Meet the Goetia - Introduction

Hell-o everybody !

Welcome to “Meet the Goetia”. This is an idea I’ve been cultivating for a while now. Since the Ars Goetia is one of the show’s main inspirations, I thought it could be interesting to review all the different demons detailed in said book, not only because they could be potential future characters, but also because it makes for a pretty fertile ground for OCs and headcanons. Now, the principle of this series will be quite simple : each day, I will make a post presenting one of the seventy-two demons described in the grimoire, their titles and powers, what they are said to look like, their sigils, and whatever anecdotes the various sources provide about them. Most of them don’t come with a particularly rich background (especially when they weren’t based on a preexisting figure like Belial or Asmodeus), but then again, using our imagination to flesh them out is also part of the fun. :p That being said, I’d like to use this introductory post to mention a few general points that I think could be important in the long run, in regard to both the Ars Goetia itself and the show’s usage of this mythology.

First thing first, what is the Ars Goetia ? Most of you probably know it already, but I felt like it was best to put things in context and to be as exhaustive as possible. With that in mind, the Ars Goetia is the first part of a grimoire titled in Latin “Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis”, often referred to as the “Lemegeton”, for short. Known in English as “The Lesser - or Little - Key of Solomon”, it was written in the mid-17th century by an anonymous author and details various magical practices. Notably, the first part of the book, the aforementioned Ars Goetia (which roughly translates to “the Art of Witchcraft”), gives instructions on how to summon infernal spirits and lists the characteristics of seventy-two particular demons said to have been enslaved in ancient times by Solomon himself. It should be noted, however, that the knowledge compiled in the Lemegeton actually comes from a bunch of older, similar works, most notably Johann Weyer’s “Pseudomonarchia Daemonum” (first published in 1577 as an appendix to “De Praestigiis Daemonum”). While there are slight differences between the two works and the demons they list - the Ars Goetia notably removes Pruflas and adds Vassago, Seere, Dantalion and Andromalius (not to be confused with a certain peacock) -, their content is roughly the same.

Now, as we’re all aware, the show reinterpreted those demons as the Goetia family, a clan of powerful Hellborns, initially created by Lucifer, who serve as the realm’s aristocracy and rule over it with an intransigent fist. Based on what we’ve seen so far, there are two things I think are important to keep in mind regarding the show’s depiction of the Goetia. First of all, it should be noted that the clan is not strictly limited to the seventy-two demons mentioned in the original book, as evidenced by the existence of Stella and Octavia (note that the book itself often makes mention of demons who ultimately don’t feature in the actual list - even though some are said to be particularly important and powerful -, such as Amaymon, Corson or Ziminiar). It’s also worth mentioning that one of Satan’s lines - “We have been betrayed by one of our own, a Goetic demon.” - seems to imply that the Sins are considered part of the “family”. Considering that Asmodeus is already one of the demons listed in the book, such a conflation wouldn’t be that surprising. Secondly, one should keep in mind that while the Goetia is referred to as one “family”, it seems to be more accurately described as an entanglement of dynasties, with different branches that intermingle in numerous ways. As such, Goetic demons aren’t necessarily all related to each other by blood (at least not in a necessarily close manner). For, example, Stolas is Paimon’s son and we know he has siblings (who may also be based on demons from the book), but he is only related to Andrealphus through his marriage to Stella. Of course, those are merely my own observations, so I may still be proved wrong down the line. But I think it makes for a pretty solid base.

With that in mind, here are the various pieces of information one can find in the original grimoire :

- The title(s) a demon holds. For those who complain that the demons depicted in the show don’t feel otherworldly enough, it should be noted that their hierarchy, as presented in the Lemegeton, was an incredibly mundane one, modelled for the most part on British nobility. There are seven different ranks in the book, usually ordered as such : the Kings are above the Dukes who are above the Princes (sometimes referred to as Prelates) who are above the Marquises who are above the Counts (sometimes referred to as Earls) who are above the Knight (yes, the Knight, singular ; for some reason, there is only one demon with that title in the whole grimoire). The seventh title listed is President (that is, the one who presides over a college or an assembly, not the elected ruler of a country), but I’m not sure where it falls in the hierarchy. Unlike the other six, it isn’t a noble title, so logic dictates that it should be at the very bottom, but I may be wrong. Lastly, it should be noted that a demon can hold multiple titles.

- By the way, it should be noted that while the demons presented in the book are numbered, the numbers themselves don’t have any real importance (except maybe for Bael being the first), as it is offhandedly mentioned that they simply denote the order in which Solomon bound them. Really, they are just there to give a semblance of organization to what is ultimately a random list.

- Their personal sigil, the symbol one as to use as part of the ritual to summon them. We’ve already seen a few examples in the show, and I must say, some of them are actually quite pretty. Note that some demons may have been assigned different sigils through the ages (usually slight variants of the same symbol), so don’t be surprised if the version you’re familiar with is not exactly the same...

- The number of legions they command (one of the details that vary the most from one source to another). Basically, the number of infernal soldiers they are in charge of. One may remember how Stolas was mentioned in the show to have legions he was expected to “lead and pass on [his] knowledge to”. The show never really elaborated on the question, but it’s still an interesting piece of lore. Notably, there rarely seems to be any correlation between the title(s) a demon holds and the number of legions they command, with many lower-ranking demons having much more legions than some of their higher-ranking colleagues. (Of course, a legion merely denotes a certain number of underlings. It doesn’t consider how powerful those underlings may be on an individual level...)

- A succinct description of what they are supposed to look like. Or, more accurately, the appearance they are said to take when summoned. Trust me, as far as physical features go, there’ll be a lot of overlaps. Notably, the various artists who, through the ages, came to illustrate the book and its numerous predecessors often took some liberties regarding their exact characteristics (the show is definitely not unique in that regard), so don’t be surprised to come across a depiction that differs from what is described in the grimoire. Especially when it concerns an already well-known demon...

- Their powers, what knowledge they have to share, and pretty much all the different favours they can do those who summon them. Once again, except a lot of overlaps.

- Various other tidbits the author felt like sharing about a given demon, such as their temperament or the heavenly order they belonged to before the fall. (Of course, it was confirmed that in the show’s canon, the Goetia didn’t start as fallen angels but as creations of Lucifer. Then again, whether it’s the case for absolutely all of them (well, at least for those from the first generation) remains to be seen. Who knows, some may still be exceptions and hide another nature...)

Of course, there is no telling what degree of artistic licence the show will ultimately take when reimagining one of those guys, especially when it comes to their appearance. (No, Vassago was never described as looking like a fabulous parrot. But then again, a lot of the demons listed in the book are said to be able to alter their appearance, so it’s probably a moot point...) For the most part though, I think they did a pretty good job. Granted, we’ve only really interacted with half a dozen Goetic demons so far (baring the original ones like Stella and Octavia), but a lot of things about those characters are actually references to what’s said in the grimoire, even details as subtle as a wallpaper motif.

With that, I hope you are ready to “Meet the Goetia” (it wasn’t premeditated, but I’m just realizing that an abbreviated version of this title would be “MTG” and I find it quite amusing). I hope you’ll enjoy this (not so) little plunge into the Goetic world. It should be noted that English is not my first language, so I’m bound to make errors here and there. Grammar nazis, feel free to correct me if there is need ; that’s how one learns, after all. Speaking of mistakes, I am unfortunately not a demon, meaning that my knowledge isn’t perfect. So don’t hesitate to speak up if any of the information I shared is wrong. Moreover, I’ll try to be both exhaustive and concise, so once again, feel free to give your two cents if you think I’m glossing over an interesting point. And naturally, you’re welcome to leave all the comments you want. I’d be curious to hear your thoughts. By the way, I’ll keep this post updated with links to the other entries, to serve as a table of contents. That way, if you missed a post, or are looking for a particular demon, you should be able to find them easily.

So, without further ado, let’s get started !

Index :

#1 - Bael (coming soon)