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 folklore, mythology, religion, occultism, and literature; these beliefs are reflected in Media (communication), media including f ...

described in demonological

grimoire A grimoire () (also known as a book of spells, magic book, 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 divin ...

s such as ''

The Lesser Key of Solomon ''The Lesser Key of Solomon'', also known by its Latin title ''Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis'' or simply the ''Lemegeton'', is an anonymously authored grimoire on Goetia, sorcery, mysticism and Magic (supernatural), magic. It was compiled in th ...

'' and the ''

Pseudomonarchia Daemonum The ''Pseudomonarchia Daemonum'' () first appears as an appendix to ''De praestigiis daemonum'' (1577) by Johann Weyer.Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (Liber officiorum spirituum); Johann Weyer, ed. Joseph Peterson; 2000. Available online aEsoteric Arc ...

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

Dictionnaire Infernal The ''Dictionnaire Infernal'' () 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; perhaps the most famous is th ...

''. 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 Baʻal, was a title and honorific meaning 'owner' or 'lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The ...

, 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 The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

toad Toad (also known as a hoptoad) is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands. In popular culture (folk taxonomy ...

human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...

, some combination thereof, or other "diverse 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 wonders if Bael is the same as the Canaanite deity

, a reasonable assumption. In the , 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 (N), south (S), east (E), and west (W). The corresponding azimuths ( clockwise horizontal angle from north) are 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°. The ...

east East 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 fact that ea ...

, 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 Officiorum 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 as a hoarsely-voiced king (or sometimes a soldier), with not only the powers of invisibility but also of the 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'', under Astaroth, as a prince whose powers include (again) invisibility and popularity. In the ''

Grand Grimoire ''The Grand Grimoire'', also known as ''Le Dragon Rouge'' or ''The Red Dragon'', is a black magic goetic grimoire. Different editions date the book to 1521, 1522 or 1421. Owen Davies suggests 1702 is when the first edition may have been creat ...

'', Bael (as Baal) is listed as a subordinate of Lucifuge Rofocale. According to

Thomas Rudd Thomas Rudd (c.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 in ...

, Bael is opposed by the

Shem HaMephorash ''Shem HaMephorash'' ( ''Šēm hamMəfōrāš'', also ''Shem ha-Mephorash''), meaning "the explicit name", was originally a Tannaitic term for the Tetragrammaton. In Kabbalah, it may refer to a name of God composed of either 4, 12, 22, 42, or 72 ...

angel Vehuiah.

In popular culture

* Baal appears as a recurring antagonist in the long-running German

dime novel The dime novel is a form of late 19th-century and early 20th-century American popular fiction issued in series of inexpensive paperbound editions. The term ''dime novel'' has been used as a catchall term for several different but related form ...

series '' Geisterjäger John Sinclair''. The novels and

audio dramas Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatised, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...

by author

Jason Dark Helmut Rellergerd (born 25 January 1945), known by the pen name Jason Dark, is a prolific author of Horror fiction, horror detective fiction in the German language. He is known for creating the long-running dime novel series ''John Sinclair (Germ ...

depict Baal as one of the

archdemon In some occult and similar writings, an archdemon (also spelled archdaemon), archdevil, or archfiend is a spiritual entity prominent in the Hell, infernal hierarchy as a leader of demons. Essentially, the archdemons are the evil opponents of the ...

s along with

Astaroth Astaroth (also Ashtaroth, Astarot and Astetoth), in demonology, is considered to be the Great Duke of Hell. He is described as a male figure, most likely named after the unrelated Near Eastern goddess Astarte. Background The name ''Ast ...

Eurynome Eurynomê (; Ancient Greek: Εὐρυνόμη, from , ''eurys'', "broad" and , ''nomos'', "pasture" or "law") is a name that refers to the following characters in Greek mythology: * Eurynome, pre-Olympian queen and wife of Ophion * Eurynome (Oce ...

and Amducias. * In the anime series '' Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans'', a prominent mobile suit is known as "ASW-G-01 Gundam Bael". * Makoto, a god and ruler of the Inazuma region in the video game ''

Genshin Impact ''Genshin Impact'' is a 2020 action role-playing game produced by MiHoYo, MiHoYo/HoYoverse. The game features an anime-style open world environment and an action-based Role-playing battle systems, battle system using Classical element, element ...

'', goes by the name Baal. * Bael is the demon that possesses Father Lucas Trevant, played by

Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor. Considered one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for List of Anthony Hopkins performances, his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins ha ...

, in the film '' The Rite'' (2011). * Baal was the primary antagonist in '' Diablo II: Lord of Destruction'', the 2001 expansion pack to

Blizzard Entertainment Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and Video game publisher, publisher based in Irvine, California, and a subsidiary of Activision Blizzard. Originally founded in 1991, the company is best known for producing the h ...

's ''

Diablo II ''Diablo II'' is a 2000 action role-playing game developed by Blizzard North and published by Blizzard Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, Classic Mac OS, and OS X. The game, with its dark fantasy and horror themes, was conceptualized and des ...

''. * Baal is a high-ranking demon and one of the main antagonists in Japanese anime and manga series ''

Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun A welcome is a kind of greeting designed to introduce a person to a new place or situation, and to make them feel at ease. The term can similarly be used to describe the feeling of being accepted on the part of the new person. Overview In ...

''. * Bael is the second-in-command of Hell in the 2024 Korean drama series ''

The Judge from Hell ''The Judge from Hell'' () is a 2024 South Korean television series written by Jo Yi-soo, directed by Park Jin-pyo, and starring Park Shin-hye and Kim Jae-young. It aired on SBS TV from September 21, to November 2, 2024, every Friday and Satur ...

'', portrayed by actor

Shin Sung-rok Shin Sung-rok (; born November 23, 1982) is a South Korean actor. He frequently appears in films and television series, but is better known as active in musical theatre. Early life Shin had initially aspired to become a basketball player toget ...

In popular culture

Explanatory footnotes

References

Further reading