Bael (demon)


Bael is a demon described in demonological grimoires such as The Lesser Key of Solomon and the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum and also in the Dictionnaire Infernal.
He is described as a hoarsely voiced king with the power to make men invisible and ruling over sixty-six legions of demons.

Description

The Lesser Key of Solomon describes him as appearing in the form of a cat, toad, human, 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 Baal, a "reasonable" assumption. In the Livre des Esperitz, Bael is described as a king ruled by Oriens, still possessing the power of invisibility, as well as the power to garner the favor of others, but ruling over only six legions of demons. The Liber Officiorum Spirituum features Baal, Baall, Boal, or Boall, again as a hoarsely voiced king, 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, 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 invisibility and popularity. In the Grand Grimoire, Bael is listed as a subordinate of Lucifuge Rofocale. According to Thomas Rudd, Bael is opposed by the Shem HaMephorash angel Vehuiah.

In popular culture