Agares Explained

Agares (also Agarus, Agarat) is a demon described in demonological grimoires.

Description

Agares is described in grimoires such as the Livre des Esperitz (as Agarat), the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, the Lesser Key of Solomon, and the Dictionnaire Infernal as a duke "under the power of the east," an "old man, riding upon a crocodile, and carrying a hawk on his fist,"^{[1] [2]} who teaches languages, stops and retrieves runaway persons, causes earthquakes, and grants noble titles.

Legions and standing

Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis and the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum both list him as the second spirit, and state that he commands 31 legions of demons, while the Livre des Esperitz (which describes him simply as an old man) gives him 36.^{[3] [4] [5] [6]}

The Book of the Office of Spirits places him (as Agaros) second under Oriens and describes him as an old man riding a cockatrice, without the hawk.^[7] The Grimoire of Pope Honorius (which refers to him as Agarus) is more brief, omitting the crocodile and hawk, and omitting his functions beyond languages and titles.^[8] The Grand Grimoire features him as a subordinate of Lucifuge Rofocale.^[9] According to Thomas Rudd, Agares is opposed by the Shemhamphorasch angel Jelial.^{[10] [11]} Sloane MS 3824 mentions Agares throughout in invocations to summon spirits that guard treasure,^[12] and in the "Experiment of Agares," meant to draw him into a crystal.^[13]

Notes and References

1. Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (Liber officiorum spirituum); Johann Weyer, ed. Joseph Peterson; 2000. "(2) Agares"
2. Peterson's critical edition of the Lemegeton, pages 7–8 read "Old man riding upon a Crocodill, very mildly, carrying a goshawke on his fist"
3. Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis: The Lesser Key of Solomon, Detailing the Ceremonial Art of Commanding Spirits Both Good and Evil; ed. Joseph H. Peterson; Weiser Books, Maine; 2001. pp. 7–10
4. "Les who's who démonologiques de la Renaissance et leurs ancêtres médiévaux" by Jean-Patrice Boudet, Médiévales 44, Spring 2003, (online link).
5. The Goetia of Dr Rudd; Thomas Rudd, Ed. Stephen Skinner & David Rankine; 2007, Golden Hoard Press. p. 33
6. Dictionnaire infernal: ou Répertoire universel des êtres, des personnages, Jacques Collin de Plancy, 1853, available on Google Books. pp. 10–19
7. A Book of the Office of Spirits; John Porter, Trans. Frederick Hockley, Ed. Colin D. Campbell; Teitan Press, 2011. pp. 20–29
8. The Grimoire of Pope Honorius; Anon, trans. Kineta Ch'ien, ed. James Banner; Trident Press, 1999. pp. 10–19
9. The Book of Ceremonial Magic, Part II, chapter III, section 1: The Names and Offices of Evil Spirits; Arthur Edward Waite; London, 1913; available online at The Internet Sacred Text Archive, (direct link to section)
10. Rudd, ed. Skinner & Rankine pp. 408–412
11. Rudd, ed. Skinner & Rankine, pp. 366–376
12. The Book of Treasure Spirits, Elias Ashmole, ed. David Rankine, Avalonia books, 2009; pp. 32–42, 46, 84, 87–90
13. Ashmole, Rankine, pp. 145–152