that Wierus intentionally left out so his work could not be used for summoning. Currently the only available version of the Livre des esperitz is a French transcription by Jean-Patrice Boudet, published in the spring 2003 edition of the academic journal Mediévales. See also AMAIMON, BEELZEBUB, EGYN, LUCIFER, ORIENS, PAIMON, PSEUDOMONARCHIA DAEMONUM, SATAN.
Locater: Another demon named in connection with the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage whose name varies depending on the source material. In the fifteenth-century French manuscript sourced by Mathers, the name is Locater. In the Peter Hammer edition, it appears as Lochaty. In the versions kept at the Wolfenbüttel and Dresden libraries, the name is presented as Lachatyl. As all of these texts are distant copies of an original dating to the fourteenth century, there is no way to know for certain which is correct. All texts agree, however, that this demon functions as a servant of the infernal ruler Magoth. Mathers’s text asserts that he also serves Kore, who is normally seen as a Greek goddess. See also KORE, MAGOTH, MATHERS.
Lodiel: A chief duke in the court of the infernal prince Dorochiel, Lodiel is said to manifest only in a specific hour between midnight and dawn. According to the Ars Theurgia, this night-demon oversees a total of four hundred ministering spirits that carry out his commands. He is tied to the region of the west. See also ARS THEURGIA, DOROCHIEL.
Lomiol: One of a number of demons governed by Oriens, Paimon, Ariton, and Amaimon. Lomiol appears in an extensive list of demons in the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. See also AMAIMON, ARITON, MATHERS, ORIENS, PAIMON.
Lomor: According to the Ars Theurgia, Lomor serves the demon Dorochiel. He functions in the capacity of chief duke and he is tied to the hours of the day. He is one of a number of demons who serve under Dorochiel in the court of the west. He oversees the governance of four hundred lesser spirits of his own. See also ARS THEURGIA, DOROCHIEL.
Loriol: A demon whose name is thought to relate to a Hebrew word meaning “unto horror.” Loriol is said to serve the arch-demons Astaroth and Asmodeus. His name can be found in the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. See also ASTAROTH, ASMODEUS, MATHERS.
Losimon: According to Mathers’s translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, Losimon is one of a number of demons who serve beneath the four infernal princes of the cardinal directions. As such, he can be summoned and compelled in the name of his superiors: Oriens, Paimon, Ariton, and Amaimon. See also AMAIMON, ARITON, MATHERS, ORIENS, PAIMON.
Luciel: A demon who appears as a serpent with a woman’s head, Luciel is one of twelve dukes who serve the greater demon Hydriel. Luciel and his fellow dukes are described in the Ars Theurgia, where they are said to possess courteous and benevolent natures, despite their monstrous appearance. Luciel has a great love for damp places like swamps or bogs and has one thousand three hundred and twenty ministering spirits to carry out his commands. See also ARS THEURGIA, HYDRIEL.
Lucifer: Lucifer has come to be one of the most recognizable names for the Devil. He is depicted variously as Satan, the Serpent in Genesis, and the Dragon in Revelation. The name Lucifer itself is derived from a passage in Isaiah 14:12, translated in the King James Version of the Bible to read: How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! The word translated here as Lucifer is the Hebrew helal, meaning “morning star.” The word Lucifer itself comes from the Latin Vulgate version of the Bible. In Latin, lucifer means “light-bearer.” At the time that the Latin Vulgate version of the Bible was being translated, the word lucifer referred specifically to the planet Venus in its capacity as the morning star. Saint Jerome, the translator of this passage, was not in error when he parsed the Hebrew helal for the Latin lucifer, as both words refer directly to an astrological phenomenon, not an individual. Later readings of the passage, however, interpreted Lucifer as a proper name. Notably, most modern biblical scholars assert that this passage in Isaiah referenced not the fall of an angel, but the fall of the king of Babylon. A few lines earlier, in Isaiah 14:4, the portion of the text that includes the reference to the fallen morning star is introduced as an extensive taunt to be taken up against the king of Babylon. Despite this, early Church fathers took Isaiah 14:12 as a direct reference to Satan, connecting it with Luke 10:18, where Jesus declares, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” The only real connection between these two passages, at least linguistically, is the reference to a fall. Saint Paul helps enable the association between Satan and the Light-Bearer with his passage in 2 Corinthians 11:14 that says, “. . . even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” Through these three passages, plus the story in Revelation where the Devil is cast out of Heaven, a rich mythic history about Lucifer has evolved.
This mythos is based more on material written about the Bible than upon the biblical passages themselves, but this has done nothing to dampen its allure. According to this mythic history, Lucifer was once the foremost angel in Heaven, second only to God himself. He was known as the Light-Bearer and the Morning Star, and he was the most beautiful of all the angels in the Heavenly Host. His sin, however, was pride, and eventually this led him to rebel against his creator. There was a war in Heaven, and Michael the Archangel led the troops of the Lord against the rebels. Lucifer was vanquished, and cast out of Heaven. Following the story recorded in Revelation, a third of the angels fell with him. Drawing upon material from the lost Book of Enoch as well as further material from the Book of Revelation, Lucifer was then cast into the Abyss. Here he was bound until the final Judgment, but his war with Heaven was far from over. From his new place in Hell, Lucifer is believed to lash out at the mortal world, seeking to torture and torment humanity, with the ultimate goal of acquiring human souls in order to keep them from God. In this ongoing war with Heaven and humanity, Lucifer bears much in common with the figure of Belial. This demon appears in certain fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls. In the mythology of the Essenes, Belial was deeply embroiled in a war between the Sons of Darkness and the Sons of Light. In the Qumran fragment known as the Visions of Amram, Belial is given the title “Prince of Darkness,” a title often later accorded to Lucifer. According to the Visions of Amram, Belial leads the forces of darkness against the angel Michael, who heads the armies of the Light. Another name given to this “Prince of Darkness” in these texts is Malchiresha. Although the manuscripts at Qumran were lost for many centuries, the influence of the Essene eschatology is clear in the lingering mythos that surrounds Lucifer.
Lucifer contemplates the serpent. From a nineteenth-century edition of Milton’s Paradise Lost, illustrated by Gustav Doré.
Interestingly, among certain sects of Gnostic Christians, Lucifer was not seen as evil at all, but instead was depicted as the first-born son of God who sought to save humanity with the gift of knowledge. In Mathers’s translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, Lucifer is identified as one of the four principal spirits, ranked alongside Leviathan, Satan, and Belial. He is invoked several times in the Munich Handbook. In the True Keys of Solomon, Lucifer is one of three demons said to command all others. In this text, Lucifer rules over all the demons who inhabit Europe and Asia. In later legends focusing on the demon Lilith, Lucifer is often presented as her unholy consort.
The seventeenth-century Venetian grimoire Clavicula Salomonis de Secretis (Secrets of Solomon) confirms Lucifer as Emperor of Hell, who has charge of all spirits in Europe and Asia. In this text, when Lucifer manifests, he takes the form of a beautiful boy whose eyes flash red when he’s angered. His name and sigil are used in a spell to bring snow. An “earthly” demon, he is not limited to mere visions but can also take physical form. In the French Livre des esperitz, Lucifer governs the west, directly overseeing King Paimon. His name appears in the Book of Oberon under several variant spellings, including Lucipher and Lucypher. In that grimoire, he is called the father of all devils, but it is not possible to summon Lucifer himself, as he is bound in the depths of Hell. Rather, his name is invoked to keep all the other demons in line. In this, the Book of Oberon compares him to Tantavalerion. See also BELIAL, LEVIATHAN, LILITH, MALCHIRESHA, MUNICH HANDBOOK, SATAN, TANTAVALERION, TRUE KEYS.
Lucifuge Rofocale: One of six superior spirits named in the Grand Grimoire, a text attributed to Antonio Venitiana del Rabina. Lucifuge Rofocale is named as the Prime Minister of Hell, and he is depicted in illustrations within this text as a bandy-legged demon with goat’s hooves, wearing what appears to be a jester’s cap. He stands by a fire and grips a bag of gold in one hand and a hoop of some sort in the other. He is said to hold dominion over three of the traditional demons from the Goetia—namely, Bael, Agares, and Marbas. Supposedly, he has been entrusted by Lucifer himself with control over all the wealth and treasure of the earth. Additionally, Lucifuge Rofocale, at least within the context of the Grand Grimoire, appears to act as Lucifer’s go-between. This seems appropriate, given his stated position of Prime Minister. When calling upon Lucifer, who sits at the very top of the demonic hierarchy depicted in Venitiana’s work, the magician addresses Lucifuge to forge the pact. Lucifuge is probably derived from the Latin word lucifugus, meaning “light-fleeing.” See also AGARES, BAEL, GOETIA, GRAND GRIMOIRE, LUCIFER, MARBAS.
Lucubar: A great duke who makes people subtle of wit and full of great ingenuity. He can transmute lead into gold or pewter into purest silver. The Livre des esperitz, in which he appears, assigns him no legions of subordinates, although this may simply be an oversight on the part of the scribe. See also LIVRE DES ESPERITZ.
Luesaf: A demon governed by the infernal ruler Magoth. In the Mathers translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, Luesaf is said also to serve Kore, another name for the Greek consort of Hades, Persephone. In the other versions of the Abramelin material that exist, the name of this demon is spelled Mesaf. See also KORE, MAGOTH, MATHERS.
Lundo: A name associated with the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, Lundo appears only in the version of that work translated by occultist S. L. MacGregor Mathers. The demon is reputedly subservient to the infernal rulers Asmodeus and Magoth. See also ASMODEUS, MAGOTH, MATHERS.
Luziel: One of twelve infernal dukes said to serve the demon Amenadiel, Emperor of the West. Luziel’s name appears in the Ars Theurgia, traditionally included as the second book in the grimoire known as the Lemegeton. Luziel commands an impressive number of lesser spirits, having no fewer than three thousand eight hundred and eighty beneath him. See also AMENADIEL, ARS THEURGIA.
Lwnael: A demon with a particularly unpronounceable name, Lwnael appears in the Ars Theurgia, where he is said to serve in the hierarchy of the north beneath the infernal king Baruchas. Lwnael himself holds the title of duke and has thousands of lesser spirits at his command. He is bound only to manifest during the hours and minutes that fall in the thirteenth portion of time when the day is divided into fifteen equal portions. See also ARS THEURGIA, BARUCHAS.
Lytay: According to the Munich Handbook, this demon of illusion can help to conjure a whole castle out of thin air. This is reputed not only to be a visible illusion but one that deceives all of the senses. Lytay can only be called upon to achieve this impressive task in a remote and secluded location. The text says that he should be summoned with an offering of milk and honey on the tenth night of the moon. His name is also spelled Lytoy. See also MUNICH HANDBOOK.
Lytim: One of the many alternate names of the demon Lilith. This version of her name appears in conjunction with a spell known as the “Mirror of Lilith.” Detailed in the fifteenth-century magickal text known as the Munich Handbook, the “Mirror of Lilith” uses the invocation of demons, including Lilith herself, to charm a glass so it may be used as a scrying mirror. See also LILITH, MUNICH HANDBOOK.
