Ars Goetia

The 72 Noble Pillars of Hell

### Enemies

Heavenly Host, Angiris Council, Empyrean Guard, Council of Godheads, Archons, Old Ones

### Status

Active

The **Ars Goetia**, also known as the **72 Pillars** or the **Lemegeton**, is a group comprised of seventy two noble demons with exemplary strength and their own legions. They are listed in the grimoire Lesser Key of Solomon.

## Overview

Their great amount of power and leadership status among the lesser demons also grants each Goetia the authority to exert command over Lucifer's other forces within Hell. Lucifer himself is confident enough of the Ars Goetia's abilities to send them out on potentially hazardous missions, such as gathering information from Earth, fighting strong angels such as Cherubim and Seraphim by themselves and searching for items that would benefit the Emperor of Hell or even destroying certain things that may be an obstacle.

Ironically, most of the Ars Goetia are not actually pure demons, but were in actuality fallen angels that rebelled alongside Lucifer during the War in Heaven. Lucifer's respect and even care for the Ars Goetia is reflected in his manner of addressing them, often referring to them as "my dear brothers" or "my beloved fallen". While all of them are completely loyal to Lucifer, some of the loyalists are also discreetly so fearful of him that they almost desire to refuse following him. Lucifer himself is known to be harsh and cruel to them should they fail in a certain task, but he is not completely without mercy as he chooses to spare them from a cruel punishment unlike Satan.

Like most demons, the Ars Goetia are tempters, who tried to damn humans by offering worthy gifts, like wealth, knowledge or magical powers in return for souls.

## Description

There seems to be a sort of hierarchy among the Goetia; a higher-ranked member apparently can give orders to lower-ranked members. This is evidenced with the demon Satanachia holding Aamon, Pruflas, and Barbatos as his own subordinates. When a demon of the Goetia is either summoned or tasked by Lucifer, it usually involves one or more Goetia demons operating together, with the strongest members exercising command over the others, being less powerful then they. And even then, it is also due to the status that they hold such as a Count or an Earl being under the command of a Marquis.

While the Ars Goetia appear to constantly gather in Hell's council to discuss certain events alongside their lord Lucifer, they can have their own quarters within Hell, which ranges from castles, underground fortresses, or even a separate dimension that is tethered to Hell. These palaces are modified to suit the specific Goetia demon's taste.

The Goetia are divided into a noble hierarchy, with the following ranks:

* Kings of Hell
* Dukes of Hell
* Princes of Hell
* Marquises of Hell
* Counts of Hell
* Knights of Hell
* Presidents of Hell

## Myths and Legends

Ars Goetia is the title of the first section of the Lesser Key of Solomon, containing descriptions of the seventy-two demons that King Solomon is said to have evoked and confined in a bronze vessel sealed by magic symbols, and that he obliged to work for him. The Ars Goetia assigns a rank and a title of nobility to each member of the infernal hierarchy, and gives the demons "signs they have to pay allegiance to", or seals. The lists of entities in the Ars Goetia correspond (to high but varying degree, often according to edition) with those in Johann Weyer's Pseudomonarchia Daemonum an appendix appearing in later editions of his De Praestigiis Daemonum, of 1563.

A revised English edition of the Ars Goetia was published in 1904 by Samuel Liddell Mathers and Aleister Crowley as The Goetia. based on manuscripts from the British Museum, with additions by Crowley, including a Preliminary Invocation drawn from Goodwin's Fragment of a Graeco-Egyptian Work upon Magic, and the essay The Initiated Interpretation of Ceremonial Magic. It is not a faithful edition of the source manuscripts but contains several innovations, including some evocations in Enochian written by Crowley. In his introduction, Crowley argues that the work of demonic evocation is merely a form of psychological self-exploration. It has since become a relatively well-known book of magic and has even been featured in places like the graphic novel Promethea by Alan Moore and James Blish's novel Black Easter.

### Etymology

Ancient Greek γοητεία (*goēteia*) means "charm, jugglery" from γόης "sorcerer, wizard". The meaning of "sorcerer" is attested in a scholion, referring to the Dactyli, stating that according to Pherecydes and Hellanicus, those to the left are *goētes*, while those to the right are deliverers from sorcery. The word may be ultimately derived from the verb γοάω "groan, bewail". Derived terms are γοήτευμα "a charm" and γοητεύω "to bewitch, beguile".

γοητεία was a term for witchcraft in Hellenistic magic. Latinized *goetia* via French *goétie* was adopted into English as *goecie*, *goety* in the 16th century.

## Members

1. Bael
2. Agares
3. Vassago
4. Samigina
5. Marbas
6. Valefor
7. Aamon
8. Barbatos
9. Paimon
10. Buer
11. Gusion
12. Sitri
13. Beleth
14. Leraje
15. Eligos
16. Zepar
17. Botis
18. Bathin
19. Sallos
20. Purson
21. Morax
22. Ipos
23. Haborym
24. Naberius
25. Glasya-Labolas
26. Bune
27. Ronove
28. Berith
29. Astaroth
30. Forneus
31. Foras
32. Asmoday
33. Gaap
34. Furfur
35. Marchosias
36. Stolas
37. Phenex
38. Halphas
39. Malphas
40. Raum
41. Focalor
42. Vepar
43. Sabnock
44. Shax
45. Vine
46. Bifrons
47. Vual
48. Haagenti
49. Crocell
50. Furcas
51. Balam
52. Allocer
53. Caim
54. Murmur
55. Orobas
56. Gremory
57. Ose
58. Amy
59. Orias
60. Vapula
61. Zagan
62. Valac
63. Andras
64. Flauros
65. Andrealphus
66. Kimaris
67. Amdusias
68. Belial
69. Decarabia
70. Seere
71. Dantalion
72. Andromalius

### Sources

The Ars Goetia most famous version arguably is the 1904 published by Aleister Crowley and reusing Louis Le Breton's illustrations for Collin de Plancy's Dictionnaire Infernal although using demon Pruflas' illustration for Purson.

The Goetia is inspired by Johann Weyer's Pseudomonarchia Daemonum list. The oldest known version being Livre des Esperitz. Other medieval lists include The Munich Manual of Demonic Magic and Fasciculus Rerum Geomanticarum.

2. Duke Agares
3. Prince Vassago
4. Marquis Samigina
5. President Marbas
6. Duke Valefar
7. Marquis Amon
8. Duke Barbatos
9. King Paimon
10. President Buer
11. Duke Gusion
12. Prince Sitri
13. King Beleth
14. Marquis Leraje
15. Duke Eligos
16. Duke Zepar
17. Count / President Botis
18. Duke Bathin
19. Duke Sallos
20. King Purson
21. Count / President Marax
22. Count / Prince Ipos
23. Duke Aim
24. Marquis Naberius
25. Count / President Glasya-Labolas
26. Duke Buné
27. Marquis / Count Ronové
28. Duke Berith
29. Duke Astaroth
30. Marquis Forneus
31. President Foras
32. King Asmoday
33. Prince / President Gäap
34. Count Furfur
35. Marquis Marchosias
36. Prince Stolas
37. Marquis Phenex
38. Count Halphas
39. President Malphas
40. Count Räum
41. Duke Focalor
42. Duke Vepar
43. Marquis Sabnock
44. Marquis Shax
45. King / Count Viné
46. Count Bifrons
47. Duke Vual
48. President Haagenti
49. Duke Crocell
50. Knight Furcas
51. King Balam
52. Duke Alloces
53. President Caim
54. Duke/Count Murmur
55. Prince Orobas
56. Duke Gremory
57. President Ose
58. President Amy
59. Marquis Orias
60. Duke Vapula
61. King / President Zagan
62. President Valac
63. Marquis Andras
64. Duke Flauros
65. Marquis Andrealphus
66. Marquis Kimaris
67. Duke Amdusias
68. King Belial
69. Marquis Decarabia
70. Prince Seere
71. Duke Dantalion
72. Count Andromalius
2. Duke Aguarès
3. President Barbas
4. Prince / Duke Pruflas
5. Marquess Amon
6. Duke/Count Barbatos
7. President Buer
8. Duke Gusoyn
9. Count / President Botis
10. Duke Bathym
11. King Pursan
12. Duke Eligos
13. Marquess Loray
14. Duke Valefar
15. Count / President Morax
16. Prince / Count Ipes
17. President Glasya labolas
18. Marquess Naberius
19. Duke Zepar
20. King Byleth
21. Prince Sytry
22. King Paimon
23. King Bélial
24. Duke Bune
25. Marquess Forneus
26. Marquess / Count Roneve
27. Duke Berith
28. Duke Astaroth
29. President Forras
30. Count Furfur
31. Marquess Marchocias
32. President Malphas
33. Duke Vepar
34. Marquess Sabnac
35. King Sidonay
36. Prince / President Gaap
37. Duke / Marquess Chax
38. Duke Pucel
39. Knight Furcas
40. Duke / Count Murmur
41. President Caym
42. Count Raum
43. Count Halphas
44. Duke Focalor
45. King / Count Vine
46. Count Bifrons
47. Marquess Samigina
48. King / President Zagan
49. Marquess Orias
50. President Volac
51. Duke Gomory
52. King / Count Decarabia
53. Duke Amduscias
54. Marquess Andras
55. Marquess Andrealphus
56. President Oze
57. Duke Aym
58. Prince Orobas
59. Duke Vapula
60. Marquess Cimeries
61. President Amy
62. Duke Flauros
63. King Balam
64. Duke Alocer
65. Count Saleos
66. Duke Vuall
67. President Haagenti
68. Marquess Phoenix
69. Prince Stolas
2. Gay
3. Satan
4. Orient
5. Poymon
6. Aymoymon
7. Equi
8. Beal
9. Agarat
10. Barthas
11. Bulfas
12. Amon
13. Barbas
14. Gemer
15. Gazon
16. Artis
17. Machin
18. Diusion
19. Abugor
20. Vipos
21. Cerbere
22. Carmola
23. Salmatis
24. Coap
25. Drap
26. Asmoday
27. Caap
28. Bune
29. Bitur
30. Lucubar
31. Bugan
32. Parcas
33. Flavos
34. Vaal
35. Fenix
36. Distolas
37. Berteth
38. Dam
39. Furfur
40. Forcas
41. Malpharas
42. Gorsay
43. Samon
44. Tudiras Hoho
45. Oze
46. Ducay
47. Bucal
2. Duke Cason
3. President / Count Otius
4. King Curson
5. Duke Alugor
6. Prince Taob
7. President Volach
8. Duke Gaeneron
9. Marquis Tuveries
10. President Hanni
11. Marquis Sucax
2. President Boab
3. Duke Bille
4. Marquis Fameis / Fronone
5. Marquis Beduch / Bamone
6. Marquis / Duke Bonoree
7. King / Duke Berich
8. Duke Astaroth
9. President Forchas / Fortas / Sartii
10. Count Furfur
11. Marquis Margoas / Margodas / Margutas
12. President Alphas / Malapas
13. Duke Gorsor / Gorson
14. Marquis Simias / Sitmas
15. President Volach
16. Duke Gomeris / Caym
17. King / Count Decarabia / Carabia
18. Duke Judifligei
19. President Vuduch / Andrialfis
20. Marquis Andras / Vandras
21. Duke / President Saymon / Zamon
22. President Azo / Oze
23. Duke Aym / Haborym
24. Prince Arabas / Accabas / Irabas
25. Duke Balpala
26. Count Lanima / Primam
27. King Paimon
28. King Belial
29. King Egym
30. President Ras
31. Marquis / Duke Torcha
32. Duke / Marquis Ara
33. Count Acar
34. Marquis / Count Paragalla
35. Duke Ponicarpo
36. King Lambes
37. Duke Triplex / Complex

## Mythological Connections

Many members of the Ars Goetia often resemble deities and monsters from other mythologies. Whether they were the actual deities of old, later impostors or just demonization of later Christian demonologists, is unknown.

Notable examples:

* Agares - Argus Panoptes, servant of Hera from Greek mythology
* Aamon - Amun, Egyptian god of the sun
* Andras - Andraste, Celtic war goddess
* Astaroth - Astarte, Mediterranean goddess of love and war
* Baal - Hadad, Mesopotamian god of war and thunder
* Balam - Balaam, non-Israelite prophet
* Bathin - Nephthys, Egyptian goddess of women
* Bifrons - Janus, Roman God of doors and new beginnings
* Haagenti - Bastet, Egyptian goddess of cats, women, art and war
* Ipos - Anubis, Egyptian god who serves as the judge of the dead
* Kimaris - Chimera, Greek monster
* Morax - Maat, Egyptian goddess of truth and harmony
* Naberius - Cerberus, Hellhound Guardian of the Greek Underworld
* Orias - Osiris, Egyptian god of the Underworld
* Phenex - Phoenix, Greek wife bird
* Purson - Horus, Egyptian god of Kings
* Raum - Khnum, Egyptian god of the Nile
* Sabnock - Sobek, Egyptian god the Nile
* Sitri - Set, Egyptian god of chaos
* Zagan - Dagon, Mesopotamian god of agriculture
* Zepar - Zephyrus, Greek god of the West Wind

## Trivia

* The Ars Goetia is also the name of a book that is one of the five grimoires of the Lesser Key of Solomon.
* Demons who are part of the Ars Goetia are referred to as Goetials.
* Goetic Theurgy, another practice described in the Lesser Key of Solomon, is similar to the book's description of Goetia, but is used to invoke aerial spirits.

## Image Sources

* (Ars Goetia.jpg) Ars Goetia by ???
* (72 Goetia Sigils.jpg) Seals of the Ars Goetia by S.L. MacGregor Mathers and Aleister Crowley
* (Another illustrations of the 72 Goetic demons.gif) Ars Goetia by ???
* (Ars Goetia Artworks.jpg) Collection of Ars Goetia Demons Images by Louis Le Breton