The Dictionary of Demons, page 7
Abadir: Mathers suggests that the name of this demon means “scattered.” Abadir appears in his 1898 translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, where he is said to serve the infernal lord Asmodeus. The name is also spelled Abachir. See also ASMODEUS, MATHERS.
Abael: One of several demons who serve in the court of Dorochiel. Abael holds the rank of chief duke with four hundred lesser spirits at his command. According to the Ars Theurgia, he serves in the second half of the night, between midnight and dawn. See also ARS THEURGIA, DOROCHIEL.
Abahin: In the 1898 Mathers translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, the name of this demon appears in a list of infernal servants to the arch-fiends Astaroth and Asmodeus. Mathers suggests that the name of this demon means “the Terrible One,” from a root word in Hebrew. In another version of the Abramelin material, originally written in code and currently kept at the Wolfenbüttel library (the Herzog August Bibliothek), in Wolfenbüttel, Germany, the name of this demon is spelled Ahabhon. See also ASMODEUS, ASTAROTH, MATHERS.
Abalam: According to Wierus’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, if the demon Paimon is summoned and given a sacrifice or other offering, this demon, along with his companion Beball, will also appear. Both Abalam and Beball are demonic kings who serve the Goetic demon Paimon. In the Goetia, their names appear as Labal and Abali. See also BEBALL, PAIMON, WIERUS.
Abariel: A demon in the hierarchy of the infernal prince Usiel. The Ars Theurgia describes Abariel as a chief duke who belongs to the hours of daylight. He has forty ministering spirits beneath him. Abariel has the power to conceal hidden treasure so that it may not be discovered or stolen. He can also reveal things that have been hidden, especially those items obscured through magick or enchantments. See also ARS THEURGIA, USIEL.
Abas: In the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, Abas is listed as a demon of lies and trickery. He can be called upon to assist the magician in matters dealing with illusion as well as spells of invisibility. This demon also appears in the Mathers translation of the Clavicula Salomonis with the same associations. According to Driscoll’s edition of the Sworn Book, Abas is the king of the regions below the earth. His province includes the riches of the earth, and he is said to be able to locate and provide all manner of costly metals, including silver and gold. Additionally, he seems to be able to cause earthquakes, for it is said that he can pull down buildings and other structures and cause them to be destroyed. Finally, Abas and his minions can teach knowledge of the mixture of the elements, a possible reference to alchemy, although alchemical workings are not specifically described within the text. In the Clavicula Salomonis, the name of this demon is spelled Abac. See also CLAVICULA SALOMONIS, MATHERS, SWORN BOOK.
Abbnthada: Described as an agreeable, if somewhat jealous demon, Abbnthada appears in the hierarchy of Harthan, an infernal king who rules the element of water. According to the Driscoll edition of the Sworn Book, Abbnthada can be enticed to appear with the aid of appropriate perfumes. When he manifests, his body is large and has a mottled complexion. He has the power to swiftly move things from place to place, and he can provide darkness when it is required of him. He can also bestow strength in resolution, helping others to avenge wrongs. See also HARTHAN, SWORN BOOK.
Abdalaa: According to the Liber de Angelis, Abdalaa holds the rank of king in the hierarchy of Hell. He appears in connection with a compulsion spell guaranteed to procure the love of a woman. From the profusion of such spells in all of the magickal texts, it would seem that practitioners of the black arts had a very difficult time finding a date in the Middle Ages. To cure the medieval magician’s lonely heart, this demon, along with his minions, were to be invoked and set upon the desired woman, at which point they would torment her horribly until she accepted her newfound mate. Note that Abdalaa is suspiciously close to the Arabic name Abdullah. This name means “servant of God” and is not generally associated with demons. See also LIBER DE ANGELIS.
Abech: A demon in the court of Amaimon, king of the south. The Book of Oberon identifies him as one of the twelve principal demons from that court. He is a teaching demon, with the power to instruct people in the sciences and all manner of languages. When he manifests, he appears like a king but shows only his head. His presence is announced by the sound of trumpets. See also AMAIMON, BOOK OF OBERON.
Abelaios: A demon who aids in spells of invisibility, Abelaios appears in Mathers’s translation of the Clavicula Salomonis. He is said to answer to the demon Almiras, master of invisibility, and to Almiras’s infernal minister, Cheros. This demon also appears in the Mathers translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. See also ALMIRAS, CHEROS, CLAVICULA SALOMONIS, MATHERS.
Abezithibod: A demon who allegedly inhabits the Red Sea. Abezithibod appears to King Solomon in the extra-biblical Testament of Solomon. In this text, the demon claims to have actively worked against Moses during the parting of the Red Sea. He was trapped underwater after the parted sea came crashing back together again. Solomon puts the braggart demon to work, commanding him to uphold a massive pillar that must remain suspended in the air until the world’s end. In his dealings with King Solomon, Abezithibod reveals himself as a rather prideful fellow, demanding special respect from the biblical monarch because he is the spawn of an archangel. He claims that his father is Beelzebub. This is one of the only places where Beelzebub is given archangelic status.
In his statement about his father Beelzebub, Abezithibod reveals the close connection between the Testament of Solomon and the tradition of the Watcher Angels. The Testament of Solomon most likely dates to a time when the Essene community at Qumran was writing extensively about the War in Heaven and the ongoing battle between the Sons of Darkness and the Sons of Light. These texts would later survive into the modern era among the Dead Sea Scrolls. This epic struggle of good versus evil is intricately tied in with the Watcher Angel myth that appears in the Book of Enoch I, where two hundred angels are said to have abandoned Heaven in pursuit of mortal wives. Through statements by Abezithibod and other demons in the Testament of Solomon, it is revealed that the author of this intriguing work believed that most of the demons that plagued humanity either were fallen angels themselves or were the misbegotten spawn of those angels, condemned forever to wander the earth and lash out at humanity. See also BEELZEBUB, SOLOMON, WATCHER ANGELS.
Abgoth: In the fifteenth-century magickal text known as the Munich Handbook, this demon is summoned to assist with spells concerning the art of scrying. He is also called upon to discover the persons responsible for theft, so that justice may be done. He appears by name in the fortieth spell in the Munich Handbook. The same text includes the name Abgo, which, although presented as a separate demon, may well be a misspelling of this demon’s name. See also MUNICH HANDBOOK.
Aboc: In the Ars Theurgia, Aboc is a demon who holds the rank of duke. He serves in the hierarchy of the north, and his immediate superior is the infernal king Baruchas. Aboc commands thousands of lesser spirits. He will only manifest in the hours and minutes that fall in the fifth section of the day, when the day is divided into fifteen portions of time. See also ARS THEURGIA, BARUCHAS.
Gnostic gems featuring images of the deity Abraxas. From the Encyclopedia of Occultism, by Lewis Spence. Courtesy of Dover Publications.
Abracas: Listed as a demon in Collin de Plancy’s 1863 edition of the Dictionnaire Infernal, Abracas is none other than Abraxas, a Gnostic deity who appears in the writings of Simon Magus. According to de Plancy, the demon’s name derives from abracadabra, a word used widely in magickal talismans. This derivation, however, is highly suspect. Abraxas is often depicted as a composite being. He has a man’s body, often armored, with legs like serpents and the head of a cock. He carries a whip in one hand and a shield in the other. His appearance is similar to that of a charioteer, and indeed, in some depictions, he appears riding a chariot pulled by four horses. The horses themselves represent the four elements. In Gnostic mythology, Abraxas is generally said to have a serpentine body surmounted by the head of a lion. He leonine head is surrounded with rays like those of the sun, an image that may hearken back to a Persian sun god said to share the same name. The rooster-headed image, however, remains the most recognizable, as it was commonly depicted on amulets, known as Abraxas stones, in the second century CE and thereafter. See also DE PLANCY.
Abriel: A demon serving in the hierarchy of the infernal prince Dorochiel. Abriel’s name appears in the Ars Theurgia, where he is said to command four hundred subordinate spirits. He holds the rank of chief duke and manifests only in the hours between noon and dusk. Through Dorochiel, he is affiliated with the west. See also ARS THEURGIA, DOROCHIEL.
Calling the Spirits of the Ars Theurgia
The second book of the Lemegeton (or Lesser Key of Solomon) is concerned with the conjuration and compulsion of a series of spirits associated with the points of the compass. The book lists the names of these demons along with their sigils—special symbols used to call and command the spirits. In addition to these names and symbols, the book also offers a fairly detailed description of the actual process of conjuration. The magician is advised to call the spirits in a secret place, far away from prying eyes. This can be a private room in the house, but better still, the text suggests that the magician retires with the tools of his art to a remote and isolated location. Wild locations such as hidden groves or uninhabited, wooded isles are best, for here the magician can pursue his conjurations without interruption.
According to the text, the spirits are to be called using a specially prepared glass receptacle or a crystal stone. A “crystal show-stone,” sometimes called a “shew-stone,” is a ritual object also referenced in the work of Dr. John Dee, court magician to Queen Elizabeth I. A shew-stone is simply a scrying tool made out of polished crystal. From an example depicted in the frontispiece to Harley MS. 6482, drawn by transcriber Peter Smart, this object was often decorated with esoteric symbols and sacred names. A specially prepared scrying glass could be used to the same effect.
These scrying tools were used to help the spirits to manifest, because the individuals practicing these arts did not generally expect the spirits to show up as flesh-and-blood beings in response to their conjurations. Instead, the spirits were believed to possess “airy” or subtle natures, which had shape and form but little physical substance. The scrying glass or crystal shew-stone were both believed to help conjurors perceive these airy beings with the naked eye. In other workings, copious amounts of incense were burned during the invocation of the spirits. It was believed by some that the spirits could manipulate the incense smoke, using this shifting, airy substance to assume a semblance of form.
In the Ars Theurgia, the magician is advised to use a crystal stone four inches in diameter to aid his perception of the spirits.
Abrinno: Also called Obymero. He is named in the Book of Oberon, where he appears in a spell with several other demons summoned by night to craft books. He and his fellows are capable of making tomes in a matter of hours, and they cover a variety of occult and forbidden topics, from alchemy to conjuration, nigromancy, and other magickal arts. Keep in mind that these book-making demons were working in a time before widespread use of the printing press, so books were rare and exceedingly time-consuming to create. Their service was a valuable one for sorcerers who relied on books for many of their spells and instructions. See also BOOK OF OBERON.
Abrulges: One of several demons named in association with Pamersiel, the first and chief spirit under Carnesiel, the infernal Emperor of the East. Abrulges holds the rank of duke, and he is reputed to possess a particularly nasty temperament. According to the Ars Theurgia, he is both arrogant and deceitful and he should never be trusted with secret matters. Despite this, however, his naturally aggressive nature can sometimes to be turned to good. Abrulges and all his fellow dukes can be used to drive off other spirits of darkness, especially those that haunt houses. See also ARS THEURGIA, CARNESIEL, PAMERSIEL.
Abuchaba: A demon tied to the west wind. Abuchaba functions as a servant of Harthan, the king of the spirits of the moon. His name appears in the Peterson translation of the Sworn Book of Honorius. According to this book, he has the power to change thoughts and wills. He can also call rains. The angels Gabriel, Michael, Samyhel, and Atithael all have power over him. See also HARTHAN, SWORN BOOK.
Abugor: A great duke who appears as a handsome knight. He can win the favor of kings, lords, and other powerful people. In addition, he knows the location of all things hidden in the earth. According to the Livre des esperitz, twenty-seven legions of spirits serve under him. He is likely the Goetic demon Abigor under a slightly different spelling. See also ABIGOR, LIVRE DES ESPERITZ.
Abutes: According to Mathers’s translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, this demon’s name means “bottomless” or “measureless.” Abutes appears in a list of demonic servitors who answer to the arch-demons Asmodeus and Astaroth. See also ASMODEUS, ASTAROTH, MATHERS.
Acham: A demon named in the Peterson edition of the Grimorium Verum. According to this text, Acham is a demon who presides over Thursday. He is also associated with Thursdays in the Grimoire of Pope Honorius. See also GRIMORIUM VERUM, HONORIUS.
Achol: A demon governed by the infernal king Symiel. Achol has sixty lesser spirits that minister to him. According to the Ars Theurgia, he is best summoned by day in a remote location or a private room of the house. Through his association with Symiel, Achol is connected with the direction north. See also ARS THEURGIA, SYMIEL.
Acquiot: In the Grimoire of Pope Honorius, this is the demon ruling Sunday. Acquiot may well be invented, as the Grimoire of Pope Honorius was a spurious grimoire intended to cash in on the reputation of the fourteenth-century Sworn Book of Honorius. See also SWORN BOOK.
Acreba: One of twenty dukes said to serve the demon Barmiel. According to the Ars Theurgia, Barmiel is the first and chief spirit of the south. Acreba serves his infernal master during the hours of the night and oversees the command of twenty ministering spirits of his own. See also ARS THEURGIA, BARMIEL.
Acteras: A duke of the demon Barmiel named in the Ars Theurgia. Acteras serves his infernal king during the hours of the day. He commands twenty lesser spirits and, through his affiliation with Barmiel, is connected with the south. See also ARS THEURGIA, BARMIEL.
Acuar: According to Mathers in his translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, this demon’s name is related to a Hebrew word meaning “tiller of the earth.” Acuar is one of several demons who serve the four infernal princes of the cardinal directions: Oriens, Paimon, Ariton, and Amaimon. See also AMAIMON, ARITON, MATHERS, ORIENS, PAIMON.
Acuteba: A demon associated with the Moon. Acuteba serves King Harkam, together with the spirits Mylu, Byleth, and Bylethor. Able to appear either as a huntress or a bow-wielding king, this demon is tall, with skin the color of a storm cloud. He can conjure silver and transport objects, reveal secrets, and increase the swiftness of horses. When he appears, a great rainstorm is said to break out. See also BOOK OF OBERON, BYLETH, BYLETHOR, HARKAM, MYLU.
Adan: In the Ars Theurgia, Adan is a demon who serves in the court of the infernal prince Usiel. He is a revealer of secrets, and he also has the power to hide treasure so as to protect it from thieves. He serves only during the hours of the night, and he will only manifest during this time. He has forty lesser spirits that carry out his commands. See also ARS THEURGIA, USIEL.
Adirael: In his 1898 translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, occultist S. L. Mathers presents this name as meaning “magnificence of God.” Although this sounds like the name of an angel, Adirael is almost certainly fallen. According to the Abramelin material, Adirael is a servant of Beelzebub. See also BEELZEBUB, MATHERS.
Admirable History: A book published in 1613 by Sebastien Michaelis recounting his exorcism of a nun. According to Michaelis, during the process of this exorcism, the demon Berith explained to him the hierarchy of Hell. Berith also revealed the sins that were the special province of each demon as well as the holy adversary of that demon. The adversary of the demon was typically a saint who had suffered the temptation of the demon’s sin but did not fall. This armor of faith then gave the saint power to overcome the demon of that particular sin. See also BERITH.
Adon: A demon named in Mathers’s translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. Adon’s name is almost certainly derived from Adonai, one of several Hebrew names for God. As a demon, Adon serves beneath Oriens, Paimon, Ariton, and Amaimon, the demonic princes of the four directions. See also AMAIMON, ARITON, MATHERS, ORIENS, PAIMON.
Adramelek: One of many demons named in Collin de Plancy’s extensive Dictionnaire Infernal, published and republished throughout the nineteenth century. The name of this demon is actually the name of a Samaritan sun god sometimes rendered Adramelech. As such, he is one of the many foreign deities mentioned in the Old Testament that have been demonized with the passage of time. The early-nineteenth-century French writer, Charles Berbiguier, describes Adramelek as the Lord High Chancellor of Hell. In his book Les Farfadets, Berbiguier further asserts that Adramelek has been awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the Fly, a supposedly demonic knightly order founded by Beelzebub. A. E. Waite, writing in his classic Book of Black Magic, repeats Berbiguier’s attributions, although he incorrectly links them to the sixteenth-century scholar Johannes Wierus. Agrippa identifies him as an ancient king demonized over time. See also AGRIPPA, BEELZEBUB, BERBIGUIER, DE PLANCY, WAITE, WIERUS.
Afarorp: A demon whose name appears in Mathers’s edition of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, Afarorp is a servitor of the four infernal princes of the cardinal directions: Oriens, Paimon, Ariton, and Amaimon. See also AMAIMON, ARITON, MATHERS, ORIENS, PAIMON.
Afray: S. L. Mathers gives the meaning of this demon’s name as “dust” in his 1898 translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. According to this work, Afray serves the greater demons Asmodeus and Astaroth. See also ASMODEUS, ASTAROTH, MATHERS.
Abael: One of several demons who serve in the court of Dorochiel. Abael holds the rank of chief duke with four hundred lesser spirits at his command. According to the Ars Theurgia, he serves in the second half of the night, between midnight and dawn. See also ARS THEURGIA, DOROCHIEL.
Abahin: In the 1898 Mathers translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, the name of this demon appears in a list of infernal servants to the arch-fiends Astaroth and Asmodeus. Mathers suggests that the name of this demon means “the Terrible One,” from a root word in Hebrew. In another version of the Abramelin material, originally written in code and currently kept at the Wolfenbüttel library (the Herzog August Bibliothek), in Wolfenbüttel, Germany, the name of this demon is spelled Ahabhon. See also ASMODEUS, ASTAROTH, MATHERS.
Abalam: According to Wierus’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, if the demon Paimon is summoned and given a sacrifice or other offering, this demon, along with his companion Beball, will also appear. Both Abalam and Beball are demonic kings who serve the Goetic demon Paimon. In the Goetia, their names appear as Labal and Abali. See also BEBALL, PAIMON, WIERUS.
Abariel: A demon in the hierarchy of the infernal prince Usiel. The Ars Theurgia describes Abariel as a chief duke who belongs to the hours of daylight. He has forty ministering spirits beneath him. Abariel has the power to conceal hidden treasure so that it may not be discovered or stolen. He can also reveal things that have been hidden, especially those items obscured through magick or enchantments. See also ARS THEURGIA, USIEL.
Abas: In the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, Abas is listed as a demon of lies and trickery. He can be called upon to assist the magician in matters dealing with illusion as well as spells of invisibility. This demon also appears in the Mathers translation of the Clavicula Salomonis with the same associations. According to Driscoll’s edition of the Sworn Book, Abas is the king of the regions below the earth. His province includes the riches of the earth, and he is said to be able to locate and provide all manner of costly metals, including silver and gold. Additionally, he seems to be able to cause earthquakes, for it is said that he can pull down buildings and other structures and cause them to be destroyed. Finally, Abas and his minions can teach knowledge of the mixture of the elements, a possible reference to alchemy, although alchemical workings are not specifically described within the text. In the Clavicula Salomonis, the name of this demon is spelled Abac. See also CLAVICULA SALOMONIS, MATHERS, SWORN BOOK.
Abbnthada: Described as an agreeable, if somewhat jealous demon, Abbnthada appears in the hierarchy of Harthan, an infernal king who rules the element of water. According to the Driscoll edition of the Sworn Book, Abbnthada can be enticed to appear with the aid of appropriate perfumes. When he manifests, his body is large and has a mottled complexion. He has the power to swiftly move things from place to place, and he can provide darkness when it is required of him. He can also bestow strength in resolution, helping others to avenge wrongs. See also HARTHAN, SWORN BOOK.
Abdalaa: According to the Liber de Angelis, Abdalaa holds the rank of king in the hierarchy of Hell. He appears in connection with a compulsion spell guaranteed to procure the love of a woman. From the profusion of such spells in all of the magickal texts, it would seem that practitioners of the black arts had a very difficult time finding a date in the Middle Ages. To cure the medieval magician’s lonely heart, this demon, along with his minions, were to be invoked and set upon the desired woman, at which point they would torment her horribly until she accepted her newfound mate. Note that Abdalaa is suspiciously close to the Arabic name Abdullah. This name means “servant of God” and is not generally associated with demons. See also LIBER DE ANGELIS.
Abech: A demon in the court of Amaimon, king of the south. The Book of Oberon identifies him as one of the twelve principal demons from that court. He is a teaching demon, with the power to instruct people in the sciences and all manner of languages. When he manifests, he appears like a king but shows only his head. His presence is announced by the sound of trumpets. See also AMAIMON, BOOK OF OBERON.
Abelaios: A demon who aids in spells of invisibility, Abelaios appears in Mathers’s translation of the Clavicula Salomonis. He is said to answer to the demon Almiras, master of invisibility, and to Almiras’s infernal minister, Cheros. This demon also appears in the Mathers translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. See also ALMIRAS, CHEROS, CLAVICULA SALOMONIS, MATHERS.
Abezithibod: A demon who allegedly inhabits the Red Sea. Abezithibod appears to King Solomon in the extra-biblical Testament of Solomon. In this text, the demon claims to have actively worked against Moses during the parting of the Red Sea. He was trapped underwater after the parted sea came crashing back together again. Solomon puts the braggart demon to work, commanding him to uphold a massive pillar that must remain suspended in the air until the world’s end. In his dealings with King Solomon, Abezithibod reveals himself as a rather prideful fellow, demanding special respect from the biblical monarch because he is the spawn of an archangel. He claims that his father is Beelzebub. This is one of the only places where Beelzebub is given archangelic status.
In his statement about his father Beelzebub, Abezithibod reveals the close connection between the Testament of Solomon and the tradition of the Watcher Angels. The Testament of Solomon most likely dates to a time when the Essene community at Qumran was writing extensively about the War in Heaven and the ongoing battle between the Sons of Darkness and the Sons of Light. These texts would later survive into the modern era among the Dead Sea Scrolls. This epic struggle of good versus evil is intricately tied in with the Watcher Angel myth that appears in the Book of Enoch I, where two hundred angels are said to have abandoned Heaven in pursuit of mortal wives. Through statements by Abezithibod and other demons in the Testament of Solomon, it is revealed that the author of this intriguing work believed that most of the demons that plagued humanity either were fallen angels themselves or were the misbegotten spawn of those angels, condemned forever to wander the earth and lash out at humanity. See also BEELZEBUB, SOLOMON, WATCHER ANGELS.
Abgoth: In the fifteenth-century magickal text known as the Munich Handbook, this demon is summoned to assist with spells concerning the art of scrying. He is also called upon to discover the persons responsible for theft, so that justice may be done. He appears by name in the fortieth spell in the Munich Handbook. The same text includes the name Abgo, which, although presented as a separate demon, may well be a misspelling of this demon’s name. See also MUNICH HANDBOOK.
Aboc: In the Ars Theurgia, Aboc is a demon who holds the rank of duke. He serves in the hierarchy of the north, and his immediate superior is the infernal king Baruchas. Aboc commands thousands of lesser spirits. He will only manifest in the hours and minutes that fall in the fifth section of the day, when the day is divided into fifteen portions of time. See also ARS THEURGIA, BARUCHAS.
Gnostic gems featuring images of the deity Abraxas. From the Encyclopedia of Occultism, by Lewis Spence. Courtesy of Dover Publications.
Abracas: Listed as a demon in Collin de Plancy’s 1863 edition of the Dictionnaire Infernal, Abracas is none other than Abraxas, a Gnostic deity who appears in the writings of Simon Magus. According to de Plancy, the demon’s name derives from abracadabra, a word used widely in magickal talismans. This derivation, however, is highly suspect. Abraxas is often depicted as a composite being. He has a man’s body, often armored, with legs like serpents and the head of a cock. He carries a whip in one hand and a shield in the other. His appearance is similar to that of a charioteer, and indeed, in some depictions, he appears riding a chariot pulled by four horses. The horses themselves represent the four elements. In Gnostic mythology, Abraxas is generally said to have a serpentine body surmounted by the head of a lion. He leonine head is surrounded with rays like those of the sun, an image that may hearken back to a Persian sun god said to share the same name. The rooster-headed image, however, remains the most recognizable, as it was commonly depicted on amulets, known as Abraxas stones, in the second century CE and thereafter. See also DE PLANCY.
Abriel: A demon serving in the hierarchy of the infernal prince Dorochiel. Abriel’s name appears in the Ars Theurgia, where he is said to command four hundred subordinate spirits. He holds the rank of chief duke and manifests only in the hours between noon and dusk. Through Dorochiel, he is affiliated with the west. See also ARS THEURGIA, DOROCHIEL.
Calling the Spirits of the Ars Theurgia
The second book of the Lemegeton (or Lesser Key of Solomon) is concerned with the conjuration and compulsion of a series of spirits associated with the points of the compass. The book lists the names of these demons along with their sigils—special symbols used to call and command the spirits. In addition to these names and symbols, the book also offers a fairly detailed description of the actual process of conjuration. The magician is advised to call the spirits in a secret place, far away from prying eyes. This can be a private room in the house, but better still, the text suggests that the magician retires with the tools of his art to a remote and isolated location. Wild locations such as hidden groves or uninhabited, wooded isles are best, for here the magician can pursue his conjurations without interruption.
According to the text, the spirits are to be called using a specially prepared glass receptacle or a crystal stone. A “crystal show-stone,” sometimes called a “shew-stone,” is a ritual object also referenced in the work of Dr. John Dee, court magician to Queen Elizabeth I. A shew-stone is simply a scrying tool made out of polished crystal. From an example depicted in the frontispiece to Harley MS. 6482, drawn by transcriber Peter Smart, this object was often decorated with esoteric symbols and sacred names. A specially prepared scrying glass could be used to the same effect.
These scrying tools were used to help the spirits to manifest, because the individuals practicing these arts did not generally expect the spirits to show up as flesh-and-blood beings in response to their conjurations. Instead, the spirits were believed to possess “airy” or subtle natures, which had shape and form but little physical substance. The scrying glass or crystal shew-stone were both believed to help conjurors perceive these airy beings with the naked eye. In other workings, copious amounts of incense were burned during the invocation of the spirits. It was believed by some that the spirits could manipulate the incense smoke, using this shifting, airy substance to assume a semblance of form.
In the Ars Theurgia, the magician is advised to use a crystal stone four inches in diameter to aid his perception of the spirits.
Abrinno: Also called Obymero. He is named in the Book of Oberon, where he appears in a spell with several other demons summoned by night to craft books. He and his fellows are capable of making tomes in a matter of hours, and they cover a variety of occult and forbidden topics, from alchemy to conjuration, nigromancy, and other magickal arts. Keep in mind that these book-making demons were working in a time before widespread use of the printing press, so books were rare and exceedingly time-consuming to create. Their service was a valuable one for sorcerers who relied on books for many of their spells and instructions. See also BOOK OF OBERON.
Abrulges: One of several demons named in association with Pamersiel, the first and chief spirit under Carnesiel, the infernal Emperor of the East. Abrulges holds the rank of duke, and he is reputed to possess a particularly nasty temperament. According to the Ars Theurgia, he is both arrogant and deceitful and he should never be trusted with secret matters. Despite this, however, his naturally aggressive nature can sometimes to be turned to good. Abrulges and all his fellow dukes can be used to drive off other spirits of darkness, especially those that haunt houses. See also ARS THEURGIA, CARNESIEL, PAMERSIEL.
Abuchaba: A demon tied to the west wind. Abuchaba functions as a servant of Harthan, the king of the spirits of the moon. His name appears in the Peterson translation of the Sworn Book of Honorius. According to this book, he has the power to change thoughts and wills. He can also call rains. The angels Gabriel, Michael, Samyhel, and Atithael all have power over him. See also HARTHAN, SWORN BOOK.
Abugor: A great duke who appears as a handsome knight. He can win the favor of kings, lords, and other powerful people. In addition, he knows the location of all things hidden in the earth. According to the Livre des esperitz, twenty-seven legions of spirits serve under him. He is likely the Goetic demon Abigor under a slightly different spelling. See also ABIGOR, LIVRE DES ESPERITZ.
Abutes: According to Mathers’s translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, this demon’s name means “bottomless” or “measureless.” Abutes appears in a list of demonic servitors who answer to the arch-demons Asmodeus and Astaroth. See also ASMODEUS, ASTAROTH, MATHERS.
Acham: A demon named in the Peterson edition of the Grimorium Verum. According to this text, Acham is a demon who presides over Thursday. He is also associated with Thursdays in the Grimoire of Pope Honorius. See also GRIMORIUM VERUM, HONORIUS.
Achol: A demon governed by the infernal king Symiel. Achol has sixty lesser spirits that minister to him. According to the Ars Theurgia, he is best summoned by day in a remote location or a private room of the house. Through his association with Symiel, Achol is connected with the direction north. See also ARS THEURGIA, SYMIEL.
Acquiot: In the Grimoire of Pope Honorius, this is the demon ruling Sunday. Acquiot may well be invented, as the Grimoire of Pope Honorius was a spurious grimoire intended to cash in on the reputation of the fourteenth-century Sworn Book of Honorius. See also SWORN BOOK.
Acreba: One of twenty dukes said to serve the demon Barmiel. According to the Ars Theurgia, Barmiel is the first and chief spirit of the south. Acreba serves his infernal master during the hours of the night and oversees the command of twenty ministering spirits of his own. See also ARS THEURGIA, BARMIEL.
Acteras: A duke of the demon Barmiel named in the Ars Theurgia. Acteras serves his infernal king during the hours of the day. He commands twenty lesser spirits and, through his affiliation with Barmiel, is connected with the south. See also ARS THEURGIA, BARMIEL.
Acuar: According to Mathers in his translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, this demon’s name is related to a Hebrew word meaning “tiller of the earth.” Acuar is one of several demons who serve the four infernal princes of the cardinal directions: Oriens, Paimon, Ariton, and Amaimon. See also AMAIMON, ARITON, MATHERS, ORIENS, PAIMON.
Acuteba: A demon associated with the Moon. Acuteba serves King Harkam, together with the spirits Mylu, Byleth, and Bylethor. Able to appear either as a huntress or a bow-wielding king, this demon is tall, with skin the color of a storm cloud. He can conjure silver and transport objects, reveal secrets, and increase the swiftness of horses. When he appears, a great rainstorm is said to break out. See also BOOK OF OBERON, BYLETH, BYLETHOR, HARKAM, MYLU.
Adan: In the Ars Theurgia, Adan is a demon who serves in the court of the infernal prince Usiel. He is a revealer of secrets, and he also has the power to hide treasure so as to protect it from thieves. He serves only during the hours of the night, and he will only manifest during this time. He has forty lesser spirits that carry out his commands. See also ARS THEURGIA, USIEL.
Adirael: In his 1898 translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, occultist S. L. Mathers presents this name as meaning “magnificence of God.” Although this sounds like the name of an angel, Adirael is almost certainly fallen. According to the Abramelin material, Adirael is a servant of Beelzebub. See also BEELZEBUB, MATHERS.
Admirable History: A book published in 1613 by Sebastien Michaelis recounting his exorcism of a nun. According to Michaelis, during the process of this exorcism, the demon Berith explained to him the hierarchy of Hell. Berith also revealed the sins that were the special province of each demon as well as the holy adversary of that demon. The adversary of the demon was typically a saint who had suffered the temptation of the demon’s sin but did not fall. This armor of faith then gave the saint power to overcome the demon of that particular sin. See also BERITH.
Adon: A demon named in Mathers’s translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. Adon’s name is almost certainly derived from Adonai, one of several Hebrew names for God. As a demon, Adon serves beneath Oriens, Paimon, Ariton, and Amaimon, the demonic princes of the four directions. See also AMAIMON, ARITON, MATHERS, ORIENS, PAIMON.
Adramelek: One of many demons named in Collin de Plancy’s extensive Dictionnaire Infernal, published and republished throughout the nineteenth century. The name of this demon is actually the name of a Samaritan sun god sometimes rendered Adramelech. As such, he is one of the many foreign deities mentioned in the Old Testament that have been demonized with the passage of time. The early-nineteenth-century French writer, Charles Berbiguier, describes Adramelek as the Lord High Chancellor of Hell. In his book Les Farfadets, Berbiguier further asserts that Adramelek has been awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the Fly, a supposedly demonic knightly order founded by Beelzebub. A. E. Waite, writing in his classic Book of Black Magic, repeats Berbiguier’s attributions, although he incorrectly links them to the sixteenth-century scholar Johannes Wierus. Agrippa identifies him as an ancient king demonized over time. See also AGRIPPA, BEELZEBUB, BERBIGUIER, DE PLANCY, WAITE, WIERUS.
Afarorp: A demon whose name appears in Mathers’s edition of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, Afarorp is a servitor of the four infernal princes of the cardinal directions: Oriens, Paimon, Ariton, and Amaimon. See also AMAIMON, ARITON, MATHERS, ORIENS, PAIMON.
Afray: S. L. Mathers gives the meaning of this demon’s name as “dust” in his 1898 translation of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. According to this work, Afray serves the greater demons Asmodeus and Astaroth. See also ASMODEUS, ASTAROTH, MATHERS.
