Bael (Ba’al or Baal) is a

demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in Media (communication), media such as comics, video ...

described in demonological

grimoire A grimoire ( ) (also known as a "book of spells" or a "spellbook") is a textbook of magic, typically including instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans and amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms and divination, and ...

s such as ''

The Lesser Key of Solomon ''The Lesser Key of Solomon'', also known as ''Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis'' or simply ''Lemegeton'', is an anonymous grimoire on demonology. It was compiled in the mid-17th century, mostly from materials a couple of centuries older.''Lemegeto ...

'' and the ''

Pseudomonarchia Daemonum ''Pseudomonarchia Daemonum'', or ''False Monarchy of Demons'', first appears as an Appendix to '' De praestigiis daemonum'' (1577) by Johann Weyer.Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (Liber officiorum spirituum); Johann Weyer, ed. Joseph Peterson; 2000. Avai ...

'' (where he is the first spirit mentioned) and also in the ''

Dictionnaire Infernal The ''Dictionnaire infernal'' ( en, "Infernal Dictionary") is a book on demonology, describing demons organised in hierarchies. It was written by Jacques Collin de Plancy and first published in 1818. There were several editions of the book; perh ...

''. He is described as a hoarsely-voiced king with the power to make men invisible and ruling over sixty-six legions of demons.

Baal Baal (), or Baal,; phn, , baʿl; hbo, , baʿal, ). ( ''baʿal'') was a title and honorific meaning "owner", "lord" in the Northwest Semitic languages spoken in the Levant during antiquity. From its use among people, it came to be applied t ...

, as a deity, is also listed in an earlier and separate entry, though de Plancy does connect the two. ''The Lesser Key of Solomon'' describes him as appearing in the form of a cat, toad, man, some combination thereof, or other "divers shapes", while the ''Pseudomonarchia Daemonum'' and the ''Dictionnaire Infernal'' state that he appears with the heads of a cat, toad, and human simultaneously.

Jacques Collin de Plancy Jacques Albin Simon Collin de Plancy (28 January 1793 in Plancy-l'Abbaye – 1881 in Paris) was a French occultist, demonologist and writer. He published several works on occultism and demonology. Biography He was born Jacques Albin Simon Colli ...

wonders if Bael is the same as the Canaanite deity

, a reasonable assumption. In the ''

Livre des Esperitz The ''Livre des Esperitz'' (or ''Book of Spirits'') is a 15th or 16th century French grimoire that inspired later works including Johann Weyer's '' Pseudomonarchia Daemonum'' and the ''Lesser Key of Solomon''."Les who's who démonologiques de l ...

'', Bael (as Beal) is described as a king ruled by Oriens (himself a demon overseeing the

cardinal direction The four cardinal directions, or cardinal points, are the four main compass directions: north, east, south, and west, commonly denoted by their initials N, E, S, and W respectively. Relative to north, the directions east, south, and west are ...

east East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...

, or the ''Orient''), still possessing the power of invisibility, as well as the power to garner the favor of others, but ruling over only six (rather than sixty-six) legions of demons. The ''

Liber Officium Spirituum ''Liber Officiorum Spirituum'' (English: ''The Book of the Office of Spirits'')A Book of the Office of Spirits; John Porter, Trans. Frederick Hockley, Ed. Colin D. Campbell; Teitan Press, 2011.''The Book of Oberon,'' eds. Daniel Harms and Joseph P ...

'' features Baal, Baall, Boal, or Boall, again a hoarsely-voiced king (or sometimes a soldier), with not only powers of invisibility but also sciences and love. Sloane MS 3824 mentions Baal, in "Of the Demon Rulers," as a king ruled by Oriens, attributed with teaching science, (again) granting invisibility, and controlling 250 legions of spirits. Bael appears in later editions of ''

The Grimoire of Pope Honorius ''The Grimoire of Pope Honorius'', or ''Le Grimoire du Pape Honorius'', is a 17th to 18th century grimoire, which claims to have been written by Pope Honorius III (1150 - 1227). It is unique among grimoires in that it was specifically designed to ...

'', under Astaroth, as a prince whose powers include (again) invisibility and popularity. In the ''

Grand Grimoire ''The Grand Grimoire'' is a black magic grimoire. Different editions date the book to 1521, 1522 or 1421, but it was probably written during the early 19th century. Owen Davies suggests 1702 is when the first edition may have been created and a ...

'', Bael (as Baal) is listed as a subordinate of

Lucifuge Rofocale ''The Grand Grimoire'' is a black magic grimoire. Different editions date the book to 1521, 1522 or 1421, but it was probably written during the early 19th century. Owen Davies suggests 1702 is when the first edition may have been created and a ...

. According to

Thomas Rudd Thomas Rudd (1583?–1656) was an English military engineer and mathematician. Life The eldest son of Thomas Rudd of Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire, he was born in 1583 or 1584. He served during his earlier years as a military engineer i ...

, Bael is opposed by the

Shemhamphorasch ''Shem HaMephorash'' ( he, שֵׁם הַמְּפֹרָשׁ ''Šēm hamMəfōrāš'', also ''Shem ha-Mephorash''), meaning "the explicit name," is originally a Tannaitic term describing the Tetragrammaton. In Kabbalah, it may refer to a name of G ...

angel Vehuiah.

Explanatory footnotes

References

Further reading