Line #160 Literature/ArsGoetia


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ars_goetia.png]]
2	The first section of the anonymously written 17th-century grimoire ''The Lesser Key of Solomon''. It describes a group of 69-72 demons (depending on which edition you're working with) who were variously bound by Ham and Solomon to perform works on God's behalf, and now you, the lucky conjuror, can do the same. The Ars Goetia (or rather, the demons described) is/are frequently used in fiction. The grimoire itself is sometimes known as the ''Lemegeton'' and is a [[{{StockShoutOuts}} Stock Shout-Out]] for a TomeOfEldritchLore. For [[EvilIsCool some reason]], the ''later'' portions of the ''Lesser Key'', like the Ars Theurgia Goetia (conjuring neutral spirits of the winds) and Ars Paulina (conjuring lesser angels of the zodiac and the hours of the day), get ''much'' less screen time in general.
3
4	The book can be found translated [[http://www.sacred-texts.com/grim/lks/index.htm here.]] For quick reference, here's the seventy-two demons as listed in the Lesser Key:
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6	[[folder:The Usual Suspects]]
7	Note: Due to the nature of having several different translations over the centuries, expect to see [[ViewerNameConfusion alternative spellings]] a ''lot''.
8	# Baal/Bael/Baell
9	# Agares/Agreas
10	# Vassago
11	# Samigina/Gamigin/Gamigm
12	# Marbas/Barbas
13	# Valefor/Valefar/Malephar/Malaphar
14	# Amon/Aamon
15	# Barbatos
16	# Paimon/Paymon
17	# Buer
18	# Gusion/Gusoin/Gusoyn
19	# Sitri/Bitru
20	# Beleth/Bileth/Bilet/Byleth
21	# Leraie/Leraje/Loray/Oray/Leraikha
22	# Eligos/Abigor/Eligor
23	# Zepar
24	# Botis/Otis
25	# Bathin/Bathym/Mathim/Marthim
26	# Sallos/Zaebos/Saleos
27	# Purson/Pursan/Curson
28	# Marax/Morax/Foraii
29	# Ipos/Ipes/Ayperos/Ayporos
30	# Aim/Haborym/Aym/Haborim
31	# Naberius/Cerbere/Cerberus/Naberus/Nebiros
32	# Glasya-Labolas/Caacrinolaas/Caassimolar/Glassia-labolas
33	# Bune/Bim/Bime
34	# Ronove/Ronwe
35	# Berith/Beal/Bolfri/Beall/Berithi/Bolfry/Beale/Bofry
36	# Astaroth/Astarot/Ashtaroth
37	# Forneus
38	# Foras/Forcas
39	# Asmoday/Asmodeus/Asmodai/Asmodee/Chammadai/Sydonai/Sidonay
40	# Gaap/Tap
41	# Furfur
42	# Marchosias/Marchocias
43	# Stolas/Stolos
44	# Phenex/Phoenix/Pheynix
45	# Halphas/Malthous/Malthas/Malthus
46	# Malphas
47	# Raum/Raim
48	# Focalor/Forcalor/Furcalor
49	# Vepar/Separ/Vephar
50	# Sabnock/Sabnacke/Salmac/Savnok
51	# Shax/Scox/Chax/Shaz/Shass/Shan
52	# Vine/Vinea
53	# Bifrons/Bifrous/Bifrovs/Biphron
54	# Vual/Wall/Vuall/Uvall/Voval
55	# Haagenti
56	# Crocell/Procell/Crokel
57	# Furcas/Forcas/Forras
58	# Balam/Balan/Balaam
59	# Alloces/Alocer/Allocer/Alocas
60	# Camio/Caym/Caim
61	# Murmur/Murmus/Murmux
62	# Orobas/Orobos
63	# Gremory/Gomory/Gamori
64	# Ose/Oze/Oso/Voso
65	# Amy/Avnas
66	# Orias/Oriax
67	# Vapula/Naphula
68	# Zagan
69	# Valac/Volac/Valak/Valu/Valax/Ualac
70	# Andras
71	# Haures/Flavros/Flauros/Hauras/Havres
72	# Andrealphus
73	# Cimeies/Cimeries/Cimejes/Kimaris
74	# Amdusias/Amduscias/Amdukias
75	# Belial/Beliall
76	# Decarabia/Carabia
77	# Seere/Sear/Seir
78	# Dantalion
79	# Andromalius
80	[[/folder]]
81
82	On a side note, the earlier ''Pseudomonarchia Daemonum'' by Johann Weyer [[note]]a section of the larger text ''De praestigiis daemonum'' in which Weyer argued that witchcraft did not exist and that "witches" were actually just mentally ill[[/note]] in 1583 lists only 69 demons. Vassago, Seere, Dantalion, and Andromalius are not listed, and another demon, Pruflas, is listed. Pruflas doesn't seem to appear anywhere else; given his description, he may have been conflated with the extremely similar Andras. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liber_Officiorum_Spirituum Liber Officiorum Spirituum]] which Weyer gave as his source for ''Pseudomonarchia Daemonum'' has over 80,[[note]]varying depending upon the manuscript and sometimes including explicitly non-demonic beings like faeries as well[[/note]] and in turn the even earlier [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livre_des_Esperitz Livre des Esperitz]] had only 47 while notably only describing the demons and their place in the hierarchy of hell, with no actual magic instructions.
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84	See [[ReferencedBy/ArsGoetia this subpage]] for a list of references to Goetian demons in other works. And if you're looking for the {{fanfiction}} of the [[SimilarlyNamedWorks same name]], you can find it [[Fanfic/ArsGoetia here]].
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86	NOTE: Given how often they pop up outside of the lists, especially in sources that predate the lists, please limit tropes concerning Belial, Asmodeus (also known as Asmoday), Bael, Astaroth, or Berith (as in Baal-Berith) to material specifically present in the ''Ars Goetia''.
87	----
88	!!Common ''Ars Goetia'' tropes
89	* AerithAndBob: Andrealphus, Oriax, Decarabia, Valefor, and Amy and Andras.
90	* AscendedDemon: Some of the demons have aspirations of redemption, specifically Marchosias, Amy, Focalor, and Phenex. Unfortunately, it seems they are "deceived in that hope"... they told Solomon that they hoped to return to the Seventh Throne (Heaven or God or both) in 1,000 or 1,200 years or so. It's been 3,000 years since Solomon was alive. So they hoped for returning to the Seventh Throne 2,000 or 1,800 years ago. A bit of FridgeBrilliance there for our Christian viewers.
91	* TheBeastmaster:
92	** Volac will bring whatever serpents you desire to you. Although the text doesn't say anything about whether you can actually control them...
93	** Decarabia can control birds, and [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway get them to behave around the conjuror as they normally would]] (i.e. if neither conjuror nor demon were actually present).
94	* ComboPlatterPowers: Some demons have skillsets that have no connection to each other; for example, the demon Furfur is capable of both conjuring storms, telling true answers, and making people fall in love with the summoner.
95	* DarkIsNotEvil: A few of the demons seem to be [[HarmlessVillain harmless]], or even [[NobleDemon good-hearted]]. For example, Orobas is said to be an honest demon who [[CannotTellALie never tells a lie]]. He also protects his conjuror from evil spirits; more specifically, he makes sure they can't tempt him. Sallos is said to have a generally peaceful nature, and specializes in setting up lovers. Andromalius specializes in preventing and punishing theft. Of course, you still have singularly nasty demons in there (Andras not only specializes in fomenting strife and discord, he's one of the few specifically stated to, if there's even a small flaw in his summoning confinement, ''[[EvilIsNotAToy kill the conjuror and all his associates]]''...)\
96	\
97	It's also worth noting that although we're... well... talking ''DEMONS'' here, the conjuror is actually instructed to call upon God and appeal to His authority (which is still binding on the demons, whether they like it or not) in order to get the particular demon to obey the call and evocation. In other words, the idea is that you're using unholy implements (demons) for (allegedly) acceptable-to-God means (although how anyone would call what some of these characters, like Sitri, Andras, and Beleth, do "holy" is kind of difficult to tell).
98	* DealWithTheDevil: Well, if the above point about using God to get these guys to obey one is anything to go by, one doesn't have the usual soul-price to put up with here, at least as long as the power isn't abused to malevolent and perdition-worthy ends (although, as also mentioned, a few, like Leraje and Andras, will ''only'' perform malign deeds). One needs to be careful in any case, though; Andras will be trying to kill the conjuror and every one of his associates, Valefor will try to get his conjuror to commit and be caught for a capital crime, and Malphas has a bad habit of reneging on promises secured by a sacrifice on the part of the conjuror.
99	* DemonLordsAndArchdevils: Many of the demons claim to be kings, princes, or dukes of Hell. Possibly the TropeCodifier.
100	* DependingOnTheArtist: Visual depictions for some demons can vary from their written descriptions. For example, Stolas is depicted as a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stolas.jpg long-legged owl]], but his description describes him as appearing as a raven instead.
101	* DependingOnTheAuthor: Some written descriptions can vary. For example, Ipos is only described as dirty in the ''Pseudomonarchia Daemonum,'' but not the ''Lesser Key of Solomon.''
102	* DishingOutDirt: Agares can cause earthquakes.
103	* DrivenToMadness: Some grimoires suggest that Ose doesn't ''actually'' [[ForcedTransformation transfigure his victims]], but merely warps their minds to the point that they genuinely think they're something else entirely. The others claim both.
104	* EnfantTerrible: Volac. Volac himself looks like an angel-winged child. Fair enough. His steed? ''A two-headed dragon.''
105	* EvilCounterpart: Some occult traditions consider the Goetic demons, at least when there are 72 and not 69, to be this to the angels who bear the Shem ha-Mephorasch (the hidden name of God). There's even the claim that the Goetics' seals are actually some sort of [[SdrawkcabName reverse spelling]] of each associated angel's name.
106	* EvilIsNotAToy: While no demon at all should be taken lightly, Phenex, Malphas and Andras are especially nasty to would-be conjurors who screw up trying to bind them -- and in the case of Andras, fatal. Valefor, meanwhile, is troublesome ''post''-binding (see TreacherousAdvisor).
107	* EvilSoundsDeep: This may be the idea behind a fair number of the Goetics being described as having a hoarse voice.
108	* FakeMemories: Besides Ose's gimmick (ForcedTransformation) Dantalion can reveal a person's thoughts to a conjuror, then ''change those memories''. It does ''not'' help that he's one of the bevy of Goetics skilled in [[LovePotion impelling love]]....
109	* {{Familiar}}: Many, ''many'' Goetics have the explicit ability to grant familiars to conjurors. This is also Valefor's sole recorded ability... perhaps because rather than ''giving'' you a familiar, he ''is'' the familiar.
110	* FeatheredFiend: Quite literally, given that several demons have bird forms. We've got storks (Shax, Halphas), owls (Stolas, Andras), crows (Malphas, Raum), cranes (Naberius), peacocks (Andrealphus), and thrushes (Camio). Oh, and ''the'' phoenix (Phenex).
111	* ForcedTransformation: Pray that a conjuror doesn't decide he's mad enough with you to send Ose after you. Not only do you get shapeshifted, you start thinking that ''you've always been the thing or being Ose just turned you into''. Andrealphus, Oriax, and Marbas can do this, too, but they won't throw in the FakeMemories as well (and Andrealphus is limited to turning people into birds).
112	* AFormYouAreComfortableWith: A lot of the stranger-looking Goetics will eventually adopt human shape.
113	* GoMadFromTheRevelation: Part of the basic instructions given is to make sure the demons don't appear in forms likely to induce this. If you have read the Book of Ezekiel (and keep in mind that the angels ''aren't'' hostile to him), you'll know why.
114	* HaveAGayOldTime: To modern eyes, it can look rather strange that the conjuror is typically referred to as an "exorcist"--a term usually associated with ''banishing'' demons. This works because "exorcise" is derived from the Latin for "compel to adhere to an oath"; "conjure" comes from a similar term. That's how exorcising fiends out of someone was supposed to work--force the possessors to adhere to God's laws (like the one forbidding torment of humans) for once, Or Else. No real difference in mechanism when you were instead adjuring/conjuring/exorcising them to be your day laborer.
115	* HellishHorse: Samigina and Orobas both manifest as horses (even if Orobas, going by what he's willing to do for the conjuror, [[DarkIsNotEvil doesn't seem to be particularly hellish in the first place]]), and Amdusias as a unicorn.
116	* HijackedByJesus: A few of the demons owe their demonhood to the medieval Christian concept that gods other than the Hebrew one were merely demons masquerading as divine beings and trying to steal glory and honor that only God should have received. Bifrons (literally "two faces") is another name for Janus, the Roman god of gates. Berith comes from Baal-Berith, patron of a city at odds with early Jerusalem. Phenex is obviously a phoenix, which is usually considered a good creature in mythology. Astaroth's name is based on Astarte. Amon is iffy -- while he seems to be named for the Egyptian deity, that his name is occasionally spelled Ammon may connect him to the Ammonites, one of the Hebrews' perennial enemies. You can also find a few claims on the Internet that Oriax is the same as Osiris, and Purson the same as Horus, from Myth/EgyptianMythology.
117	* HypnotizeTheCaptive: A ''lot'' of the Goetic crew have the ability to incite love between men and women. One has to wonder if anybody trusted the conjurors to not try to use this trick to get themselves a desired bedmate with no strings attached... Sitri is ''especially'' explicit about this. Not only can he pull this stunt, he can make them disrobe and degrade themselves. Instant WildTeenParty, of ''[[APartyAlsoKnownAsAnOrgy that]]'' sort... or porn... or blackmail material. Beleth's entry, meanwhile, is very explicit about the not-so-romantic side of this; "This Great King Beleth causeth all the love that may be, both of Men and of Women, until the Master Exorcist hath had his desire fulfilled."
118	* {{Invisibility}}: Bael, Glasya-Labolas, Balam, Forneus and Foras have the ability to grant this. For some reason, this typically comes bundled with eloquence and sharp-mindedness.
119	* LoveGoddess: ''Many'' demons can become this, Beleth, Sitri, Zepar, Gremory & Furfur. Just to name a few. See HypnotizeTheCaptive above.
120	* MakingASplash: Focalor's specialty is to rip up warships with his control over the seas and winds, although he'll take care not to kill any specific creature the conjuror forbids him to. Vepar and Crocell also have abilities related to water--Vepar guides the warships (fear the conjuror who's commanding both her and Focalor), and Crocell can sniff out water sources.
121	* MixAndMatchCritters: Several Goetics appeared as animals with traits belonging to some other beast. Zagan and Haagenti were bulls with eagle wi... fine, ''gryphon'' wings... Valefor a lion with a donkey's head, Marchosias a gryphon-winged, snake-tailed she-wolf, etc. Ipos may get the prize for oddest-looking Goetic in this respect: angel with lion's head, goose's feet, and hare's tail. The Dictionnaire Infernal supplies an even odder possible form: lion with goose's head and feet and hare's tail.
122	* MultipleHeadCase: Some of the demons (e.g. Bune, Aim, Asmoday, in some lists Bael) have three heads, one human and two animal, presumably an implication of their perversion of angelhood by containing an equally chimeric trinity or else an implication that they were of Cherub rank when they were angels, since Cherubim also have multiple heads/faces -- three animal heads, and one human head. And then there's [[{{Hellhound}} Naberius]], aka [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Cerberus]].
123	* NoIndoorVoice: Paimon is said to "speak in a booming voice" when first summoned, until the conjuror compels him. Alloces isn't an improvement; his voice is "hoarse and very big" (well, he ''does'' have a lion's head...), and unlike Paimon, the conjuror ''can't'' undo this.
124	* OddNameOut: Furcas is the only demon with the rank of "Knight".
125	* OurDemonsAreDifferent: Given that many Goetian demons are MixAndMatchCritters, expect to see some weird ones.
126	* ThePigPen: Ipos is noted to be, despite having an angel's body, ''extremely'' dark with filth.
127	* {{Plaguemaster}}: Leraje: Guarantees that any of your archers' arrows that don't kill the targets outright will turn the wounds putrescent. Vepar and Sabnock: Arrange for enemies' wounds to become maggot-ridden. Marbas: General bringer of disease. This is [[FridgeHorror pretty scary in conjunction with]] his ForcedTransformation ability; what happens if the conjuror instructs him to transfigure the ''pathogen?'' On the other hand, this could be quite a con. Step 1: Have Marbas cause disease. Step 2: Sell snake oil for curing the disease. Step 3: Have Marbas turn the disease into a different one with a delayed incubation (thus "removing" the first one). Step 4: Return to Step 2.
128	* PlayingWithFire: Haures can use fire to kill his conjuror's foes, while Furcas will teach the conjuror how to use fire to discern the future, and Aim favors just setting whole cities and castles on fire. Amy doesn't grant anything particularly related to fire, but manifests ''as'' a great mass of flame.
129	* RankInflation: Several of the demons are given multiple ranks. Not across several grimoires, but in the ''same'' grimoire. To wit: President & Count/Earl Botis (17), President & Count/Earl Marax (21), Prince/Prelate & Count/Earl Ipos (22), President & Count/Earl Glasya-Labolas (25), Marquis and Count/Earl Ronove (27), President & Prince/Prelate Gaap (33), King & Count/Earl Vine (45), Duke & Count/Earl Murmur (54), and King & President Zagan (61). And while he's "just" a marquis in the ''Lesser Key'', the ''Pseudomonarchia Daemonum'' describes Decarabia as instead being both King & Earl. Basically, ranks are: King (Gold), Marquis (Silver), President (Mercury), Duke (Copper), Count/Earl (Iron[[labelnote:*]]Eldest texts[[http://www.esotericarchives.com/solomon/goetia.htm#andromalius]] assign a mix of Silver and Copper for counts/earls, probabily to avoid ColdIron effects.[[/labelnote]]), Prince/Prelate (Tin), and Knight (Lead). Or could be listed as: King (Sunday), Marquis (Monday), Count/Earl (Tuesday), President (Wednesday), Prince/Prelate (Thursday), Duke (Friday), and Knight (Saturday). RealLife rankings of nobility would go King, Duke, Prince/Prelate, Marquis, Count/Earl, and Knight.\
130	\
131	"President", in this case, would refer to one who presides over a college or convocation. Also, at the time, "prince" just meant someone who ruled over something, like the princes of Italian petty city-states. In addition, marquises had a pretty unique duty from dukes; the term comes from "march", used for a province bordering another country, which didn't always describe duchies, and never described counties. In other words, marquises were specially tasked to be the first line of defense against invaders. In this context, Goetic marquises might "protect" deceived/corrupted souls from "invading" divine redemption.
132	* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: A pretty fair number of these guys are associated with snakes (no surprise, given one of the usual alleged guises of {{Satan}}) in some fashion, whether holding snakes, riding snakes, having a snake tail, or in Botis's case, ''being'' a snake. In addition, Agares, Vassago,and Sallos all ride crocodiles, and Volac and Astaroth ride ''dragons''. And finally, except for his heads, Bune ''is'' a [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragon]].
133	* SealedEvilInACan: Part of the binding procedure that Solomon used was trapping the demons inside an elaborate vessel of brass, which he could pull them out of at will to perform this or that deed. Once he'd gotten all the work he needed out of them, he cast the full vessel into a great lake in the Babylonian Empire, expecting them to stay stuck until the end of time. Too bad the Babylonians who later found it mistook it for an ordinary treasure cache and ''opened'' it, getting nothing for their troubles except Belial impersonating one of their gods...
134	* SevenDeadlySins: Amon has been associated with {{Wrath}}, and Asmoday with {{Lust}}.
135	* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Marchosias (a she-wolf, at least according to the ''Pseudomonarchia Daemonum'' and ''Dictionnaire Infernal''), Vepar (a [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent mermaid]]) and Gremory (a woman riding a camel) are the only female demons. Though given that they are [[FallenAngel fallen angels]] and a good chunk are [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshifters]], male/female may be a formality rather than an indication of (normally) possessing any genitalia. It doesn't help that, even with Gremory, the most obviously female of the lot, the texts ''always'' use male pronouns.
136	* SpeaksFluentAnimal: Barbatos and Camio can grant a summoner the ability to understand and speak the languages of animals.
137	* StarfishLanguage: Apparently, Camio uses ''burning coals'' to communicate. The text doesn't give specifics. Somewhat appropriately, he has the power to let conjurors [[SpeaksFluentAnimal understand the speech of animals]]... and the speech of ''ocean waves''....
138	* {{Teleportation}}: One of Bathin's power is to instantly transport people from one country to another.
139	* TreacherousAdvisor: While Valefor ''does'' make for a good {{Familiar}}, you should probably not listen to his temptations to become a robber -- he's basically trying to get you to commit [[PsychicAssistedSuicide Demon Assisted]] [[SuicideByCop Suicide By State]].
140	* WeatherManipulation: Furfur can create storms, thunder, and lightning.

Context Literature / ArsGoetia