Balam is a powerful Great King of Hell with forty legions of demons under his command.
Overview[]
He is depicted with three heads: one of a man, one of a bull and one of a ram. He has the tail of a serpent, eyes of flame, rides nude upon a bear, carries a hawk on his fist and speaks in a hoarse voice. When summoned he speaks of all things past, present and future, teaches man to be cunning and wise and can turn a person invisible.
Etymology[]
The demon Balam's name appears to be derived from Balaam, son of Beor, the human magician who is first found in the Hebrew Bible in the Book of Numbers, chapter twenty-two, and may be a demonized version of that character.
Balam in Christian and Occult Demonologies[]
Throughout history multiple formalized classifications of demons have been proposed. None of them however are considered canon by modern mainstream Christian denominations. Instead, lists of formalized demonologies tend to remain popular in occult traditions.
Balam in the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum[]
The Pseudomonarchia daemonum, or False Monarchy of Demons, by the Dutch occultist Johann Weyer, was published as an appendix to his book titled De praestigiis daemonum, or On the Tricks of Demons, in 1577. The description of Balam from the Pseudomonarchia daemonum is as follows:
| “ | Balam is a great and a terrible king, he commeth foorth with three heads, the first of a bull, the second of a man, the third of a ram, he hath a serpents taile, and flaming eies, riding upon a furious [very powerful] beare, and carrieng a hawke on his fist, he speaketh with a hoarse voice, answering perfectlie of things present, past, and to come, hee maketh a man invisible and wise, hee governeth fourtie legions, and was of the order of dominations.[1] | ” |
Balam in the Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis (Ars Goetia)[]
The Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis or Lesser Key of Solomon is an anonymously written book of demonology that is believed to have been complied sometime during the 17th century CE. The work is divided into five books, the first of which, known as the Ars Goetia, lists seventy-two demons. The Ars Goetia is heavily based off of Johann Weyer's Pseudomonarchia daemonum.
In 1904, the British occultist and founder of the religion of Thelema, Aleister Crowley, published a version of the Lesser Key of Solomon which was translated by another British occultist, Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers, and contained additional invocations added by Crowley. The Ars Goetia's passage on Balam from the 1904 version is as follows:
| “ | The Fifty-first Spirit is Balam or Balaam. He is a Terrible, Great, and Powerful King. He appeareth with three Heads: the first is like that of a Bull; the second is like that of a Man; the third is like that of a Ram. He hath the Tail of a Serpent, and Flaming Eyes. He rideth upon a furious Bear, and carrieth a Boshawk upon his Fist. He speaketh with a hoarse Voice, giving True Answers of Things Past, Present, and to Come. He maketh men to go Invisible, and also to be Witty. He governeth 40 Legions of Spirits. His Seal is this, etc.[2] | ” |
Balam in the Dictionnaire Infernal[]
The Infernal Dictionary is a book of demonology written in 1818 by the French occultist Jacques Auguste Simon Collin de Plancy. The entry for Balam (Balan) is as follows:
| “ | Balan, great and terrible king in the underworld. It sometimes has three heads: that of a bull, that of a man, that of a ram. Joined to this a snake tail and eyes that throw flame. But more ordinarily he shows himself on horseback, naked and horned, on a bear, and carries a sparrowhawk in his fist. His voice is hoarse and violent. He answers about the past, the present and the future. — This demon, who was once of the order of dominations, and who today commands forty infernal legions, teaches the tricks, the finesse and the convenient means of see without being seen.[3] | ” |
Trivia[]
- Balam served as a villain in the Hellboy Universe, notably in B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth - the Exorcist and B.P.R.D.: the Devil You Know - Pandemonium.
Gallery[]
References[]
| The 72 Demons of The Ars Goetia | |
|---|---|
| Kings | Asmodeus • Bael • Balam • Beleth • Belial • Paimon • Purson • Vine • Zagan |
| Dukes | Abigor • Aim • Agares • Allocer • Amduscias • Astaroth • Barbatos • Bathin • Buné • Berith • Crocell • Dantalion • Flauros • Focalor • Gremory • Gusion • Murmur • Sallos • Valefor • Vapula • Vepar • Vual • Zepar |
| Princes | Gaap • Ipos • Orobas • Seere • Stolas • Sytry • Vassago |
| Marquises | Amon • Andrealphus • Andras • Cimejes • Decarabia • Forneus • Gamigin • Leraje • Marchosias • Nebiros • Orias • Phenex • Ronové • Sabnock • Shax |
| Counts | Andromalius • Bifrons • Furfur • Halphas • Raum |
| Knights | Furcas |
| Presidents | Buer • Botis • Foras • Glasya-Labolas • Marbas • Morax |
| Great Presidents | Amy • Camio • Haagenti • Malphas • Ose • Volac |